With this project, my focus was on balancing playful stylization with a minimalistic feel.
When designing these cutouts, the main technical concern is making sure that all of the "positive space" stays connected. This medium is really a very thin 3D structure and can't have floating parts. I also have to take into consideration the fact that subtle shading is essentially impossible. It is a very restrictive medium, but I enjoy the challenge.
With the koi piece, the ruffled fins allowed me to play with the shapes of the bubbles and evoke an aquatic feel. With the shark, the sleek, more restrained lines meant I had to rely on the backing showing through to capture an oceanic atmosphere.