Rough Experiments

Ben Tour Opinion

Ben Tour produces very rustic and sketchy illustrations which some may say they are unclean but this is what I think gives the art work the edge, there appears to be no end or stop to the line work in his images. A crisp black and white illustration if often combined with highlights of splattered paint mostly in primary colours to add depth and colour. These bright and vibrant pictures really form a sense of pure art using simply a pen even though they are very rough they still show composition and shape which Tour has utilized to his advantage, his art forms very organic depictions of animals and people showing the raw intensity of the detail through art.

I would love to explore this medium by using rough ink sketches and then laying splattered paints or water colours over the top, I would also try using them as backgrounds or to highlight key importance in my picture. The rough sketching technique is a skill that really appeals to me as it seems so much more fluid and involved with the painting by moving and flowing with the materials, rather than catering to the individual characteristics of mediums. Ink and pen is limitless and really gives true freedom with what you aim to generate, another key aspect I love about this is the ability to combine with any colour and any form of objects against black ink; whether it be to work in harmony or contrast.

I aim to produce some of my own work using this same style but to experiment more with thickness of line and repeat pattern, I think varying this quality may take away more the principle of a line drawing constructing an interesting and engaging piece. I will also try changing the background of an image maybe texturally then working over the top with a thin fine liner in hope to gain a lighter more rustic look to my art.

Ben Tour

http://thetourshow.com/

Gary Milne Opinion

Gary Milne has been one of my oldest inspirations; I first saw his work from my favourite clothing design "Dephect". The artwork used is all produced as prints on clothing or as wall pieces from independent artists which have collaborated with Dephect to create the items. Gary's work uses a variety of techniques to produce the highest of quality in both detail and form, as well as this I think the one thing to take away from his work is the elegance in the movement of line, pattern and detail that’s all built up and layered together to show the true magnificence of his work. Milne’s technique is to use a process of line drawing and physically inserting pieces of imagery and material and then scanning this into Photoshop to finalise any detail.

I hope to use this technique by looking at one larger theme and then using smaller objects or ideas associated with this to create one final picture. I love the idea of being able to experiment with repeat patterns, line and shape to engulf a single form, I aim to experiment using plain black pen drawings which I can then scan into Photoshop and add colour in after making the lines crisper and clearer, I may also develop this by adding in pieces over the top or drawing onto images.

Over all I think Gary Milne’s work is highly creative and fluent, all of his pieces show a highly skilful technical and drawing talent, also his ability to form and create ideas is a real influence by how he can develop something into a new concept but still portray the original idea. His work varies from vast built up images which are manipulated to simple line drawings with hints of colour, in my opinion I think the simpler detailed pen drawings work better visually but as a product his larger scale pictures suit the modern industry.        

Deconstruction Analysis - Diego Velázquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter born in Seville June 6 1599 to August 6 1660; he was a leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was a contemporary artist of the Baroque period and a highly important portrait artist. As well as painting numerous renditions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, he painted a variety of portraits of the Spanish royal family, other notable European figures and commoners, all depicted differently in his oil paintings.
The art piece that I will be deconstructing is called "The Waterseller of Seville" and dates back from 1618-1622. It is an oil painting and most well known as one of the greatest Seville paintings. The painting depicts a water seller and two customers of which the younger boy is holding a glass from the man and a shadowed man drinking in the background. Two key objects in the painting are the vast circular containers which almost appear to be looming out of the painting, the shiny surfaces make these really stand out and create a focus of the water. I think the most important part of this image is the freshly poured glass of water which is being handed to the boy, what may be difficult to see is the glass contains a fig which was believed to freshen the water and make it more appealing.

The elements in this piece which I believe to be of most importance and are colours and tones combined with shape and space. The whole painting is covered with shading and tones which gives it a real depth of life; it gives it a realistic sense which in itself creates movement of how the transaction may be going on. This sense of light and dark works very well with the spacing in the picture, the 2 men, boy and the 2 large containers all have their separate spacing which gives us the ability to truly appreciate the techniques of Velazquez and his ability to highlight individual symbols of importance.

The colours in the painting convey a very natural and earth like sense which tells us these people probably are not very wealthy and more commoners. In key areas Velazquez has utilized the sense of texture to identify the detail in the scene, for example; the collar of the young boy is very crumpled and ragged which gives us a hint to what his life may be like. The depiction of the seller is another important aspect of how Velazquez has used the formal elements to inform his work, the man’s face looks battered, deeply sunken and riddled with wrinkles of age which speaks of long years of experience. His old plain clothes take up a large area of the image with a subtle brown gradient that contrasts against the water containers.

The composition and depth of the artwork creates quite a calm atmosphere which may be relevant to the technique that has been portrayed in the painting, I have come to believe that Velazquez is trying to represent the sense of respect he has for the poor and their lifestyle. I think this is reflected in the elegance of the composition and harmony between the figures, however the expressions of the man and the boy seem distant especially the water seller himself; it seems to convey that he almost just went along with his job rather than showing a passion for it. These expressions seem very realistic showing the importance of what it was like in their time; to me the painting creates a strong meaning of what it was like in the past and also the simplicity of water but how much it can mean.
 
Velazquez has truly captured an original and unique scene without enhancing it or changing its meaning, the natural expressions and attention to detail on clothing and objects creates a balance between the spacing of each symbol. The artwork to me is very important as it shows how we have changed, what principles we have and how we look at the difference between modern societies in terms of wealth. I feel this way because of how Velazquez has looked at this situation, this may have been a very typical scene even one that does not signify importance but he has taken a great deal of time and respect to portray what really happens and the fundamental building blocks of how we come to live. Velazquez has shown true attention to detail not just in his painting techniques but how he intends for us to interpret it and what feelings we may take away from his painting. My final thought is how he has used his ability to form such an emotional and well thought through picture from what is fundamentally just a man selling water to a boy and a few containers in what appears to be a pub.

Garry Milne

http://www.dephect.com/crew/garry-milne

Inspiration

Mumford & Sons - The Cave

Inspiration

Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait

Taka Sudo Opinion

Taka Sudo produces some of my favourite pieces of art; his art gives a powerful impression on impact with the bright, bold patterns and shapes that work harmoniously together. Another concept in his work that i enjoy is his use of typography with newspaper cuttings which are layered in the gaps and holes of his work to add another dimension of visual stimulation. The colours which he uses are often in groups with neutral colours like black and white as key focus's and then highlights/ accents of colours to form a focal point. Furthermore I think his work is very fun and aesthetically pleasing, they often portray pictures of abstract animals with colourful lines protruding in different directions.

Sudo has inspired me to experiment with different types of techniques of painting and editing as well as using typography in my work; not just as titles but to add another level into my art itself. I also love the idea of using neutral colours with groups of other colours in gradients; for example black, white and a gradient of red. I think this idea can really highlight a signature object or a picture in the overall outcome, as my aim is to portray an emotive album cover I think this will help draw attention to the aspect and feeling.

 

Taka Sudo

http://www.tifdyl.com/home.html

Daniela Terrazini Opinion

The key concept which I love in Daniela's work is the fluidity and composition in her fine art which gives the ability to create interesting and vibrant pieces. I have chosen her as my artist inspiration; as my initial impression was first engaged on the colours and layout of her image rather looking for a symbolic meaning. The use of pattern to illustrate the peacocks in her album covers I think really gives them a unique and high quality finish, these are also accompanied by brilliant and fluid backgrounds that contrast with colours to draw attention to the main central focus.

I aim to use this inspiration in my own work by creating two different layers to accompany each other, this may include producing a separate fluid abstract background in black and white; then illustrating the key feature on top in colour. I may develop this adding in many layers but still contrasting the background to the foreground with colour and composition, I could also use textures to form another contrasting layer to give more depth to my work.

Daniela produces a range or work that can vary from repeated pattern packaging to her own signature album covers. One part that stands out in my opinion is her ability to collaborate colour with repeat pattern which forms brilliantly comprised outcomes.

Daniela Terrazzini

http://www.emily-barker.com/2011/01/daniela-terrazzini-our-album-cover.html

In the beginning

Lets get this party started!