It's not quite a work in progress yet but I wanted some help with ideas for a project.
I'm working on some wedding invitations with the theme of Japan.

I've already come up with the obvious ideas of cherry blossom, maple trees, Shinto shrines etc. but I don't want it to look like a cliché. Some elements of these ideas would be ok but I guess I wanted to go for something more subtle.
I'd like to try to make it look like a Japanese woodblock print and will post a tut on how it was made when it's finished.

So what I'd like to know is, if you were working on this what subjects would you use?

Thanks

All I got are cliché’s too: Big droppie organic looking kimono bow. Do a pattern to path thing to make some text look like Japanese calligraphy brush strokes. One of my friend mother has a lot of Japanese screens. They are mostly samurai on horse back attacking each other. One is of court ladies with fans by in odd possess under willow tries. A lot of them are on gold or silver left if that helps.

If you don't stick with the cliche's people may not recognise the theme Themes are meant to be cliche so I wouldn't be afraid to use them.

I thought of 2 more but don't know if they will help either. A lot of the Japanese block prints I've seen are of snow on pine trees. And a lot of cranes, which are a nice design element since they are mostly white with a touch of color a the top. As long as the cranes are not mistake for a storks, then you could be in trouble with the bride.

Cranes and Symbolism
Crane motifs are used in Japanese weddings, wedding kimono and Japanese wedding decoration for cranes mate for life and are devoted to their partners in all seasons. Both male and female work together to build their nest and care for their young. Throughout Asia, the crane is a symbol of peace, happiness and eternal youth and has inspired the creation of many beautiful wedding decorations and products!

http://www.japaneseweddingfavors.com/cranes.htm


If you stay away from cats you should be find

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_neko

Haha I will be sure to stay well clear of cats

Thanks so much for your input and thank you for the link.

lol kitties and storks yeah better stay away from those

There probably is a way to use a cliche theme but with the end result that is not a cliche. I'd play with macro view, blossoming cherry tree may be a cliche but if you just paint a small branch with only a few flowers, and part of a fan in one corner painted with great detail, it might be just what you need.

I'd paint a fan in one of the corners, so its shaped like a quarter of a circle, and then paint cherry branches as if coming from behind the fan, or even better - make a fan with cherry blossom branches print on it, and then extend the branches outside the fan, make them alive as if they are growing out of the fan!

ok enough of my creative ideas. for now.

Thanks again. All ideas are welcome. The more I get the better they're forming into one big idea in my head.

I agree about probably using some of these cliches but I'll just have to find some subtle way to squeeze them in without being too obvious.