Rabita (Bond)

The Rabita رابطة is the “tie”, the bond between teacher and disciple. I was hoping for a design that would express the closeness of that relationship and couldn't believe how the letters lent themselves to form such a "geometrically intimate" composition.

A print is available on RedBubble. Creation process:

I found the word very difficult until I got ط and ة to harmonize.

To create symmetry with the other letters, a circular composition was necessary. All this sketching was done at the cafeteria of a comic festival in Algeria!

My AHA! moment. But would it work on paper?

I usually do a computer study before starting construction on paper, but here it was impossible, the design was too complex. I went straight to the final paper, and you can see some imperfections in the pencils where I had to try different things.

Close-up of pencils.

My next difficulty was how to execute it. I wanted it all gold, but covering over all my pencil references would make it impossible to ink. In the end I opted for gilding it in increments.

All inking was done freehand, using the infinitesimal seam between two gilded areas as a guide. I made only one mistake, easily covered up by more gold.

Lightened photo showing the lineart