‘You’re too old for Fairy-Tales’
I have
always been fascinated by Fairy-Tales, myths and legends. Such stories have
always offered up an easy source of escapism for me; how simple it is to open a
book and immerse yourself in a world full of excitement and danger, without
leaving the house! This idea is so ingrained into my creative process and illustrative
research that Fairy-Tale themes and content find their way, almost organically
into my work. I am no longer under the impression that Fairy-Tales are something
I will outgrow. On the contrary, further exploration last year during my
authorship project has cemented my belief that Fairy-Tales can grow with you! Getting
older simply means that you draw different things from them and there comes a
point when they take on whole new meanings and you are old enough to read them,
learn from them and love them all
over again.
This is
the theory on which I will base my final major project. I am passionate that
Fairy-Tales should not be discarded as ‘stories for children.’ Fairy-Tales were
never, really, child appropriate; they were terrifying in their early forms,
often religious in theme, written to teach children moral values by instilling
a ‘cause and effect’ morality into their belief system. The seven deadly sins
and Ten Commandments feature heavily; often through guises, however as time progresses
and such convictions are no longer as relevant to society, Fairy-Tales have
lost their original meanings. Disney, branded Fairy-Tales for the children, it stripped
the stories of their blood-lust, of sex and violence and created the ‘happily
ever after.’ The result is, often a nice story but we, as a viewer learn no
harsh lessons because the cause and effect strategy is condensed to something unnoticeable.
I believe,
however, the Fairy-Tale of old and the Fairy-Tale of new can live in tandem.
They can, if executed correctly, retain their moral value, in way that is
relatable today and a modern, adult audience can relate to. Specifically, I
intend to, through imagery, style and content, highlight the sinister and adult
undertones of these stories and still retain the ‘happily ever after.’ Through research
and development I will find a way to draw out whole new meanings from these Fairy-Tales to give them a new lease of life with an adult audience. I will
not, however, limit the outcome and brand it inappropriate for children, so all
adult themes should be suitably communicated in a way that would be noticed by
an older audience but overlooked by a child. I will achieve this by using
subtly suggestive imagery, taking stock from Illustrators such as Arthur
Rackham, David Gough and Edmund Dulac; whose work often depicts violence, nudity,
and danger and yet all are considered ‘Fairy-Tale’ illustrators.
To best
achieve my aims I will presenting my work as a graphic novel because I believe that
the most effective way to target an adult, modern audience, is to present my
stories in the most adult, modern way possible. Graphic novels are very popular,
there is a market for them and therefore, I know I will find a client in
various Publisher’s whether I aim as high as Marvel or publish a few myself (I
will not limit who I send my work to, there are many publishers who specialise
in graphic novels and it is worth contacting all who publish in a wide
age-range ‘Vertigo, Cinebook etc.). The
novel will be A4 sized (easily transportable), consisting of three stories ‘Beauty
and the Beast,’ ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ and the ‘Wild Swans.’ I have chosen these
stories because I think they have the most sinister undertones as well as some
modern ideals and relatable issues. Each story will be told from multiple view-points,
so despite the fact each story boasts a heroine, there will be someone for
everyone to empathise with. Each story will be no more than seven double page
spreads; typically ‘bed-time story’ sized. In my favourite graphic novel ‘Once
Upon a Time’ the back pages consist of development work, character sketches and
concept art, something I wish to emulate in my book because it adds another
level of interest. The three sections will be accentuated by a title page that
clearly sums up the feel of the story but are more simplistic than the front
cover, which should be more detailed than the inner storyboards (in the way of ‘Wonderland’
and ‘Fables’). I aim to begin using pencil, ink and watercolour for the development
process but for the finished images I will storyboard in graphic markers (Copic,
Promarker) and black Indian ink for a harsh, contacting effect.
I will ensure
that my final outcome is produced to a professional standard by researching and
putting to practice different graphic novel production techniques and applying
them to my storyboards ad concept art. Research, development and
experimentation with media and process will not only ensure that my work is
fully informed and, therefore, executed professionally, it will also extend my practical
skills. I should have dexterity for many new techniques, computer program's, new
graphic media’s, book- making, and camera angles for composition etc. by the
completion of this process. I should also ensure, at the end of each stage and
learning curve, that I document in writing what I have learned, updating the
blog so I can reflect upon what elements have been successful so the project moves forward.
A major
source of inspiration for this project is going to be film and film-makers;
specifically Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Not only can I learn a lot from
camera angles and the composition of film and story-telling but Kitsis and Horowitz' share my motives; their work has
influenced and shape my style. They understand that the brilliance of Fairy
Tales stems from the ability to balance fantasy and reality to make something
empathetic and believable. In both of their famous television series ‘Once Upon
a Time’ and ‘Lost,’ they blur the lines of the real and surreal, give Fairy
Tale characters relatable flaws, they tell us the bits we ‘didn't know.’ In addition,
I will be influenced by the intense dark styling's of fine-artist David Gough’s
fantasy paintings, using dark contrasting tones and expressive compositions. I
will analyse their work critically, taking apart the useful elements and recognising
irrelevance.
I will be doing lots of observational drawing, looking into scenery
and background, visiting castles, manor houses, and villas. The illustrative
‘world’ I place these stories in will be a mixture of the archaic and the
current. The ‘archaic’ should be homage to historical accuracy; relevant
research into the appropriate costume, decor and setting to suit mood and
narrative requirements. I can find this in old costume movies, theater museums
etc. The right amount of real and surreal will be achieved with figurative
‘reality’ and a scheme for set and costume that is developed but 'unspecific
but should be informed by life drawing.
Constantly creating imagery and using my blog to highlight my
development and progress will not only help me to communicate my ideas to my
peers but it will also ensure that I have evidenced said progress. The blog should
be coherent so that the progression is clear and in tutorials I can refer to
it, using the time to ask relevant questions that will inform and advance my
final major project.