FALL 2019 | “WHERE’S WILLi?” illustration and logo

I was hired by the head of Eastern Connecticut State University’s Director of University Relations to create an interior illustration in the style of the Where’s Waldo/Wally? series.We would be hiding Eastern’s mascot, Willi the Warrior! I studied quite a few Where’s Waldo illustrations and picked up tips on how series illustrator Martin Hanford makes it more difficult to find the striped sensation. I decided to set my scene in Eastern’s Student Center, which makes things even more exciting for those familiar with our campus. I originally chose to limit the color scheme to the same shades of red, navy, and gray as in Willi’s costume, making him more difficult to spot. The client decided we should add more color, as they felt the activity was actually a bit too difficult as a result. I ended up choosing several complementary shades of blue, green, and orange to accent the image. I was also inspired by Hanford’s “The Land of Waldos” illustration to include a number of distracting Willi the Warrior masks. I designed and hand-lettered a logo for the illustration, which serves as both an instruction and reminder of what Willi looks like. I included a few “Easter eggs” in the illustration, including characters that reference icons of pop culture.

Check out the issue here!