ARTISTIC

INFLUENCES STYLING THE CHARACTER ERTE (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 Born Russia, lived France Diverse artist and designer graphic art, fashion & jewellery, costume and set design for film, theatre and opera.

1 - Peacock Dress from the Diva Suite 2 Woman in red, white, blue and black from Costume Series 3 Costume from Pelleas and Melisande

I have based one of my designs on the Peacock Dress because I love the way the models body moulds into the feathered sleeve. It is very organic and her arm could almost have morphed into a feathered wing. This 20s style drawing with a tall but flat chested fairly androgynous woman looks elegant but it does not convey the feminine power that I want to portray in my final picture. The Woman in Red, White, Blue and Black is an earlier picture. It is far sexier in pose, and not because it is more revealing. The pose is softer and the way she holds her arm out and turns her body towards the viewer is far more feminine and welcoming. The costume from Pelleas and Melisande is interesting because Erte conveys something birdlike with just one small hint of feathers.

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter. His major works include paintings, and other art objects. Klimt's primary subject was the female body.

1 Goldfish 2 Mermaids 3 unnamed sketch

Goldfish is one of my favourite paintings by Gustav Klimt. His use of colours makes it a little bit magical, and the blended figures take your eye down to the woman at the bottom. It is hard to see her expression but she seems to be smiling. Mermaids has an ethereal quality. The greenish water dappled with light, and the way the figures swim up like tadpoles give it a beautiful underwater effect. The colours are peaceful but the black figures are morbid and more like mythical sirens than the mermaids we think of today. As well as paintings Klimt did a huge amount of sketches. They are generally sexually explicit; I particularly like this one because the woman looks natural rather than posed, as if he has caught her at a moment when she is completely comfortable with her sexuality.

Tim Burton (born 1958) American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky- themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, and blockbusters Batman, Batman Returns, Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. He has written and illustrated a poetry book and a compilation of his drawings. His work is influenced by German Expressionism.

1- 2- 3- Catwoman sketches Early unnamed sketch Corpse Bride

The first sketch is one of Burtons early designs for Catwoman. He has taken the idea of a beautiful femme fatale and used physical attributes such as an elongated neck, wide hips, narrow waist and long legs and mixed in feline characteristics such as long nails and elegant posture. The middle sketch is very interesting, as the woman seems to be morphing as we watch - Burton has conveyed so much movement in the drawing. Its one of my favourite Burton sketches the woman doesnt look worried or uncomfortable with the change. The third sketch uses a splash of colour to highlight the macabre face. It allows Burton to convey deathly pale flesh without using white, and means the white wedding dress can stand out. The mood is set in similar ways in all three sketches, using grainy grey tones with the occasional touch of colour. This is very reminiscent of film noir.

Aubrey Beardsley (1872 1898) English illustrator and author. His drawings, done in black ink and influenced by the style of Japanese woodcuts, emphasized the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. Beardsley's contribution to the development of the Art Nouveau and poster styles was significant.

1 - The Dancers Reward (from Salome) 1894 2 - Climax 1893 3 - Title unknown

Aubrey Beardsley produced some very perverse and macabre pictures, which were heavily criticised during his time. The Dancers Reward and Climax are both interpretations of very deadly Femme fatales. I prefer the third picture, which shows a more vulnerable woman. Her wrapping could be lace or wings, it is very delicate.