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Something I didn't expect from this challenge: the hardest part wasn't recreating a historical illustration style. It was finding a new story worth telling with it.
I started exploring Walter Crane's The Baby's Own Aesop (1887), and one thought kept coming back:
“The bird can't understand why a creature with no cage refuses to leave its room.”
That became the starting point for The Curious Case of Humans, a collection of eight modern fables where animals observe our everyday habits and wonder what on earth we're doing.
I'm sharing one of my archival comparisons here. The original artwork inspired the visual language, but the story takes it somewhere entirely new.
It's been fascinating seeing how differently everyone has interpreted their archival discoveries.
I'm curious how other creators approached this: did the archival artwork inspire your concept, or did you already have an idea and search for the right historical style?
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Lately, I’ve been spending more time illustrating. Not necessarily with a particular goal in mind, but simply because I enjoy it.
Working as a designer often means adapting to different visual languages. Every project comes with its own identity, references, and expectations. And while I love that part of the process, there’s something refreshing about creating without any of those things in mind.
I’ve started noticing certain patterns in my illustrations. The way I draw faces, exaggerate proportions, or approach particular details. Little decisions that I don’t necessarily think about while making them, but somehow keep appearing.
It’s interesting because I’ve never really sat down and decided what my illustration style should look like. It seems to be something that has developed naturally through repetition, experimentation, and probably a lot of things I’ve been influenced by along the way.
I think we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to develop a recognizable style, especially as creatives. But maybe it’s less about trying to create one and more about paying attention to the things we naturally gravitate toward.
There’s something quite satisfying about looking at something you’ve made and seeing a little bit of yourself in it.
Wow, this is amazing 😍
Bondri has been featured by 6 different curators in the past month and I’m still a bit in disbelief.😮
I put a lot of care into every detail of this one, from the illustrations to the packaging to how the day and night variants talk to each other. Seeing it recognized like this means a lot.
What makes you stop and really look at a project when you’re scrolling?
I think it’s the little details that make a project stand out. When everything feels intentional and tells a story, it naturally makes you want to stop and take a closer look. Love how much thought went into this! 👏
Well-done Chantal
An exploration of art, creativity, and creative direction through the lens of AI 🌸
This is an independent, experimental concept project, created entirely with AI to explore new possibilities in visual storytelling, artistic expression, and creative direction.
The work incorporates AESOP brand assets and identity, which remain the property of their respective owners. This is a personal creative exploration, not an official AESOP campaign or commissioned work.
Created with AI. Directed by me.
A concept. A creative experiment. A vision brought to life through AI.
So cool!!