Memories

acrylic, pencil
Illustration Friday topic
The Inspiration - a century old photograph showing two soldiers, dressed in the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army.
Description: Some faces and names had vanished without trace as if they never existed, while other will live long in the memories after they have gone.
The concept - The "nonpersons" cut from a series of photomontage images done by Gustav Klutsis: Politburo of the USSR, 1935, Vintage gelatin silver print
When faced with the task of creating a collective portrait, Klutsis chose to apply a photomontage technique to mediate the power relationships between the Politburo members, to show the strict internal hierarchy governed by quasi-military discipline. The schematic representation fiddles with the scale of the characters, awkwardly crops facial features, and puts all emphasis on Stalin's face, accented by the darker values of background.

'The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. Although every image embodies a way of seeing, our perception or appreciation of an image depends upon our way of seeing. The past is never there waiting to be discovered, to be recognized for what it is.' - John Berger.

Portraits

Portrait of Ira

Portrait of George Pratt

the academy, last one

Final for 'The cruelest cut'

thumbs for editorial assign.

Anita' assignment was to illustrate an article about self-mutilating teens, for whom self-injuring is a way of managing emotional pain. As the prototypical self-cutter is a teenage girl, a female icon emerging from a double-sided razor blade might be a visual solution for a quick and easy read.



Finishes for conceptual portrait assignment of musicians:
Duet of Nick Cave and P.J.Harvey - Henry Lee song from his album "Murder Ballads"
pen and ink, mixed media

As a reference, I took snapshots from a black and white video featuring two artists, where both musicians were identically dressed and wearing a similar hairstyle. They were not the same, but they were constructed as one. The visual interpretation of the collaboration resulted in a design resembling the layout of playing card.
Later another layer of drawing was done on the piece of mylar. This unified the composition, as some parts were rendered in different graphic styles. Then a decorative frame was added, for variation, although it may detract from reading the image as a playing card.

The Academy, the second-to-last week

Interior illustration for Jack and the Beanstalk, watercolor, color pencil


Scott Anderson/Robin Eley Assignments:
The first assignment was to make an illustration for Jack and the Beanstalk. The illustration shows Jack climbing the stairs at the giant’s house before the theft. There are a lot of things happening in this illustration, with the possibility of getting lost in the details. I was seeking to decorate with organic shapes and line work when it seemed required, which turned out to be pretty much every part of the picture frame. For fantasy dealing with the beanstalk, the giant and Jack sneaking into his castle it was necessary to break the surface into facets.
Sketches for conceptual portrait

The academy, Visualizing Conversation

finals

Art gallery, watercolor, pencil

Routine, pen and ink, pastel

C.F. Payne: Visualizing conversation

The initial sketch is an art gallery opening with two art-lovers having a conversation in front of a painting of a cowboy, who seems to be interested in their insights and observations.
In the final illustration one of the characters gives an inspirational speech, while the other appears to listen with a mixture of disconnection and skepticism.

Routine: This illustration was done from live observation of my friends Justin and Orlando, dressed for a photo shooting session.

figure drawings

The academy, week 3: Blue

final: ink, gouach, acrylic

linocut print

thumbnail


sketches
Gary Kelley' assignment was to illustrate the color blue.
The method, introduced during the academy presentation, was to make a list and have corresponding icons.
My list: blue bird, underwater, blue river larger than a mile, pearl, blue bear, blue moon, blueberry, blueberry nights, the lunar hare, two metaphysical beings – blue, the sea horse, blue sky – the Heavenly cock, the nymphs, the rain bird, simurgh, siren, the fairies, the elves, haokah, the thunder god, the valkyries, the basilisk, the griffon, Swedenborg’s devils, the jinn, the unicorn, fauna of mirrors, the lemurs, ichthyocentaurs, mermaids.
The decision was to draw a happy bird from the play The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck. The story revolves around a girl called Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl, who went on a journey to find the blue bird of happiness. The picture captures the moment at which the bird is flying above a schematically resolved city and the two children are looking at her.
Pictorial elements from gzhel' and lubok, such as the lack of a sense of depth and the stylized surface decoration, were utilized in the designing of the page layout.
The first variant was inspired by children’s books illustrations by Ivan Bilibin, who along with other members of "Mir Isskustva" defined the Russian style of the Silver Age.
The line was the basis in his illustrations, while stylization and ornamentation were employed in creating his famously intricate designs.
The second design, with a more simplified delineator structure, maintaining only the most descriptive features, depends on the expressive quality of linocut. The inspiration here was Little Mice children's book, illustrated by Vera Yermolayeva.

The Academy, week 2

thumbnails



Hamlet, oil on canvas

Assignment presented by Jon Foster
The assignment was to draw a book character, and to convey definite thoughts and emotions by gestures and facial expression.
The man in the portrait is wearing a dark jerkin, blood-red cloak, dark beret pulled down on his eyes, mouth somehow twisted, light-haired.
The illustration depicts early morning at the upper terrace of Ellsinore.
That night, the Ghost appears to Hamlet and reveals to him that he is the spirit of his father, murdered by Claudius. Hamlet gives his promise to take revenge upon his uncle. Hamlet' emotional life, all his loves and hatreds, was reversed overnight.
Red fabric indicates the violent emotions experienced by the character, while his dark clothes are the outer sign of his inner grief and hesitation.
Soft light is shining from the upper left corner. The contours of the castle are not clear; however, there is a relative clarity of elements in the space around him with an emphasis on his figure. He is not looking at the viewer; there is no sense of interaction with the character, who appears to be consumed by his emotions. His face is painted in a warm palette, forming a contrast with gloomy, grayish and desaturated staircase.
Complex emotions of distress, isolation, anger, revenge, hate, and anxiety are reflected at his face.
Special thanks to John English who helped with rendering facial features.

Figures Futur - Anansi the Spider

sketches for a cover and a double page illustrations



finishes: pen and ink, digitally colored

2008 competition's theme: Anansi the Spider
Figures Future Eleventh Edition - International Illustration Competition
Anansi and Death (Guiana tale)
The spread illustrates the meeting of Anansi, the Spider, with the stranger, who was Death himself.