The Final Character

I used the colour pallet I created to added in colour to icarus. I didnt want any colour to individually stand out in him but rather all to complement each other.

For the Final image I added some shading to show what Icarus would look like in 3d.

Concept Art–Flying to Close

For this piece of concept art, I wanted to draw from the Greek pottery art as well are making it appealing to children (the target audience). I I created it using Illustrator and Photoshop. I gave it a 3d vibe along with the 2d illustrative design of Icarus. I added texture influenced by my landscape moodboard. I followed the colour pallet aswell as adding a sun struck blue for the sea.

Character Refinement

During my prior tutorial Alan said that the character needed to go back a stage and keep with the triangles rather than the smoothened corners. We discussed making the feet and toes larger like bricks and giving Icarus more of a pictorial shape to his chest. I went back to the shape before I rounded off the corners off Icarus and created a silhouette.

Head Development

Hand and Feet Development

To help me get more of a shape and an understanding of how Icarus will look in 3d I used Maya to block a simple model and played with the shape keeping in mind of the original triangles. I added in more of a human shape

 

Character Design / Shapes

For the design of Icarus I began with shapes and blocking out silhouettes. I wanted to keep it simple to start with and not add to much detail. I took ideas and shapes from my mood board taking influence from the geometric shapes of the Cycladic dolls.

I progressed to this character. This the design really didn’t take much from the mood board but more from my own style nor did it have a Greek design. What I needed to do was combine this with everything else.

I started again from the ground up and concentrated on added more youth to the character. I shortened the legs and made the shoulder width smaller. I refined down a simple triangle shape, which gives Icarus boy like features big on bottom and small on top. I took the shape and added more triangles within it till I was happy to turn it into a character. I introduced Greek accessories and added some curvature to reference the traditional Greek style.

I wanted to make Icarus seem even smaller by making the wings 3-4 times the size of his body. Also it kind gives the idea from the begging his bitten off more than he can chew. I've played with the idea of having enlarged feathers as well giving a more dramatic effect when the eventually fall away.

Historical Research and Storyline

I sought to research the storyline of Icarus to gather a more original form of the myth. I spoke to lecturer of Ancient of Greek at the University of Exeter who emailed me a resource for pretty much anything Ancient Greek.

“The well-known version of the story is formulated in Ov. Met. 8,183-235 (cf. Apollod. Epitome 1,12f.); a Pompeiian fresco is from about the same time. It is difficult to make out what earlier tales were like: first, but recognizable only in outline, is the myth in Attic tragedy (since Aesch. Pers. 890; the lost ‘Cretans’ of Euripides were important), and whether the version, recorded since the 4th cent., that the Icarian Sea takes its name from I. falling from his father's ship and drowning (Menecrates of Xanthus, FGrH 769 F 1) precedes the tale of the flight or rather rationalizes it (cf. Diod. Sic. 4,77,6; Paus. 9,11,2), is unclear; the oldest pictorial representation (an Attic black-figured skyphos from about 600) shows only Daedalus. Despite the aetiology which clearly points to the island Icarus/Icaria and the Icarian Sea, I. probably first belonged in the Attic Icaria ( Icarius), which neighboured the deme Daedalidae; Daedalus himself is an Athenian, son of Metion (Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 146)…..The main source of the story is Ovid’s Metamorphoses book 8.”

Source: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book 8

Ive highlighted the key points in this version of Icarus for anything I feel could be relevant when transcribing this version

DAEDALUS AND ICARUS

But Daedalus abhorred the Isle of Crete—
and his long exile on that sea-girt shore,
increased the love of his own native place.
“Though Minos blocks escape by sea and land.”
He said, “The unconfined skies remain
though Minos may be lord of all the world
his sceptre is not regnant of the air,
and by that untried way is our escape.”

This said, he turned his mind to arts unknown
and nature unrevealed. He fashioned quills
and feathers in due order — deftly formed
from small to large, as any rustic pipe
prom straws unequal slants. He bound with thread
the middle feathers, and the lower fixed
with pliant wax; till so, in gentle curves
arranged, he bent them to the shape of birds.

While he was working, his son Icarus,
with smiling countenance and unaware
of danger to himself, perchance would chase
the feathers, ruffled by the shifting breeze,
or soften with his thumb the yellow wax,
and by his playfulness retard the work
his anxious father planned.

But when at last
the father finished it, he poised himself,
and lightly floating in the winnowed air
waved his great feathered wings with bird-like ease.
And, likewise he had fashioned for his son
such wings; before they ventured in the air
he said, “My son, I caution you to keep
the middle way, for if your pinions dip
too low the waters may impede your flight;
and if they soar too high the sun may scorch them.
Fly midway. Gaze not at the boundless sky,
far Ursa Major and Bootes next.
Nor on Orion with his flashing brand,
but follow my safe guidance.”

As he spoke
he fitted on his son the plumed wings
with trembling hands, while down his withered cheeks
the tears were falling. Then he gave his son
a last kiss, and upon his gliding wings
assumed a careful lead solicitous.
As when the bird leads forth her tender young,
from high-swung nest to try the yielding air;
so he prevailed on willing Icarus;
encouraged and instructed him in a]l
the fatal art; and as he waved his wings
looked backward on his son.

Beneath their flight,
the fisherman while casting his long rod,
or the tired shepherd leaning on his crook,
or the rough plowman as he raised his eyes,
astonished might observe them on the wing,
and worship them as Gods.

Upon the left
they passed by Samos, Juno's sacred isle;
Delos and Paros too, were left behind;
and on the right Lebinthus and Calymne,
fruitful in honey. Proud of his success,
the foolish Icarus forsook his guide,
and, bold in vanity, began to soar,
rising upon his wings to touch the skies;
but as he neared the scorching sun, its heat
softened the fragrant wax that held his plumes;
and heat increasing melted the soft wax—
he waved his naked arms instead of wings,
with no more feathers to sustain his flight.
And as he called upon his father's name
his voice was smothered in the dark blue sea,
now called Icarian from the dead boy's name.

The unlucky father, not a father, called,
“Where are you, Icarus?” and “Where are you?
In what place shall I seek you, Icarus?”
He called again; and then he saw the wings
of his dear Icarus, floating on the waves;
and he began to rail and curse his art.

He found the body on an island shore,
now called Icaria, and at once prepared
to bury the unfortunate remains;
but while he labored a pert partridge near,
observed him from the covert of an oak,
and whistled his unnatural delight.

Know you the cause? 'Twas then a single bird,
the first one of its kind. 'Twas never seen
before the sister of Daedalus had brought
him Perdix, her dear son, to be his pupil.
And as the years went by the gifted youth
began to rival his instructor's art.

He took the jagged backbone of a fish,
and with it as a model made a saw,
with sharp teeth fashioned from a strip of iron.
And he was first to make two arms of iron,
smooth hinged upon the center, so that one
would make a pivot while the other, turned,
described a circle. Wherefore Daedalus
enraged and envious, sought to slay the youth
and cast him headlong from Minerva's fane,—
then spread the rumor of an accident.

But Pallas, goddess of ingenious men,
saving the pupil changed him to a bird,
and in the middle of the air he flew
on feathered wings; and so his active mind—
and vigor of his genius were absorbed
into his wings and feet; although the name
of Perdix was retained.

The Partridge hides
in shaded places by the leafy trees
its nested eggs among the bush's twigs;
nor does it seek to rise in lofty flight,
for it is mindful of its former fall.”

This source have given me a good idea to what the original myth might be and putting. There are many parts of the story I will mention because they doesn't seem relevant and because of course this a is children's book. But there are parts than can be seen in the artwork that gives this book some authenticity.

Colour, Texture and Landscape

I've created a colour palette, Alan advised me to look at the Pantones within Photoshop. As well I've used an online colour scheme designer which can create schemes that complement each other. I have mainly focused on the oranges and brown which are featured throughout Greek art.

I made this mood board of images to influence the overall art direction as well as set design. I want a light and summery texture to the book, I've gathered images of Crete’s landscapes, sunsets and even the architecture.

Things to take note of:

• The way the sun shimmers over the water.
• The bushiness of the trees.
• The mountainous hillsides in the background.
• The sun breaking through the clouds has a heavenly and god like feel to it, this could work when Icarus is fallen.
• The low lying shoreline.
• The Dry ground with the brown and orange tones.

Character Mood-board

I gathered all the images from my research and create a mood board. I'm going to use this to help me create and design my Character.  

Character Research

When visiting the British Museum I noticed a big progression of styles through the Greek ages. The earlier the of the eras the more stylized the art and sculptures were. Here is a diagram I found in a book demonstration this.

Source – The Great Ages of Men – Classical Greece Pg-12-13

The Cycladic Civilization

The Cycladic civilization was based around the Aegean Sea Islands around 3300 – 2000 BC, a similar time and place to when Icarus supposedly occurred. The sculpture pieces really had a distinct style they played with geometric shapes and noticeably stood out to me. Highly stylized figures made up form isosceles triangles or trapezoids.

Sources - http://galleryaiolos.blogspot.com/ , http://www.lessing-photo.com, http://static.windmillstravel.com/

The distinctive style and shape is miles away from the classical period of Greek art. I want to take these shapes and forms and use them to influence my character design for Icarus.

Many modern sculptors have seem to have adopted this style. Henry Moore seems to have taken influence from this style.

Source - http://blog.lastminute.com

Aswell as Moore, Constantine Brancusi is another sculptor that adopts this style.

Source - http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com

Art Reference

Gerald Scarfe is a British Illustrator and cartoonist he is most famous for his work on pink Floyds wall. The work of his that I feel is great reference and influence is the production design he done on Disney's Hercules. I found the book “The Art of Hercules” which contains much of his work on the film along with others

All Images Sourced From – The Art of Hercules

I like how the artists have taken a Greek style and met in the middle with the quintessential Disney style. I can draw some great tones, textures and colours from this book.

Greek Artists

Alekos Fassianos

Alekos Fassianos is a Greek painter who’s work is heavily influenced by the classical Greek art. I like that you can see the influence but they were also fitting to when the were created in the 60’s. His use of curves and chubby like features on the characters and landscapes.

 

Source- http://www.mchampetier.com Source - http://www.ipernity.com

Source - http://www.ipernity.com Source -http://www.emiratesgreeks.com

Yiannis Moralis

Source - http://www.artnet.com

Giorgio de Chirico

Although Giorgio was not classed as a Greek artist he was born there and studied in Athens. His work has some Greek essence to it and something I couldn’t miss when looking for influence for my character design.

Source: http://www.leninimports.com  http://www.artchive.com/

Plan update

Book Design Ideas

Lenticular Printing

Lenticular Printing gives the ability to change the image by which angle it is viewed from, this could be a great idea in a way to create a animation like effect to my book. There are many companies offering the ability to print using this method. I will have to look at the feasibility of this and how much it will cost.

Shape and Finish

I am looking to make the book aesthetically stand out and in the future will enquire about the finishes.