NGANNGUYEN'S PORTFOLIO

I created a layered street mosaic — where motion, flavor, and interaction collide. The layout is composed like a stage: each vendor is a character with their own act, their own tools, textures, and story. The color palette borrows from aged tiles, sunburnt walls, and oil stains on the ground — the kind of beauty that doesn’t beg for attention but stays in your memory.

✏️ The Process
Phase 1: Field sketching & memory map
I started by recalling scenes from my childhood and taking reference from daily walks.

Phase 2: Sketch composition
I designed a dynamic flow that moves from left to right and back, mimicking how one would walk through a "hẻm" - alley. Characters were sketched in relation to each other — creating visual tension and storytelling moments between them.

Phase 3: Texturing & color play
Layer by layer, I added textures inspired by cracked walls, grease marks, market trays and paper signs. Colors were chosen to balance warmth and grit — friendly, but grounded.

Phase 4: Final composition & mural mockup
The artwork was scaled to a mural format, imagining how it might live as a piece in a public space — becoming a story you “walk past,” not just look at.

✨ Final Result
The finished illustration is a condensed street scene — lively, warm, slightly chaotic — just like Saigon. It's meant to be a visual pause. A reminder that while cities change, the smallest things often stay and speak the loudest.

This is not just a scene I drew — it's a feeling I’ve carried with me, turned into color and line.