Let Her Go: A Junior Narrative Illustration by Emma Orner (2013)

The illustration depicts a hand holding a cross necklace made out of passages from the Bible. Inside, figures are struggling to break free from the constraints the cross have created for them. The picture is based on a story about a girl who is trying to break free from a very religious based family. She wants to be an individual, but she is trapped behind what her mother wants her to be. The hand in the photo exemplifies the control the mother has over her daughter's fate with religion. The blue lighting in the background gives the cross a Biblical atmosphere, demonstrating it's strong connection with religion. Creating the hand was the biggest struggle for me. It consists of many layers that are different shades to show lighting. Finding the right color shades to make the hand look realistic was very time consuming and stressful. The chain was also very hard and time consuming. It required me to outline every link to create the full effect.