2025 Grad Show

Serena Williamson

VCD – Character Design & Illustration

abstractaardvark.myportfolio.com

Hey. I’m Serena, but I also go by abstractaardvark on the web. I’m endlessly inspired by the little things around me and in nature, abstracted shapes, fun colours, and never taking myself too seriously. Much of my practice revolves around overarching themes of community, spaces and strange locations, and imagination. I work both traditionally with watercolour and gouache, and digitally, and love to experiment with new mediums and concepts, never putting myself in one box or another.

Basically: I like to have fun. You should too. And I hope my work brings you joy!

See something you like? Want to look at more of my stuff? Catch me on Instagram or my portfolio website! I'd love to talk art, creatures, malls, or blobs with you.

AUArts Grad Show img20250408_20394272 2 2

Battle Over an Incomprehensibly Powerful Gem Working on challenging myself with weird shapes and props.

Flowerfriends The flowers say hi!

A Seat for You, By the Pond Gouache painting of Onion and friends.

Between Branches. Wow! A friend!

Care The plants like eachother I think..?

Whoosh They've got places to be!

A few paintings...

I love to paint, and I love to create detailed worlds that are full of whimsy. Here are a few of my favourites from my time at AUArts. All done in gouache and/or watercolour.

Blublub Fishies.....

Creatureblob Lots of beasts of various origins.

AMEC Place Some art from my various +15 adventures

Onions Adventures He has places to be!

Trees and Trees and Trees and trees and trees and trees!

Patterns I love patterning in my sketchbook. Yay!

Favourite Sketchbook Work

Check out my favourite pieces from my sketchbook. Yay!

Blobfun Fun for blobs.

Onion Types There's probably more than this.

Towards the Light They're working together!

Hanging Out Outside, touching grass, etc.

Find Finfin I'm looking....

Freakbook Oh, you know....

Freakbook

Illustrations for a hypothetical art book that exists for no particular reason other than being freaky and fun.

Stages/Colours I ideated three different stages-outside the mall, inside, and then deep in the 'depths' of it. Each would have a different, distinct colour palette.

Z Character Sheet The main protagonist of Paradisus. A quiet but divisive individual.

Z Expression Sheet Some expression explorations and the like. Z is curious and wants to know more about the mall...

??? Character Sheet Paradisus' antagonist. A strange, ever watching individual.

X Character Sheet Z's childhood friend and an accompanying explorer.

Y Character Sheet Friend of both X and Z, and tags along in their ventures.

Paradisus

A worldbuilding/game concept centred around an abandoned mall, three explorers, and the entity that inhabits it.

I <3 Public Transit

I <3 Touching Grass

I <3 Lurking

I <3 Trading

I <3 Joy

Onionswag

Sticker designs

An array of freaks and friends designed for stickers.

Recyclshop A place to trade with the shopkeeper for recycled items.

Room Your room, where you start the game.

Center Courtyard A monolithic tree/building that grows in the middle of the plaza. You work here.

Root Cavity 04 Where you work, keeping an eye on the roots and tending to the tree.

Item Exploration-1 Recyclshop/Bedroom items.

Item Exploration-2 Courtyard/Cavity items.

Swirl Blob Star Squiggle

Visual assets for a game pitch I created in my latest semester. A point and click adventure with emphasis on solarpunk themes and cool items, set in a universe with no translatable language.