Lost & Found
Gouache painting on Illustration board 38.1 cm x 25.4 cm January 2020 Exhibition Text Lost & Found was inspired by English book illustrator Arthur Rackham. Arthur Rackham was known for illustrating Lewis Carroll's whimsical book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the tale of a girl named Alice exploring Wonderland after falling through a hole in the ground. Lost & Found highlights the concept of finding faith in God during hard times but losing that faith after the healing. |
Planning
Inspiration My inspiration stemmed from the illustrator Arthur Rackham. Arthur Rackham was known for illustrating Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by author Lewis Carroll. Rackham's work is simplistic yet very detailed. Often in many of his illustration pieces there is very little detail in peoples faces and relies heavily on the background to provide detail, this is shown in the illustration called "Advice from a Caterpillar" from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Rackham's work is also very dreamlike, often the colors used created a sense of flow and movement that seemed unreal. In Rackham's art, specifically "At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her", the drawing of playing card falling around Alice was the main inspiration for my piece. I wanted to incorporate something falling down and around the objects in my pieces. |
This sketch was inspired by the illustration of cards falling around Alice. The feathers were meant to represent a fallen angel after losing its wings, unlike the inspiration piece the person in this sketch embraces the feathers falling and the pain where as Alice is trying to shield herself from the cards falling. This part of the sketch is meant to showcase someone returning their rosary representing them losing faith in the region when they have healed and feel they no longer need it. The yellow in the background represents the good or sunny happy times after a person has healed and lose their faith. The red in the feathers add another layer of opposites in the sketches as red is a warmer hue than blue.
|
Similarity to the previous sketch the feathers were meant to represent a fallen angel after losing its wings, how ever with these I wanted to make them a darker dimmer color to show the difference between finding faith and losing. It also adds to the concept of opposites as it is a darker cooler hue compared to red. I wanted this sketch to showcase someone with open hand praying comfortably and finding faith in God while going through a hard time. Similarly to the background in the previous sketch, I used yellow to male the cross look like it was illuminated.
|
Process
Experimentation Most of my experimentation consisted of trying to figure out what colors would best match my color pencil sketches. The medium that was required was gouache paint which I have never used to use. Because we were given a set by our school I spent time at home researching gouache paint before going for it and found out it is like an opaque watercolor. The first imagine in the top left shows when I was trying to find the right shades of blue to blend together for the feathers. The second imagine was lemon yellow, crimson and vermilion blended together to see if they mixed well and matched the color in the red-ish feathers. One of the main struggles was trying to find a background color. The third imagine was lemon yellow and vermilion mixed together to create a more golden warmer looking shade for one of the backgrounds. Another struggle was trying to match skin tone which I ultimately failed at, however the fourth imagine shows one of the many attempts to mix a skin tone that wasn't too yellow. |
Process
|
Reflection
Critique If I could go back and fix something it would have to be the backgrounds because they look so streaky and patching which I am very unhappy with. It also took me a very long time to complete this project, so next time I hope to focus more on my time management and getting things done sooner. As well as I was unable to mix the proper skin tone for the hands which I am very displeased with. It was very difficult for me to paint realistic hands especially with gouache paint because it was so opaque. I was also unable to create the effect of the glowing feathers, the rings around theme didn't come out bright enough and with the yellow ring around the feathers in lost I was unable t cover up the pencil marks from sketching previously. However I do like how the blue feathers and background came out. |
Compare and Contrast
Similarities
Similarities
- There is a heavy use of shading in smaller aspects like Alice's dress and the hands in Lost & Found
- Both Lost & Found as well as Rackhams illustration include items falling on and around the main subjects of the drawing
- Both background have sort of a streaky look to them
- This is seen on the left side of Alice and in multiple places around the crosses and feathers
Differences
|
ACT Responces
Clearly explain how you were able to identify the cause and effect relationship between your inspiration and its effects on your artwork?
The cards falling on and around the main subject inspired me and this is shown through the feathers falling in both pieces
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Overall the authors approach in regards to the topic of my inspiration was to inform others about the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, ect. while you researched your inspiration.
The main generalization I made about religion in specific was based off of my own experience finding faith in God during really hard times but losing that after things go better.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea or theme around my project and the research was to create a piece that showcased someone finding and losing faith and finding a way to show the difference between the two.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Some inferences I made while reading my research was that my main inspiration piece was one of the most famous illustrations from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Clearly explain how you were able to identify the cause and effect relationship between your inspiration and its effects on your artwork?
The cards falling on and around the main subject inspired me and this is shown through the feathers falling in both pieces
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Overall the authors approach in regards to the topic of my inspiration was to inform others about the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, ect. while you researched your inspiration.
The main generalization I made about religion in specific was based off of my own experience finding faith in God during really hard times but losing that after things go better.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea or theme around my project and the research was to create a piece that showcased someone finding and losing faith and finding a way to show the difference between the two.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Some inferences I made while reading my research was that my main inspiration piece was one of the most famous illustrations from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Bibliography
“Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (with Illustrations by Arthur Rackham).” Amazon, Amazon.com/Inc., https://www.amazon.com/Alices-Adventures-Wonderland-Illustrations-Rackham-ebook/dp/B01M9DUM0N.
Popova, Maria. “How Arthur Rackham's 1907 Drawings for Alice in Wonderland Revolutionized the Carroll Classic, the Technology of Book Art, and the Economics of Illustration.” Brain Pickings, 8 Feb. 2016, https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/arthur-rackham-alice-in-wonderland/.
“Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (with Illustrations by Arthur Rackham).” Amazon, Amazon.com/Inc., https://www.amazon.com/Alices-Adventures-Wonderland-Illustrations-Rackham-ebook/dp/B01M9DUM0N.
Popova, Maria. “How Arthur Rackham's 1907 Drawings for Alice in Wonderland Revolutionized the Carroll Classic, the Technology of Book Art, and the Economics of Illustration.” Brain Pickings, 8 Feb. 2016, https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/arthur-rackham-alice-in-wonderland/.