Illustration

Passing Through

N O'Neil

Exhibition

See it On Campus: Level 2

Visitor Info
Risograph printed illustration of a woman staring at a desolate beach with her back to the viewer. There are three suns in the sky and magical pink sprite surround the woman. The image is framed by an illustrated border of stones with spiral engravings.
Escapism, risograph print, 2026

Passing Through is a world building project consisting of a twelve page prologue comic and two character illustrations. The pieces were drawn digitally and printed on a risograph machine, a printer that uses stencils and layering of colours to create a unique visual style.

Cover of the comic. Pink and blue risograph print of a child in a pointy hat holding a pink sprite character. A woman stands next to him. The pair are framed by the silhouette of a dragon with an open mouth and with three eyes. There are stones with spiral engraving stacked in the bottom right corner.

The Story So Far

Alma is a witch with a speciality in portal magic. She is a powerful and capable mage known for banishing beasts and settling disputes with grace.

But lately she hasn’t been herself. Consistent use of her magic is taking a toll and Alma finds herself feeling distant, isolated, and losing her sense of reality.

The story begins when Alma receives a letter from an ancient magic guild with her most important job yet. A doomsday prophecy has begun and Alma is granted the great honour of waking the beast that will devour the world.

She is resigned to her fate until she meets Tobie, a child who also possesses the unique portal magic. And she begins to believe that maybe, the world doesn’t have to end just yet.

Below are the digital files of the comic. Check out the riso printed version at the show!

Project Development

My main goal with this project was to minimize barriers to my creative process and workflow. To me this meant trying to letting go of perfectionism to prioritize efficiency and producing the final work. I also wanted to follow my creative interests instead of doubting them to make work that was fun and authentic. This included incorporating drawing cute characters or “little guys” through the pink sprites, fantasy imagery, and dragons.

My secondary goal was learning to use the risograph machine. I really enjoy the grain and limited colour combinations the machine creates. Learning a new method was exciting and inspired me to experiment and embrace the quirks of the medium.

Risograph print of an illustration of a child visiting a market with his mother. The child wears a pointy red hat and a blue cape. He is noticing magical pink sprites that surround the piece. There is an illustrated border of stones with spiral engravings.
Market Encounter, risograph print, 2026

Process + Sketching

Above Right: Digital final for Market Encounter

Above Left: Thumbnails + Portal sketch

Below Right: Comic page process

Below Left: Digital final for Escapism

Other Works – The Pond 2025

Sample pages from a coming-of-age story about summer vacation, finding belonging and supernatural pond microorganisms.

Black and white ink illustration of a comic spread. On the first page a girl plunges into a pond and opens her eyes. On the second page the girl is surrounded by dark water and pond reeds.
Into the Pond, ink + digital, 2025
The Pond Prologue, ink + digital, 2025

Other Works – Illustrations

Digital illustration of a hero with a giant barn owl holding a lamp, sitting on their shoulder. Tree roots create a frame around the characters. A red dragon is lying on the roots at the top of the image. Two skeletons lie in the roots at the base of the image. The skeleton on the right side has a sword through it's ribs. The skeleton on the left has two arrows in it's skull.
Onward, digital, 2026
Mixed media stylized illustration of a man being chopped into pieces. Limbs and organs float around the page. There is an illustrated decorative border featuring angular red lines. Portraits of a skeleton with a beard and a worried woman are in the frame at the top of the image. The border also features two horse profiles, a sword, an eagle, a raven, and a falcon. At the base of the border there are waves, a silver spoon, fork, and tobacco box.
Gotcha! The Tale of Marya Morevna Chapter Illustration, mixed media, 2025
Three tarot card illustrations created with ink and watercolours. Each card features a black border with a star in each corner. From left to right. The fool features a cartoon deer character with pointy teeth about to step into a puddle. The card features a rainbow above the character, two red flowers, and a smiling worm next to the deer. The Four of cups features an eye-ball character staring sadly at three dying plants on their windowsill. Behind them is a smiling racoon character holding a steaming cup of tea. The queen of wands features a skeleton character wearing a red dress and holding a sunflower stem wand. A black cat is pawing at the sunflower.
Mischievous Creature Tarot, mixed media, 2025

N O'Neil

N O’Neil is an illustrator with an interest in comics and book illustration. Their work often features nature imagery and cute and creepy characters.

Seeking opportunities
Profile image of N O'Neil

Release Granted

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