Well here you are, I thought I'd upload one of my final images on here to give people an idea of what things are gonna look like. It not at all finished probably going to do a ton of tweaking to get it to the point that I'm happy with how it looks, but it look pretty good so far . . .
I thought I may as well post these pictures. They're basically a development from the other kaleidoscope images I created a while ago, where I've combined them with a simple pattern and a blend effect just to create something weird and new. It was really just me playing about cos I'd already decided I wasn't going to use the kaleidoscope images as they were too complicated so couldn't be used as tattoo or backgrounds as took away from the person they were on too much . . .
So here they are the combination of the Neon Tattoos and the "space" that I had created. The one of Megan's back is the image that I ended up submitting for the "End of Course" catalogue at college, mainly because out of the three I thought it looked the most like it was an actual tattoo. I've also ended up adding a simple pattern to the space background, the ideas coming from James Whites work, where he uses straight "retro" styled coloured lines over a space background, although in my work they are a great deal simpler so they don't ditract too much from the main image/pattern . . .
Right so after the huge tidal wave of ideas that came from reaquainting myself with James White's work and began trying out space backgrounds in my FMP work. Originally I just grabbed some stock "space art" off DeviantArt.com just cos I only wanted to0 play around with the idea to see how it looked. Turned out it looked bloody brilliant (well in my opinion and at that point mine was the only one that mattered) so I decided to stick with it. Then a problem arose as it was announced at college that we were to have a "End of Course" catalogue with each of us submitting a piece of work to it, obviously I wanted to use one of my Neon Tattoo pieces (see ". . . If Las Vegas Did Tattoos") with the newly added space backgrounds, but I soon realised that I couldn't use the stock image for the catalogue so I had to make my own "space", luckily DeviantArt.com was there to help with many tutorials on offer, and these are what I came up with . . .
Another source of recent inspiration is the artist James White, who I actually found back in the days of A Level Design & Technology funnily enough, cos at the time I was looking at retro art for retro inspired CD racks/boxes I was making. The memory of his work was jogged by The Temper Trap's music video so I went in search of him again and found some AMAZING art which has most definitely got the creative juices flowing . . .
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition from Al on Vimeo.
Well these are the first images that I created that are the actual idea that had, with the patterns that I created on someone looking (kinda) like a tattoo. I have to say they look way better than I'd imagined they would, and the whole "geometric pattern don't work as tattoos" thing has worked as well, especially with the pattern on Megan's forarm, where it ends really abruptly at the wrist with a sharp edge instead of curving with her arm . . .
The last of the ones that I've created (for now) although I doubt I'll make anymore just cos I have more than enough and the course will of ended . . .
Just a few more of the patterns that I've created. I have to say I like these a lot more than the first four just cos they're a lot more asymmetrical and I just find them more interesting to look at, plus they look better on bodies . . .
Right so here are a couple of the patterns that I have created for the Final Major Project (FMP). I generally like them to be bright and a bit over the top just cos its fun . . .
Thought it'd probably be a good idea (after Amy mentioned it) to post some of my FMP work on here so people can have a look, cos I know you all dying to see what I've been up to, haha. Well the general idea behind my FMP is about combining geometric patterns and body art, so vast majority of the work is just patterns that I've made on Photoshop and then putting on to people's bodies making it look like it's a tattoo, but as a few people know straight lines and corners don't work for tattoo as they are meant to flow around the body, so the project is about how the pieces I'm creating don't work, I know it's a little weird but then again when isn't art weird . . .
Well, well, well here we are again. Posting up some new work, which has come off a strange yet interesting change of direction in Illustration. I've kind of mixed up the whole body art idea and gone down the route of geometrical patterns which are the kind of thing that wouldn't work at a tattoo so its a bit contradictory in a weird way. Then off that I've been creating kaleidoscope patterns out of some photos I've taken which are really interesting and fun to make, hope you like . . .
Yes, those of a weak disposition should look away now or a shock induced heart attack may occur, I'm putting up work ! and its not digital . . . well kinda it started life as a 'traditional' drawing but the coloured version I created/edited using the ole' Photoshop. I'm definitely stuck on the whole Day of the Dead and tattoo thing at the mo and I'm really loving it, the ideas are most certainly flowing with this one plus I get to do the age old childhood practice of drawing on yourself and its for art ! haha ! awesome . . .
No, I'm not going to talk about the stock exchange cos I'm don't really know that much about it but I'm pretty sure it's not going all that well at the moment, but anyway I digress, no the original reason for the post was to say that I've opened up a online shop to start selling some of the stuff that I have created with hope to getting my work more widespread plus making some money off it, which is basically what we all want to do, isn't it . . .
Well here's the link to my store, enjoy:
New Skin Art & Apparel
Yes you heard right i now have a new obsession, it hasn't really replaced any old obsession more it has been added to the (very) long list of existing obsessions. That new obsession is . . . drum roll please . . . El Día de los Muertos or in English, The Day of the Dead. Which is a Mexican holiday/celebration from the 31st October to the 2nd November. the basic idea is that it is a time when people celebrate the memory of loved ones that have passed away, and during this time alters are set up for dead family and friend with sugar skull, marigolds and favorite foods and drinks of the deceased. I personally think this is a truly beautiful celebration and kinda wish we did something here in England but sadly we don't, but it gives another reason to heed the call of my Hispanic side. My artistic interest in this celebration mainly revolves around the "sugar skulls" which are a type of sweet made at the time. In perticular the decoration of the skulls which is shown in a lot of art and has somehow worked its way into tattoo art in perticular, and I have also got quite interested in the "face-painting" which is depicted quite regularly in tattoos as well as at the time of the celebration. Hopefully this will lead somewhere very interesting, if not it will of been one hell of a journey all the same . . .
Ocean of Light from squidsoup on Vimeo.
Well, well, well as the final week of our current run of workshops looms on the horizon I thought I'd post soem more (new) stuff. As it turns out (cos John told us) our next rotation we'll be doing a project which combines both our workshops together, which made me laugh (and go oops) cos thats what I've already been doing for the last 4 weeks, but at this point I don't really give a damn if it isn't right . . . although I seriously doubt any tutors will care either as long as I'm producing work, which is why this course is so much fun . . .
In accordance with my new (major) obsession with Macbooks I've decided to have a revamp of the ole' blog, and it is now wonderfully decked in a Leopard OS themed layout, in actual fact I wasn't planning on this look, I was just looking for something different when I came across it, but I do really like it although this may be due to the aforementioned obsession . . .
Got this awesome looking poster off the Nine Inch Nails (the band/person) website, and thought I'd post it on here just cos I really like it, as it's really simple and the use of the text is very interesting in the way that it's arranged, plus I agree with it says as well . . .
Well, well, well, I think this may be the first post of 2010, yep just checked and it is indeed the first post of 2010, God I really am a lazy arse it's practically the end of January and I only just decided to post new stuff, well anyway I digress, well a fair bit has changed, now with us spending five weeks on a project for each of only two workshops (which in my case are Illustration & Alternative/Digital A&D) we've got a bit more time to develop things, so I've started working in a slightly different way this time, not really with continuous line but in a way that has been developed from it, so it's kind of a evolution of that, and this time I've managed to work (aka shoehorn) music into my pieces, so they mainly consist of portraits/full body drawings of singers and musicians that Ilike. These two pieces are of the lead singer of the band Paramore, she is called Hayley Williams and is gorgeous not that that has anything to do with the actual pieces but whatever . . .