Final: Broken Face
Brainstorm and Ideas
My focus of this unit is fragile and broken objects, or what can be broken. I have brainstormed objects which is able to be broken or torn, and my idea is to put it together with portrait. This is to represent an emotionally broken person through this. The theme of shattered objects runs through this, and links with the emotion of the person.
Idea 1 is about breaking away the head as if it has been smashed away into small pieces. Idea 2 is taking away a 'mask' as it is made out of ceramic and there is a force which is breaking away to reveal the true identity. Idea 3 is a very similar idea, but it is breaking away so that you can see the face underneath. The last idea is about someone tearing themselves in pain and frustration, where the broken piece are set free, and almost like the person is made out if this fragile object. |
Heitor Magno
Heitor Magno is a 26 year old visual artist from Brazil. He unites painting, drawing and photography in his creation process that works in various mediums such as paintings to films and photo manipulations. It seems that he is using his instincts or a sixth sense to create dramatic pictures. He is a self-taught artists and has organised many exhibitions in Brazil and is expanding. Magno captures and manipulates/edits these portraits with these interesting rock formations as a way to express his emotion at that time.
Photoshoot
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This is my first photshoot, where I am working in the style of my photographer - Heitor Magno, so I have taken some photos which emphasises the neck in different poses and directions. There was no facial expression because the rocks would cover the face, so there was no need, but I also experimented with bare shoulders and with a top on to see which looked better. For the lighting, I wanted to have a similar look at what Magno had done, which was the lighting behind the model, but I didn't have a smaller light, so I created a similar effect by putting the light beside the wall.
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Broken Tiles
I have used broken tiles, as that is what Magno used for his work. I laid out the pieces in the form of which I plan to layer it onto the portrait picture. I have done some where the tiles are breaking away from larger pieces into smaller ones, and some where it is as if it is around the face. I have included very small pieces, beause I think it would make the piece look more realistic.
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Edited Photographs
1. I desaturated the portrait photograph and adjusted the brightness and contrast.
4. This is what it looks like when I erased the extra parts out.
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2. I then added the layer of the broken tiles and placed and adjusted it on the face.
5. In order to work in the style of Magno, I had to paint on top of the face to remove the face.
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3. I had use the rubber tool to erase out the excess parts that I did not need.
6. I adjusted the angles and used to burn tool to create more depth and shadows.
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These are the outcomes of the artist replication that I did. I think it is successful because it looks like Magno's work, however I need to improve on getting the paint colours smooth and work out where to show the hair so it doesn't look out of place. To develop this, I think I will put the tiles on the face rather than replacing it and make the tiles seem part of the body.
Antonio Mora
1. Using the 'Magic Wand' tool, I erased the background of the tiles, so only the main pieces can be seen.
4. I had to rub out the part of the head which I wanted to be empty - so I could have the broken pieces there.
7. For some parts, of the head, I wanted it to blend out the show the tile. I did the same process as before, but with a low opacity erased the portrait piece so it revealed the tile.
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2. I got the photograph of the portrait picture which I will use.
5. I painted the part I rubbed out so it would blend in the background.
8. I added a few more pieces of tiles and created a shadow for the tiles.
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3. I desaturated the portrait layer, made a copy of that layer, and resized it. I then added the tile layer and placed where I wanted it to go.
6. I wanted to make some parts of the head breaking off. So using the quick selection tool, I selected the tile where I wanted the head to show, clicked on the full portrait picture (with the quick selection in the same shape) and made a copy of that part. I put the layer at the top so you could see the head.
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With using Antonio Mora's style of creating a transition from the head to an object, I have made it so that the tiles are breaking away from the head. This is so it creates a sense that the tiles are exploding out of her head rather than replacing her face. I think this concept works but the face of the model needs more expression and where the tiles should break out from should be different.
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This is another experimentation piece, which has been very successful due to it's composition. I this is because of the lighting and the way in which the tiles break out from, it looks more realistic than the piece on the left. Like both of the photographers I have kept with the black and white theme, which works as it makes it seem that both the heads and tiles are together.
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Lee Jeffries
"Lee Jeffries lives in Manchester in the United Kingdom. His photoraphy began with meeting with a young homeless girl in the streets of London changes his artistic approach forever. Lee Jeffries recalls that, initially, he had stolen a photo from this young homeless girl huddled in a sleeping bag. The photographer knew that the young girl had noticed him but his first reaction was to leave. He says that something made him stay and go and discuss with the homeless girl. His perception about the homeless completely changes. They become the subject of his art. The models in his photographs are homeless people that he has met in Europe and in the United States." From then onwards, his photographs portray his convictions and his compassion to the world. Jeffries's work links to my development work and will help me with it, because this topic is about emotion. As I am lookin into being fragile and feeling vulnerable I have chosen to look at Jeffries due to the emotion that he aptures in hhis photographs. Therefore, I will use what Jeffries captures and use it in my developing work.
Photoshoot - Emotion
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To develop my work I have done another photoshoot where I have made my model show emotions of sadness and pain, much like Lee Jeffries.
With the emotions, I wanted the model to seem fragile because then I would use the explosion of tiles to make it look like she is made out of stone / tiles, and it is breaking out of her. For the lighting I have kept it simple and well lit, because the main focus is the model. |
I selected some picture from which I have editted in the style of Lee Jeffries. I picked the best photos which really capture emotion and so would link to my main idea of being fragile.
Although I did not take these photos with a black background, I made the portrait quite dark and used the burn tool to emphasise shadows and depth. I used the blur and sharpen tool to enhance the face, which is also what Jeffries used. Although this would be looked better with a black background, for my final piece which includes the broken tiles, a white background suits the composition. |
This is a final experimentation of a close of a broken face. I've decided to break off half the face instead of the body. I think the idea of half the model being broken away and the face/body gradually being turned into tiles works very well. However, I don't think breaking half the face works because the emotion is lost and it is an important part of the piece.
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This is an unsuccessful idea for my final piece, as I don't think it expresses emotion as explicitly as I wanted it to. Also, it doesn't look as if the tiles are made out of the body and are exploding out of her. For my final pieces, I think I will make it look like the piece above but using more of the body and less of the face.
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