Hey guys, I have to apologize for not updating the blog since April but it's been a hectic few weeks being the final few of my BA in General Illustration. Since I last posted I've managed to complete the Arriva Trains poster. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of how it finally looked as it has been submitted now, but this was the last photo I took of it. The only differences being that in the background where the fellow is walking off, a bin, notice board and the walls were added/coloured.
TAROT PROJECT: Queen of Swords
The Tarot card project I started has also bore some fruit in that it has been completed and interest has been shown in the piece, so much so it might end up actually becoming a set in the future. I've decided to upload some photos of how I got to the final piece of my tarot card.
This was the prelim sketch I did, which ended up being used in the brochure to our exhibition which I'll mention later on in this post.
After looking at the initial sketch I decided that the main figure of the piece needed a change in how she looked facial as well as hair and diadem. These are two are some sketches I did as possible outcomes of how the "Queen" might look.
This was the final look I went for, using a wing for her head piece/eye patch whilst keeping her hair feathered but not O.T.T.
Just a few snaps of how the final started to look when I initially started to ink it in.
After many hours of doing the detailing in the armor, using a scalloping technique, the inking of the hair started and I decided not to use flat block colour as there would be too much of that once the black framing had been completed.
At this point I though it'd be best to add the harsh thick black lines which would make up the individual "panes of glass" considering the overall outcome of the piece was to make it look like it could be stained glass.
After all the framing had been completed and the details all finished this is how the final looked, I've taken pictured from different angles to show how much detailing was involved in this piece overall.
HARMS & CALMS PROJECT: Update and Finals
As regards to my major project of the year, Harms & Calms, a lot has happened. The last post I did for it this project showed the final for November almost completed. Since then I've finished the piece and created another 2!!
This is how November: Spite, ended up looking, I have to say I'm happy at how the core of the apple turned out as I wasn't too sure which shades of colours to use.
For Decembers final, December: Lament, I used the entry in my diary/journal from Christmas day where we were told we had to say our final goodbye's to my Aunt whom had fought cancer for a long time. I used a Christmas tree for the obvious reason but I wanted to show a withering one as it is a sign of becoming weaker, which my Aunt obviously was during her fight with the disease. The photos that follow are the only ones I have on my laptop at the moment but once I have been given all my work back from my final submission to uni I'll post the finished piece up...
The quotes comes from a Placebo song entitled "Song to Say Goodbye", I thought it would be appropriate as during the Christmas season all you hear are carols, Christmas songs etc and my Aunt was quite the musical woman as she would sing songs every now and then which I'll miss her for.
The final piece I have done for this particular project is for January and the reason it is my final piece to go in the series is because my Aunty May passed away on the 8th of January, needless to say this was the single moment during this month that deserved attention more so then any other. Her funeral also fell in January, naturally, so I though instead on doing a piece about the day she died to do a piece which symbolized how the funeral went and how us as a family felt knowing that she was not in any more pain anymore...
This piece's name is January: Emotions, using one of my Aunt's favourite flowers as the central focus of the piece I wanted to keep everything about her and her funeral whilst not making it overwhelmingly sad. During her funeral her great grandchildren each released balloons with wishes/messages attached into the sky, needless to say that's why I have the balloons present in this piece. The quote "How I Wish" comes from an old rhyme she used to sing to all the children in our family. It's something I'll never forget about her. As for the butterfly, the white butterfly symoblizes May herself and the fact that even though she has left our side we know that she is around us. :)
FINALLY: Arboretum Exhibition
On the 5th of this month me and my fellow BA Hons Illustrators studying at Swansea Metropolitan University (SMU) opened our final year degree show entitled Arboretum. After spending days on getting everything ready and finalized for the exhibition we all took pictures of our work and these are mine, enjoy :)
I just thought I would place this photo of all the work before it went to the printers/scanners etc. You can actually see how the Arriva Train and December final for Harms & Calms came out too.
These are photos of my work up in the Arboretum Exhibition which was held at the Grand Theatre in Swansea. I was fortunate to get two places around the exhibition. The black and white print to the right was a piece I had created for my parents around Christmas just as a reminder to smile during hard times, something they used to teach me and my sister when were kids.
Regardless of who you are when you are doing art and the many different fields of it which go to make it up as a whole, you HAVE to have a photo of you and your artwork and this is mine haha.
THAT IS ALL!!!!
I didn't actually realize how much I have done since my last blog post but there you go.
Cheers again and all comments and criticisms appreciated as usual.
Dan (BGD)
