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Reflections of Abuse

Dear Insane Children, 

Adam sent over a follow-up sketch to the previous post. This combines some of the elements from those images to present a surreal scene in which everything terrible Alice experienced in the Asylum is reflected back to her in one terrifying moment. 

There's a question of which of these should be fully illustrated. But first, Adam says of these: 

I have two ideas that could tie all these visuals together into an artistic and elegant composition, namely a shattered mirror.

Idea one:
So the entire poster is a broken mirror, each broken piece acting like a screen that's showing a different traumatic memory. In the middle we would see the reflection of Alice screaming, her face broken apart by the cracks of the broken mirror, symbolizing her psyche breaking.

Or she would be in front of the mirror , so that it only acts as a background

Idea two: Alice is kneeling on the floor, screaming, entering hysteria, while the memories appear around her, in a form of multiple, round mirrors, made of tarry substance (similar to tentacles) that float and revolve around Alice so that she can't break free from them.


The first idea is much closer to what Alex proposed, though I wanted to share both my ideas as food for thought. What do you think?

So let him know in the comments below what YOU think!

Omri had an idea... 

And says...

B is great but i think This shows the MANY memories.
a TON of mirrors.. what do you think?

And Alex said... 

Both of these are brilliant. Here are my thoughts.

I think (B) communicates the ideas of memories and experiences of the Asylum clearer. I would prefer to see that one rendered.
It might just be from the amount of physical space you have to communicate/render the abusive memories. You can see more of them.

Showing the reverse of the mirrors in (A) I think limits that side of it also.

For me... I really like Omri's idea. But I also said I love both of these sketches so much that I want to see BOTH of them rendered fully. 

Let us know in the comments below your thoughts! 


From Shanghai with Madness, 

-American


Reflections of Abuse

Comments

I've seen this art completed but I cant find it?

I would say b because it shows that she’s looking deep into her self

Gonna have to go with both Although lenticular / layered would work really well here

B won’t load for me so… A I guess? If you think both should be rendered though then I say go for it!

Nicholas Brokaw

I LOVE the one of her kneeling. It just feels so dramatic.

Saucentric

I’d choose B but I think A is okay as well.

Sarah McKeegan

I would say B, I think it reflects better how overwhelming everything must be for Alice

The depth in the composition of "A" excites me more, but they both are great...

SycrosD4

This is the kind of work I get out of bed for

SycrosD4

I love both of them, though the one with lots of mirrors i think is more impactful. I imagine at the zenith of this moment for all the mirrors to shatter as Alice screams? Her memories are like a swarm around her that she cannot escape, like "Intrusive thoughts" that basically suggest that she has no choice in the matter when it comes to trying to shield herself from them, and cannot escape the abusive memoires. No matter what direction she faces, she cannot get away. They taunt, they scream and they cry with anquish and trauma that consume her fragility, breaking her final psychological defences. This...is powerful. Great work.

AniFae Kusanagi

As an image, I think Adam's idea is more aesthetically pleasing, but I think Omri's idea better encapsulates the feeling you're going for.

Richanne Matthews

I like the face and arms in the single mirror, but love the idea of them surrounding her and the asylum padded walls and barred door are a great touch, reminding us where she is. I think the more mirros the better. It will increase her sense of claustrophobia and panic. Phenomenal work, as always!

Stephanie Groth

I vote for B; I understand what option A goes for as far as imagery but I also think it has been seen before many times. Option B sounds very fresh by comparison and the imagery of the mirrors circling above Alice, each one reflecting a trauma while she enters hysteria alone in the center, THAT sounds like torture. And agony is totally what Alice seems to be feeling (from the sketches) in this scene, B seems clearer portraying that while also keeping with the insanity of your Wonderland.

B is interesting. If you mix it with the a somehow maybe that would work?

With the extra mirrors I like the one she's kneeling on the floor better.

Definitely B. I have PTSD myself and seeing them in multiple separate mirrors I don’t know just… Fits better what a flashback feels like. Both are nice but B I prefer.

I prefer the giant mirror, aesthetically I think it's horrid and wonderful. I also like the idea that it's almost like she's trapped in the mirror, endlessly surrounded by her traumas. That said, I agree with what seems to be the consensus that the multiple mirrors gets the point across of having innumerable tragic and painful memories.

That's a hard one. I love both. I like idea one though. Seems more real, human.

Saleh Abu-Rashid

B but with Alice going into hysteria to show the inescapable damage of the asylum

“A” with a buuunch of mirrors for sure!! The feeling of Alice not being able to escape because she’s trapped in this circle of memories is more palpable in that one. With “B”, I feel like she could turn around and simply not face the mirror at all, but with “A” she has nowhere to hide.

I like both. They're very haunting visuals, but I feel that A would do the job.

I like the first idea better

Richard

Both are amazing, but I think B would turn out to be the better image.

Wendy Jaa

Both of them are so great, but "A" is the more powerful illustration I think. "B" is good, but it looks like Alice can escape from the big mirror, close her eyes for example and things like this. But when it is "A" or Omri's idea with more mirrors I feel like it's more painful, more terrifying for Alice or us. They are everywhere you can't run (but maybe fight).

Both of them are amazing! I do like the idea of putting more mirrors because Alice has so many more than a few bad memories. Everyone around Alice has treated her horribly from the very moment following the fire and it makes sense to show just how many bad moments there are. The way the second option has the mirrors extending off the page suggests that there are more memories of abuse than you can count or even want to for that matter.

More mirrors!!

I love both of them

The revised kneeling with a TON of mirrors - it has much more energy and presence. And my adding more mirrors, it could effectively "show" as many memories as one might fit in the other option's fragments option A could also have the mirrors be semi-transparent, so we aren't just seeing "backs" but not as clear images?

Could be possibly use both? Like maybe we start with A like maybe instead of Alice screaming she's just hunched over holding her head and then in the cutscene we zoom into one of the handheld mirrors as she lifts her head it shatters with Alices screams showing the memories closer and in full color! That would be a cool visual!

I love the imagery of A more. But living with C-PTSD tells me that B is more accurate.

B

Revised Alice kneeling, without a doubt.

Shabnakh-adyr

I'd go with B. Great ideas all around though!

Greyson Kehm

American I agree with you on this. I think they should both be incorporated. If I had to pick only 1 i pick (A). It shows the full view of Alice like she’s in extreme pain and agony. The surrounding mirrors is a nice touch Because she can’t escape. What if (B) starts it out, so she’s looking in the mirror and all the memories start to come through. She thinks it’s only an illusion until every memory covers the whole mirror and her psyche fractures. Then the frame zooms in through her eye like we’re going into her soul/psyche itself and the shot turns to (A). Showing that now instead of the one mirror facing Alice all the memories are now facing her and she can’t escape the pain. Both well done!

I absolutely cannot decide. Has to be both.

Definitely both. The more mirrors the better, but I can see it transition from the multi perspective into the single closeup

I love the revised A, the posture feels stronger and the amount of mirrors seems more apt to her reaction.

Karma Chameleon

I would also love to see both, but the idea of having her surrounded by mirrors really speaks to me. I know all too well how mirrors can sometimes act as a curse and reflect back all my worst moments at the most random times. I think that one shows how tortured she is by her own mind the best.

Melissa Chanyarlak

Definitely idea B with the multitude of mirrors - you can see more of Alice’s pose and body language that gets the image across much better than the single, straight-on image

The Mad Captain


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