Final photo shoot, exam preparation and Art and Graphics A Level Exam 'Final Pieces'

Graphics and Fine Art 15 hour exams are looming, so thought I'd better get cracking and take some more professional looking 'human' images for possible use in my work.

Yet again Gemma kindly agreed to be my model - she's helped me such a lot over the past 2 years.  Before the shoot my mum helped with styling Gemma's hair, I applied her make up and supplied the dress and together with mum I helped fix a white bed sheet to the wall - for my backdrop.  I wanted white because it would be easier to cut away Gemma's image from the background when using Photoshop.  

Here's a couple of behind the scene's - taken by Mum...

Here are a few of MANY images taken today...

Graphics first:-

To kick off I asked Gemma to sit down while looking into the distance.  I could possibly use this image for a 'Lil Bo Peep' nursery rhyme book cover.  Perhaps place her on a hillside, with her lost sheep hiding behind her?

Here's my finished 'Lil Bo Peep' inspired Nursery Rhyme book cover.  During part of the 15 hour graphics exam I had to create my hand drawn 'stock images', sheep sun, flowers, hat etc., for the background, plus publisher's logo. Using my favourite nursery rhyme style font, I put everything together including the book cover border, added colour, shade and tone using Photoshop software.

This is one of my favourite shots of Gemma.  I asked to sit on a chair and hold her hands as if resting them on something.  I have an idea about her sitting on Humpty Dumpty's wall :).

I'm really pleased with my 'Humpty Dumpty' inspired 2nd book cover.  I like how it's a 'mystery' - did Humpty fall off the wall or was he pushed?  If so, by who, Princess Gemma or the Sunflower's?

I used the same processes as my above 'Lil Bo Peep' cover.

Jonathan, my Graphics tutor, suggested that we add a few nursery rhyme style book pages as well as our book covers.  It was a little intense trying to fit everything into the 15 hours but here are my 2 copies of Nursery Rhyme 'Introduction', 'Foreword' and 'Nursery Rhyme' pages.

 'Introduction' pages are usually very simple, here I've added my own chicken and spider 'stock images' and favourite font, together my miniature version of my publisher's logo.

Here are my 2 x 'Foreword' pages.

 'Foreword' pages are usually written by the book publisher, explaining what the book is about and who it's designed for.

Here are my 2 x 'Nursery Rhyme' pages.

The exam specified that you could either create your own nursery rhyme or use traditional already created ones.  I decided to use existing rhymes, as had more than enough work to do during my exam.

Again using my favourite font and my own 'stock images' (mouse, clock, teapot and cup/saucer) created and Photoshop enhanced during the exam, here I've managed to create simple but effective nursery rhyme pages.

It was really hard and the pressure was on during my 15 hour exam, I had to design and draw everything from scratch.  However, once the 'ground work' was completed it was a little easier to create and put all my pages together.

I'm really happy with the final results, I think my book covers and pages appear professional, bright and colourful and would be enjoyable to look at and read.

Now for Fine Art and 'Multiple Images'.

I really like these shot's of Gemma because they're long, medium and close up images.  I can use these for my 'Multiple Images' 15 hour exam.

I'm inspired by my earlier research and Renaissance style (fashion model) triptych, and by beautiful paintings of women created by artists such as Alphonse Mucha and Gustav Klimt. So I decided to create my own multiple image of Gemma, using both paint and metal shapes to add texture.

My 'Fashion Icon's' golden triptych

Alphonse Mucha

Gustav Klimt

I only had 15 hours for my Fine Art exam, so unfortunately I didn't have time to take any photographs of my exam 'Multiple Image.  

I decided to push myself and create quite a large piece of artwork.  First of all I printed A3 size versions of my above 3 photographs of Gemma.  Then during the exam I carefully cut around the print outs and arranged the images of Gemma so they overlapped one another on my paper.

Smaller test version using A4 images cut out and overlapping one another.

Using 2 pieces of carbon paper taped together, sandwiched between the photographs and paper, I quickly drew over the cut out photographs leaving the copied images on the paper.  I wanted my Gemma's to have 'halo's' same as the Renaissance and my modern fashion model triptych's.  So using a mathematics compass I carefully measured from the middle of each of the Gemma faces to the top of the shoulders - then drew halo shapes around the heads.

Earlier rough carbon sketch and 'halo' practice.

I then applied a 'wash' of multi-tonal orange acrylic to the paper background, in the same fashion as the above Alphonse Mucha image.  Next I blended and added skin tone coloured acrylic to the Gemma's.  With the majority of large paint areas covered that was 5 hours of the exam over already!

A week later, in between continuing with my additional final art pieces and finishing my sketchbook, I painted the dresses, halo's, roses and some of the hair, adding as much detail as possible - 5 hours flew by again!

The final 5 hours of the exam and the pressure was on... :(. I added more texture and tones to the Gemma's hair, painted shade and tone onto the images and added facial detail.  With under a couple of hours left I then cut out circles of bronze coloured thin metal, using a special cutting machine, then proceeded to add texture and patterns to the metal shapes using a rounded pencil.  I also spray painted random stationary objects such as treasury tags and paper clips in a gold colour.  

With an hour left of the exam I quickly began glueing the metal shapes and objects to the golden halo's, mimicking the Klimt artwork style.  Immediately this added so much texture and interest to my painting.  With around 20 minutes to go, I wanted to add definition and texture in the same style as my earlier 'fashion model' triptych. I carefully applied black fine lines onto my paintings, defining the patterns on the dresses, the roses, hair and finally the faces.  I wanted my triple Gemma's to look like Renaissance style subjects.

With about a minute to go I added a final highlight to the eyes on one of my multiple Gemma's and was then finally finished :).

I can honestly say I worked hard on my exam piece and am quite proud of the end result.  I think I've managed to incorporate the different styles of my favourite artists while still sticking to a 'Multiple Image' theme.