Professional Practice Part B

Jan 23, 20236 min read

"Exploring the Supernatural World of Bioluminescent Mushrooms"

Mushrooms have long been shrouded in mystery and folklore, with many cultures interpreting them as supernatural entities. I have always been fascinated by these mysterious beings and decided to delve deeper into the world of bioluminescent mushrooms. My article was the perfect opportunity to indulge in these curious subjects and practise new art mediums.

I researched the local folklore and stories surrounding these beings and tried to find out as much about them as possible and create illustrations for each one. I took lots of sketches, experimenting in how best to portray them, and wanted to keep them accurate to their folkloric descriptions. I experimented with different mediums to try and figure out what gave them the most authenticity.

Workshops

For my research, I focused on three spirits: the Krasue from Thailand, Will-o-the-Wisp from England, and the Chinga from Australia. For the Krasue and Will-o-the-Wisp, there is lots of information available included many physical and behavioural descriptions that I could draw from. For the Krasue my design was as literal as possible based on these. When designing the Will-o-the Wisp its main description is a simple apparition leading people into a faerie underworld. I looked into british folklore and created a creature inspired by the Green Man that would be lurking as king of the faerie underworld, this was a far more exciting being than orbs of light. The Chinga was slightly more interpretive, as there was very little information surrounding them, so I found out as much as I could about other local Australian stories and wildlife. The Chinga were described as being shape-shifters so I thought a native Australian creature would be appropriate to portray them. I chose an echidna, they are unusual, curious, little known creatures, much like a faerie or spirit would be.

Sketchbook

In the article they are hunting for mushrooms so I thought it would be a nice link to create a piece about searching for the spirits. I created character profiles for them including things such as location, identifying and how to track them. I wanted the audience to feel that they are going on a quest into another realm to find the mythical creatures.

I made an etching plate from one of the sketches in my sketchbook. I really liked the effects of the ink. It was easily malleable and lent itself wonderfully to creating ethereal, mystical effects. I thought this process would help me tell my story of the spirits as elusive, mythical beings.

When considering how best to present my narrative I really liked the idea of making a pocket guide on how to find the spirits of the mushrooms. I thought it was important that the typography help emphasise my story. I was looking at old botanical illustration and fairy tales and the accompanying text is often handwritten or ornate. I researched illuminated manuscripts and created my own illuminated letters, each one inspired by the spirit it represented. The W for Will-o-the-Wisp includes the face of the spirit, two deer and mistletoe in reference to the spirit. The K for Krasue includes a heart and lungs to reference the Krasue’s disembodied organs. The C for Chinga includes the head of the echidna, stars in the shape of an astrological echidna and clouds. Each letter also includes a small hidden mushroom.

Modern Illuminated letters are often raised by adding gesso to the pattern. I made several tests, some including gesso some without. In the end i particularly liked the copper and blue and the gold and red gilding combinations. I chose not to include gesso in my final zines as they were very small and it wouldn't have enhanced the letters. I did include the gilding on the letters and the illustrations.

I have included some images at the end of this blog post of typography that was particularly inspiring.

I experimented with various mediums, such as collage, ink, painting, and print, while creating illustrations of spirits. I particularly enjoyed using lino for its playful nature and incorporated mushroom borders as a unique detail. I was inspired by the work of Julia Sarda, who uses borders to enhance her storytelling illustrations and adds subtle elements like patterns of eyes and ears to convey the idea of "the forest having eyes and ears."

I was inspired by illustrator Iris Compiet's book "Faeries of the Faultlines," which features richly detailed sketches and watercolours of mythical creatures in her own fairy tale world. I wanted to incorporate a similar ethereal, fantasy aesthetic in my own work, so I decided to use etching to create a series of illustrations that would support my narrative. I created three etching plates, two by hand using drypoint and one using a laser cutter, all on perspex. I found that using the laser cutter produced a deeper groove that required a different technique for applying ink. I needed to apply more ink to the plate and remove less when using the scrim to avoid white marks. The thickness of the line also created a raised line of ink which added an interesting, almost embossed, effect. I experimented with both colored and black and white prints, ultimately deciding that the latter complemented my story better.

Below are two of my etching plates, the first green plate was drawn using the laser cutter and the second orange one was hand drawn. You can see in the close up picture of the green print the raised ink lines and the areas of white where ink was lifted, both unexpected results.

Below are the results of my etchings prints . I tried lots of experiments in adding and removing ink and i like lots of the results. For my zine however i decided, because it was a small A5 publication a simple vignette would look best.

I also experimented in making mushroom spore prints. To make a mushroom spore print, you will need a few materials: mushrooms, paper, and a surface to press the mushroom onto. I found that using different types of mushrooms produced unique and varied patterns. After making several spore prints, I decided to take my experimentation a step further. I scanned my spore prints into my computer and edited them using Photoshop. I played with the colours, contrast, and composition to create full-page spreads that were truly unique and captivating.

I wanted to incorporate the bio-luminescent properties of the mushrooms in my artwork, so I used metallic and pearlescent paints to add a halo-like glow to my spirit illustrations and illuminated letters. This effect helped to tie my artwork and text together and enhance the overall aesthetic. Once I was satisfied with my illustrations, I used InDesign to organise them into a zine format. To experiment with different outcomes, I printed my illustrations on both cartridge and silk paper. I particularly liked the matte quality of the cartridge paper, and added gilding in a red and gold colour scheme for one version and copper and blue for the other. I also chose a handmade saddle stitch binding for the zine to emphasise the historical and folkloric aspect of the subject matter.

I am very pleased with the final outcome of my zine. Next time i would consider adding some location sketches of local flora and fauna, as well as a map, to give readers an even better sense of the environment. When printing, I found I was left with two blank pages in order to make the bind, and think that I could have planned those in as dedicated notes pages at the end of the zine, similar to those found in foraging guides for people to document their findings.

Evaluation

My chosen article discusses the cultural interpretations of bioluminescent mushrooms as supernatural entities. I conducted research on local folklore and stories surrounding these beings and used this information to create illustrations, experimenting with different mediums to achieve authenticity. I focused on three spirits in particular: the Krasue from Thailand, Will-o-the-Wisp from England, and the Chinga from Australia. For my final piece, I created a guide for finding the spirits, using illuminated manuscripts and etchings, and accompanying the illustrations with character profiles, including location, identifying features, and tracking methods. I also experimented with making mushroom spore prints and editing them in photoshop to create full-page patterns. The overall goal of the zine was to make the audience feel as though they were on a quest to find these mythical creatures, and including illustrations relevant to mushrooms to create the tie to my original article.

Below are some zine preview videos. You can see how the metallic paints catch the light beautifully and add an iridescent glow to the pages.