✨ FANTASTIC CREATURES SERIES: My Vision of the Future Civilization
- Mariia Raskin
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 13
Me with my colorful abstract mixed media portraits on paper
This may sound a little cliché, but I truly enjoy reflecting on humanity and our place in the universe. Why did God create us exactly the way we are and not differently? Why were we given free will and the ability to choose our own path?
And the biggest question of all, the one I explore through this series, is this:
What if one day humanity evolves into a civilization of conscious beings that has uncovered the secrets of the universe? What would we look like then? What abilities would we possess?
The «Fantastic Creatures Series» is my own fantasy about the civilization of the future.
These characters are almost demi-gods who have learned to understand the laws of nature so deeply that they can control the elements themselves. They travel through space using only the power of thought, where distance no longer exists as an obstacle. They explore other planets, but not in a technological or destructive way. Instead, their expansion is organic, intelligent, and harmonious.
Travelers through the Universe (oil background and acrylic on paper, 9.8 x 9.8 in| 25 x 25 cm)
They can change their appearance and even the anatomy of their bodies whenever they wish, not through surgery as people do today, but through willpower and the power of the mind. They become water spirits, forest fairies, cosmic travelers, elves, or guardians of insects. Each new character I create receives unique abilities, a distinct personality, and a special role within this imagined civilization.
Spirits of the Forest and Water (oil background and acrylic on paper, 9.8 x 9.8 in| 25 x 25 cm)
People - demigods, inhabitants of the jungle (oil background and acrylic on paper, 9.8 x 9.8 in| 25 x 25 cm)
My creative process always begins with searching for a reference photograph of a person whose appearance captures my attention. Using that image as a starting point, I create an anatomical sketch while transforming it according to my own vision. I construct the planes of the face and think carefully about which color palette will best express the character.
The creative process of caracter development
The initial pencil sketch and the final result in color
Color is an essential part of my process, and one of my greatest assistants is the handmade background that I prepare in advance. It becomes the foundation of the portrait. I create these backgrounds on paper using highly diluted oil paints transferred across the surface of water, resulting in rich organic patterns that can never be repeated exactly.
Colorful backgrounds are the foundation for my portraits
The color of the background and the portrait always need to speak the same visual language. The final palette is born intuitively.
Recently, I have added one more step to my process by creating tonal studies before applying color. Harmonizing the values of the face first makes it much easier to develop the color relationships later.
Tonal sketch and finished portrait
And that is how the magic of my portraits begins!
