Author(s)

Yan Hanqing ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, Shanghai, China

Corresponding Author

Yan Hanqing

ABSTRACT

There are few written descriptions of how Chinese mythological creatures would be physically represented, and the traditional Chinese visual style does not stress realism, which made Chinese tradition myths having some difficulty on spreading around the world. This thesis will focusing on re-imaging Chinese mythical creatures with present-day look development, digital modeling, and lighting will be emphasized. This will provide a deeper appreciation of Chinese mythical characters. This thesis will do research on Chinese myths and legends, and analyze one famous Chinese mythological creatures in pop culture, including T.V. series and film. The goal is to learn how characters in myths evolve and create a re-imaged version of them. This thesis will then do a re-imagination of the creatures from the Chinese legend of the sons of the Dragon Lord, including a choice of  a quadruped reptile, a bird and a mammal, each of them contains a concept design and a few renders.

KEYWORDS

Look Development; 3D Modeling; Lighting; Chinese Myths; Mythical Creature

CITE THIS PAPER

Yan Hanqing, Re-Imagine Chinese Mythological Creatures with Present-Day Look Development Techniques. Media and Communication Research (2025) Vol. 6: 1-9. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/mediacr.2025.060401.

REFERENCES

[1] "List of Media Adaptations of Journey to the West," Wikipedia, July 26, 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_media_adaptations_of_Journey_to_the_West.
[2] Joseph, C. and Bill, D.M. (2012) The Power of Myth, ed., and Betty, S.F., 5.
[3] Anne, B., trans (1999) "The Classic of the Great Wilderness: The West," essay, in The Classic of Mountains and Seas, 16-17.
[4] Congzhi, Y. (2016) "The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Great Monsters of Kun Lun," Yao Gui Ji, 142-143.
[5] Joseph, C. and Bill, D.M. (2012) The Power of Myth, 23.
[6] Columbia University Asia for Educators, "The Jade Emperor & Other Gods of the Earthly Domain," Living in the Chinese Cosmos | Asia for Educators, accessed August 10, 2023, http://afe.easia.columbia. edu/cosmos/prb/heavenly. htm.
[7] Qi, Z. and Ji, L (2016) "Open the Court to Mortal Civils," Chinese Heritage supplement,
[8] Columbia University Asia for Educators, "The Ten Magistrates of the Underworld Realm."
[9] Athena, C. (2019) "Why Is This Ancient Chinese General Revered as a God Today?" South China Morning Post,, https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3017346/revered-police-gangsters-and-businessmen- warrior-deity-duke.
[10] Haiwang, Y. (2003) "Da Ji," Chinese Tale: Da Ji, https://people.wku.edu/haiwang.yuan/China/tales/daji_b.htm.
[11] Ciyun, Z. (2011) "Wu Cheng'en (circa 1501-1582) - Man behind Monkey King," archive.shine.cn, https://archive. shine. cn/sunday/now-and-then/%E5%90%B4%E6%89%BF%E6%81%A9-Wu-Chengen-circa- 15011582-Man-behind-Monkey-King/shdaily.shtml.
[12] Cheng’en, W. (2012) "Chapter 1: The Divine Root Conceives, Its Source Revealed; Mind and Nature Nurtured, the Great Dao Is Born.," story, in The Journey to the West, Volume 1 ed. and trans. Anthony, C.Y., 101.
[13] Cheng'en, W. (2012) "Chapter 1," The Journey to the West, Volume 1, 115.
[14] Haiwang, Y., "Monkey King," Chinese Tale: Monkey King, March 20, 2004, https://people.wku.edu/ haiwang. yuan/China/tales/monkey.html.
[15] Cheng’en, W. (2012)  "Chapter 8," The Journey to the West, Volume1, 215.
[16] Sean, G. (2019) "The Wacky Existentialism of Jeffrey Lau's 'A Chinese Odyssey,' " MUBI, https://mubi. com/en/notebook/posts/the-wacky-existentialism-of-jeffrey-lau-s-a-chinese-odyssey.
[17] Sally, P. (2023) "Dragon Myths and Symbols from Ancient China," LoveToKnow,https://www.lovetoknow. com/home/design-decor/ancient-china-dragons; "Nine Sons of the Dragon King," Beyond Calligraphy, March 6, 2020, https://beyond-calligraphy.com/2012/03/06/nine-sons-of-the-dragon-king/.
[18] Kylie, M. (2017) "Chaofeng," Dragons of Fame | The Circle of the Dragon, https://www.blackdrago. com/fame/chaofeng. htm.
[19] Ryuurui, P. (2020) "Nine Sons of the Dragon King," Beyond Calligraphy, https://beyond calligraphy. com/2012/03/06/nine-sons-of-the-dragon-king/.

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

---

• Journal of Language Testing & Assessment
  
  
• Information and Knowledge Management
  
  
• Military and Armament Science
  
  
• Journal of Human Movement Science
  
  
• Art and Performance Letters
  
  
• Lecture Notes on History
  
  
• Lecture Notes on Language and Literature
  
  
• Philosophy Journal
  
  
• Science of Law Journal
  
  
• Journal of Political Science Research
  
  
• Journal of Sociology and Ethnology
  
  
• Advances in Broadcasting