Fashion Illistration - Playing Around With Photoshop

For this, I have scanned in a garment design from my sketch book that I created for my street art project, and used different tools on photoshop to inhance the image.
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This is my origanal image that I scanned in:

 

I then used the saturation and vibrance tool to enhance it:

 

After this, I used the custom red levels tool to change the hue of the image:

 

 

For this photo, I used the lasso tool to select the figure on the left, and then change the adjustment levels to change the transparancy and then to place the object selected in the middle to create a ghostly affect:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photoshop - Levels

In photoshop, to create different levels of tonal imagery you can use tools to adjust the lighting of the photo and to change the contrast and the tonal levels.
This tool is helpful to bring out colours and make the image more effective and impressionable. It can also be used to eradicate imperfections.

This image I have found on the interent will hopefully demonstrate this:

 

As you can tell, the colour have been brightened, and the tones in the creases if the rocks have become darker. Various other tools have been used, such as the perspective tools, but focusing on the levels of this image, you can tell it has rappadly changed.

 

 

Photoshop - Perspective

Photoshop can be used to do a range of varitey with images. It can be used to change the constrast, transparancy, how light or dark the image is, the tone of the image and to be able to warp your image into different forms using tools such as lasso tool - which can be used to create disorted retangular shapes which can be covered up with layers to continue to warp the image into different perspectives and angles. From this, different formations can be made.

To demonstrate this, I have found an image on the internet:



Here is another example of what perpestive on photoshop is capable of:


Original Image:






Edited Image:





This image has been created using perpestive warp, and took which you can use to easily reshape the content of your image to make new perspectives within your composition.

Future/Past Project

For this project I chose to research into 90's grunge. I researched into the grunge scene that emerged from Seattle, choosing to concentrate on the music scene that influenced fashion at the time. I looked into bands such as Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and especially Nirvana. I then used all my research to create sketches in my book. My designs consisted of combat boots, oversized cardigans and jumpers and ripped pipe jeans. I chose to 'grungy' colours such as indigo, burgundy, grey and black.
The piece I chose to make was a oversized jacket made of felt, and an oversized stripy t-shirt/ dress. For me overall, my garments could have been made better - the jacket was meant to be made of wool but however due to financial costs I had to use felt. I also got the measurements wrong for the amount of material I needed to make my long sleeved T-shirt so I had to make one of the arms longer. However, I did feel that this made the piece more unique.

Narcissist Project

For my narcissist project, I had to research into different themes of narcissism. I looked into the story of Narcissus himself, and different types of artists who are narcissists themselves - this included Frida Kola and Lady Gaga. However, I chose to base my project on people with narcissistic personalities, a darker theme which I found far more interesting. I researched into Stalin, Hitler and Charles Manson - people who are considered indisputable evil. I then made a collage of different pieces of work that embodied the way in which many people who seem to be good, are infact very cruel. Charles Manson for example led a cult of hippies, all of whom thought was 'god to them' and influenced them to kill and mutilate innocent people.

My garments that I designed took the theme of the colour pallet I had chosen for my college, autumn colours.

Here are some photographs of the piece that I created:

 
This is my final design:

This is an abstract of Anne Franks Diary, the music sheet of the song 'Helter Skelter' which is related to Charles Manson, and in the corner the book 'Alice in Wonderland' which is open on a very dark part of the book.









 

Fashion Show at Berwick Lodge

On Monday the 27th of January 2014, the first and second years studying fashion at the city of bristol college went to Berwick lodge to take part in a fashion show. For this fashion show, we were given the project brief 'street art'. For this project we had to research into different type of street artists. For this I researched into the artists Betarok75, Don John, DMB, Banksy and Stinkfish. This helped influence my final garments.The garments I produced were a black crop top and patterned harem pants.
The fashion show for me went very well. Although my original model dropped out, the model that stepped in fitted the garments perfectly. The overall look worked well with the theme of the project, and had a clean finish. I could see someone wearing it out in public. The fashion show experience was very eye opening, and helped me to see the basics of what types of preparation and steps you need to take to have a successful outcome.

This is my theme board that I created to help come up with my ideas for my garments:





The artist I based most of my work on:

ALO:

Julie Verhoeven

Julio Verhoevn is a fashion designer and artist, who creates uses influences of surrealism, pop culture and British punk culture to develop abstract illustration, instalments and pieces of clothing. Many of her work is considered post feminist, and has worked with many ionic fashion labels such as louis vuitton, versace, mulberry as well as high street brands such as h&m. She began her career studying fashion, and after assisted John Galliano who helped her to develop as an artist. In 2002 she launched her own fashion label which she named Gibo. Her work overlaps with one another, and she refuses to apply the rules of seperation in the pieces she produces. Her work has been exhibited internationally, because of her unique style.

Plastic Dreams: Melissa Magazine, Winter 2012:



Gibo, Spring/Summer 2003:



Tableau Vivant'. Christopher Shannon, A/W12:

Max Ernst

Max Ernst born April 2th 1891 - April 1st 1976 was a German painter, sculptor and editor. He studied at the Univerty of Bonn and came to be a key figure in the Dadaist and Surrealist art movements. He served in WW1 for the German army, and after serving his country turned his attention to the Dada movement, a movement which he was notorious for his art events and collage work. He moved to Paris in 1922, where he helped to found the art movement 'Surrealsim'. He derived many of his inpiristion from his childhood fantasies and dreams. Ernst constantly experimented with different media, and invented the graphic art technique 'frottage'. He also created another techinique called 'grattage' - shown below called 'An Elephant a Day' He also developed an interest in birrds, which became his alter ego in his paintings which he named 'Loplop'. His work is highly absract and vividly dreamlike. One of his early paintings called 'Elephant Celebes' is a good example of this, and is regarded as a masterpiece. I like the fact that he uses a range of different media's, however his 'Napoleon in the Wilderness' which was painted in 1941 although only painted oil on canvas is one of my favourite pieces that he produced, the colour palette his uses is visually pleasing and shows that his technical ability is very high.

An Elephant a Day:



The Elephant Celebes:



Napoleon In The Wilderness: 

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo born July 6th 1907 - July 13th 1954, was a Mexican Surrealist artist known mostly for her self portraits. As a young woman she wanted to become a doctor, however after a severe car accident that left her immobile for 3 months at the age of 18 she turned her attention away from her medical studies and instead turned to painting. Her father gave Frida a large mirror which was mounted by her bed so she could see her self - he first self portrait was called 'Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress'. She once said 'I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best'. Many of her works were based around her romantic life - especially that of Diego Rivera, who left Frida heartbroken when he caused a huge scandal by sleeping with film star Maria Felix, an intimate friend of Frida's. Her work is very personal and open. Her hair seems to be a repeating theme as a source of her anguish, which is seen in many of her portraits as almost strangling her. An example of this is her painting called 'Diego and I' painted in 1949. She after turning 47, and her official cause of death was given as a 'pulmonary embolism'.

Some of her works:

Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress:

Diego and I:

Without Hope:

Andre Breton

Andre Breton, born the 19th February 1896-28th September 1966 was a french literate, poet and seen as one of the main founders of the surrealist movement. From a young age he enjoyed the study of mental illness and attended medical school. However, when WW1 began his studies where interrupted and he went to work in the psychiatric wards of military school. He derived many of his inspiritations from symbolist poetes such as charles baudelaire and arthur rimbaud. He joined the surrealist movement in the early 1920's, the freedom of expression fascinated him - he published a book in 1924 called 'Le Manifeste du Surrealisme' translated as The Manifesto of Surrealism. He encouraged works by Picasso, Joan Miro and Max Ernst by reproducing their works in a book called La Revolution Surrealiste.

A snippet from one of his books Les Champs translated into English is:

It was the end of sorrow lies. The rail stations were dead, flowing like bees stung from honeysuckle. The people hung back and watched the ocean, animals flew in and out of focus. The time had come. Yet king dogs never grow old – they stay young and fit, and someday they might come to the beach and have a few drinks, a few laughs, and get on with it. But not now. The time had come; we all knew it. But who would go first?

Salvador Dali

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali I Domench was born on the 11th May 1904 (died January 23rd, 1989) in Figueres, Spain and is known as being a iconic painter in the surrealist movement. In his early years he attended a prominent art academy in Madrid. He joined the surrealist movement in 1929 and quickly became one of the most high profile and controversial members. Many of his works were inspired by the Spanish landscapes he grew up and lived around - especially in Port Lligat where he made his home with his wife Gala Dali, also another eminent source for his inspiration. He used many different forms of media such as film, sculpture, painting, drawings and photography. For me, I find his work is not abstract enough, although the pictures themselves are very dream like they are painted/drawn with too much accuracy making the images he is trying to purvey very easy to depict.  I do however respect his drawing ability and the concepts and art forms he relays with such clarity.

" I do not understand why, when I ask for grilled lobster in a restaurant, I'm never served a cooked telephone" 

- Salvador Dali

Here are some of his famous works:

Metamorphosis of Narcissus:



The Persistence of Memory:
'


Swans Reflecting Elephants:

Surrealism Introduction

Surrealism is a cultural art movement that came about in the early 1920's, and began transitioned from the Dada movement - the stage from Dada to Surrealism is often clouded. Surrealism is completely separate from Dada but embodies many of its themes. 'Surrealism is a movement separate from but parallel to Dada from the beginning'. Surrealists wanted to move away from traditional forms of art and instead wanted explore the physic dimensions of the human mind, through different types of media such as poetry. The movement was global, and was prominent in many countries especially Europe, USA, South America and Mexico. Iconic painters from this movement include Salvodor Dali, Sigmund Freud and Frida Kahlo.
A famous quote from John Lennon shows that surrealism is an art form we can all find inspirition from within ourselves:

 "Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realised that the imagery in my mind wasn't insanity. Surrealism to me is reality"

- John Lennon

In this assignment I will explore the diversity of surrealism by researching into a range of surrealist artists, fashion designers and illustrators that have all been highly influential in this time period. I hope to delve into the high variety of works, exploring there lives and famous works and also giving my own opinion on the artists themselves.

Planning for Fashion Shoot

For this I have planned to do a number of things in preparation for my fashion shoot. This includes:

• Choosing a model (Lily Brett)
• Making a background using paper and a range of coloured paints
• Found resources to use such as Face Paints
• Found suitable clothing for the shoot, to match that of in the painting
• Found a suitable camera to use for the shoot, and a time and place where the shoot can take place

Terry Richardson Fashion/Portrait Photgrapher

Research:

Terry Richardson:

• Born August 14th 1969 in America
• Shot for Marc Jacobs, Aldo Supreme, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent
• Also shot for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ and Vanity Fair
• First gained fame after a spread in Vibe in 1994 
• Shot for Katharine Hamnett's spring collection in 1995 which was noted for images of short skirts with pubic hair showing 
• He is often thought of as a very provocative and erotic fashion photographer, and has been accused of being a pervert 
• First solo exhibition at Los Angeles's OHWOW Gallery in 2012 which was titled TERRYWOOD
• His are often slight overexposed against a white background
• Has shot celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga and even the USA president Barack Obama
• Famously remarked 'it's not who  you know, it's who you blow. I don't have a whole in my jeans for nothing' which caused a lot of controversy following the accusations of his erotic behaviour behind the scenes of many shoot

Examples of Work:

Helmut Newton Fashion Photographer

Research:

Helmut Newton:

• Born 31st October 1920 - 23 January 2004
• German Australian photographer
• Prestigious for his provocative black and white photos - a mainstay in vogue
• Was given many awards like being named 'Chevalier des Arts des Lattres'by French Minister Of Culture in 1989
• Set up first studio in Finders Lane, Melbourne 1946 
• Worked on fashion/theatre photography in post war years
• Reputation secured when he was commissioned to illustrate Fashions in Australian supplement for Vogue Magazine in January 1956
• Won 12 month contract with British Vogue in 1957
• Worked for French Vogue, Haper's Bazaar in 60's
• Shot for playboy in 80's, including pictorials of Nasttassja Kinski and Kristine DeBell
• Died in car accident in Monte Carlo, LA

Examples of Work:

Mario Testino Fashion Photographer

Research:

Mario Testino:

• Born October 30 1954
• Peruvian fashion photographer
• OBE
• Work featured in magazines such as Vogue/Vanity Fair
• Shot Princess Diana, previous Princess Of Wales in a vanity fair shoot in 1997
• Regularly employed by British royal family
• Gisele Bundchen is a common feature in many of his fashion shoots
• Shot many celebrities such as Kristen Stewart, Cameron Diaz, Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer and Lady Gaga
• The National Portrait Gallery staged exhibition "Portraits" by Mario Testino 
• Was awarded Honorary Fellowshop by The Royal Photographic Society in 2011
• Also a Save the Children ambassador

Examples of work:

Fashion Shoot Proposal

For this assignment I must choose a famous/iconic painting and using a camera and tools such as photoshop, I must create a parody of it in the form of a fashion shoot. For this I have chosen Picasso's 'Weeping Woman'

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a spanish painter who became very famous for his developements in cubism. This piece which was part of a series of ten 'Weeping Woman's was painted in 1937 using oil on canvas, and was painted after the Spanish Civil War. It is thought to be referred to as a universal image of suffering. The fragments of her face depict her literally falling apart with grief, the bold colours expressing the intensity of her misery.

To create this photoshoot I am going to create a yellow backdrop to bring out the boldness of the woman in the picture. The model I have chosen has blue hair, and using face paint I will recreate the lines and jaggedness of this piece, finishing it off in photoshop by disorting the picture.