Sketches & Concepts

I'm beat, so this'll be a shorter blog entry. I've hit the ground running at school, and I am loving it. But this illness I've had has really taken it out of me, man...

Our first assignment for my Illustration Concepts class
is to interpret the classic "Baba Yaga" character - more commonly known as the witch in most fairytales. I chose to work in metaphorical and psychological space for my preliminary thumbnails. Baba Yaga is both mother of life and bringer of death, and is typically seen depicted with her house that stands on a chicken leg, with serpents, or with birds. True to witch form, she is often seen as a haggard old woman, with a beak-like nose and frail, bony features.

I find this character really fascinating, to be honest.  
I really love history and figuring out deeper meanings in art through the use of symbols. It's definitely something I employ in my own work. I like making people think about the meaning behind the work, and I like hiding things from the viewer; like a secret that only I know, unless you're smart enough or know me well enough to figure it out. I probably do this in every work I make, sometimes even in commissions. I'm working on a painting for someone very dear to me right now that has a ton of hidden meanings.

I was very pleased that my sketches were well-received by my professor - I was really nervous. The bar here at SCAD is set very, very high, and I feel very honoured to be a part of the program.

Tomorrow is my Computer Illustration class, which I think I'm really, really going to enjoy. Time to drift off ~ sweet dreams, lovely birds!