Quick look - My final resolutions:
Commission Details
Brief:
4 tarot card designs in line with the festival theme to be then turned into felt based fabric transfer for use as a costume during the festival itself. Details:
- Festival theme: 'A Town of Two Faces' - Wild West theme with a twist
- Specific overall theme: Tarot Cards, with day vs night theme (so as to be adopted by the client when attending the festival.)
- 4 Specific tarot card designs (chosen by client): Death, The Tower, The Devil, The Ten of Swords
- Individual design dimensions: 4 x A3
- Any colour & any media
- Deadline: 22nd July 2015
Considerations: Final 4 designs need to be in digital format ready for printing
Audience
- All that attend the festival
- Standon Calling judges (judging the outfits throughout the weekend event)
Duration for completion: 6 Days (after receiving the full brief and information from the client extremely late.)
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Research: The Festival
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Research: Tarot Cards and existing history/artwork/traditional imagery
James R. Eads
http://www.jamesreads.com/
http://prismavisionstarot.com/
During my research inot the various forms of tarot cards, I came across illustrator and designer James R. Eads.
The Prisma Vision Tarot Deck - James R. Eads.
The Light Visions Tarot Deck - James R. Eads.
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Requested card selection:
- Death
- The Tower
- The Devil
- The Ten of Swords
Ideas and Concept:
Sticking with the wild-west theme yet incorporating the clients request of tarot cards, I want to merge these two very distinctive style together as one. Things to consider:
Wild west / desert themes/icons:
• Sand
• Sunsets
• Dunes
• Canyon / mountains
• Vast space
• Cracked sand / salt flats
• specific desert flowers
• cacti
• large birds of prey roaming the skies
• abandoned farms/outbuildings/barns
Tarot Card reference
Death:
Meaning: Death is symbolic of the ending of a major phase or aspect of your life that may bring about the beginning of something far more valuable and important.
• Upright: Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition
• Reversed: Resistance to change, unable to move on
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The Tower
Meaning:
• Upright:
• Reversed:
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The Devil
Meaning: The card of the Devil represents the hidden forces of negativity that constrain you and that trick you into thinking you are imprisoned by external forces ultimately out of your control. The Devil is an inner force within each of us.
• Upright: Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism
• Reversed: Detachment, breaking free, power reclaimed
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The Ten of Swords
Meaning: The Ten of Swords usually symbolises a sudden and unexpected failure or disaster, whereby a power beyond your control crushes you without warning or mercy.
• Reversed: Recovery, regeneration, fear of ruin, inevitable end
• Upright: Back-stabbed, defeat, crisis, betrayal, endings, loss
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Process & Development:
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Final Designs
Format: A3 Portrait
Media: Copic markers, Daler Rowney Acrylic Ink and water, Pen & Ink
Stock: 300gsm Bristol Board
Designs in Context:
(pics of clients from the festival)
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Positives• Pleased with the quality of artwork (considering I ued brand new processes and creatuve techniques/media
• Felt I have hit the brief in a unique and interesting way
• True to concept
• Most illustrative work i have done this summer to date - inspired me and kept my head in the game when it comes to continuing on with my practice
• All good experience when dealing with new clients and receiving paid work
• Work of a high quality that I would be happy to include in my professional practice portfolio
Negatives
• Designs and overall finished artwork took a lot longer than expected
- Used new creative techniques (Copic Markers & acrylic ink)
- for a quick turn around should maybe play to my strengths in the future and not always attempt something new and interesting with every brief that comes my way.
• Unfortunately I ended up spending more money on the materials for this collection of pieces, than what I actually made in terms of profit for the commission.
• I also wasn't given the option of asking for my own price for the work - the client suggested/demanded a price and I felt in a position to accept without challenging this.
- Something to really think about when pricing up my professional work in the future.
- Work must reflect the hours spent an the cost of materials etc otherwise I will continue to be at a loss and this will not sustain me as a career / profession.
• Late notice and limited brief details from client meant short time frame to create pieces of desired quality and size.
- This resulted in an uncomfortable & stressful process along with many late nights for completion.
- I usually like to work under pressue, however when a client has requested work (that be of a very public nature) - you want to be able to give them your best and I felt I had to rush this artwork - causing stress and unwanted sleepless nights