Being satisfied with the amount of sketchbook development I have done I decided to now take my roughs on screen. As stated before this was so as to give me more control and be able to further reduce elements of my images so as to create out comes that are as reductive and immediate as possible.
To begin this process I scanned in and played about with the levels of the various portraits, profiles and statues I had drawn earlier, These I then combined on screen with shapes made out of scanned in textures as well as mathematical elements such as grids which I created on illustrator.
Given the bold graphic aesthetic I was going for I decided to further edit and break up the textured images by playing about with there levels and applying the half tone bit map filter to them. In some cases I made the radius very large, sometimes reaching 40 points so as to abstract them into basic patterns as much as possible.
These first two were created directly from one of my initial roughs due to how striking I thought it looked within my sketchbook. However one created on screen It didn't quite occupy the space as well or communicate my intentions as much as desired. This is because it feels far less considered in the choice and placement of the various elements within the composition. I tried to simplify vy editing the tonal values of the circle so as to break apart the image in terms of tonal value. However I still don't think it looks quite right.
I had similar problems with the below image in that everything seemed a bit too random and confused.I think this is further exaggerated by making the figure the same colour as the background which pushes it back and makes it completely lost next to the other bolder white elements.
I also think it is interesting that, although there is more elements on show in the below image, it feels so much more empty than previous roughs that had comprised of only three parts; less is more!
With the mistakes made on the above images I decided to be as simple and bold as possible with the bellow image. This involved inverting the face to make it black on white as well as using striped and textured finishes on the other elements so that would be easily distinguished from the face. The result is a much more harmonious and balanced composition which I feel conveys strongly the events of her death in away that is tasteful and subtly refers to the erosion of scientific teachings that it became a symbol for.
Given what was discussed in my tutorial I decided to also play about with found images. I had originally tried to find the appropriate images in the library however after spending several hours that resulted in no appropriate images being found I decided I would have to start researching on line.
I soon discovered that the images I wanted, those depicting draped, female, Greek statues, were also known as kouros. After searching for a bit I came across a very in depth website detailing the various periods of Greek sculpture and the variations artists to which works could be credited to.
With this initial research done I then began searching for royalty free images of the sculptures discussed on the website.
These images I them began to play about with so as to make them more my own by cutting them up, altering and inverting levels as well as applying filters and textures to them. Although the first image is perhaps a bit too devoid of life and emotion the second, pictured about, I feel is probably the strongest post I have created.
This is due to its simplicity which makes it incredibly bold and immediate in delivery its intended themes. The grid and spherical form, created by warping a block printing ink texture and then cutting it out into a circle, simply and effectively communicate her teaching of mathematics and astronomy whilst the sight incline of the head combined with the expression of mourning on the statue convey the tragic sense of loss her death symbolised.
Furthermore I think aesthetically it is the strongest in terms of composition. This is due to the balance of the individual elements which was created through the careful and precise placement of three distinctly different but simply elements: square, circle profile. The tonal balance, with the face containing the the darkest areas of black draws your eye immediately to it given its strong contrast with the white back ground.
My only issue with this image is the question of authorship given that one of the elements is from a found image.
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