Integrated Project
- Natasha
- Oct 21, 2020
- 30 min read
Updated: Mar 16, 2021
'This unit provides you with the opportunity to utilise the knowledge and analytical skills acquired in relation to critical and contextual studies in the realisation of a self-determined studio based project. This studio based practice project gives you the opportunity to develop a piece of work that expands upon your research, concepts and analysis in your thesis (Route B), exploring and experimenting with ways to integrate theory and practice. The way in which you choose to connect the project with the thesis could be through a conceptual framework, a technique, a methodology or subject matter, using practice as a way to test your theory within design experiments and investigative practice. The format and outcomes and will be decided in consultation with your tutor.'
Enquiry : Mind Mapping
Enquiry : Looking Back at Previous Work
A-level : Second Year
For one of my Component 2 project I created these two sculptures based on characters I designed inspired by the book The Hunchback of Notre Dame. For these sculptures I incorporated religious imagery through research trips to churches, visiting galleries, looking at religious texts and watching history documentaries.
When I think back at this project I remember how much I enjoyed working in 3D and making these figures. Part of the reason I wanted to join the Illustration and Visual Media course and not another Illustration course was so that I would be able to work with 3D materials, over the time I have been on this course I have not done as much 3D work as I had hoped. I want to take this project as a chance to fix that.
A-level : First Year
After looking at my component 2 project and deciding I really want to explore 3-dimensional media, I wanted to look more at projects that I have done this with before to help with this one's progression. Look at the mistakes I made, things I enjoyed and liked and what I want to improve on with this project.
This project was actually the first time I decided to explore sculpture. I was really interested in the process of making dolls so I decided to explore it as a little experiment for a project that didn't count towards too much, as it meant I had room for learning and mistakes.
These are how the dolls turned out. Although they are a little scrappy, for my first time doing something like this i was very happy with the results. I still remember this project really clearly as it was very ambitious for me and I learned so much.
The material I used was Das clay and although it was very easy to shape its not so great for smaller details such as the hands. Over time they would crumble away or break off, i'm not sure if this is because of the way I was using it or if it is just a property the clay has but I know it is something I will need to consider if I decide to create something delicate. With the component 2 project I actually ended up using a mixture of a more expensive, plastic based clay called fimo as well as Das for larger areas that would be covered by fabrics. It worked very well actually and maybe is something I should try again when moving forward. The only problem I had with this was trying to bind the two materials together... I'll have to experiment with methods.
Another important thing I learned when making these dolls was about how to create bends and joints. As this is only the beginning of the project I still don't know if I will be creating a still sculpture like the component 2 outcome or a doll-like creation like these. However, I want to make a note of this just incase!
Originally with these dolls I wanted to make them ball jointed, however I couldn't really figure this out so I tried to find a different way to make them... so I experimented with cloth joints. These worked out really well for me as they were much easier to make than ball joints and worked well for what I wanted to do. To improve on these joints I think i would try to weave in some metal wire so that they have more support and can hold positions.
Finally, with the painting of the dolls, I had to experiment with many different types of paint and it was difficult to find a result I was happy with. In the end I wound up using water colour on the plain white clay. It worked nicely for these character designs but I think going forward I wont want white as the skin tone, so will need to find a different way to paint them. If I used Fimo clay I would. not need to worry so much about painting as it is already coloured, so maybe as I did with the component 2 project, using fimo clay for exposed areas then das for hidden areas (e.g. hidden by clothing) could be more ergonomic. I also found that applying detail colour with a sponge instead of a paintbrush creates a more natural effect.
Artist Research : Gustav Klimt
One of the artists I want to reference for this project is Gustav Klimt, I find it really interesting how has similar qualities to that of traditional religious artworks. For example: the use of gold leaf, the use of bright colour and luminous skin. I love Klimt's work so much, it still feels contemporary to this day is so special. It would be interesting to develop work in sculpture using his paintings as a reference. The flowing, intricate garments and hair with the soft but also geometric posing of the figures would be so exciting to work with.
Artist Research : Anouk 'Pantovala'
Anouk 'Pantovala' is a London based artist that uses porcelain and cloth to create beautifully crafted and unique art dolls, each with their own story. Anouk discusses in a press interview with In her Studio magazine (2020) how she was inspired to work with cloth by making little fabric dolls with her mother when she was younger. She says she likes the modesty of it and feel of reclaiming it, as cloth work was traditionally seen as one of the as one of the only socially accepted art form for women to work in. I like the idea of working with cloth as well as clay to create a sculpture, it adds a whole new layer of texture to the piece and i love the softness of it. Fabric can also be posed my comfortably and flexibly when supported with wire, so this is a good thing to consider if movement is a feature I want to have in my outcome.
She also said something in her interview which really resonated with me:
'Storytelling is the fuel of my work.
I write tales and rhymes about Witches, Wolves, Chimney Ghosts, Traveling Theatres, Moth Fairies, Moon People, Sirens and Selkies, who live in my imagined worlds of woodlands and oceans.
A story can spark the creation of a doll sculpture but I also find stories in the materials I use.
Often times the textiles I work with are antiques and I love to imagine the many secrets and stories woven into the cloth.'
I felt as if this quote was meant for me. It is exactly the same creative mindset I have, I love to create work from stories but also create stories from the work I create. I know so clearly that for this project that I really want it to have a narrative aspect, I just need to find the starting point. I think sticking to looking at bible stories could help me narrow down my research as well as sticking to the themes of my thesis for the integrated project.
Narrative Research : Bible Stories
To narrow down my research into bible stories I decided to only look into those from the old testament as the characters and narratives interest me more than those in any of the other books. As a starting point I looked at this website:
It lists 20 stories from the old testament as well as the morals that are meant to be understood from them. From the ones on this list not many grab my interest straight away... I like the idea of working with the story of Adam and Eve but that has been done many times before ... The characters of David and Goliath are very interesting as well, their contrasting designs and appearance could be fun to work with.
After researching more into different bible stories I realised the figures I was most interested in where the women from the stories. I found most of the men annoying and self righteous. I decided to look more into some of the women that I was taught about in Secondary school during religious studies.
The Queen of Sheba
In the biblical account of the reign of King Solomon, she visited his court at the head of a camel caravan bearing gold, jewels, and spices. The story provides evidence for the existence of important commercial relations between ancient Israel and Arabia. According to the Bible, the purpose of her visit was to test Solomon’s wisdom by asking him to solve a number of riddles.
In the Islamic version of the story, the king’s advisor, feared that the king might be tempted into marrying the visiting queen. He whispered to him that she had hairy legs and the hooves of an ass. Solomon, being curious about such a peculiar phenomenon, had a glass floor built before his throne so that Queen, tricked into thinking it was water, raised her skirts to cross it and revealed that her legs were truly hairy. Solomon then ordered the Advisor to create a depilatory for the queen. This is such a silly part of the story it could be interesting though, to twist this account into a story of female empowerment somehow.
Bath Sheba
Bathsheba’s relatively short story is packed with scandal and intrigue. Bathsheba is bathing when David first sees her. Despite her being married, David sends for Bathsheba and has sex with her. She becomes pregnant, and after other attempts to cover up his misconduct, David commands that her husband Uriah be killed in battle. Bathsheba becomes David’s wife and bears his son. But Nathan the prophet confronts David about his sins, and God punishes David through the death of Bathsheba’s child. Bathsheba and David have a second child, Solomon, who succeeds his father as king, though he is not the oldest living son. The lack of details in Bathsheba’s story has resulted in her character being read in multiple ways.
Deborah
As the only female judge mentioned in the Bible, Deborah is known for being a compassionate leader (of which there weren't many in Biblical times). She inspired the Israelites to a mighty victory over their Canaanite oppressors.
Although some of these stories are a little problematic it would be interested, as stated after the summery of The Queen of Sheba's story, it would be interesting to develop from these stories and find a way to make them empowering(?) characters.
Artist Research : Artemisia Gentileschi
(TW : SEXUAL ASSAULT, TORTURE)
Artemisia Gentileschi is one of my favourite artists of all time. Not only is her work spectacular, but she is also an empowered and inspiring woman in her own right. From a young age she was an artistic prodigy and was sent off to be an apprentice by her father. However, her master raped her and after she came forward she was tortured during her trial to see if she was lying. She prevailed and her rapist was sent into exile, she spent the rest of her life as a successful artists and one of the greatest story teller of her time.
( END OF TW)
What makes Artemisia so exceptional is that she 'painted subjects that were traditionally the preserve of male artists and for the male gaze; transforming meek maidservants into courageous conspirators and victims into survivors.' (National Gallery, 2020) This idea is exactly what I was trying to convey previously when discussing the female figures from the bible, I want to find a way to empower them through the female gaze rather than the male gaze.
There is currently and Exhibition on her work in the National Gallery that I really wish to see, however, it it fully booked until mid December so I wont be able to attend until then.
Idea Development : Narrative Development
After a discussion with my year tutor I decided that instead of continuing to develop this project towards 3D that I should instead focus on fantasy character art/concept art, as this is what I want to do in the future. I'm interested in finding a way to change these stories into a fantasy setting, as this is the genre I am most interested in... I think with this in mind focusing on just one of these figures would help me develop my work in more depth. From the three, the figure that interested me the most was that of The Queen of Sheba.
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Research Question and Project Brief
Can a female figure from a 2000 year old text be empowered through the use of fantasy visuals ?
Area of research:
Concept Art, Sculpture, Storytelling, Feminism
Project title:
The Queen of Sheba
How the project relates to and builds on my areas of interest and strengths:
This project will have storytelling at the very centre of it's being and will focus heavily on exploring that through concept art. Narrative drives my creative process and is usually an essential part of my projects, it keeps me inspired and interested. Additionally, Concept art is something I want to do in the future so badly, I am so passionate about it and it really excites me.
BRIEF
Create a character design and conceptual stills for a fantasy movie inspired by the story of the Queen of Sheba.
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Research : The Real Queen of Sheba
image credit: National Geographic
Important research to consider for this project is the origins of the queen of Sheba, she is a very important cultural figure to many people and I should be educated on her history, her story and what we know of who she was. Although we are not certain of where 'Sheba' was exactly, it is a popular theory that she was from Ethiopia. This means that, contrary to many depictions of her in art, she was most probably a black woman. Although for my outcome it is very likely I will deviate quite far from her original story, with only small bits of symbolism to represent it in her design, I still wish to keep her true ethnicity as the whitewashing of characters and important historical figures (e.g. Jesus, Cleopatra, Queen Charlotte even Beethoven) is still rampant to this day.
Research : Concept Art
As concept art is what I really want to go into after graduation, I want to have at least an aspect of it in this project. In my personal work, character design sheets are the kind of concept art I usually produce. I don't look so much into environment and setting design which is something I know I really need to improve on if I want to have an edge in the industry... researching tips on how to make my work stand out and look more professional will be a great way to help push it in the right direction, and maybe even open more doors to me in the future.
one of my most recent character design ideas
Some of the points raised in this article that interested me the most were: firstly, number 3 'Think inside the box'. I do find myself constantly trying to find a new and interesting way to do something, something no one has done before or something that defies expectation... But really the point raised here is very true, to summarise it is saying if it isn't broken don't try to fix it. Sometimes the most used or obvious ideas are that way for a reason. Sometimes even using this as a starting point is the best way to get the most effective and impactful visuals.
Primary Research : National Gallery
For some more inspiration I decided to visit the national gallery to see some of the religious artworks they house there... Unfortunately (and not very surprisingly) I could not find any of the Queen of Sheba so instead decided to focus on another figure, The Virgin Mary, as art of her is bountiful. Unfortunately due to restrictions put in place by the corona virus I was not able to sit and draw studies from each piece in person, but I did a few from photographs I took whilst there.
What I loved the most about these artworks was the gold embossing and the rich drapery in each artwork... studying the use of intricate pattern and vibrant colour only confirmed the similarities I noticed before between arts such as these and the work of Gustav Klimt.
This piece in particular is one that interested me. At first glance I was drawn to the shape of the piece and the beautiful pattern work in both the background and The Virgin's dress. On closer inspection it interested me further because of the story behind it, it is entitled The Coronation of the Virgin. The painting depicts Mary being coronated as the queen of heaven. This interested me as although the use of royal titles is frequent in religious passages when describing the holy family I have never really seen such a literal depiction of it. Considering the character I have decided to look into is royalty this could be a useful piece to reference.
some studies I did at home of fabrics in the paintings I took pictures of ... drapery always makes me think of extravagance and wealth.
Research : Pop Culture Depictions
The Queen of Sheba (1921). J. Gordon Edwards.
This 1921 version of the queen of Sheba, played by Betty Blythe is extremely fetishising and historically inaccurate. However, out of context, the costume design in this movie is so beautiful and I really respect the bravery of the director and cast as at this time nudity in movies was so scarce that this film caused massive uproar and scandal. I feel although it was most probably a result of the male gaze more than anything, it is still find it empowering...
I want to find a way to incorporate this kind of striking design without over sexualising the character, as women of colour are already subject to such hyper sexualisation from the media. I as a white person do not was to contribute to something harmful like this.
Solomon and Sheba (1995). R. Young.
I was pleasantly surprised with this movie when I realised one of the titular characters was played by a WoC. Although it was not a very good movie I still found it enjoyable, it is a Budget film so there weren't any epic fights or grand processions but I still appreciated the costume design and the chemistry between the wise Solomon and Halle Barry as the Queen of Sheba. She is portrayed as a witty and powerful woman which I liked.
Although it was a low budget film I still really loved the costumes Halle Barry wore as the Queen of Sheba, I am kind of attracted to this aesthetic... I don't know how to describe it. Maybe it is something I could try to capture in some of my concepts.
Artist Research : Erté
Erté. Queen of Sheba. 1979.
I love this depiction of the Queen of Sheba by Erté. The way he draws her makes her look so ethereal.. like an other worldly being. I especially like the stars he placed on her face, its so interesting and makes it look so unique. The completely pitch back skin is only wonderful in combination with the bright colours of her hair, lips and eyes...
Artist Research : Edmund Dulac
Edmund Dulac. Queen of Sheba. c. 1907-20.
I have loved the work of Edmund Dulac for a long time, when I found out he also did a piece on The Queen of Sheba I was very excited. I love this piece, the colours are beautiful and the lovely intricate details give the piece such intrigue... I especially like the depiction of her Caravan here. The caravan of gifts is another iconic part of her story, almost as iconic as The Queen herself, so finding an interesting way to depict is is very important... I like the camel.
Artist Research : Paloma Smith
An artist I have admired for a long time and have recently had the pleasure of becoming friends with is Paloma Smith. Her beautiful sculptures and drawings of women are empowered and beautiful. The characters she creates are diverse in their appearance which makes them all the more interesting and exciting. I want to use her as a reference for this project as this piece above, entitled Lilith. Was inspired by a prominent female figure from the bible, Lilith. It is told that after being created from the same soil as Adam was, Lilith refused to be subservient to her husband. She then sprouted wings and left Adam as well as the perfection of the Garden of Eden. Although originally this story was designed to shame women who do not serve their husbands by demonising the first woman who did... Lilith has recently become almost a symbol of female empowerment and freedom.
Paloma's sculpture of the 'demonic' woman captures this beautifully. Her strong but relaxed pose and collected expression as she caresses the snake, a symbol of the first sin, is mesmerising and says so much about the power this figure has. And even though she is presented in the nude it is not sexualised. Maybe as it is artwork of a woman, made by a woman this aspect of the male gaze is more easily avoided...
This piece is so wonderful and inspiring, I hope to create something like this for my own project. An exquisite depiction of powerful woman but with my own twist on her story...
Another piece I want to look at by Paloma is her current work in process La Femme Chauvre-Souris inspired by a painting of the same title by the artist Joseph Pénot (below). I have always really loved this painting so when I saw that she was creating her own version of it I was very excited, even more so when I saw she was interpreting it as a WoC. Even in an unfinished state it is such a beautiful sculpture and again is done in a way where the figure isn't sexualised but instead empowered. In seeing her being able to do this so consistently and effortlessly I feel more confident that I will hopefully be able to do the same...
Research : Tim Walker
I want to include a fantasy aspect to my work, one way of doing so if through the use of costume design in my character design. Tim Walker is a photographer that always manages to capture this air of magic... Maybe taking inspiration from his ethereal photographs and the clothes he worked with would help me to add this atmosphere to my own design.
Primary Research : Ashmolean
Due to COVID-19 I have had to get creative with my primary research, as being in and out of lockdown hinders the places I am able to go drastically. Around this time last year I visited my friend who is studying in Oxford and we visited the Ashmolean Museum. It is one of my favourite places in Oxford, their cast collection allows you to travel the world without having to leave the room. It has casts of some of the most iconic sculptures of the ancient world that are housed all around Europe so you are able to experience them in person. Although the photographs I took whilst there are not at focused on my subject matter of women as I would like I still have a few nice references. I think it is interesting for me to study how the female figure is posed and presented in these sculptures which, if true or not, are often regarded as very academic and 'classy'. I like the way they radiate authority and power.
image credit: New York Times
This sculpture entitled Satyr and Hermaphrodite is one in particular that grabbed my attention, I really love they dynamic posing and the strong posture of the nymph. In Roman mythology Satyrs were notorious for assaulting nymphs, this sculpture depicts one fighting back. I think the reason I was drawn to this sculpture in particular is because it is something quite unusual for these ancient sculptures, although it is more common to see men fighting a beast or each other, it is atypical to see a woman beating a man.
Research : Lizzo on Empowerment and Body Positivity
Lizzo is an American singer and songwriter; She is an activist for body positivity, Black Lives Matter, feminism and is an avid believer in the power of self love. I recently watched her feature episode of My Next Guest Needs no Introduction and I found it very interesting. Lizzo is such an amazing woman, one of the things that she said that really resonated with me was: ‘In 2014 I was wearing a leotard onstage with two big girls also in leotards and saying I love myself, I think people were like “how dare she, how dare she love herself, how could she?”'. It made me realise that even to this day one of the most controversial things a woman can do is truly love who she is and the body she is in. I think taking this into consideration with how I design and pose the character will be a very effective way t empower her though presence alone.
Process : Character Design (face)
As a starting point for my character design I decided to to a few studies of different faces as inspiration about how The Queen's face could look like. my favourite is the one on the bottom right... She has an air of authority and knowledge that I feel The Queen would have. I want to develop her design from this study.
The model I used for this reference is Aweng Choul, she is a beautiful and inspirational woman who has become a vocal advocate for mental healthcare among refugees and LGBT rights. Using her as the inspiration for the face of my project really excites me as she seems like such an amazing, empowered person.
further studies, refining features and practising expressions
Process : Character Design (costume)
These are some designs I did for the Queen's different outfits inspired by multiple different sources. Since I want this character design to be in a fantasy setting rather than a historical one I allowed myself a little creative license... A few of these were just from imagination while others were referenced from ancient grecian sculptures, other Artist's depiction of the queen of Sheba and some from dresses I saw in this article :
My favourites are the designs involving a long veil, I want to carry this through to the final design. I also really love the two designs with trousers instead of a dress... However, an iconic moment from her story is where she lifts up her dress to cross what she thought was water in King Solomon's throne room, revealing her unshaven legs. I love this imagery so I think I will go forward with the long floor length robes.
different variations for a final outfit idea... created by combining two of my favourite previous designs.
What I really like about this design is the many layers. It gives em the opportunity to experiment with lots of textures and luscious fabrics. I feel like this will really give her that regal aura I want to achieve with her design.
Process : Textural Experimentation
To develop the process section of our projects, tutors set us the task of producing 25 post card sized illustrations, I decided to take this as an opportunity to experiment with physical texture to help me create interesting patterns and designs that could be layered on top of my character designs. I like how some of these turned out but most of them I am not so happy with. I rushed them a little so they are not as detailed and precise as they could have been. I still want to experiment with layering though, to see if it is something I should put some more time into.
Process : Layering Experimentation
I created these basic back and front illustrations of my current design so I could layer the textural experimentations more easily and to show the layers of her design more clearly.
I actually really like how these experimentations turned out which surprised me a little, because of how much I didn't really like the actual patterns I made.Although all the patterns at the moment are on a white base I think even these additions really elevate the design and make it more regal... I don't think I want this much complex pattern in the final design and these layering experiments will only
Process : Textural Experimentation (marbling)
Jordan's work
After looking at some of the illustrations of my classmates in an exhibition-style presentation of the assignment I felt really inspired by the work of my classmate Jordan, specifically her marbled pieces. I loved the textures she created and thought it would fit the design of my character really well - marble like patterns always give me very regal vibes and as she is a Queen i think it will fit perfectly. I think it will look better than what I have at the moment as it is less 'cartoon-y' in nature ? A combination of both drawn pattern such as the ones I produced with organically generated pattern such as the ones made with pour style marbling would help balance the design and make it less overwhelming I think.
These are my marbling experiments, unfortunately as I was transporting them they stuck together and got ruined before I took any pictures of them... I am so annoyed because they looked so nice before this happened !! At least my favourite one (the first slide) didn't get ruined... hopefully I can see use them for some experimentation.
Process : Layering Experimentation
These are some further layering experiments I made with the marbled patterns I created. I really like how these look but I feel having it on all of the piece makes the design look too modern... I think the design is better with the marbled effect just on the inner veil.
I much prefer this to the above experiment this effect makes her look so ethereal and magical... I think developing a pattern for this inner veil inspired by this layering could be really interesting... rather than just keeping it as a layered texture, I worry that it would definitely look out of place compared to the rest of the design.
Process : Colour Experimentation
I decided to start experimenting with colour so produced a few different colour variations for her design... As I was colouring it, it actually made me realise how I wasn't 100% satisfied with her design yet... I love the veil and the floor length dress but I want to experiment with the layers of her outfit and her silhouette more. My favourite of these two colour variations is the 4th and 5th from the left. They capture this dreamy fantasy feeling I want her design to have the best...
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Communication : Target Audience
Before I develop my project any further I wish to ask myself some questions to make sure I am developing my work is the right direction for what I want to do.
1. What questions are you asking your audience?
As the idea for what I want to do for this project's outcome is still unclear, defining my target audience and what I want to achieve with this project is a little more difficult. However, I know that at its very core, my aim to to tell a story and create something empowering.
2. Who is your audience? From what I have developed so far, my target audience will be women and girls interested in the fantasy genre and concept art. I want to create something for them.
3. What do you want people to think about when they look at the work? Maybe think about how women are portrayed in the fantasy genre overall? Times are changing but the fantasy genre has a history of showing women very heavily through the male gaze.
4. How will people benefit from your work?
As a woman I always feel really happy when I see a female character I can relate to shown in an empowered way/ in a position of power without any ulterior motive of male satisfaction. I think many other women feel the same way, so I hope my work can do the same thing for them.
5. How would you financially benefit from this work?
I want to create a collection of concept art pages for this project which I will be able to use in my portfolio when I apply for jobs after graduation.
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Research : Final Outcome Research
As I am designing a singular character for this project I decided to look further into how professional Concept Artists display singular character designs. Above are two concept art sheets by Qiu Fang for the character Sigma from the game Overwatch. I want my outcome to look as refined as possible so this is a great reference for me, especially since blizzard is one of the companies I would love to work for in the future. I am not 100% sure where I want this character design to be placed yet ... maybe a video game or animated series? Having these character sheets as a reference will allow me to think a little more about this while I continue on working towards my final outcome. I know also that I also want to include a sheet/few sheets of prop design for her famous caravan of gifts as well.
Research : The Prince of Egypt (1998)
I struggled for ages thinking about the context for the character I have been designing. Up until I watched The Prince of Egypt, a beautiful animated movie that is also based off a biblical story (that of Moses). What I love about this film is that even though it is based off a very important story from the Jewish faith, it can still be enjoyed by someone from any religion. It is a story of suffering, family, love and hatred... it was so progressive for it's time and I am so glad that it is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Inspired by this film, I decided that this is what I want for my character too. I think placing her in this kind of outcome also opens a lot of opportunities for me. I can now experiment with fake still from the 'movie' depicting iconic moments from her story as well as looking a little further into her setting. However, something I want to do a little differently to The Prince of Egypt is that I want to move away from such religious references and tell the story more like that of a fantasy story, one with enchanting magic and mystery.
Process : Final Outcome Initial Ideas
After deciding to focus on an animated movie as my media of choice I have changed the format my final outcome will be. I still want to produce character reference sheets as part of the development process but I have decided now that I want to produce a collection of fake movie stills for the outcome of this project I feel it will give it that depth and professional finish that it is currently missing.
Some stills from one of my favourite movies, Spirited Away.
I like how these stills specifically focus more on the character and then the background it more something that compliments them or adds to the narrative. Considering this is a very character-based project, this is something I want to achieve compositionally in my own work. 🌸
Communication : Critique Feedback
For the critique on the WIP padlet page for our year I decided to post the two favourite colour designs. I got some useful feedback on these which i am really grateful for.
This feedback gave me some very interesting ideas... Although I have decided to stay away from 3D for this project for my own sanity's sake, I think it would be cool to see how I could include some more subliminal ties to religious imagery as Trish suggested. I think I will do this by referring back to my original textural layering experimentations with pattern as I think these current designs are missing that interest that those experiments had. I also Agree with Diana that I should begin to show her personality a little more though how I pose her. I think I did this well with my initial design sketches of her outfit but that personality was lost a little with these current drawings.
I also discussed the work with my tutor and she mentioned how she thought the designs with the marbled pattern on more than just the inner veil was much more interesting than these current designs. It gave her more presence and depth. Although I do not want to take those designs further as they are I think it would be interesting to instead develop from them ? Maybe draw on top of the textures to create patterns from the marbled design then combine these with patterns I developed in the first layering experiment.
Process : Life Drawing
An essential part of being a concept artist is drawing skills. It is simple, to be a concept artist you must have exceptional drawing skills so that you are able to convey your ideas clearly to other members of the team. I want to keep my drawing skills sharp so participated in some online life drawing sessions held by hw Life drawing. I love life drawing because I always feel connected to an artistic tradition of sorts whenever i'm drawing a live model.
Process : Character Costume Design Continuation
As while I was colouring I realised that I did not like my design anymore I decided to continue with the design process of her clothing. I much prefer this design to the one i had before, I really like how detailed it is and I think it adds to decadence I want her design to have and help her exude that regal authority.
Process : Colour Experimentation
I again experimented with the colour for this design, even when just doing these colour versions I feel much more excited about her design and I'm so happy !! My favourites of these options are 3, 6 and 7. I want to take these further by layering with the marbled textures before I decide on something final.
Process : Layering Experimentation
I played around again with layering the textures I made before as I liked how they added more dimension and interest to her design in my previous experiments. I did these a little differently to before (except for the last one which is the same technique as before). Instead of just layering to pattern over different parts of the design and leaving it as that I played around with the layer blending options and set it to 'Overlay' to get this really nice effect. It keeps the original colours I liked but then blends the design into it. I really love how these look, even in how it kept the shine from when I was scanning the textures... it makes the fabric of her dress look really lustrous and glossy, like an expensive silk, this is especially prevalent in the gold colour design and makes me like it even more than I did before. My two favourites from these are the gold design and the pink one.
The both have their individual strengths and weaknesses. I feel that the gold relates more to my initial research imagery and starting point of Christian artworks, it also looks very regal which was something I really wanted to capture in her design. However, I feel is is also quite generic and predictable. I am also not sure if it has that 'fantasy' feeling the design needs to have, considering I am designing this character for a fantasy based re-imagining of her story. The pink one is almost the opposite, I think it captures the fantasy feeling well and is very special looking, but I worry that it possibly looks too modern in some way? I also feel it is not as regal as the gold design...
After thinking about it for a while I decided that if I couldn't decide between the two why not combine them both? The outfit I created for her consists of two pieces anyway so there is no reason that they can't be two different colours. To see how it looks I decided to do a colour variation in which half was pink and the other in gold. When I first did the top half in pink with a gold skirt I wasn't so sure if I liked it as I feel it look unbalanced, then I did the other way around and I really love it. The way that the dramatic sleeves of the top falls down to her feet frames the skirt really nicely in the darker gold colour. I think this version captures what I loved about both of the previous designs very well and I am super pleased.
Realisation : Queen of Sheba Character Design Sheet
To finalise and fully visualise her design I created this 3 point view so I am able to have a reference for what she looks like from the front, side and back. I also saved versions that are just line, flat colour as well as well as the version with layered pattern. I am still not sure which coloured version I will use in my final outcome yet, as I will have to see what looks/ fits best.
For the final design I took away some of the embellishments from the original idea just to simplify it a bit. I feel a more simple but impactful character design is much better suited for an animation (take a look at any Ghibli film or the animated Disney princesses - the designs are simple but iconic)
I am really happy with how her design looks now, I am glad I pushed myself to redesign when I was not happy, instead of just settling for something I didn't really love.
Research : Compositional Inspiration
On the topic of Disney movies, there is one that I want to take inspiration from for my 'fake screenshot' outcomes. Sleeping Beauty is probably my favourite out of all of the Disney movies from a stylistic standpoint. In particular, I love how the backgrounds/ environments are drawn, how they have this beautiful sense of depth and texture. Especially in the woodland scenes. I want to take inspiration from this movie for the style my outcome will be in, as although I love the Prince of Persia it's style isn't really my favourite or very 'me'.
Realisation : Initial Compositional Ideas
These are some compositional drawings I have done to try and conceptualise some of my favourite scenes from the Queen of Sheba's narrative. I like all of these a lot but I think I only wish to produce three fake screenshots for my outcome so that I am able to put in all the time and effort needed to make them really special.
I have some personal favourites but I want to ask what other people think about which compositions stand out the most, so I can work on the ones that are the most eye-catching to people other than myself. As this project is aimed at trying to develop my portfolio for future practise, it is important that I take into consideration outside opinion.
Realisation : Critique Feedback
For the critique I presented the compositional drawings above as well as two versions of the final character design for Sheba. I wanted to know which compositions people liked the best as well as which version of Sheba was preferred (textured of untextured).
After looking at the feedback I received from the critique I can see that it was unanimous that everyone preferred the textured design of Sheba to the plain one. I will make my final decision when actually putting together the composition based on what looks the best. As for the compositions themselves, the one that was favoured were the ones where she is the main focus of the composition. In response to this feedback I have decided to develop the three below.
Realisation : Outcomes
For the style of these outcomes I kept the reference of Sleeping Beauty in mind and decided that I would simplify my usually quite painterly style into something more flat and linear. I really enjoyed working this way. I also wanted to keep these pieces a little more loose so that they have more of a 'concept art' feel to them as Jocelyn suggested in the critique.
Questioning Solomon
I really love how the first composition of my outcomes came out, I added some noise texture over the final image to make it seem more like a screenshot from a movie and I think it turned out really well. It really looks like a still from a film.
Time-lapsed process of the piece above.
Riding in the Caravan
This composition was heavily inspired by the piece Edmund Dulac created of the Queen of Sheba. Out of the three, this one is my favourite and was the most fun to create. I really love how it looks and like how it pays tribute to one of my favourite illustrators.
Time-lapsed process of the piece above.
Lifting up her Dress
I produced two versions of this one as I found the reflection in the mirror a little difficult, I think the version where the pillars are blurred slightly is a little better but I am not sure.
Some reference images I took of myself to help with the pose of the character.
Time-lapsed process of the piece above.
Evaluation
This project was challenging for me from the outset as for a while at the beginning I was not sure what I wished to produce from it. It was a battle of heart vs. functionality almost… usually I would almost always follow my heart but I am so glad that for this project I went with functionality as not only did it reassure me in just how much I enjoy concept art, but it also allowed me to create an outcome that I really love and that will have a wonderful place in my portfolio when I start job hunting.
The designing process for The Queen of Sheba was challenging but very enjoyable. Focusing all my attention onto one character design for the whole project allowed me to research thoroughly, explore my options in depth as well as give me time to develop it further when I realised I was not happy with it. I think her design turned out so beautiful. It is regal and intricate yet has a simplicity to it that allows it to be viable for animation. I am very proud of myself and this design.
The screenshots I produced as an outcome for this project and as a sort of ‘display case’ for my design also look great. It was my first time creating anything like this so I was a little worried at first. I was concerned that they would not look like screen shots from a movie, that my design would not fit in an environment or that the ‘fantasy’ aspect of this project would not shine through. However, all of these concerns were dismissed when I started creating. Using the reference of the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty to guide me, I was able to create three beautiful compositions that look if they were plucked right out of a movie or a concept art book. I love them a lot.
As for the answer to my research question ‘Can a female figure from a 2000 year old text be empowered through the use of fantasy visuals ?’ I believe the answer is yes. Through my research into women I admire and my careful planning of her design and posing in the final compositions I think the character I have presented in these works is powerful and regal. She demands respect with her presence and if this were ever to become an actual film I believe she could be wonderful a role model for young and grown women alike, I am very happy with what I have been able to achieve.
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