Statement of Intent, where am I now

Potential Big Kahuna

I have devised a potential idea for my big main focus project. Based on every project I have undertake so far which has been me keen to attempt something intricate, interesting and complicated - struggling with it, getting close to the deadline, and then Fred telling me just to keep it simple. I have decided to start with a new tact this time. Simple. Cor.

I think I want to make a book, hardback and beautifully bound with the topic of interest being conservation of our seas, with a particular focus on endangered animals. I might even try to get more specific and select a species, such as whales or sharks. 

From the back of this I aim to create a series of posters, and other ephemera and also an online presence that further promotes and campaigns for the welfare of the endangered sea-life, and what people can do to help assist them in terms of conservation.

Inspiration/Contextual Refrence

For this brief I like to keep myself informed as much as possible by looking at drawings and paintings of others out there, I have this pit rest board that I like to look at and refer to when I come to consider making a new painting about an animal.

War Horse - Contextual research

Here is some initial and general research into imagery for War Horse. There is a lot of pre existing material, much of it is quite complex and consists of

Xu Beihong

I was researching some practitioners who draw horses, and I came across Xu Beihong. These horses make lovely use of ink, they are expressive yet very descriptive.

His website is chaos, which isn't helped by my lack of ability to read Chinese. But he has many of these horse sketches that really make the most of brush and ink.

His pictures are not overly composed, but they have subtle backgrounds that do not detract from the impactful, impressive and expressive marks that make up the horses. I like this approach and think that it is a way of working that could suite me and the way I like to draw relatively well.

This 'Horse Drinking' is one of my favourites of his. It is also worth noting how the choices of colours of the background really benefit the finished image. It has been accentuated here by the use of a paler beige ink for the horses body, this allows the use of black for the mane, tail and shadow's contrast and stand out so much more. This creates a striking image.

Illustration Research - Arthur Rackham

I came across these lovely book page artworks by Arthur Rackham. His illustrations are beautiful and intricate, and the colours give the pictures wonderful dated feelings that really add to and enhance the overall tone. I was particularly drawn to them as at first they reminded me of etching, which I love to do. The picture elements are simple and nothing enormously complex is attempted to be communicated through them, the scenes themselves do a lot of the talking. I like this as when I was a child listening to or reading stories I would imagine what was being described on the pages so vividly that complexly illustrated scenes in books would interfere with that. A scene like this is ideal as it just provides a beautiful, mystical setting to invest your own imagination into.