charlottes-once

[charlottes-once]

Goblins:

- Where do Goblins come from?

Reddit sources on Warhammer Goblins suggest multiple different origins of the species. One of which mentions a form of reproduction using spores from which the creatures hatch/ emerge from. Another source states that regular sexual reproduction does the trick in other games.

- Were they once Fairies?

Goblins are considered a type of fairy (no matter how odd they may look or act) originating from English texts and various accounts of folk tales across Europe. Although they are categorised as fairies, they seem to have no particular talent with magic, rather they have insatiable greed towards luxury products and possessions of others, as well as a terrible demeanour.

- Are they good or bad?

I would say that Goblins are bad. Not going so far as to harm others, I would say that they are not necessarily evil beings. But they do consist of selfish needs and whims that they act upon with no thought, causing the suffering of those around them. Their greedy nature and dangerous pranks have caused some humans to do to their death unintentionally, but so long as they have their shiny prize all is well.

- Website Links:

https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/1cm2fa/how_do_pathfinderdd_goblins_reproduce/

https://mfr.fandom.com/wiki/Goblin#:~:text=A%20goblin%20is%20a%20type,is%20either%20mischievous%20or%20malevolent.

https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Goblins_(folklore)#:~:text=Goblins%20tend%20to%20be%20annoying,while%3A%20normally%20a%20goblin%20simply

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Audience and character:

- Does the audience assume things about the character as a result of it’s grizzled old features? 

With my character concepts sheet, I wanted the viewer to infer character traits of my Goblin through the various features present within my drawings. Such as a large stomach to signify greed and hunger, alluding to their lust for the valuable possessions of others. A boney, withered figure and turned out feet as well as a hunched back to present neglectfulness of personal hygiene and physical/ mental care, ragged clothing/ loincloth to maintain some semblance of decency. All of this suggests an elderly, untrustworthy and suspicious character that one would not wish to approach.

- Do we expect beauty to be good and ugliness to be bad? Why?

I think that a lot of movies and tv shows present goodness and purity as being beautiful. Traditional the princess is blemish-free and elegant awaiting being saved from an ugly stepmother (the villain). As a result of these social pressures, we associate good looks with good intentions whereas this is not the case. These large corporations seem to be moving away from such stereotypes, exploring the imperfect character arc more than the prom queen. When life isn't easy and is full of obstacles and difficult choices, nothing is handed to you, therefore people such as this are more well rounded and possess inner beauty where it counts most.

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Fantasy and Fairytales:

- Who is drawn to these worlds of fantasy and fairies? Why?

People drawn to the fantasy genre are usually intrigued by magic or other supernatural phenomena found in the plot. Taking joy from the magical or mythological creatures often featured, as well as relating to characters such as elves, fairies and mermaids, adopting the species styles, customs and mannerisms. Some people are drawn to the realm of fantasy as a form of escapism from difficult times or to feel more youthful and free. Although many TV shows for younger children are usually fantasy-based, other films series such as marvel more for teenagers/ adults.

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Dark Crystal and Brian Froud:

- Who watches this type of thing?

An avid viewer of Dark Crystal would have to have an interest in fantasy based characters and realms, adventure, and the unique puppet cast. I found the film to be very confusing the good and bad characters were difficult to keep track of and as such made it difficult for me to enjoy. Another audience that would enjoy the new films would be those that had seen the original and as such wanted to see the new rendition.

- Who collects Froud’s art work?

People interested in collecting Froud's paintings would need to have an interest in mythical life forms as well as an appreciation for the magnificent detail within. His artwork appears so lifelike and has such a realistic quality to them that they almost look like stills from a film. Collectors would most likely be fans of fantasy art in general or maybe even follow his career and enjoy the movie adaptations of his concept drawings.

- Does it matter how good the concept art is in relation to the film? Why?

Dark Crystal appears to be inspired by Brian Froud’s fantastical paintings of mythical creatures and settings. When comparing the wonderful, realism drawings and paintings completed by his hand to the completed puppets within the film, there is an obvious disconnect between the two. The concept art is far superior to the completed product as the quality is just not easily achievable in puppet form and would be expensive and difficult to film. It is also possible that they were accurately replicated across that the uncanny valley effect could kick in and make watching the film disconcerting and uncomfortable.

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Labyrinth and Henson:

- Summary:

Director: Jim Henson

Duration: 1h 41m

Themes: Coming of age, life lessons, fantasy, responsibility.

Release Date: 28 November 1986

- Plot: 

Sixteen-year-old Sarah is given only thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth or puzzles. Her objective? To rescue her baby brother Toby at all costs when a wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King Jareth.

- Who watches this type of thing?

I would say that the audience drawn to this film will most likely consist of David Bowie fanatics and fantasy fans. Exploring the tale of a young girl and how she overcomes many obstacles in her attempts to rescue her brother (whom she has wished away). Fans of fantasy-based literature and movies use such sources as a form of escapism to cope with home life and stress that comes from daily struggles.

- Who was Jim Henson and what did he achieve?

James Maury Henson (Jim Henson) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, composer, filmmaker and screenwriter (now deceased). In is lifetime he achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock; and as the director of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. He is well known for his wacky and wonderful characters and iconic art style that earned him fame and notoriety.

- Website Links:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091369/

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02jAlfWfCoIoY3CpIWjH5nL9adWvQ%3A1613872041511&ei=qbsxYKreHoOE1fAP1aSu0Ak&q=jim+henson&oq=jim+henson&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgjECcyBAguECcyBAgjECcyBQguEJECMgIILjICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAOgcIIxDqAhAnOgcILhDqAhAnOgUIABCRAjoLCC4QsQMQxwEQowI6CAgAELEDEIMBOggILhCxAxCDAToECC4QQzoECAAQQzoKCC4QsQMQgwEQQzoHCC4QsQMQQzoKCAAQsQMQgwEQQzoFCC4QsQNQlobyBVjGmvIFYOif8gVoAXACeACAAYUBiAHCB5IBBDEwLjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6sAEKwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwjq1vzt7fnuAhUDQhUIHVWSC5oQ4dUDCA0&uact=5

[charlottes-once]

Project Targets:

 TARGET goblins, fairies and film/TV needed to be explored i.e. Labyrinth and Henson, Dark Crystal and Brian Froud etc. Who watches this type of thing? Who collects Froud’s art work? Does it matter how good the concept art is in relation to a film? Why? Who is drawn to these worlds of fantasy and fairies? Why? Is it escapism? Why did Conan Doyle so want to believe in the Cottingley Fairies? Goblins from Lord of the Rings? Contrast to those in Hellboy? Where do Goblins come from? I.e. were they once fairies? Are they good or bad? Do we see grizzled and old or your designs and assume something of the character? Do we expect beauty to be good and ugliness bad? why?

[charlottes-once]

Project Evaluation:

- How did I start my project:

When first approaching my project I was more focussed on the idea of creating prosthetic makeup as this was the career-agh that interested me most. Looking into how to create SFX monsters using life casts and the lengthy process of reimagining classic fairy tale creatures in a new way. Although I encountered a few problems along the way I managed to continue making fairly consistent progress and the development of my ideas was clear and thought out for the most part.

- How did I end my project:

By the completion of my project I had decided that SFX makeup was not the right pathway for me to pursue and made the decision to further explore illustration and character development. Being that my real standout strengths were my character and environment sketches. As a result of this change I ended up not completing my prosthetic pieces nor completely perfecting the sculpt that I had created. 

- How do I feel reflecting back on my project overall:

Although this was not how I had intended to end my project I feel more confident going into future pieces knowing that I intend to pursue illustration full-time. When looking back at the quality of work that I have completed as well as the volume, I feel very pleased with my results. Knowing full well that I put a lot of time and effort into this project and seeing how it has all come together in the end.

[charlottes-once]

Week 6 reflection:

This last week of my project has been a stress filled catch up process, filled with completing both new and old work as well as a few final pieces of relevant research posts. However, after pulling an all nighter till 5am I feel very comfortable with the position that my blog is in, having completed all of my goals for this week. 

Going into my day of college this Thursday I plan to complete all of my sketches, ideas sheets and final front cover design. Completing alongside this, the A3 sheets of work that I have completed over the course of this entire process in order to have interesting content to include within my portfolio. This is intended to be shown to universities as a representation of work completed as well as my abilities in all of the areas that I have studied.

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Completed front cover design:

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Completed goblin sculpt:

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Face Sculpting day 6:

- How did I approach the process:

My only goal at this point was to polish off the sculpt. This consisted of smoothing out the clays surface, further building up the orbital bones beneath both eye sockets as well as shaving down various areas of the face in order to slim down some areas in the cheeks so that the face felt more squared and tampered rather then rounded.

- What went especially well?

I wouldn't say that the process went especially well, however from beginning to end the attempt at semi finishing off the sculpt of the goblins face took approximately 45 mins. Completing the entire piece to a semi acceptable standard for the sake of its intended purpose, but by my standards I feel that the entire piece is an absolute failure.

- What could’ve gone better?

If I had left myself enough time to complete the face, and if I had not encountered any of the complications that I had to work through throughout this process, the entire sculpt would've gone by much smoother and I would look back at the process with a slight feeling of regret that I do now. Hopefully if I were to ever attempt something similar in the future I will use what I have learnt from all of my past errors in order to achieve a more pleasing result.

[charlottes-once]

Front Cover progress 2:

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Front Cover progress 1:

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Cover sketch ideas:

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Audience for Goblin Market:

The debate for which audience in particular the book ‘Goblin Market’ is targeted towards is a very heated debate between passionate book lovers. Some say that the book is targeted towards children, the moral of the story/ poem being that one can be easily consumed by dangerous and evil temptations in everyday life and that one must be careful not to make poor choices.

Whereas other critics suggest that the book is targeted at a far more adult reading level. Arguing that the sexual meaning of the poem points towards a more sophisticated adult audience that is aware of the more sinister meaning behind the goblins actions and intensions with the women.

However I argue that more generally the audience nowadays that their kind of poetry book would be targeted at would consist of teachers and their students in a classroom setting. Possibly being on the reading list for a GCSE exam in English Literature. Using the writing as a means to apply analytical knowledge of hidden meanings behind the poems words and the events that take place throughout the poem.

Website links:

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-theme-tone-goblin-market-who-poem-directed-321289

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Pre-Raphaelites:

- Who were the Pre-Raphaelites?

The Pre-Raphaelites were a secret society of young artists as well as a single writer, the society was founded in London in the year 1848. Whom consciously sought to emulate the simplicity and sincerity of the work of Italian artists from before the time of Raphael, as a form of opposition against the Royal Academy's promotion of the ideal as exemplified in the work of ‘Renaissance Master’ Raphael (river to Michelangelo). They were also in revolt against the triviality of the immensely popular genre painting (depicting scenes of everyday life) at the time.

- Subjects they painted:

  - Greek Myth

  - Armour

  - Rossetti: Passion

  - Holman Hunt: Detail

  - Millais: Ophelia

-Edward Burne-Jones:

One of the last Pre-Raphaelites, Edward Burne-Jones brought imaginary worlds to life in awe-inspiring paintings, stained glass windows and tapestries. He painted works depicting Arthurs Knights, classic heroes and Biblical Angels. Using mediums such as painting, stained glass, embroidery, jewellery and more. With his close friend and fellow Pre-Raphaelite William Morris, he was a pioneer of the arts and crafts movement, which aimed to bring beautiful design to everyone.

Website links:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/pre-raphaelite

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/iwJi7e0NP5QwKg

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/edward-burne-jones

[charlottes-once]

Week 6 to do list:

- Research of the Pre-Raphaelites:

(Who were they and what did they believe in. Including the influences of their work and why they were opposed to popular art styles of the time period).

- Audience of Goblins Market:

(What kind of audience/ group of people would read a goblins market (poem book). Why is this and how is the book presented in a way that interests this particular group).

- Sketch ideas for front cover:

(A compilation of small sketches looking at composition and general ideas for a front cover).

- Front cover progress posts (1-2):

(Present progression images of creating my final front cover design, explaining my thought process whilst drawing and the reason for the design I have chosen/ what it means in a symbolic sense).

- Completed goblin sculpt:

(Images of completed Goblin head including how I feel that the entire process has been and if I could change anything what it would be and why).

- Completed front cover design:

(Finished design for penguin book front cover. With annotations of symbolism and colour choices as well as composition).

- Project evaluation:

(Evaluation of the entire project as a whole, did my project idea change? Why? was my project successful or not if so explain why this is the case).