Hi everyone, Crystal here! I am a final-year Computer Engineering student with a minor in Humanities. Over the past semester, my team and I have worked on an amazing project, and I’m excited to share my thoughts and experiences with all of you.
About the Project
Our project revolves around the Nuremberg Chronicle world map from 1493, a remarkable historical artifact filled with mythical creatures, legendary places, and stories based on Greek mythology. Our goal is to enhance this ancient map with AR features, allowing audiences to explore how people in the Middle Ages perceived the world. Through interactive elements, we aimed to showcase humanity’s curiosity and imagination when faced with the unknown.
As part of the team, I was mainly responsible for:
- Research & Article Writing – Research for the origins of the map’s illustrations, most of which were inspired by “Natural History” by Pliny the Elder and other classical Greek texts.
- Artwork Creation – Redrawing the mythical tribes and creatures depicted on the map while preserving their original characteristics.
Researching this topic was particularly challenging due to the limited academic work on legendary creatures in this specific topic. However, reading the stories from ancient sources was rewarding. I gained a deeper understanding of historical perspectives and discovered a lot of interesting myths along the way.
For the part of drawing tribes from the map, I tried to beautify them a bit from the original image while keeping their body characteristics.
Personal Reflections
As an engineering student, I’ve always believed that creativity and design are just as important as technical skills. I never wanted to confine myself to the boundaries of “engineering”, instead, I would like to explore diverse interests.
While I have previously worked on commissioned drawings (mostly in a cell-shaded manga style), this project allowed me to experiment with a completely new artistic approach. Additionally, collaborating with a large team and contributing as an artist rather than as a programmer was an eye-opening experience. It gave me a brand-new point of view on seeing the work and broadened my vision for future career pathway.
Above all, this project was fun and fulfilling. I loved every step of the process, from research to creation, and I am proud of what our team has done.
Thanks for reading!
