Beauty Perceived and Inspired

A woman's beauty has different effects on different people.  This is especially evident where artists are concerned.  With some, a woman's beauty is perceived on the basis of who she is.  This, of course, assumes that one is acquainted with said woman on some level.  Now, if one is not acquainted with her, and is left with only what is observed about her, then, one's perception of her becomes confined to the inside of one's head.  There is no real contribution from the woman herself in terms of interaction.  There is only her appearance to the beholder.  Beyond this there is only the reaction of the beholder to what is perceived.  People being people, this is something that will be different from one beholder to another.  There are those for whom such things are superficial at best.  There is only the physical appearance, and from such an artist, that's what will likely be shown in any rendition the the woman's image.  Then there are those whose perception of the woman's beauty is affected by who they know the woman to be.  Their acquaintance with her has a direct affect on how she is perceived.  This too is likely to manifest itself, in some way, in the artist's rendition of her.  

When said woman is not known and there is no acquaintance with her to speak of, the effect her beauty has on the beholder can be, in many cases, much more profound.  Being acquainted with said woman can sometimes be a hindrance to any level of inspiration.  Reality can be something of a damper.  This, of course, depends on the individual.  There are those for whom inspiration comes into play regardless of pre-existing acquaintance.  Some may say that this will be the case for any artist in any situation.  From what I have seen and heard, inspiration is something manifested with respect to skill more so than anything else.  The artist's ability to "capture" the woman's image is enhanced according to the level of "inspiration" experienced.  

For myself, however, I've always been possessed of the disposition of profound effect in the face of encountering a woman's beauty.  I'm the guy that gets stopped in his tracks.  I know that can be said for most if not all men, but, there aren't that many men that slip into semi-consciousness and tunnel vision when confronted with an impressive beauty.  They may leer and stare, but the effect is not that profound.  Seeking a way to communicate something of the effect that a woman's beauty can have on me, I came up with the idea of embellishing my portraits.  In the development of these embellishments, I try to use elements and images that speak to what's going on in my own head with respect to the effect that said woman's beauty has had on me.  In other words, the typical mechanics of inspiration.  But, it's not just about skill (whatever there is that I have of it) or its enhancement.  With respect to the embellishments, it's about composition and (for lack of a better or more correct term) graphic communication.  In a portrait, I want to frame her image in a collection of images that I think best communicates what I perceive in her beauty.  A collection of images that communicates the effect her beauty has had on me.  It's kind of like a guess at what her personality would be like if the beauty I perceived when I looked at her actually, in some way, indicated who she was as a person.                      

I've done drawings in the past that involve what could be considered elaborate embellishments.  But, those drawings were about an attempt to use a woman to communicate what might be considered an abstract concept.  A concept that generally is not about the woman or her image, but is about a state of mind or a way of life which the image of the woman is actually being used to represent either centrally or in part.  The embellished portraits that I'm endeavoring to develop now are simply about the woman's beauty.  No concepts or representations, abstract of otherwise.  Just the woman's beauty and the power it possesses.  (Such as it is.)  

With respect to this kind of portraiture and the embellishments I've been adding to them, some measure of commercial use did cross my mind.  I'm of the opinion that such embellishments could make a nice addition to gift or personal portraiture.  I haven't gotten a lot of requests for this sort of thing, but, then there haven't been  enough requests, generally speaking, to draw any conclusions about how well these embellishments are going over.  (Besides, this sort of thing seems a bit gender specific.  It seems only fitting for female portraits.  But that's just me.)  So, for now, it's pretty much just about me and the joy I get out of rendering the exquisite beauty of women.          

Dreams In Pencil

Early on in high school, in a personal effort to explore the hobby of reading, I got myself hooked on fantasy and sci-fi novels.  No real surprise there as I've always been attracted to the strange and unusual.  In fact, the weirder and more surreal, the better.  It was also about this time in my life that I began making the advance in my drawing from line to shade.  I was in the process of developing a style and technique that would enable me to communicate substance and depth apart from the simple and sometimes exclusive use of perspective.  The books I was reading had a strong influence on my imagination and creativity.  And, for guidance, I began to look to the artwork of the then popular fantasy and sci-fi artists of the time.  Their vision had something of a profound effect on me.  As I continued my drawing, I began to look for ways to create surreal images with as realistic an appearance as possible.  I saw that the best way to accomplish this was, on one hand, to disregard many of the "rules" of nature with regard to space (three-dimensional, geometric space as opposed to the celestial variety), while, on the other hand, to try and emulate the actual physical behavior of light with regard to highlights and reflections on objects and surfaces.  My more successful efforts produced some rather pleasant results.

Throughout this period in my life, though I was quite the geek, I was possessed of a rather amorous disposition.  And, though nothing really came of it with respect to relationships, it manifested itself rather profoundly in my artwork.  This made for some interesting images (some of which were deemed worthy of catalog publication).  I found great satisfaction in producing romantic and semi-romantic, surreal images, a few of which were good enough to attract the attention of buyers.  At any rate, in the course of producing these images, I developed some "favorites".  Over time, as my skill increased and improved, I redid some of my favorites with improvements that corresponded to the development of my skill.  Some of them I redid more than once.  One of them I redid three times.  I think it qualifies as an all-time personal favorite.

The latest reproduction of this all-time favorite of mine was done only a few years ago.  The decision to reproduce it came after my discovery of the work of Alphonse Mucha.  I was amazed to find that the style and the composition seen in his work was just what I had been striving for in my own work ever since I started in the direction of the surreal.  Following the influence of his work gave me the inspiration and the idea for just the kind of embellishment I'd hoped for for this image.  From very early on I had been under the impression that there was something of an unspoken and unwritten rule that the elements that I saw in Mucha's work were simply not to be included or combined in any kind of fine art rendition.  Seeing the success and fame of his work with the form of composition that he used gave me a sense of great vindication as I had always wanted to proceed in a similar fashion with my own work.  Not only did he do it, but, his success with what he used far exceeded any dream of mine.

It has literally been decades since I first put this image together.  My "disposition" isn't nearly as "amorous" as it used to be, but, the image is still a great favorite of mine.  So much so, in fact, that it is very possible that I will reproduce it yet again.  I put this image together with thoughts of what I perceived as the beauty of women in more than just the eye of the beholder.  It was my meager attempt to capture as many of the best qualities of a woman as I could manage in a single image.  The attempt falls woefully short of what it should be, but, given what I had to work with and the immature frame of mind I was in, I managed to come up with an image that made what many thought to be an impressive drawing.  The image worked really well for me personally and, as I mentioned, I became attached.  Now, however, it's not so much about how I feel about women, but about how the image affects me personally.  The "surreality" of the image appeals to me deeply.  Looking at it takes me somewhere else.  Somewhere calm and serene.  A place in the presence and company of what I didn't have the sense to look for when I was young.  Something that now resides only in my dreams.      

Expression and Influence

Soon after immerging from the first of two rather dark periods in my life, I experienced something of a burst of expression in my art work.  The social circles I moved in had a significant influence over my thinking which showed itself in the images I produced.  I was never much of a profound thinker.  No deep philosophies or profound insights.  Just images that I felt were expressive of how I thought and felt at any given moment.  During that time, pretty much every thought that came into my head found its expression in images.  And music was an important catalyst in the formation of ideas for my drawings.  The people I associated with had something of a strong influence over my preferences and thinking.  This, in turn, had an effect on the images I produced.  Through the music I listened to, I found inspiration that took its form from what some might have thought of as a kind of hereditary or ethnic awareness.  The images I produced made no political or social statements.  At least not any that I intended.  If the ideas I got for my drawings were to be expressed in words, they would actually be very simple, basic concepts.  Many of the images that I produced were arguably expressions of feeling as opposed to any kind of complex idea or message.  That being said, I'm sure it's not surprising that most were unable to find anything to relate to in my work. 

At any rate, as it turns out, after quite a few years, I no longer possess any of the original drawings from this brief burst of expression.  I do, however have some photos, slides, and old remakes of some of these drawings.  Maybe a month or so before the writing of this blog post, I was encouraged to reproduce at least some of these drawings.  I had the idea to do just that quite some time before it was actually suggested to me, so, the suggestion gave me the incentive to follow through with it.

The most recent influences on my work have been in the direction of technique and application.  These influences have enabled me to make a better production of my drawings.  So, I gathered what I had left of the elements I used to produce the original drawings and set about producing a remake. 

The one that I chose was actually the simplest of the compositions that came from this burst of inspiration.  Being such, it was an expression of a simple idea.  This image was composed quite a few years ago.  What the idea was, precisely, I can no longer recall.  But I do know that it was a very simple idea.  In the social circles that I associated with, there was a collective awareness and sensitivity regarding ancestral origins.  Knowing that gives me a good idea of what the inspiration for this drawing might have been.  It also provided me with helpful guidance in the development of the remake.  The original image was likely inspired by thoughts of a quiet strength believed to have its origin in qualities inherited from those who came before us.  This quiet strength was something that I would think best tapped through meditation.  The origin of this inherited strength is represented by an image of the ancestral home of those who would draw on it; this strength of who they are and where they came from.  A strength from which issues serenity and inspiration. 

If all goes well, more will follow.

The Beauty of Manga

The beauty of manga illustration lies in its simplicity.  And it's a simplicity that exists on more than one level.  When I was very young, I used to make fun of the customary appearance of large eyes on the characters seen on anime TV shows.  But, when I got older and became more heavily involved in art, I began to appreciate the beauty of this stylized form.  As far as comic style artwork was concerned, I'd become accustomed to seeing the western style illustration.  But, I remember not getting as much out of it as my peers.  Don't get me wrong.  I did appreciate the work for its own greatness.  The stylized handling of detail was impressive, to say the least.  And, I enjoyed drawing the characters.  But, my interest in doing that kind of artwork never interested me beyond the social value it had for me.  I only did it because it was the means by which I shared the interest of my friends who were avid fans. 

Manga, however, was a different experience.  I didn't actually see any real samples of manga until much later on in life.  So, most of my appreciation for manga came through anime.  What most impresses me about the manga style is its simplicity.  Though different artists and production companies have something of a signature in their work, there is a standard to the stylization that is visible in pretty much every form of manga/anime illustration.  Again, it wasn't until much later on in my experience with this form of illustration, but, I finally found out the reason for the large eyes that I used to make fun of as a kid.  Elements of the kind of person a manga character was could be determined by the appearance of the eyes.  Their capacity for or tendency toward compassion or evil is revealed (or suggested) in the size and shape of the character's eyes respectively.  Large, bright, colorful eyes are indicative of compassion or innocence.  Small slanted eyes are indicative of evil, malice, lack of trustworthiness, and so on.  It only made me more enamored with the style.  Apart from its simplicity, there was a kind of suggestion with respect to detail that seemed to appear in the work.  Details like strands of hair and folds in clothing were "suggested" by strategic shading.  This technique for implying detail always impressed me.  This particular form of stylization now holds an attraction that has inspired me to try and emulated it.  But, because the form is so particular and developed in its stylization, teaching myself this style has turned out to be a particularly daunting endeavor. 

From what I've seen, environments and backgrounds in this style of illustration generally involve heavy use of perspective and detail.  I made myself very accustomed to the use of perspective in drawing at a young age, so, there isn't much of a problem to be found for me there.  All I expect to need in that area is perhaps a little habitual tweeking in the area of environmental detail.  When I finally get around to exploring it, I anticipate no problems.  Character figures have proven to be pretty much the opposite.  Despite the demanding nature of the style, I still find myself inspired by its beauty.  And I'm driven by that inspiration to continue my efforts in emulating it.    

   

Gradation Designs: Not Just A Simple Drawing Exercise

I was in a sour mood when I got home from school.  I was studying art at Community College.  The night before, I was up all night working on a large design assignment for my Black and White Design class.  It was to be 20" x 30" according to the assignment instructions, and done in pen and ink, based on an assigned photograph.  The assignment was an exercise in absolute black and white composition.  It was preceded by smaller in-class assignments that were designed to teach us the use of black and white space with varying percentages of black and white respectively.  In amounts of 25%, 50%, and 75%, we were to create a composition that effectively hid the respective minority or majority of the black or white space in each design.  I screwed the pooch across the board.  Utter and complete FAIL!  I should have seen how I did in that set of assignments as a harbinger of what was to come. 

All of the students' work was hung on the classroom wall and evaluated one by one.  When the teacher got to mine, it was like a beheading with a dull axe.  I was frustrated beyond words.  All that work for nothing.  And to think, I was so confident, sitting up all night working on that disaster.  I had never been so focused on anything for that amount of time.  This thoroughly convinced me that all my efforts to do well were pointless.  To this day I don't know what kept me from dropping that class. 

After that life-sucking disaster, we received the next assignment in our instruction on the use of black and white composition.  This time, gradation was involved.  Though I was so busy wallowing in my frustration and disappointment from the last assignment, I remember feeling a bit relieved about the use of gradation in the assignment.  It was the one thing about it that I knew I could do well.  But, as our approach toward the composition was to be somewhat the same as the percentage assignments, I was not encouraged.  At all.  I felt destined to fail. 

The gradation assignment required a pair of smaller designs.  One was to be a composition totally of our own making, inspired by our own imagination.  The other was to be based on another photograph assigned by the instructor.  My approach to completing the assignment was totally opposite to what I did for the previous assignment.  I went in to the back room where the VCR was (yes, this was a long time ago), set up a couple of TV tables, put on a movie, and started work.  I was able to handle the gradation part of the assignment almost in my sleep, so, that was no problem at all.  As for the design composition, I only devoted enough of my brain to work the pencils and china marker properly.  The rest of my head was into the movie I was watching.  The assignment required the work to be done on sheets of 20" x 20" illustration board.  I watched two movies.  At some point I stopped for a snack.  Before the second movie ended I finished the assignment.  Both designs.  I was barely aware of what I did.  And I didn't care.  As far as I was concerned, this assignment was destined to failure.  I knew that my execution of the gradation in the designs was good, but you couldn't convince me at gunpoint that I wasn't going to fail the design composition part of the assignment.  My feeling was that, if my getting ripped a new one was inevitable, I might as well enjoy the ride.  Plus, I wasn't going to waste an entire night on that assignment just to be handed my ego in pieces.  I even managed to enjoy doing the work (as much of it as I was paying attention to). 

The next day, after a proper night's sleep, I brought in my assignment for evaluation.  Everyone's work was hung up on the wall for individual critique by the instructor.  Mine was on the end.  The instructor started on the opposite end of the wall so that mine would be last.  One by one, the instructor ripped into the designs.  He was taking no prisoners.  You could hear the sound of egos and expectations shattering on the floor.  As he got closer and closer to mine, I just waited for what I thought was inevitable.  Everyone else, as I had overheard in conversation among the students before the review, had put a lot of thought and effort into their work.  I did mine virtually blindfolded and totally unconcerned.  I wouldn't have been a bit surprised it he decided to eject me from the room.  Moment of truth; the instructor finally got to mine.  I braced myself.  He shifted gears so hard you could almost hear it.  The first words out of his mouth were nothing but praise.  He was elated.  He went on in detail about what he liked about my designs.  And the thing that really blew me away was that he thought I spent an absorbitant amount of time and thought on the assignment.  I think he mentioned it three or four times  To this day, I don't know how he managed to miss the raw shock on my face.  Jaw hanging open, I sat and stared, entranced.  I couldn't believe my ears.  He loved both of them.  He had nothing at all bad to say about them.  I said nothing in response to anything he said.  I was praying he didn't ask me any details.  I just nodded when he looked at me.  After he finished the review, it took me a few moments to recover.  I looked over at the other students.  I saw those closest to me looking at me.  I was speachless.  One noticed the shock on my face.  "You didn't think about this assignment at all, did you?"  All I could do was quietly shake my head no. 

The fact that I spent so much time and effort on the previous assignment and failed, only to pass a similar assignment almost totally without effort, expecting to fail miserably, and passing with flying colors, disturbed me profoundly.  I was used to having little control over what happened in my classes, but this was just too much.  After that year, I changed my major to computer science. 

Though I decided to pursue a different career path, I didn't stop drawing.  I did more gradation designs (this time just for the fun of it).  I remembered liking the effect of the opposing gradations adjacent to each other.  I still do them as exercises from time to time.  Sometimes, when I get a design just right, I find it hard to look away.  At that point, I guess it's not just an exercise anymore.