The Big 5

bg The Big 5 banner

This symbol set was designed as part of my MFA coursework. The goal was to use a mark making process (cuniform, pen and ink, charcoal, etc…)to develop meaning through a cohesive set of 3 or more symbols. To develop my symbols I focused on the five most popular African safari animals, known as The Big 5: Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cape Buffalo, and Leopard. In my exploration two symbol sets were developed. One utilized the full silhouette of the animal’s back, the other focused more closely on the outline of the animal heads. Each is an attempt to reduce the animals to their most simplistic yet instantly recognizable form.

Symbol Set 1

icon_rhinohead icon_lionhead icon_buffalohead icon_elephanthead icon_leopardhead

Symbol Set 2

icon_rhinoback icon_leopardback icon_lionback icon_elephantback icon_buffaloback

Exploration & Process Work

art media elephant marks Big five icon set attempt 2 Big five icon set attempt