Bright Lights: A Junior Narrative Illustration by Katelyn Bernardo (2018)

My story is about a pop idol’s challenge in balancing fame and family. The main character originally gets into the music industry to make a living and sustain her family, but she eventually realizes that she can no longer endure in this demanding business. Nasty tabloids in addition to the growing rift between her and her daughter pushes her to the brink.

I started this project by brainstorming a list of character traits and animals that could go with these traits. I picked a peacock and an eagle to represent confidence because of the confident aura it exudes. I chose a turtle to represent reserve and quietness, because unlike like the character’s loud pop star persona, her real self is actually quite shy. I used a penguin to represent the trait of caring, because like penguins, she dotes on her daughter and loves her deeply. Lastly, I chose a salmon to symbolize determination due to the salmon’s determination to swim upstream. Similarly, the main character in the beginning was willing to swim through the harsh demands of the music industry for the sake of her family’s well-being. In terms of the background, I chose an aquarium because both fish and entertainers are trapped in a “tank” for our own personal enjoyment. An upward perspective was used to mimic society’s tendency to put celebrities on a pedestal and “look up” to them. Fortunately, creating the character design was fairly easy because I already had a specific image in mind. The only issue I had was figuring out linear perspective with a non-eye level view because I had rarely worked with it prior to this project. Despite this small hiccup, I am overall proud of my efficiency and the product I created.