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.