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Exploring the Symbolism of the Snake in Lunar New Year Traditions



Hello my Snazzy Snakes and Happy February and Happy Lunar New Year to you all!!!


I know what you're thinking!! Rachel, I don't want to be a snake. They're icky and scary and all of the slithery things. I too thought these things for the longest time! But this year, I decided to look up the meaning of the snake and was so moved by the symbolism that I am fully embracing its vibes.


I was born in the year of the snake in 1989 and never thought twice about it except that I hate snakes. But I read that the year of the snake is about shedding your skin, releasing that which you don't need to hold onto anymore, and embracing your new self. Chills!!!!


After a year of motherhood, this is something I'm trying to do. Let go of gripes, let go of things that make me anxious (major work in progress here), and move forward with only the things I need.


I was so moved by the symbolism and the fact that Valentine's Day is upon us, that a little snake illustration was in order (and exciting news, you're receiving a freebie download of this print!!)


But before we get into that I thought it would be fun to show you a little behind the scenes how I made this design.


Let's get into it:


I made this in the Procreate Drawing App on my Ipad using my apple pencil. It's a tool that has become such an integral part to my art process. Sometimes I soley draw pieces on the Ipad, and other times I use it to sketch out ideas or tidy up a scanned in painting.


For the snake, I started with a quick sketch, knowing I wanted the moon, and some hearts in the mix.


Then I made a quick color palette and color-blocking sketch to help me see what route I wanted to head in. This technique is newer to my practice. I have a tendency to be impatient and dive in, which can be great, but if I'm working quickly a thumbnail color blocking sketch helps me not do as much negative work.




After creating a thumbnail, I enlarged it to the size of my final design. Then, I lowered the opacity and started drawing over top of the sketch. I blocked out color in the final design, first with the snake, then the blue hearts.



After getting all of my major pieces into the design, I removed my sketch layer and toyed around with different textures and slight color variations (keeping my color palette in mind). As you can see, I ultimately decided the moon needed to be lighter in color, so this was the final product.


She's chic and confident and at peace (in my humble opinion).


You can download your art print below. Feel free to print, share, and tag me on social @artbynieman


I'll see you beauties in March!

xoxo

Rachel



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