Research: Theatre in illustration

While trying to find a good idea to base my project on I've looked around at various things to try to spark my imagination and give me ideas on context and style. I already have a collection of artist I admire and who I am constantly inspired by but at the start of every new project and idea I like to look around and see people who are working in an area that I am specifically looking at.

Elly Mackay

Elly Mackay is a current illustrator who uses techniques similar to what I tried a little during the Bloody Chamber project. Her images are created by handmade cut outs and drawings set in a theatre-like installation which she then lights and photographs to create these unique scenes with soft colours and dreamlike lighting.

I like how she creates the smokey effects on top of the water, it's very atmospheric and is something I would like to try with my own work.

Mackay's drawing style is different to my own but I like the way real props, like the cocktail umbrella is included. 

I like her use of layers with material in between to cloud the pieces that are further back.

 I think once an illustration is set up to photograph you can spend a long time playing around with aspects like this to produce multiple images. 

Once the scene is set up Mackay plays around with lighting and composition to get different shots and include different features. 

(Macaky, Elly. http://ellymackay.com)

Jamie Caliri - United Airlines advert

Heart from Jamie Caliri on Vimeo.

I saw this on tumblr quite a while ago and thought it was a good concept for an airline of such a name. I liked that it was created from paper with the use of stop motion animation but didn't relate it to anything I was interested in at the time. I don't particularly want to look at animation but I thought this would be good to look at again in terms of paper craft. I liked hand crafted look of the characters and scenery. The figures are also flat, with various pieces of material. This is something to think about too; do I go for a full shaped model or work with flat pieces in a set up. 

(Caliri, Jamie. 2009. http://vimeo.com/7123538)

Little Dragon

Music video for Little Dragon. Also acts as a pilot for short film "Dreams from the Woods".
A shadow puppet theater featuring the little girl, the big bird and the skeleton.
Directed by Johannes Nyholm. Puppet Masters: Yukimi Nagano, Håkan Wirenstrand, Fredrik Källgren Wallin, Erik Bodin, Elias Araya, Aime Hellrand, Henrik Malmgren, Andreas Korsár and Kurt Lightner.

Here the video is made out of shadow puppets, and everything is real time and hand created. I like the use of translucent sheets with printed trees that come away during the video, and the few mechanisms like the tears from the bird and the dancing skeleton. This is made entirely front shadows which is something I was looking at previously. This means the created piece can be created quite crudely as it's the shape it makes that's important. I think light and shadow will definitely play a part in my exploration of this project and this was really interesting to see possible techniques, like the backdrops.

(Nyholm, Johannes. 2007. youtube.com)

The Sleeper Dreams

This model looks as though it can be moved by the pin connecting the tail, but is a still image. I don't know very much about the context of the image but in terms of my work I can think about what will be displayed when it comes to the exhibition. 

(Carr, Lindsey. 2008. http://velvetforest.tumblr.com/)

The Driftwood House

This is a really interesting idea. The images are screenprinted and put together into a 'flipbook' which creates a pop-up book as you flip up another section. I like the simple idea of creating layers as each page turns and also really like the added pop-ups which make it more interactive. Here, also, there is one piece - the house - being created instead of changing scenery, the story is told within one idea. 

(ANON. 2011. http://characterzoo.tumblr.com)