Heroes

The concept of ‘Heroes’ dates back from the Ancient Greeks, although, over time, its meaning has been warped and disfigured. Now, celebrities may be confused to be heroes, as people aspire to be more like them, or to appreciate what they have achieved. Often the heroes that people choose reflect upon their own personality, as to what they believe is an admirable accomplishment.

The Ancient Greek Heroes often were not admirable, but the extreme opposite. Everyone believes Hercules (or Heracles in the Greek form) to be a pillar of strength and courage, completing his twelve labours. However, modern society overlooks that the reason he was forced to complete these labours was due to the fact that he, in a fit of drunken rage, had murdered his wife and children. The tasks were his punishment, and completing them redeemed his soul.

Heroes today can vary, from sports stars, to political activists, to half witted ‘TV personalities’. In reflection, admiring those such as Ben Ainslie, who last summer became the most Successful Olympic Sailor of all time, or Katherine Grainger, who persevered to reach her goal, valuable life lessons can be learnt. They teach determination and hard work in order to receive success. They teach us never to give up, and demonstrate the capacity of what the human body can withstand. Many will admire people such as Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela, who, although discriminated against, found the strength to fight, but even greater to forgive. Extraordinary people of our time, doing extraordinary things; a hero should be just that, hence my disapproval of footballer’s or plastic, fake-tanned attention seekers. The lesson’s we take from them is to not be like them.

A hero should be someone who you can learn a lesson from, someone who inspires the way you live your life. To fight hardships, to carry on through dire circumstances. My personal hero? My Dad, most definitely. But that’s a story for another day.

This post came under the inspiration of one of my headmaster’s school assemblies. I’ve witnessed many assemblies, but never until this school have I found some so inspiring. His example was over the Lance Armstrong Scandal, whereby another lesson can be learnt: If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

I'm going a-travelling...

Well, sort of. I'm going on Holiday to Crete with my family for a fortnight, but I want to make a travel journal while I'm out there - it'll give me something to do, and it'll keep all of my memories in one place, which I've never done before.

I'm taking with me a brown paged 8" square ring bound scrapbook, and a selection of papermania travel inspired papers (so that I can choose which ones to use where, unlike mister-stupid-SMASH-book) and this journaling pad, which seemed like a fun idea.

 

These posts and journals were the ones that inspired me to take on this feat:

 

 

I want to make pages like this, except not with a SMASH book, as I don't believe in big brands trying to control everything. If I want to journal on the road, who's to say that I need a SMASH book or not?

 



 

I'm writing this check list down as good ideas for page starters.

 

And this video by Jenniebellie gave me the idea of what I want to be able to achieve one day:

 

 

I hope to share my book with you when I get back!

 

Sgraffito, Silhouettes and Story-telling

I'm realising now that I started to flit around a lot at the end of this sketchbook... This post is a collection of me finishing up all of the ends of the book.

Sgraffito - isn't that a cool word?!
 These here are a selection of studies that I did experimenting in the sgraffito style. Here's how you do it:

1) Paint a block all over the paper. You then leave this to dry until you could essentially sandpaper with it and no paint would transfer (but I would not advise trying that). The best thing to do is to leave it overnight.

2) Then, very quickly, paint another layer of paint over the top,making sure that none of the bottom colour is visible.

3) While that top paint is still wet, use an implement to scratch and take away the top layer, leaving the base exposed.

There we go. Very simple,but a bit time consuming. The effect I created was very similar to the red figure Greek Pottery,and I became particularly fond of the bottom pattern...

Then, at this particular time, silhouette cameo's were in fashion, So I took a look at the history behind them, creating a few examples in different styles of my friends. I used traditional paper, then acrylic paint and oil pastel as well. The pastel one adds more texture, which is very nice, but is not keeping with the tradition of being a plain shape. The paint was the easiest of all,and also had a very good finish to it.


Storytelling was the final idea I took a spin at, inspired by the stories conveyed through the Greek pots. I looked at several more artists, and chose to create my own version, with a more modern story that will and has travelled through decades.

I started off by looking at storytelling in art, being directed to look at Tracy Emin. Once again though, I had extreme problems actually liking the work. I could see how it worked, but I didn't necessarily consider it nice or good. I did however, set up my own version and took photos of my revision.

I then started to look at stories being told through people, by emotions and their body language... taking inspiration from both Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Here is a greater development on the study of the LotR photo, explaining its meanings and my attempts to draw them myself. I did a paper cut out, and a pencil drawing. Unfortunately,with the cut-out, I forgot that if you turn things round,everything will be backwards... so now the Fellowship is walking in the other direction....

Bent backs, faces pointed down; tired, dejected and scared. The body language of the Fellowship says it all. Also, their order shows the rolls of each of the group. Gandalf the Leader, Aragorn the loner to say but two.

These last page was focused on showing how colour can affect the mood of the painting. This is an oil painted study of one of Picasso's Sorrow Paintings. The image is done in various shades of cold, icy blue, depicting a man that the viewer can immediately see is sad.Those colours heighten this, making for a rather depressing picture. My study,however,I was particularly pleased with - I am very proud of the undulating waves of light and shadow on his cloak/blanket.

Well, nearly there! That is most of the prep done, now comes the final piece!

Artist Research: Ancient Greeks

Following on from my earlier studies on a Greek rock, I decided to take a closer look at the various forms of art the Ancient Greeks had, particularly focusing on the pottery....

This is my information page. I compare the different techniques used for making the decorations, either red figure (left),or red figure (right). All the difference is made depending on what sort of clay is used, and in what order it is applied.

I also did a quick artist study  to replicate the technique and image. I, though, instead of using clay, used a pen and a piece of paper. Which, for a sketchbook, is probably the most preferable of the options.

I then took a look at the Greek Alphabet. I chose the letter sigma ∑, as it is also used in maths. I have this strange ability to like Maths and art. It's a toss up between which I like more. Those and physics.... but anyway. Cardboard printing makes a very interesting pattern, and an effective print. However, I get frustrated over its simplicity. Beyond the excitement of cutting out the image with a craft knife,printing is relatively boring.

This is a second information page, this time specifically focusing on the pots, their shapes, and forms of decorations, looking at colour combinations and average proportions.

This would later directly influence my final piece.

Greek Rock (how descriptive....)

Sorry! I seem to have neglected my coursework Posts for a while... This one is still following the theme of 'Surfaces'.


This was a double page spread, plus an A3 enlargement painting that I created for my project.
The inspiration came from my visit to Rhodes, the Greek Island, in one of the previous summers. I had found this piece of carved rock, perhaps once a pillar top or part of a cable, and it fascinated me. I loved how intricate the carving was, how intricate and delicate it was. And it made me think of how much history it must have seen, made me dream up all sorts of wonderful stories as to how it had fallen, or who had touch it. I love history.

For this page, I started with a pen and ink study of the painting, which I then photocopied, and worked into with Watercolour.
The result was beautiful, one of the best things I think I've done. It captures light and shadow, and the stone wheel in the background is gorgeous. Everything about this painting, I love completely.
I thin did an acrylic painted study, using heightened colour and a small section of the rock for enlargement. I used the paints 'dry' giving it that stony, scratchy look.

I love these, for their history and how successful the mediums were. This was a good way to continue my Surfaces project.