Illustrations by Savannah Monrreal

by Savannah Monrreal

Hey! My name is Savannah Monrreal and I’m an LA-based artist. I’m currently majoring in illustration and minoring in creative writing. In the meantime, I have been working as an emerging comic artist/writer, creating zines and partaking in other experimental endeavors. If you want to support me, you can find me on Instagram (@samonrreal) and check out my Etsy (@samonrrealarts)! Hopefully, I’ll see you around! :)

This illustration was made specifically for Ruin Mag’s second issue and is heavily inspired by their ball and chain design. In approaching how I would incorporate the design, I began thinking about the initial concept of the ball and chain. That concept is often associated with a burden, a weight placed upon someone, or the feeling of being trapped. However, I twisted those symbolic attachments by illustrating the ball and chain as a fashion accessory. In that way, it becomes a movement of regaining the control that often gets lost with the feeling of being weighed down. The character themselves expresses no feeling of struggle but instead the likeness of defiance and rebellion. Thus, as is praised by Ruin Mag, it works to emulate shattering expectations and using the ball and chain to one’s own accord!

Find more from Savannah on Instagram, @samonrreal.

See this article and more in our issue two print release!