Historischer Flachsmarkt Burg Linn

On sunday I went to an amazing Medieval festival/market in Germany.  I knew there would be a lot of old crafts and so on there, but when we arrived I was amazed how incredibly massive the market was.  We were there from 11:00 to 17:00 in the blazing sun and we still didn't see everything.  The last hour we watched a reenacted tournament and although we didn't get to see any heads being chopped off it was still a lot of fun. I also got to buy lots of cool stuff: horns for mask/costume making etc, hand pressed soaps, a free bit of fur, a tiger-eye necklace, a metal die and a very pretty Celtic-Style brooch, me-sa happy :D.

A very basic start of the mask

Yesterday, in the afternoon I started on the mask.  It was a public holiday and very hot so at first I wasn't going to do any work but in the afternoon I just felt like having a go :D  I on did the base, it's basically the shape the will fit over the face.  The next step will be to papier maché the bulk shapes onto this base.  Then I will add the hair followed by putting a layer of clay over the top to create all of the details.  Then the painting and fur attachment. I think that's the right order, I'll probably will be able to tell a bit better when I'm further down the lign.

It may see quite deep, but I really want it to slot right over the face so I can position the ears correctly and have room to add the mane. 

Sending off Hellblazer + Godmachine's suggestions

At the end of last week I emailed my Hellblazer cover to Godmachine and Ben Templesmith.  Today I saw that Godmachine had replied and he gave his suggestions in a very clever manner. He had basically taken my picture and photoshopped a few details over the top.  Sometimes showing what you mean is easier than telling someone what you mean and I could definitely see where he was coming from.  His suggestions were to add some extra highlights at the top of Mnemoth which gave the picture more volume.  I think that is one of the problems by using the outlines it seems to immediately make things flat which is also a point to consider for style development.  Maybe what I need to focus on more is a better use of light and shadow in the actual painting process.  His second suggestions was to add a green-hued underlighting on the figure and to make the smoke green as well.  This made the image a lot spookier.  They were a couple of very simple tricks which I felt bettered the image dramatically.

I am still awaiting Ben Templesmith's email which may take a while a his original email was a bit of a slower responce as well.  It will be interesting to see what suggestions he gives and whether they will be similiar to Godmachines.  I will edit the cover in the holidays as I really want to focus on the CD Cover and the Shakespeare's London project at the moment. 

TIME COUNT 21/05-25/05

+- 33 Hours

Stained Glass Window

Thursday and Friday,  17th and 25th of May

The last couple of weeks I worked on the Southwark Cathedral section.  I have doen a bit less work because the weatehr's just so bloody good but also the heat is a bit aggrevating at times especially when combined with hay fever.  I've had to work downstairs because it's been too hot in my room and I find I get distracted quicker down there than I do up here.   Luckily it's going to be a bit cooler this week. 

Anyway here's the painting...

The actual cathedral still need some extra detail but I can do that in the computer :D  Especially the three little bits at the bottom.

Lions and Tigers and Bears... Oh My!!!

...or maybe just a Lion :D

Tuesday and Thursday, 15th and 24th of May

I continued with the character last week trying to get the general body proportions right.  I had had the problem with the shoulder blade.  It strangely looked too much like a wing.  At first when I drew him again he was too enlongated, the whole body I mean.

 

So I shortened the body.  I had a quick look at some dinosaur pictures and decided to make the back bones more like the Stegosaurus plates that run along its back.  The shoulder blade still didn't work when it was enlarged though.

  

Naturally the next step really was to get rid of the shoulder blade.  Instead I enlarged the general shoulder area.

  

 

It still not being quite right, I rounded the shoulder off more, made the back legs less fat and made the chest bigger.

 

Being a lot happier with this design I coloured that one in.

 

I then did one of it running just to see if the legs and so on would work.  Apart from having drawn the head too small I think it's fine.  

 

I also did a front view.  It looks like shyte so I'll have to redo this as some point.  I don''t know it looks like it's really old and clapped out.   I'll have a better look at anatomy of a lion front on, that should help.

Then Yesterday, Thursday I drew the side view on an extra large piece of paper.  I did this one really big so I could get all of the details on one picture.  Also I have been working on tiny little picture with a lot of detail recently and it's driving me slightly insane, only slightly... so I drew a nice big one :D

 I still need to add an extra front leg at the moment because it looks like he's only got three.  When I've done that I'll add a better picture.  I think Gizmo on the left looks pretty terrified.

You Spotted Snakes with Double Toungue

Wednesday, 23rd of May

This week I rounded of the Globe T-Shirt and complimentary product range designs. I started off by colouring in the design for on the back of the T-Shirt. 

I used the same colours as on the front design which both come to a total of six colours.  I then made out the template for the back T-Shirt.

 Having done that and still having time spare that, which happily surprised me I continued to apply the two designs to some of the products in the Globe's range.  The badges were quite tricky as a lot of the pictures weren't very well visible on such a small space.  I figured if the badges were made with a 3 cm diametre instead of the smaller ones they would be okay.  Some of the badges still aren't completely right, but Meghan said herself that the presentation sheet mainly to give a general idea and was all we decided on.  After having made the bookmark I figured this would also be a cool bumper sticker so I added that comment on the presentation sheet. 

I am very happy with the final designs for the product range.  I think the range works really well together as a whole and I feel I've created an original new take on the 16th century play. 

I emailed Meghan today with the designs so I hope I get a reply soon.  I also asked her about the Pantone colours and so on because I'm not quite sure which ones they should be.  If they are different I will just have to change and match them the best I can.