Life Drawing - 28th Nov

 I found this week's life drawing difficult compared to the other weeks; I'm not sure why, I think the combination of not feeling up to scratch and the difficult angles I kept getting. I feel as if I'm slowly improving, especially with the second of these drawings as they seem to be getting more life-like. The first of these drawings here didn't turn out quite right as I drew the model sat up on the mattress, however I did do a quick sketch of her leant back to remind me of her position.

Textiles - Material experiments

 

Jackie has asked me to work more with materials to build up my sketchbook and awareness of the different materials. I chose to work with two different fabrics, which were then overlayed with a sparkly material to give a modern twist to the 18th century era's materials. I also found some lace like fabric that I pleated on one fabric, and left straight on the other.  

 

 

 

 

 

Life Drawing - 22nd Nov

Dave's life drawing was a lot different to the usual life drawing lessons; we looked more at the structure of the model, rather than the curves and shape. We still used the pencil measuring technique to get the right angles and height correct and in proportion. 

Advertisements - Graphics

 Within the Graphics lessons, we'd been asked to alter and change parts of adverts to make them seem more realistic. I chose to do coffee adverts as most people drink coffee, and pay an arm and a leg for it out of their own homes.

Starbucks was an easy choice to make as they are widely known and would have many adverts to manipulate. I found it difficult to find any ways to alter the small print instead of the large, however in the end I ended up changing the main text. Although the changes are quite simple, they have a large impact on what the reader can see. I added a last minute change of the Starbucks cup into a Costa Coffee one to show that coffee is generally the same, even though there are a lot of different coffee companies.

Before the changes:

After the changes:

The other coffee company I chose was Costa Coffee, one of the main ones in the UK. Although there seemed to be a lot on the advertisement to change, I also found it difficult to change the small parts of this advert as the small print was unreadable. I did manage to change the slogan under the coffee mug, however I had a hard time finding the font that would match up with the current text. I mostly did small changes to the text in this advertisement as they would have the most impact when it came to viewing them.

Before the changes:

After the changes:

Harlots in Religion

Harlots within Judaism

Harlots were accepted within Judaism, though it was shameful to be in the profession. Priests were not allowed to marry harlots, or even have a daughter in the profession; the punishment for this was being killed with fire (though this only applied to the married or betrothed).
Although they had harlots on their streets, there were sacred harlots that had luxuries from the law given to them, such as statues and provisions. These harlots were condemned as they had a connection with idolatry.
Notable harlots: Tamar and Rahab

Info Link:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0016_0_16127.html 

Harlots within Buddhism

There was sacred prostitution within Buddhism which doesn't happen anymore. The males would have a consort they would have to spiritually transform with and if this did not happen it would be a sinful connection. Many people visit the western slope of Mount Lawu to worship the fertility, nature spirits, or ancestors here.

Info Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_prostitution#Buddhism

There are other a lot of other religions that could be researched into, but I did try and find some within Sikhism and Hinduism, yet found nothing on any famous harlots or sacred prostitution. 

V&A - Through The Centuries Clothes

These are some of the photos from around the era of A Rake's Progress; I'm hoping that I can look to these when I need inspiration for designs, both male and female.

The dresses are more patterned than I expected, as I thought they would be more plain expensive materials used.

Costumes from Theatre - V&A

These are some of the Theatre costumes that were upstairs in the V&A. Although none of them are around the era of A Rake's Progress, they may help to see what types of materials are used within Costume to represent different meanings.
The Horse's head was interesting as the way the wire had been used to create the shape of the head and different features.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set Design Sculptures - V&A

These are some of the set designs that were upstairs in the theatre side of the V&A. Although these aren't really anything to do with Fine Art, I chose to take photos of these for in the future if I decide to do any set designs.
The most interesting of these is the first photo with the girl on a swing above a mirror; none of these had any signs as to where they had come from, but I imagine it was something from a horror.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underskirt Sketch from the V&A

A quick sketch of a wire underskirt while I was in the V&A; mostly done as a reminder as to upload the photos from the V&A.

Tony Cragg at the Science Museum

 

Tony Cragg's "Lost in Thought" exhibition is currently being shown in the courtyard area.

 

"The exhibition is the first large-scale public display of Tony Cragg’s work in London. Showcased by Cass Sculpture Foundation, five major new outdoor sculptures will take over Exhibition Road and six indoor sculptures will be on display at the Science Museum, the V&A and the Natural History Museum."

 

"According to Cragg, Lost in Thought is a work about ‘movement, dynamics and psychologies both of the human mind and of sculpture’. It reflects the rigid yet natural pathways we associate with being lost in thought. By stacking laminated wood to make precise forms which he then carefully carved, Cragg has produced a work with both meticulously structured and loosely organic components."

 

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/galleries/tony_cragg.aspx

Designs in 2D

These are a few designs I did in 2D for the following morning's Graphic lesson. I actually did the concert ticket idea, as I didn't have time to get a photo of Bassetlaw Hospital's sign.

Hospital Sign idea

Concert Ticket idea

Rakes Progress - Second Final Full Piece

The final piece was completed and is now hung on the wall in 2D; it took a bit more work after we came back after the October holidays, and I'm quite happy with the outcome of the piece. I think the table could've been added into the background, but I don't think it's so important that it doesn't look right without it.
After the background was done, it mostly came together a lot quicker with the elements all created and stuck to the background. 

V&A Hollywood Costume Exhibition

 

 

"Costume designers are storytellers, historians, social commentators and anthropologists. Movies are about people, and costume design plays a pivotal role in bringing these people to life. 'Hollywood Costume' illuminates the costume designer’s process in the creation of character from script to screen including the changing social and technological context in which they have worked over the last century.

This ground-breaking exhibition includes over 100 of the most iconic and unforgettable film characters from a century of Hollywood filmmaking, 1912–2012. 'Hollywood Costume' takes us on a three-gallery journey from Charlie Chaplin through the Golden Age of Hollywood to the cutting-edge design for 'Avatar (2009, Costume Designer Mayes C Rubeo, Deborah L Scott) and 'John Carter of Mars' (2012, Costume Designer Mayes C Rubeo): Act 1, Deconstruction, puts us in the shoes of the costume designer and illuminates the process of designing a character from script to screen; Act 2, Dialogue, examines the key collaborative role of the costume designer within the creative team; Act 3, Finale, celebrates the most beloved characters in the history of Hollywood and the ‘silver screen’.

These galleries are filled with cinema costumes that have never left the private and archival collections in California. Most of these clothes have never been publicly displayed and have never been seen beyond the secure walls of the studio archives."

London Exhibitor List & Floor Map

https://www.ucasevents.com/ucas/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=418045&eventID=972&eventID=972

 

Floor map for London Visit UCAS Art Fair.

Sheffield Hallam Open Day

I'm actually really glad I went to Sheffield Hallam's open day as it's helped me to ask questions and find out what current students think about the place; although the talk was only half an hour, I made the most out of questioning the lecturer on the Fine Art course and the different aspects within it.
The facilities seem a lot more spread out and more technical than at college which I would love to try out on the first few weeks there (when I get in, optimism). If I get the opportunity to, I'd like to go back again just to have a better look around the accommodation, but I'm almost sure as to this is where I want to go to study.