Mar 21, 2010

Illustration Friday: Expired





"Young Girl as The Huntress"



This one inspired by an old photograph I saw last night, of a litle girl dressed as a huntress, the Teddy Bear as the hunted. Apart from the ominous shadow, I have tried to emulate the studio lighting popular at the beginning of last century. I suppose there's a few expirations going on here; on individual terms there is a loss of innocence, on cultural terms there is the replacement of the Teddy Bear with things like Nintendo and Tamagochhi.

Please click for big and thankyou for looking.





29 comments:

  1. so much innocence on a strong topic. great work!

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  2. awesome, love the staging, it does remind me of a vintage photo, I really like the shadow too

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  3. interesting one, Andrew! I guess guns never go out of style, heh heh ... what's with the wings? Is that something from the photo, or an emblem of the "huntress"? Beautiful color palette and intriguing lighting as always, my friend!

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  4. I guess she doesn't do tea parties either eh?

    Love your interpretation of the theme Andrew. Are the wings/harp symbols of angel innocence?

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  5. Her face is beautiful. I do feel a little badly for teddy though ;).

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  6. Hya, thanks for the kind words and looking at the image.

    Ahh the wings and the harp? I included them to suggest innocence, to reduce the gravity of the situation.

    It's funny how a harp and angels' wings have a strong emotive correlative, even in modern society and pagans like myself :) :)

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  7. Hi Andrew, I answered your painter x question on my blog. Let me know if I can help you with something specific, though I am sure you will do very well with it in no time.

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  8. Thanks very much. I will have a play eventually and then hit you with a puddle of questions :) :)

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  9. Hey Andrew, buddy, Wow I think this is my favorite of yours so far. The composition, lighting, shadows and character design are perfect! Love the little detail;s like the one pant leg pulled up a bit. She must have really been battling that bear! :o) Oh I forgot to post my truth... but you were the only one who guessed it right. Chaka Kahn DID l;et me use her microphone once when I was a bus boy at a banquet hall. We were setting up and I started goofing around and she caught me. Then she said go ahead, let's see what you got....

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  10. Hoh! Sounds velly intellesting! Better not delve too deeply ... :)

    Thanks for the comment on this work. It was fun trying to mimic a traditional photo 'shoot' - so I could bring in a few different elements as 'props'.

    cheers again :)

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  11. Oooooh, I love this. That would be like me as a young kid. Her facial expression is so wicked fun! Of course some politically correct psychologists will promptly consider this kid deviant and start to rehabilitate her! And I always love clicking for the big one!

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  12. This is a great image. I also wondered briefly about the wings and harp but interpreted them to be symbols of Diana (goddess of the hunt) but I'm not sure that they are actually her symbols so it was interesting to read why you included them. I'm not sure I am convinced they are necessary to suggest innocence, but I love the composition none the less.

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  13. Aha Ces, I have been caught out at/in Illustrating a deviant Child (an IADC) !!! Political correct hmmph! I still call actresses, actresses even though I can't spell it:) :) Yes I had been tempted on several occasions to deviate on the 'please click for big' thing! .....

    BTYw thanks for your kind comment

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  14. Hya Sally, thanks for that thoughtful comment. I can see what you mean about the wings non-necessity. I think I was trying to also get a few props in like the cute kids photographers might have, so was attempting to think like someone else -

    It's an interestinc concept Diana Goddess of the Hunt, one that has intrigued me. I wonder if a man wrote it - the original story of Actaeon. (?

    I think he might have.

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  15. im sorry, im laughing here...
    nonono, nothing to do with your post, you know what i mean.
    wait a min, ok.

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  16. Aha, I have foot in typewriter disease :)

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  17. you know, my first Tamagocthi (btw, it's Tamagotchi not Tamagochhi...) was a bird, the i bought a dinosaur, then a puppy, then a kitten.
    All dead.

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  18. they are nice! :))
    (i clicked for the big one too, you know... didnt mean to be rude...)

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  19. You always have a way of sending the wicked ones to mischief! Hahahaha! You are fun and wonderful.

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  20. Very cool style and great interpretation of the topic!

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  21. Hi Mita and Ces! So the www never sleeps, it sort of pulses and compresses and expands in small rarefactions.

    Hi Kacey thankyou. Love the swimming goggles.!

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  22. Beautiful piece! I love those old studio portraits too. Being a flea market junkie I see a lot of them & some are just riveting. This definitely captures the period staging & lighting-- but the girl's triumphant smile is a very modern touch!

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  23. The composition is so original.!

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Hya! Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I appreciate your time and thoughts.