According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020  is the Year of the Rat.

In Western culture we see the rat in negative terms. But in the East, it’s seen as industrious, diligent and thrifty. According to the myth, the Jade Emperor proclaimed the order of the zodiac would be decided by the order in which the animals arrived at his party. The Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, the Rat jumped down and landed ahead of the Ox, becoming first.

This illustration was a bit tricky: how to make the rat appealing. As in the earlier four zodiac illustrations, (see below) I looked for a design element to hold the image together. For the rooster I used both straight and especially the curved lines in its tail. For the dog I used the spots (even incorporating it into the 8 in the year). And for the boar/pig I used the curved tusk and tail design (and again using the curve of the tail to form the 9). For the rat, I used the jagged triangles of his claws. The overall design is not only graphic and engaging but, I hope, even friendly-looking. 

This year’s illustration was done in Affinity Designer. (Earlier ones were done in Illustrator.)

All the best in this coming Year of the Rat. Hope it’s a good one for you.