One of my favourite costume design studios...

I have always admired these wonderful costumes and they continue to inspire me.
They are beautifully detailed and very convincing!

http://clockworkcreature.com/gallery/ 

T-shirts

For this project, we had to design a collection of 5 or more t-shirts, which would be a re-working of an existing printed t-shirt. The t-shirts did not have to be wearable. I was working with two other people on this project. To begin with we were working on a rota system, each working on one t-shirt for a week, and then passing it on to the next person. These are some of the designs I worked on...

 Later, I decided to make one by myself as part of my costume, for the orchestra project (http://the-multi-coloured-cosmos.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/very-busy-weekend.html).

 I made this one by stapling old tights and strips of paper to the t-shirt.

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In the summer, I hope to continue this project for myself. I want to experiment more with texture and colour. I want to see what happens when I dip a t-shirt in PVA glue and twist and crinkle it before it dries.

I also bought this book recently... its packed full of techniques to produce colour and texture on different surfaces. I think they're really beautiful. I'm just dying to give these a try!

 

Drawing Practice: Maps

For our drawing module, we had to create 3 maps: A map of Britain, a map of the world & a fantasy island.

For Britain, we had to draw it without any reference, just from memory with a bit of guess work. (Ireland was left out.) Our tutor Richard, said the quality of the drawing was the most important thing, not the acuuracy of the map. When I started the drawing, I could remember the general shape of Britain, but not any specific outline. I used ink, blotted on paper to create the general shape, and then traced the ink's edges with a fineliner. I quite liked this approach to drawing. I also like the effect powdered ink has when sprinkled onto wet paper.

Size A2

We also had to guess the location of various places on our maps.

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 For another map, we had to create our own fantasy island. I did a lot of research for this one. I find native american creation myths interesting, so I based my fantasy island on one of the creation stories. The story I found says that the world was sat on the back of a giant turtle. I used a lot of native american symbols in the map, and the place names were based on their meanings. I used fineliners, and a lot of detail went into the linework, so I decided to keep it black & white for clarity. I am very pleased with this map.

Size A2

 

I still have to complete my world map. I'm putting on places that interest me, and some mythical sea creatures. It will be drawn in black ink using a dip pen and I want it to look old and worn. (I'm planning on teastaining and burning.)  I will be uploading more pictures as soon as its finished.  

Progress so far...

Influence: Natural fashion from Africa

I found this book called 'Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration From Africa.'
I love fell in love the moment I saw it, so I just had to buy it. It features natural fashion from the Omo tribes in Africa, photographed by Hans Silvester.
They are truly beautiful to look at. The Omo decorate their bodies with materials from the world around them. Anything can be turned into a piece of clothing or an accessory. This has really inspired me, and I am getting lots of ideas for my costumes.   

Influence: Andrew Salgado

Hurray, my first I&R post!  : )

I recently discovered an artist called Andrew Salgado. I found this artist on the website: http://www.exitmagazine.co.uk/art/.

The artist website can be found here: www.andrewsalgado.com

He uses oil paint to create vivid and expressive portraits of men, often incorporating abstract elements.

This is what Exit has to say about him: "...drawing upon historic masculine portraiture handled with an experimental, painterly sensibility, suggesting themes of displaced identity and an overriding technical love for the medium. Salgado’s paintings are an exploration of the concept of masculine identity through an assertive, gestural approach to figurative representation."

I love the way he uses raw and vivid colour applied using thick/heavy brush strokes. I think he gets just the right balance between the large strokes and the smaller ones in more detailed areas. I also love the colour combinations and how he uses colours other than that of skintone for his subjects. I like how he allows the paint to run down the canvas, and the intermingling of colour in certain areas. I find his placement of geometric shapes interesting and also how he reconfigures the subject into another form, or how he purposely leaves out sections of the face and distorts them slightly. 

Here are some of my favourite pieces by Salgado...

I am going to use this research mostly to inform my Drawing Practice. I hope to produce some paintings similar to these on canvas and in my drawing book. Because I love ink so much, I will also experiment with it in a similar way to see what effect it produces. Perhaps at a later stage, I will find a way to incorporate this effect and style into my 3D work and costumes.