I took a break from making buildings this week to make some people, per Seth's suggestion. The people are, in some instances, turning out to be more work than the buildings because the pieces I am working with are so much smaller and also because I want to really capture my envisioned facial expressions. A lot of this subtlety can come down to a little tilt of an eyebrow or a slightly thicker eyelid, etc.
Here are my people:
I want to start working with my surface but don't know yet how I should approach it. I am considering plywood or particle board but don't know if I should do it on a series of panels with hinges or a large, solid sheet of wood. Suggestions would be appreciated :)
Additionally, I have also been looking into roll paper, like the seamless background paper used for photo backdrops but I don't know if this will be strong enough. The tentative dimensions of my map are 6 x 7 feet.
Utilization of time:
Collaging: 19 hours
Looking at my Berlin photo book/kind of reading: 1/2 hour
The streets/grass are just tentative. They're meant to give me an idea of where I could possibly put buildings and people on the final map. This is to-scale. Right now I'm looking at a "map" that measures 5.75 x 6.75 feet. While I still have more stuff to add (obviously), do you guys think it is too cramped and needs to be wider or taller or both?
I love your Russian "babooshka" woman, the old "hootch" man and the two guys, one with a little more showing than the other. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat depictions in your cartoons. Very detailed......and I'm sure, very time consuming.
Wonderful work, Laura
Even though I had already seen most of your "people," I can't get enough of looking at your artwork. I noticed you gave the babooshka lady facial features - good call! Love, love all your characters, but I think I like the spiked hair Berlin co-worker the best! As for what to use for your surface, I kind of like the idea of panels attached with hinges, but I don't know if that would be too difficult to execute the layout of your scene. My next favorite would be just a solid sheet of plywood/clipboard. I think your idea of roll paper is a good one but, as you said, I don't think it will be sturdy enough. Whatever you decide on, as usual, it will be perfect. I can't wait to see the finished project. This project no doubt is a labor of love for you. P.S. I love how your dad referred to your artwork as cartoons :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't even notice that! Thanks for your nice comments :) These people are ending up to be much more work than the buildings. Thanks too, mom for your advice concerning my surface. I REALLY need to buy wood and I need to do it soon :/
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteI love the people, particularly the first one and the two guys sitting on the grass. I realized that two of these are seen from the back which made me realize that what I like the most is the gestures made by simple forms. the faces are more caricatured than the bodies which are very sensitively abstracted,and so I wonder about abstracting the features a bit more. (But I love them anyway.I also like how you have started to organize the space into sections with the streets.I think wood would be stronger than paper. In any case you will need to do some serious experimenting with materials on small scale pieces of wood, paper etc in time to let them sit around and see how they do...good work!
Janie
I love the idea of having it be a hanging map like from a vintage school or something, but I can see how that would be hard to execute. I like the solid sheet idea best.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing this blog! It's making me reflect on all the fun we had this summer...I was just thinking about when we were at the site commemorating the book burnings and didn't get the symbolic bookshelf at all. Classic!
- Gracie