With a series as fantastical and full of carefully made lore as The Legend of Zelda, fans can constantly find inspiration to create incredible things in tribute to Link and his adventures. One source of inspiration for gamers is how the beloved Switch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has illustrated what transpired a hundred years before the game in its own ancient, glyph-like style belonging to the Sheikah people. One fan recently took up a new artistic hobby and decided to pay tribute to the glyphs of Hyrule's heroes by making the Five Champions into gorgeous linoprints.
Linoprints are a type of print-making that deals with chiseling a piece of linoleum into a mirror image of the subject material, which is then covered in paint and then pressed against the artist's canvas, effectively flipping the artwork. Reddit user Resident_of_Kakariko has said their mom took up the craft, inspiring them to try it out as well.
The first linoprint that the crafter made featured Urbosa, the Gerudo champion, in the same style seen in a cutscene depicting the Champions' battle a hundred years before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild begins. The final print beside the linoleum carving is outstanding and looks wonderful for their first piece. The other Champions followed suit, and now, the full set has been shared and completed. They've been posted with photos of their carvings and the finished, mirrored prints. Each of them looks amazing, and it's hard to think that Resident_of_Kakariko is only just starting off with the medium.
Fans are already saying that if the artist decided to sell the prints, they'd buy them in a heartbeat. Resident_of_Kakariko responded by saying they weren't sure they would sell the art yet, but if they were to, they would update the Zelda community with their sales. Since linocut artworks are a rarity compared to other art methods, many people are learning about the craft from Resident_of_Kakariko's work.
The method of linoprint for these pieces definitely helps make them stand out. Not only is it a lesser-known craft, but with the final pieces, it truly looks as if it's an ancient scroll from The Legend of Zelda's past due to the use of canvas paper, which made adapting the glyphs of the Five Champions the perfect choice.
It's also very inspiring that Resident_of_Kakariko's first try with linocut works ended up being such an incredible success. It seems that the talented Zelda fan has found not only a new hobby but a new talent at the same time.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now for the Nintendo Switch and the Wii U.
Source: Reddit