Random Inspiration.

So as i was coming home from taking my Dad to the gym one of the cars had frosted up. The patterns in the ice caught my eye, theyre so pretty. But what struck me was the pattern was similar on different parts of the car... Which made me think does every rain drop contain the same pattern to create this effect.

Dear Diary Continued..

Pages from my Diary/Journal.
Lovely Sophie Rose Stewart and her sweetheart Eric <3

Dear Diary...

For my next project of 'make do and mend' i have been looking at diaries or journals, (some from the 1930's), to inspire how i would like to present my research. I love how antique some of them look or how textile based they are. 

Modern Masters Overview

With this project i feel i got really stuck into researching the deep details surrounding the image. My research took me on a journey through looking at ancient Greek theatre, doors, poems, partially religion, fairytales, gothic revival, japanese lolita and different illustrators, artists, designers and photographers. I learnt things which i never thought id even think about researching, like doors and what they represent and meaning behind them.

I think my final image represents the original image well, as all my research links to the photograph and explains why i have used a certain thing or changed a certain aspect. The image turned out better than i expected considering i had to take into account the weather for the photoshoot and the timei had to do it. I couldnt let my model stand in the freezing cold for 30 minutes so i stuck to a time limit of 5 minutes and had blankets prepared for the muddy ground.

Techniques which i used in this project were the use of photoshop and phtoography. I had to take the photo myself and then learn how to use photshop to edit it to the right style and lighting i needed.

I was self motivated in this project because i got really involved with the research even though some parts of it were unbelievably difficult to research, so i looked for an alternative like recording an interview with an art student.

My organisation could have been a lot better with this project but i managed to cope with certain personal set backs which may have affected my overall project. I did enjoy this project though because it was different to previous projects i have done. I could have either styled the photshoot or done what i did and created a garment. This gave me a taster of how my future could steer, seeing my garments being advertised on an album cover or magazine cover etc.

Photoshoot

I decided to go with my first instinct of the location for my photoshoot. All in all it went really well and i believe that i got the image i was after. The image i chose i edited using photo shop to give it the same lighting effects as the original album cover.

I chose this image because it shows the main part of the gate and also the expression on my models face shows vulnerability and innocence.

This is my finished edited photo. When i was photoshopping it i used mainly the healing tool to get rid of the chains and creases in her dress. i then played around with the lighting contrasts and brightness. To get one side darker i added a gradient layer on top of the photo and decreased the transparency.

The original album cover.

Road Trip

As part of my research and sampling i went on a trip to find suitable places for my photo shoot. I felt that this gate would be a suitable contestant because its quite tall and Gothic but also its open so my model would be able to interact with the gate. The only downfall is the gate was covered inn sign posts and was on a busy road when i visited.

Throughout this project i always had a certain place in my mind for the photo shoot. This gate has never been open when I've past it. It's perfect for the scenery because its a huge gate, extremely intricate, surrounded by trees and has got a rusty feel to it.

Lastly i thought as an alternative to a Gothic gate would be to look at churches. The door has the detail framing it aswel and is easily accessible. I think i want something with a more fairytale and mysterious feel to it though.

Background Sketches

This background illustration was done in water colours and is based on the original image of  'the open door' album cover. I think trying to recreate this scene would be difficult as its not often you find an intricate Gothic European styled door.

In this illustration i have used chalks, its based around a tall black metal gate, it could be simple or intricate. I think finding this scenery would be a lot easier to achieve.

Illustrations

For my designs in this project i was influenced by Aubrey Beardsley with the choice of medium he uses. I did my illustrations a short time so they would have a rough look to them, because i didn't want them to be perfect, that's not what Goth is all about.

My first design was based around Gothic Lolita and how Amy Lee once had a dress made by H.Noato, a leading designer in this area. The colours of this garment would be an Onyx black with ice white trimmings. The layers add femininity and show some movement.

A big issue with this project was the idea of creating a sense of flow and movement into the garment. The movement would help create a mysterious feel to the photograph. This dress would be an eggplant purple with the waist band embedded with stones and jewels, also the skirt part of the dress would be layered with a transparent white/pink layer. The open back on the dress gives a signal of being delicate and fragile.

 In this design i have included a corset for the top half of the dress, this derives from my research on the Gothic Revival. The front of the dress would be embellished with diamantes. The corset would be fastened in the front of the dress. The colours would be a light candy pink and ivory sheer material layered over the top. I'm not keen on this design as in my opinion it looks more like a 'prom' dress.

This illustration is more alike to the original dress Amy Lee wears in the album cover image. The dress is made up of a corset and then a draping layered skirt. The colours would be the same as Amy Lees dress but with the trimmings and frills being a husky pink colour.

John William Waterhouse

(6th April 1849 - 10th February 1917)
He was an English painter who worked in the Pre-Raphaelite style. His work depicted Greek Mythology and Arthurian Legend. His painting are detailed and have a nice sense of colour, either being bold or subtle and delicate. I really like his mythological paintings as they're creative and imaginative.

H.Noato

He is an avant-garde Japanese fashion designer. His style of clothing is classes under Japanese Punk and Gothic Lolita. He has created a dress for the lead singer Amy Lee of Evanescence.

I think his use of layering up fabrics creates a sexual but pretty/feminine image. Also i really like the movement in the garments, which is something i would like to incorporate into my designs.

Aubrey Beardsley

(21st August 1872 - 16th March 1898)
Aubrey Beardsley is an English illustrator and author. He was inspired by Japanese woodcuts and does his illustrations in black ink. He was a leading figure in the aesthetic movement, he also contributes to the development of the Art Nouveau and poster styles.

His designs have influenced the way i am going to create my illustrations, by using the medium ink instead of pencil. His illustration are detailed and unusual but with a direct link to the Japanese culture.

Gothic Revival

The Gothic revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740's in England. The style became popular in the 19th Century were people admired the neo-gothic style and wanted to revive medieval forms. This form was closely related to the Anglo catholic self belief.

Gothic Lolita
Gothic Lolita is a subculture which originated from Harajuku, Japan. Its a combination of the Victorian Gothic period and Lolita. Its a sophisticated movement originating with girls wearing knee length to floor length skirts, corsets, petticoats, blouses and headdresses.

Miwa Yanagi

Miwa Yanagi is a Japanese photographer. He has done a collection named 'fairytale'. They show the more gruesome side to fairytale and the images aren't clear until you look closely and try to depict them. She uses masks and young girls to add a more shocking and horrifying feel to the photographs.

Fairytales

Rapunzel
The tale of Rapunzel written by the Brother Grimm is about a young woman whose life is controlled by selfish adults until she disobeys them and chooses her own fate. Fairy tales are similar to the stories told in the bible in the fact they are there to 'control the masses' and to help people live a morally good life. The idea that shes choosing her own fate links with my album cover, as shes walking away from the dark and choosing her own path through the door to the light.

Red Riding Hood
There are many different interpretations of this story, the main warning being do not talk to strangers.

Ritual
The story could be interpreted as a puberty ritual, the girl leaves home, endures the acts of the tale, she is then transformed into an adult woman from coming out of the wolfs stomach.

Rebirth
The act of the huntsman cutting open the wolf can be interpreted as 'rebirth'. The girl who listened to the wolf is reborn as a new person.

Sexual Awakening
The red clock could be a symbol of the blood from menstruation or a symbol of the hymen. The wolf symbolises a man, seducer or sexual predator. He threatens the girls virginity.

This links to my album as she is going of on her own, so she could be either running away from a 'wolf' or may encounter a 'wolf' on her journey.

The Little Mermaid
I think the moral of this story is about selfless love. The mermaid gives up everything for the Prince. On the other hand it could be to obey your parents because she disobeys her father and if she had listened she wouldn't have had her heart broken and have to kill herself.
The original story was written by Hans Christian Anderson, and is different from the Disney version. The main difference being the ending. There are 2 versions of the ending one being that she throws herself into the sea and becomes a daughter of the air as she shes her lover getting married to another woman so it was either kill her lover or kill herself. The other ending being she sees the prince getting married so she throws herself into the sea and dies by turning to froth.

Doors

Doors have an aesthetic property which creates the impression of what lies beyond them.
Symbolically doors are endowed with a ritual purpose, being granted access through a door can have a special significance. They usually signify the portent of change.

Doors appear quite frequently in dreams, for example a door opening in a dream represent a desire for inner exploration and self discovery or a new desire to open up your feelings. A poem which i recently studied was called Kubla Khan by Sam Taylor Coleridge. The poem was about a dream he had experienced under the influence of opium where he discovers a land and describes whats in the land and the evil within its chasms. The relation to this and a dream is that his dream was disturbed by a knock on the door which woke him up so he could never finish his dream. This poem relates to my project on 'The open door' because he explores a dark, mysterious, savage and holy place which links to religion (religion seems to be creeping up a lot in this project). The enchanted land also refers to almost a fairytale like land the chasm being symbolic of the dark side of the soul.

From what i can gather from my research, there is a link between doors and the supernatural, or a higher being. Doors represent a communication. Also Greek theatre was always closely related to religion, and religion has a connection with doors.