The challenge for this project was to create an illustration that reflects the idea of 'contradictory texture.' We were allowed to choose any object to illustrate and then consider how that object could be comprised of a material that contradicts what it would normally be made of.

The object I chose was a lava lamp, placed in my room with my bedroom's light beaming on it. A lava lamp is normally made of metal with a shiny and smooth texture, but I changed the texture and appearance to a mixture of nature. The goal was to make the texture of the object as believable as possible, and extra credit was given for designs that included a well-considered light source. While making the design, we needed to incorporate layers, gradients, brushes, textures, symbols, and lighting with Illustrator tools.

Having the lava lamp in my room helped me distinguish where I needed to add a lighting source. For this design, I used a variety of tools, including the pen tool, brushes (custom brush), colors, gradients, and curvature pen tool. I began my design by sketching my lava lamp with a pen, minimizing my temptation to erase imperfections and including additional details that I might or might not use. I then scanned my sketch to upload it on Illustrator to be used as a template. When coloring and drawing each grass stroke, I used a Wacom drawing tablet that sped up the process for me and used a variety of shades of greens to add shaded areas. Highlights were made with brushes and the help of opacity.

My goal for this design was to create a surface surprise, and I believe I succeeded in giving my lava lamp a natural appearance. Some people may see the texture as grass or even fur, but both textures work for my nature lamp.