Creating complex organisms using only simple shapes and effects in Adobe Illustrator
I created this design in participation of the challenge "Art'n'Light", organised by Shawn Kosel. I decided to go for radiolarians, which are a type of bio-luminescent marine organisms.
The Radiolaria, also called Radiozoa, are protozoa of diameter 0.1–0.2 mm that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into the inner and outer portions of endoplasm and ectoplasm. The elaborate mineral skeleton is usually made of silica. They are found as zooplankton throughout the global ocean. As zooplankton, radiolarians are primarily heterotrophic, but many have photosynthetic endosymbionts and are, therefore, considered mixotrophs. The skeletal remains of some types of radiolarians make up a large part of the cover of the ocean floor as siliceous ooze. Due to their rapid change as species and intricate skeletons, radiolarians represent an important diagnostic fossil found from the Cambrian onwards. (source Wikipedia)
All the different radiolaria were created from a single set of circles, onto which effects and shape blends were applied. I made use of some less known tools such as the wrinkle, scallop, warp and crystalise tools. I also used a few textures and light overlays to add some depth to the scene. Everything is done using Adobe Illustrator.
The organisms in this work are entirely fictional but are based on references and the work of Ernst Haeckel, who depicted them in his book "Kunstformen der Natur", published in 1899.
