LEGACY ILLUSTRATION 4
Lone Survivor - Legacy Illustration 3
Medium: Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Markers on Illustration Board
Size: 37.9 x 25.2 cm
Completed: October 13, 2018
"Lone Survivor" is an Illustration in the Legacy series. Its intent is to tell a key part of Ryan Legacy's narrative, focusing on him being the sole survivor of the Osiris Space Station, and grieving over the loss of his friends and family. The flag is the Osiris team's symbol and is Ryan's way of honoring his coworker's lives. This work takes visual and thematic inspiration from Kathe Kollwitz "In Memoriam Karl Liebknecht" (1920) and Frank Frazetta's "The City in the Sea Classic Frazetta Ink!".
Medium: Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Markers on Illustration Board
Size: 37.9 x 25.2 cm
Completed: October 13, 2018
"Lone Survivor" is an Illustration in the Legacy series. Its intent is to tell a key part of Ryan Legacy's narrative, focusing on him being the sole survivor of the Osiris Space Station, and grieving over the loss of his friends and family. The flag is the Osiris team's symbol and is Ryan's way of honoring his coworker's lives. This work takes visual and thematic inspiration from Kathe Kollwitz "In Memoriam Karl Liebknecht" (1920) and Frank Frazetta's "The City in the Sea Classic Frazetta Ink!".
Inspiration
PLANNING SKETCHES
This is a tight sketch of the "Osiris Space Station" I'd made during the summer, back when I was still brainstorming ideas for my Legacy story. I decided to re-purpose its design for this piece.
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Planning Sketch One involves the main character's (Ryan Legacy) mourning over the loss of his comrades who died on the crashed space station lying in the distance.
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Planning Sketch Two was a different idea entirely; I experimented with showing one's (Ryan Legacy) frustration without having any figure in the work, only showing the mess the individual left behind.
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PROCESS, IDEAs, & INTENTIONS
Starting production on the work, I started out with gathering my materials: Illustration Board, a Paper Mate Clear Point Mechanical Pencil - 0.7 mm Lead, a Pentel Hi-Polymer White Eraser, an Office Depot 18 inch Stainless Steel Ruler, and Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Markers.
Using my mechanical pencil, I used my planning sketches as reference to translate the image onto illustration board. I prioritized sketching out the space station first, wanting to assure that it'd retain the detail from my planning sketches; I also knew the station would be the most time-consuming portion to complete. I drew a dot in pencil on the far-right of the frame as my vanishing point, then used my ruler to create lines going towards the left side of the work where the station would be. Next I made two rectangular prisms that would be placeholders for the space station and its surrounding orbital ring. Next I replicated the space station (Osiris) from my sketches - loosely drawing out the contour of each massive section of the section in pencil, then later coming back to define the shapes and implement detail using a 0.005- and 0.01- Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker. Then with the orbital ring I repeated the same process, making a rough outline of its shape in pencil, then defining and detailing it also using a 0.005- and 0.01- Point Marker. The cross-hatching on the station was a technique from Kathe Kollwitz that I used to give the station more texture and a worn, damaged appearance.
While working on the orbital ring of the station, I also drew the rocky terrain that embedded it. Wanting to show the impact the space station had crashing into the ground, I used primarily line with a 0.01 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker to make the ground look cracked and broken up. I used the technique Bob Ross used in his paintings to make his pine tree's, using the same 0.01 Point Marker and moving it in a zigzag pattern. Continuing to use the same 0.01 Point Marker, I made the tree-trunk's, grass, bushes, and rock formations on the left-side of the work.
With the figure on the right, I replicated his form from my Planning Sketch by creating his form in pencil, then coming in with a 0.01 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker and refining his form and adding the detailing to his clothing and hair. The platform that the man (Ryan Legacy) is on intentionally breaks from the work's perspective to make him stand out. I decided to help contrast the man and the cliff by using a 0.03 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker to make a heavier outline around the shapes contour. The flag next to the man was an experimental addition that I put into the piece to serve as a memorial; it implies the importance the crashed space station has to the man, and that it is a place where he reflects or mourns about the past. The symbol on it was simplistic in its design to reflect the simplistic, yet well-rounded dynamic of the station's members. The clouds and the moon in the background were done with a 0.001 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker.
Using my mechanical pencil, I used my planning sketches as reference to translate the image onto illustration board. I prioritized sketching out the space station first, wanting to assure that it'd retain the detail from my planning sketches; I also knew the station would be the most time-consuming portion to complete. I drew a dot in pencil on the far-right of the frame as my vanishing point, then used my ruler to create lines going towards the left side of the work where the station would be. Next I made two rectangular prisms that would be placeholders for the space station and its surrounding orbital ring. Next I replicated the space station (Osiris) from my sketches - loosely drawing out the contour of each massive section of the section in pencil, then later coming back to define the shapes and implement detail using a 0.005- and 0.01- Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker. Then with the orbital ring I repeated the same process, making a rough outline of its shape in pencil, then defining and detailing it also using a 0.005- and 0.01- Point Marker. The cross-hatching on the station was a technique from Kathe Kollwitz that I used to give the station more texture and a worn, damaged appearance.
While working on the orbital ring of the station, I also drew the rocky terrain that embedded it. Wanting to show the impact the space station had crashing into the ground, I used primarily line with a 0.01 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker to make the ground look cracked and broken up. I used the technique Bob Ross used in his paintings to make his pine tree's, using the same 0.01 Point Marker and moving it in a zigzag pattern. Continuing to use the same 0.01 Point Marker, I made the tree-trunk's, grass, bushes, and rock formations on the left-side of the work.
With the figure on the right, I replicated his form from my Planning Sketch by creating his form in pencil, then coming in with a 0.01 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker and refining his form and adding the detailing to his clothing and hair. The platform that the man (Ryan Legacy) is on intentionally breaks from the work's perspective to make him stand out. I decided to help contrast the man and the cliff by using a 0.03 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker to make a heavier outline around the shapes contour. The flag next to the man was an experimental addition that I put into the piece to serve as a memorial; it implies the importance the crashed space station has to the man, and that it is a place where he reflects or mourns about the past. The symbol on it was simplistic in its design to reflect the simplistic, yet well-rounded dynamic of the station's members. The clouds and the moon in the background were done with a 0.001 Point Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker.
EXPERIMENTATION
I experimented on "Sole Survivor" through my line weight and composition. Initially, the final product of this work had a very different direction from what it turned out to be. My original intention of the work was to have more tension by having the crashed space station be larger in scale, and have it be most of the piece to demonstrate its scale when compared to the main characters. What I couldn't work out was getting the composition of the image right in the first draft of this work because of the limitations I gave myself with a rectangular illustration board; a square frame would've worked better for my original idea.
I transitioned my original idea to work for the rectangular board, moving the station more in the distance on the left as a sort of monument, and the main person in the bottom-right of the frame. To make the male figure stand out from the background, a added heavier line-weight; the same was done to the contour of the space station to distinguish itself from the clouds. |
CRITIQUE
When comparing my final product to my inspirations, I think that the connection to the work I took inspiration from - while there - is weaker in displaying my application of Kollwitz and Frazetta's techniques. My use of line strays more towards Frank Frazetta's usage of line to create shape and form, but doesn't utilize enough black-spotting that he and Kathe Kollwitz works both used to help draw attention to characters or objects. With my work, I understand that I don't have any black-spotting to draw your attention towards the station, the flag, and the man; there are darker outlines and cross-hatching used around the station and the man to help draw the viewer, but it isn't used in the same way by Kollwitz or Frazetta.
REFLECTION
With "Sole Survivor", I achieved the narrative that I wanted to tell in the work. With the space station, I was able to recreate my original design from my planning sketch in a 3D form through the use of line, contrast of color, and texture. With the male figure (Ryan Legacy), I used a thicker outline around him to define his form; I did the same for the cliff he is on and the space station's contour to separate them from the surrounding landscape. The flag was an experimental addition that contributed to the story; it functions as a memorial, and implies what the man is grieving over: the people on the station.
I felt that by adding the skyline in the background, however, the overuse of line and lack of color took focus away from the station and the man. Going forward, I'd like to add black-spotting to draw more attention to these objects, creating contrast from the background and given ; I'd add it to right side of the sky, the rock formations and divots on the left-side, the backside of the male figure, and the left-side of the space station. I'm also considering experimenting with watercolor - adding small highlights of light blue watercolor to the station and the man. The background could possible be a solid blue watercolor to help further contrast it from the middle-ground and foreground.
"Sole Survivor" told the story I wanted it to, but going forward needs adjustments to make the man and space station standout from the scenery.
I felt that by adding the skyline in the background, however, the overuse of line and lack of color took focus away from the station and the man. Going forward, I'd like to add black-spotting to draw more attention to these objects, creating contrast from the background and given ; I'd add it to right side of the sky, the rock formations and divots on the left-side, the backside of the male figure, and the left-side of the space station. I'm also considering experimenting with watercolor - adding small highlights of light blue watercolor to the station and the man. The background could possible be a solid blue watercolor to help further contrast it from the middle-ground and foreground.
"Sole Survivor" told the story I wanted it to, but going forward needs adjustments to make the man and space station standout from the scenery.
ACT RESPONSES
- Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its affect upon your artwork: Kathe Kollwitz and Frank Frazetta's technique "black-spotting" - used to highlight and contrast points of focus in their works with black - was directly used to achieve the same affect in my own work. The theme of sadness conveyed by my inspirations was also worked into my piece.
- What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration: Kathe Kollwitz and Frank Frazetta's approach is to contrast black of white in varying line weights to visually tell their story. The contrast allows for the white to stand out from the large areas of black; the black encases the piece's focus - in white - to draw you in because of their being contrast.
- What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration: While researching Kathe Kollwitz and Frank Frazetta's collections, I've made the conclusion that color is an important aspect in storytelling, in both its hue and in its composition. Color allows you to define the work's tone, forms, shadows, and highlights.
- What was the central idea of theme around your inspirational research: The central idea of theme surrounding my inspirational research was "loss", "anxiety", and "isolation" - three reoccurring themes in my work. With Kathe Kollwitz, "In Memoriam Karl Liebnecht" focuses on loss, and Frank Frazetta's "The City in the Sea" demonstrates isolation.
- What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research: Inferences I made while reading my research was Kathe Kollwitz intention to demonstrate human suffering through war, loss, and trauma. Frank Frazetta in "The City in the Sea" wanted to demonstrate the isolation in a foreign location, and imply the emotions of hopelessness through the character's body position.
Citations (MLA)
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/71889?artist_id=3201&locale=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist
https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?Piece=605230
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/158971
https://dpibart.weebly.com/studio-3.html
https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?Piece=605230
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/158971
https://dpibart.weebly.com/studio-3.html