wilzzartfmpflipside

[wilzzartfmpflipside]

-FMP Final Evaluation-

The theme assigned for the final major project is “Flipside”. I was given a list of words with their opposite meanings as a starting point to generate and develop ideas for the project.

Out of the list of words I was given I had to pick 3 flipside themes and create a detailed mind map for each one, the following themes I chose were:

-Utopia & Dystopia

-Strength & Weakness

-Trapped & Free

The first two weeks of the fmp was us being introduced to the fmp themes, generating ideas and creating mood boards on the themes we chose.

For the third week, I have now chosen out of the three flipside themes what one I wanted to focus on (Trapped & Free). Also now starting practical work the first task we had to do was create a collage based on the theme that I chose then trace it. After we did this we had to create a maximum of 6 mandalas but I only ended up doing 5.

It wasn't until the fourth week when I was doing digital symmetry postcards that I noticed that in the last postcard I did the butterfly wings formed a shape the reminded me of a human ribcage. This is when I started to think about changing my flipside theme from trapped/free to Life/death.

When researching about life & death two major things inspired me most, the first one being the artist Lauren Marx its something about her work that really fascinated me. I've always loved taxidermy and dead animals have always piqued my interest so seeing her work really caught my eye since then she has been the main inspiration throughout the rest of the fmp.

The second inspiration for me has been old-styled book illustrations.

For my fmp, I've decided that I wanted to focus on the circle of life that way I could somehow include both life and death in my final outcome.

Definition of the circle of life:

"Nature's way of taking and giving back life to earth. It symbolizes the universe being sacred and divine. It represents the infinite nature of energy, meaning if something dies it gives new life to another."

Once I read this it gave me the idea for what I wanted my final outcome to be. My aim is to illustrate the circle of life through nature. I plan to do this by drawing one bird dead and decomposing while another bird eats the dead birds remains. But first, I had to choose what birds I wanted to do, I had a go at drawing a few birds but they weren't what I was quite looking for.

Until I thought of drawing 2 of my favourite bird's magpies and crows. the reason I chose magpies and crows is that I am fascinated by the magpie's metallic colours in their feathers while I have always been intrigued by crows. Another person who inspired me while I was doing artist research was innocent. What I love about his work is his style and how much detail he puts in, so I just had to give it a go but instead, I did two the first illustration, I based it on a crow sitting on a metal fence but instead of it normal face, I change it to a skull. For my second one, I decided to do a magpie with its rib cage showing and guts falling out.

Finally starting My final outcome I drew a draft of a decomposing magpie and a crow eating it. I originally had 2 choices one being a Lino outcome and the other being a hand-based. I gave the lino outcome a go first to see if it would give me the old style-book illustration I wanted but to no .avail, it didn’t turn out how I wanted it to.

For my final outcome, I made a few changes compared to the draft I did and out of the two I prefer this one more. for the magpie wings, I tried out different ways in which method would give me the metallic effect I wanted. As much as I liked the eyeshadow it wasn’t giving me the effect I wanted. So I went with using a metallic watercolour pallet and mixed the silver with the colours I wanted.

In the end, I’m really happy with how the outcome turned out. If there was one thing I could change it would be that I would have liked to add more around the birds as the background looks too plain but besides that I love it.

Since I had a little time left I decided I wanted to see how my final outcome would look like in a book. Using one of my books I turned to an empty page and headed outside. once I got the photo's I wanted I then headed back inside to do some research on what quotes I wanted in the book. I ended up finding 2 quotes made from the same person(Angela Abraham). since I now had all the stuff I needed I then opened up picsart and started editing.

I'm really happy with how my outcome turned out and I also really enjoyed this project.

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-Final Outcome Extra-

As I said in my last post what inspired me most was old book illustrations, so I wanted to see what it would look like in a book.

Using one of my books I turned to an empty page and headed outside. placing my book on the table I picked a flower putting it on the left side of the book and then using petals I found on the floor putting them on the other side. After I took a couple of pictures I went back inside to start editing but first I had to look for stuff I could put in the book.

Once I found quotes on the internet I opened picsart and started editing.

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-Final Outcome-

For my final outcome, I made a few changes compared to the draft this being, closing the wings on the crow, moving the crow's foot onto the skull, not having the magpie's guts in the crow's mouth and got rid of the magpie's claws.

The style I was inspired by most was old book illustrations, so that's the style I tried to go for.

In the end, I'm really happy with how the outcome turned out. If there was one thing I could change it would be that I would have liked to add more around the birds as the background looks too plain but besides that I love it.

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-Final Outcome Techniques-

The reason for this page was for me to mainly decide how I was going to do the magpies wing and which method would give me the metallic effect I wanted.

As much as I liked the eyeshadow it wasn't giving me the effect I wanted.

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-Final Outcome Idea-

Finally starting My final outcome, My idea was to base it on the circle of life and how life continues even after death in nature. So to press on it further I drew a draft of a decomposing magpie and a crow eating it.

Happy with my draft I grabbed some carbon paper, lino and lino cutting tools. Using the carbon paper first I cut it to the same size as the lino then putting it above. after that I then grab my drawing putting that above the carbon paper.

Once I've finished tracing onto the lino I then begin to cut out the lines. This was a bit of a difficult task as the picture was small but I did it to the best of my ability.

In the end, it didn't turn out how I wanted it to and I will most probably change the medium as it didn't give me the effect I wanted but none the less I still liked how it turned out.

[wilzzartfmpflipside]

-Lauren Marx-

Lauren Marx was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she also received her Bachelors of Fine Arts. She has dedicated her life to following her passion for illustration and develop her love of the natural, and supernatural, world. Lauren mainly works in pen, ink, and watercolour. Her work focuses on exploring and furthering her fascination with life and death. Her work is also influenced by her love of scientific illustration, Medieval marginalia and bestiaries, as well as Renaissance religious paintings.

[wilzzartfmpflipside]

(2/2)

-Illustrations-

For my second fine liner illustration, I decided to do a magpie with its rib cage showing and guts falling out.

[wilzzartfmpflipside]

(1/2)

-Illustrations-

I did two fine liner illustrations inspired by iannocent and my flipside theme life & death.

For my first illustration, I based it on a crow sitting on a metal fence. the only difference with this crow is that I changed its head into a skull to go with the theme of death.

[wilzzartfmpflipside]

-Iannocent-

Iannocent is an artist who loves imaginary worlds, fantasy and science fiction.

What I love about his work is his style and how much detail he puts in.

[wilzzartfmpflipside]

-owl-

For this session I decided to draw an owl based off one of my primary photos. Not long after I decided I wanted to take the owl drawing further and I came up with the idea to make the owl somehow have a pull tab movement.

To accomplish what I wanted I photo copied the original owl drawing and then proceeded to cut out The Owls face but not getting rid off it I put it to one side for the time being.

Once I've done that I then moved onto drawing the skull, I was originally going to draw an owls skull but it didnt look right so in the end I ended up changing it into a human skull which i though looked cool.

After i finished drawing the skull i picked up the cut out owl face I put to the side then putting a little tab of paper on it making it so you could move the owls face revealing a skull underneath.

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-Birds-

The birds i drew where a blue jay and a willow tit.

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-Primary Photos-

photos i have taken over time to help with my fmp life & death.

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-Layered Illustration-

The materials I used:

*Tracing paper

*Fine liner pen

*Pencils

In this session, I did a layered illustration with 2 layers of tracing paper, based on the concept of Life & Death. I then had to think about how different elements will layer and what needs to be in the background/ middle grounds + foreground.

For my first illustration, I decided to base it on the skeleton of a stag. In the first layer I did I drew the stags ribcage and backbone, I then went on doing the second layer which was the stags head.

I really like how this turned out but the only problem was I wish I had more time to finish it.

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-Collage-

Using images I found from different magazines. I cut off the guys face, then each layer I did is different and the last layer I drew was a skull.

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-Acrylic paint method-

For this piece i did a realistic taxidermy butterfly based on the theme life & dea

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-Blot Images-

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-Blot Images-

My main inspiration to try these were Justinus Kerner and Ragna Mouritzen.

To do this all I did was grab a piece of plain paper, then folding it in half. Once I did that I grabbed some acrylic paints applying them to one side then folding it again, so when I opened it, it would have transferred onto the other side.

After it finished drying I then looked to see if I could find anything that I could relate to life & death.