Feet Studies

I have always found feet ridiculously hard to draw but I suprisingly enjoyed sketching my feet, minus the uncomfortable positions I had to sit in.

Influence Map

Sorry Phil I know this is late to be uploaded, I wasnt 100% sure how to layout an influence map. Many of my influences so far throughout the first unit I got in the second week as my first ideas were very basic ones which then extended into other areas after reviewing films and sharing ideas with other students.
 After watching the fly the whole idea of this kind of disfigured face, full of expression really appealed to me. I had previously befriended on the internet a tattoo artist called Dan Henk whom is also a fantastic tradition oil painter. Much of his work is dark, surreal and frightening. 5 and 7 are examples of Dans work.
    
1. Deathstalker Image
2. Babylonian depiction of Scorpion Men, seen as demons.
3. Photoshopped Image of a ghoulish face. The mouth looks fantastic and the way it looks decayed is really effective.
5 &7. Oil paintings by tattoo artist Dan Henk.
6. An alien looking insect/ human hybrid.

Character Inspiration

The long skinny arms and the slender body of the Deatheater reminded me of 'Psycho Mantis' a character from the computer game 'Metal Gear Solid'. I have used these pictures as inspiration for concept ideas.

Further Thumbnails

 As Scorpions are arthropods they have exoskeletons, a hard shell protecting the outer part of its body. Looking through images I found a good reference of a Deatheater which showed its body in a fantastic position that gave me an idea on how to sctructure my hybrid.

The Scorpions long gangly looking arms gave me the idea of having a skinny gaunt looking version of myself for my hybrid.

Studying and Analysing my Face.

Studying your face and analysing your bone structure is not an easy thing to do. Perhaps its vainess that makes this so difficult as you dont realise how peculiar you look until you really look hard enough haha .......anyway as I dont really have many distinguishing features which could be used in my hybrid I took bust photographs of myself to measure up my face and head, highlighting areas which stood out.
      
   I know those lines on my face probably look like I have walked into a web but after looking online to determine what face shape mine was I found an interesting page which illustrated the perfect proportions of the face. On the studies they had marked areas of the face in relation to others e.g the width of the nose in relation to the head. By using these lines I have been able to break the structure of my face into sections which made it easier to evaluate.

This was an extra one for the pot as one of my concept ideas was to have my hybrid in distress and pain at being spliced.If I follow this up for it to be a depiction of me it is essential I get the wrinkles and contours of my face correct.

Life Drawings Week 2

  I apologise for the yellow, saturated look of the pictures. I tried fiddling around with the light and the camera settings but to no avail. I found after the second week of life drawing I was more confident and found it easier than the previous week. The first drawing I used softer pencils and took my time in getting the proportions and shading to a standard i was pleased with.
                                                                                         
                                                  

We was advised for the the later drawings to experiment with broad stokes of the pencil and to try and look at the paper as little as possible, instead solely focusing on the model and developing a tonal sketch. I had not experimented with this technique of drawing previously and would like to try this again in the future.



David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' (1986)

This remake of the 1958 classic could not be further apart from Nuemann’s original in terms of narrative and structure although the general theme remains the same. The eighties was one of the defining eras of the horror movie genre and the ‘gore factor’ was rife with the advancement in prosthetics and the generation x audience’s lust for blood and disfigurement. "Firmly rooted in the type of film he does best, Cronenberg unleashes a series of nauseating effects as Goldblum transforms into a fly over a period of weeks." (Haflidason,2000) ‘The Fly’ definitely delivered not only from point of view of the ‘gore hunters’ but also from those loyal to the original film as the morality remained very much the same.

    The audience are introduced to Seth Brundle, the eccentric  scientist early on and watch his relationship with Veronica Quaife bloom. As the film progresses the audience form an bond with Brundle and almost relate to him on a personal level as his love and sensitivity towards Quaife is a depiction of human nature which makes his transformation more of a struggle between the man and the harsh nature of the insect.   "Cronenberg and co-screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue dumped the idea of a man suddenly growing a massive fly head after a teleportation experiment went awry and he merges with the insect on the micro genetic level" (Carr,2005). This was a slow cancerous process and at times disgustingly gruesome making the film potent and very relevant to the issues of the time. Brundles body slowly decaying and disfiguring could possibly be a poignant reference to the AIDS pandemic, which became widespread throughout the Eighties. The real point here is to slowly build tension and psychological claustrophobia leading to futility, desperation and nihilism (Sponseller,2000).

  

    Cronenberg also touched on abortion when Veronica Quaife fears her unborn child will be an abomination like the ‘BrundleFly’ and so orders the doctor to rid her body of the creature. This was also another taboo topic throughout much of the Eighties as it was seen as murder by many.

     The manner in which Cronenberg is able to inject his own flavor into the story, touch on many issues of the era and still stay true to the theme of the original film is admirable and a stroke of genius.

List of Illustrations

Image 1 and 2 , www.photobucket.com/images/the%20fly%201986/?sortby=popular 

Image 3 http://www.popcultureshock.com/movie-watch-remake-fly-cronengberg/51452/

Bibliography

Almar Haflldason BBC Film Review  (2000) http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/07/21/fly1986_review.shtml (accessed on 26/09/2011)

Kevin Carr ‘the Fly’ DVD review (2005) http://www.7mpictures.com/inside/reviews/theflydvd_review.htm (accessed on 26/09/2011)

 Brandt Sponseller  ‘The Fly Review’ (17/12/2000) http://classic-horror.com/reviews/fly_1986 (accessed on 26/09/2011)

Human Anatomy Thumbnails

After getting feedback from Phil he advised me to work from the 'inside out' referring specifically to the skeletal and muscle structure of both the human and the scorpions body. By doing this I am not only able to give myself a broader understanding of movement and structure of forms but also it'll allow me to make comparisons and potentially give me some good ideas of how I should create my hybrid.

Thumbnails

My first set of thumbnails I focused on the areas of the scorpion i could relate to a human e.g. the beady eyes or the claw like pincers  around the mouth could be incorporated onto a human face.

Deathstalker Scorpion Images and Observations

 The Deathstalker Scorpion is very small and slender as scorpions go which I will take into account when developing concepts for my hybrid.

 The colours can vary in Deathstalkers,many having an almost black body which contrasts with their yellow legs and pincers.

The Fly (1958) Review

The Fly (1958) Review

                                            

Neumann’s ‘The Fly’ was nail biting and gripping from the opening sequence right to the dramatic end. The film illustrates humans deep seated fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar, in this case science, technological advances and insects.

  

The film takes place in a rich suburb largely in the quaint home of  Andre Delambre, a scientist and his wife Helene. Upon seeing the dungeon like basement inside this peaceful environment it becomes apparent all is not as it seems. "A scientist meddling with a strange theory of molecular exchange; he discovers, once again, that there are things-that-man-was-not-meant-to-know." (Kerr,2007). Andre is perceived early on to be a brilliant scientist consistently pushing the boundaries of modern science and crossing over into unfamiliar territory, which Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein would tell us often ends in tragedy. 

 

 A J Hakari argues "Mad science is one of the modern horrors building blocks." (Hakari,2011). This has been true since the very beginning of modern film making from J. Charles Haydon’s  ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ (1920) right up to the present with films such as  ’28 days later’ (2002) and ‘I Am Legend’ (2007) The Fly was arguably the film that shaped modern day horror as we know it and should be praised as such.

                                          

 

                                          
The defining feature of the film for many was perhaps the bond shared between Andre and his doting wife Helene when even through the most hideous circumstances her love for him transcends the sheer terror she feels upon finding her husband grotesquely disfigured beyond recognition. Howard Thompson of the New York times states “Most appeailing of all is the compassion blended in with the suspense when something terrible happens." (Thompson,1958).

 It is symbolic the manner in which Mr Delambre was killed whereby the fly section of his body was squashed, the common way in which most house fly’s are killed by humans. Arguably Neumann chose this way to kill Andre Delambre to show that the creature inside him eventually overpowered the scientist. In the animal kingdom there is a hierarchy with the fly often considered being on the lower end of the scale while humans are at the top of the pecking order. The idea that a creature so insignificant can conquer over us is frightening and thought provoking  which makes this film horrifying and yet absolutely fantastic!

  List Of Illustrations
Image 1; http://www.cinefantastique.com/
Image 2 &3; http://www.isthatyourboy.com/

Bibliography

1. Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-fly/Film?oid=1150557 (2007)

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A.J. Hakari  http://classicmovieguide.com/content/view/497/70/

.Howard Thompson http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9502E4DA1031E73BBC4850DFBE668383649EDE&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes (1958)

Hand Study

Drawing hands were a challenge and I have always found them difficult to draw, perhaps because the proportions of the fingers and and alignment  with the wrist has to be accurate.

Concept Idea 1

This is a concept idea I had of my hybrid in pain during its transformation. After reviewing 'The Fly' I felt there should be a struggle between the human element and the creature.

Life Drawing Week One

Life Drawing Week One

Facts and Information on the Deathstalker Scorpion

Leirus Quinquestriatus (Deathstalker Scorpion)