Mural

Creating Stories

I have tried using words to create a story behind the images I have been producing, so with these newest images I wanted to show a story but without the use of words.  By mirroring the model I want to make the viewer question what their relationship is and why they look so angry.

This idea was suggested in the last tutorial when the two images were brought together and suddenly a meaning was inferred.  I think by doing this it successfully creates more depth in the image.

Colour

I have started adding colour in my last images which I feel has given the images a different aspect.  The colour supplements the mood of the image aiding the viewer to decide the mood of the model.  The purple tones are very feminine whilst the blues have a much harder cold feel.

I've really enjoyed adding colour and the new possibilities it has opened up for me.  Using colour in a fluid way contrasts to the precise brushstrokes used in black to create the figures.

In a way it is a shame I have only just introduced colour now, however I feel that as my use of ink is now much more confident than it was at the beginning of the project so I may not have been able to use it in such a successful way.

Inner Confessions

I Like to be Alone

I Break Promises

I Will Never Be Satisfied 

Dissatisfaction

Last Tutorial

The last tutorial went better than I had expected.  I have been so close to my work for such a long time that I think I've lost all perspective, so I wasn't expecting very positive feedback, especially after seeing the quality of everyone else's work.

However, the feedback was really good.  It was suggested I work some colour into my images and also consider some kind of narrative or text to sit alongside my work.  This instantly brought to mind the work of Manuel Rebollo and the way he uses text woven into his images of women.

The way my figure is always looking away from the camera, often looking into the distance as if lost in thought would allow me to explore the idea of unsaid thoughts, secrets or confessions.  They way I avoid using faces leaves the image slightly ambiguous, and I wanted to continue this with the text, so rather than use words to explain the image, I want to continue the intrigue.

Illustrations from Photo Shoot

Skull

I love the contrast in this image between the black of the tshirt and white of the page.  I decided to do this image because of the use of negative space, but also because the face is hidden in most of my images it allows the viewer to make their own assumptions about the model, whereas in this image the tshirt influences the viewers opinions.

Fashion Shoot

To obtain images to draw from for my fashion illustrations, I decided to do my own fashion shoot.  During my research, I observed that most photos used full face shots, with the model making direct eye contact with the viewer.  I found that those that did not show the face or that had it partially hidden, were much more interesting, allowing the viewer to make their own connotations.

I worked with a photographer, Phoebe Cheong (http://www.phoebecheong.com) who is particularly interested in fashion photography and has many images similar to those that I wanted to draw.  Phoebe organised the shoot for me, advising me what I needed to do.  I had not realised how many people and how much time went into a shoot.  The studio and lights took a long time to set up in order to achieve our desired effect.

Before the shoot I bought a selection of outfits for the model, bearing in mind movement and small details, especially on the back, silhouettes and fabric.  I also had to plan what I needed for hair and makeup and the sort of poses I required.

Phoebe is a very talented photographer and helped me through each process, allowing me to have complete creative control, but using her experience and skills to advise me.  I learnt a lot from this experience, and also really enjoyed it.

Movement

I wanted to try and show movement with an image, and I think this has worked and given it more energy than the posed images.  I also think the stripes are really effective on the top as they show the contours of the body and the twist again gives the impression of movement. 

I may look into illustrating dancers, and will definitely produce more images where there are stripes on the clothing, as this is particularly effective in black and white.

Lissy Elle

I'm drawn to Lissy Elle's photography because of its magical quality.  The viewer has to take a second look to realise the strangeness of the image, the way a figure is upside down or gravity working from a  different direction.  The photos I have shown below also remind me of Sam Taylor Wood's photography where she hangs herself from a wire, then removes it digitally afterwards.

I think I like Lissy Elle's work because it also shows me the possibilities I have, as I am drawing rather than photographing I can make many different unrealistic changes.

Commercial Photography Colaboration

During a recent tutorial it was recommended that I try a collaboration with a student who concentrates on Fashion Photography.  I sent out an email and had a surprising number of responses. The work of the people that contacted me was really impressive, however some lended themselves more to illustrations than others.

After meeting with one photographer, she offered to set up a photography shoot if there were any poses that she had not covered in her photography, that I would like.  After discussing this idea with my tutors I felt that this would be a great opportunity to create my own images to draw from.

Renam Christofoletti

The Brazilian photographer Renam Christofoletti creates some beautiful photographs with strong contrasts and striking angles.  His images seem to flow effortlessly looking both strong and feminine.  I've drawn upon his work for ideas for my own poses for the fashion shoot I will be doing.

Robert Longo

Robert Longo's Men in the Cities (1980) created using charcoal and graphite on paper make great use of negative space and movement.  I like the use of three similar images next to each other as a set.

Herb Ritts

Herb Ritts began his photography career in the seventies and gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography.  Herb Ritts was drawn to clean lines and strong forms, often challenging conventional notions of gender and race.


His photos are extremely striking and I would like to use his unconventional positions and perspectives to influence my own work.

Caroline Andrieu

Caroline Andrieu's fashion illustrations are very delicate and feminine and she uses a really effective mix of pencil and watercolour.  Caroline Andrieu is also the art director of Conde Nast digital for GQ and Vogue.

David Downton

In 1996, the Financial Times commissioned David Downton to draw the couture shows and since then he has become known principally as a fashion illustrator.  

I'm particularly inspired by David Downton's fashion illustrations, he tends to use black and white with splashes of colour.  I'd like to try and use a bit more colours in my images as Downton does, and also attempt a much looser style, as he does with his quick brushstrokes.

Tutorial before Easter

The last tutorial before Easter was an opportunity to gain some feedback on the fashion illustrations I have been working on.  During the Negotiated Practise module it was suggested I concentrated on images that did not show faces, as they are more ambiguous and leave more for the viewer to read into.  I have been following that advise on this project, working only from images where the face is either obscured or partially obscured.

In the tutorial I was advised to continue along this route, but to think of why the figures were looking away and use this in my work.  It was also suggested to work with a Commercial Photography student to create some images with the sort of poses I am after.  Taking my own photos also means that the images are completely mine and that there are no issues with copyright.

Screen Printing

To learn new skills and other techniques to create images, I have been doing evening classes in screen printing for the last ten weeks.  As I moved over from Visual Communications I missed the chance to learn screen printing on the course, so I took this opportunity to create work both for the course, and for myself.

Tutorial

This was the first tutorial in which I could get feedback about my new fashion illustration direction.  The comments were really positive, the suggestions that were made were to look for a direction.  I need to add either a theme or narrative to tie my images together.

I had considered looking at themes like an era, or looking at movement, like dancing.  However my tutor suggested I should look at collaborating with a photographer so that I could work from existing photographs.

I was pleased the images I had done went down well, I had been thinking a lot about framing and composition after the feedback from my Negotiated Practice unit and it seems like I have now addressed these issues.

Fashion continued...

I think the negative space in this image works really well, concentrating the image in the top right hand corner leaves a lot of white space that the image melts into.

Again, I like the white space in this image, and the way I have cropped half the face off the page as this makes a more interesting composition.

The contrast between black and white works really well in this image, although I think the legs are painted slightly clumsily.

This image is very delicate and pale, which combined with the pose gives a feeling of vulnerability.  It was difficult to show the perspective in this pose, although I think adding shadows helped.

Black and White Fashion Experimentation

I really like the contract of solid black against white in this image, however the figure looks slightly too doll-like, without expression or meaning.

I like the composition of this image.  I cut half the figure off to have her hiding, not only behind her arm, but slightly off the page.  Water and ink seem to give a really good representation of denim on her shorts.

This image may be slightly too abstract, as it is hard to know what is happening.  I do like the way the fabric melts into drips, it gives the image a slightly more loose feel.

I really enjoy painting hair, and there is something really delicate and vulnerable about only the neck and hair showing.

I think this image might be slightly too complex, although I do like the composition.

Fashion Magazines

I have been looking through various fashion magazines to find interesting poses, perspectives and themes.  Mainstream fashion magazines tend to be much safer with their photography, although will occasionally employ a well known photographer to add something more interesting, like Terry Richardson or Tim Walker.

I have found the most inspiration in magazines like; Pop, Purple, Tush and Love.  Through looking at these I have also managed to find a lot of fashion photographers whom I admire, as well as learning what poses work well and which do not.

Life Drawing at the Coop

Today I attended my first Life Drawing session at Coop, above The Winchester in Bournemouth. 

I found the session really useful and I think over time it will improve my figure drawing.  I took things very safely in this session, using only pencil but I'd really like to introduce pastels and vibrant colour.

Art of Illustration

As part of the British Library's Spring Festival, a five day celebration of creativity, fashion and design they hosted 'The Art of Illustration'.  This event had a panel of artists; Quentin Blake, designer and comic artist Jamie Hewlett, sartorial cartoonist Martin Rowson and graphic storyteller Posy Simmonds.  Each selected and explained a personal choice of favourite illustrations, drawn from different genres, cultures and styles.

Afterwards was a night in the British Library called, 'Illuminate!', a gallery of illustrators works, and workshops.

I really enjoyed this event and found the panel interesting and inspiring.  Despite the huge variety in their own work the artists that inspire them were often the same.  Their advise on getting illustration work in the Q&A was also very useful, and it always helps to know that everyone started in the same place.

Quentin Blake

Jamie Hewlett

Posy Simmonds

Pages

 A few pages from my book, 'Creatures from the Deep'.

Creatures from the Deep Cover

After advise from my tutors I changed my previous cover, as shown below, to the one above, as the old one was too conventional.  I do like the new one better aesthetically, but I am unsure if it would appeal as much to children.

Fashion

 

Now I'm nearing  the end of my children's book  I'm starting to look into figurative painting again. I'll be doing a collaboration with a third year fashion student, to illustrate their final collection, so before that I need to experiment with different types of fashion illustration, different styles and materials.  The above image was painted using indian ink, making use of negative space.  This is a style I seem to fall in regularly, so I will try and loosen up a bit with different brushstrokes, attempting to be less accurate but still using negative space.

Shoal of Fish

Each fish drawn by hand then layered on an inky background.

Octopus

Little White Lies

This is my submission for the Illustration Brief for this years D&AD.

The brief was to design a cover for the Little White Lies magazine, based on one of several films.  I chose 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' and illustrated the lead character, played by Gary Oldman.