5. Africa and Artists

To get artistic inspiration for my work I looked a Artists from the the African continent. I want to get an understanding of what colours, textures and shapes really makeup what Africa is, along with that I want to get a contemporary stance on African design. What makes me so intreage about the art from Africa is that is it so distinctive and yet so untouched. It is so close to nature and the landscaped these people live in.

Carol Fourie

Robert Slingsby

Robert Slingsby is a South African artist. He was commisioned to produce artwork for the 2010 world cup. His art is the perfect representation of south africa the colition of modern and traditional.

 

Joseph Masila

Josept Masila is a Kenyan artist who takes the traditional African art and creates miraculous abstract peace's. I love the vibrant colour pallets and shapes he has produced. I want to use his art as a influence to how I produce my Illustrations.

Martin Bulinya

Martin Bulinya is more of a traditional artist, taking influence of the tribal works by the massai tribe.

 

Irma Stern

Walter Battiss

El Anatsui

El Anatsui is a Ghanan Sculpter who uses clay and wood to create his traditional Ghanan influenced sculptures. I love the forms created by Anatsui, I feel I can take something away from this and draw it into the backdrops of my artwork.

Soly Cisse

Wosene Kosrof

Butterfly Research

Symbolic Meaning

The butterfly is a symbol of transformation because of its metamorphosis. Its lifecycle is one of the most diverse in the world. The lifecycle carries themes of Resurrection and rebirth, with this It carries parallels with religions.

"The butterfly never meets its mother. It must survive independently and remains a stranger to affection.  An animal nurtured by mother's milk, however, is dependent on another for its basic survival. A child who grows up in a cold and detached home environment is similar to the butterfly, in that kindness is sparing. Once an adult, it will be very difficult for that person to show compassion." - Dali Lama

The butterfly raises itself it brings itself into adulthood. Is the a sign of strength in nature or showing us the rawness and realities of nature. A butterfly can demonstrate how ever changing nature is and how energy flows through all things. The average life span of a butterfly is 3 to 6 weeks with the migrating monarch living up to a year.

We often see two butterflies featured as a representation of true love. In Congo and Mexico butterflies are symbolic of the soul, I believe that the way that the butterfly gracefully floats through the air really shows these qualities.

FAFANTO is a Ghanaian symbol in the shape of a butterfly. It is said to represent honesty, gentleness and tenderness.

Chaos Theory

The Chaos theory also know as the the butterfly effect is explained by the metaphor of a butterfly flapping its wings one side of the world and it can cause a contrasting effect the other side of the world. When researching the chaos theory the Lorenz attractor came up, its an oscillator that represents chaotic flow. What makes me interest about the Lorenz attractor is how it looks very butterfly like. below are a selection of images of the Lorenz attractor

Although this all might seem irrelevant talking about the symbolism of a butterfly when I am going to tell the scientific and factual story of its Life Cycle. There is something very illusive about a butterfly that can only be captured by witnessing one out in the daylight. I want to gather every aspect of what makes a butterfly so beautiful to bring it into the animation and cause the audience not only to be engaged by the factual understanding of the story but as well but engaged visual and in a sense spiritually.

 Jewellery

There are many interpretations of butterfly's in jewellery mainly broaches. They all have a very distinct style to each one.

Toys

Butterflies are used allot in children's today. The variations of shapes and designs are delightful. I feel this will great influence for my character designs

Keywords

• Resurrection
• Transition
• Celebration
• Lightness
• Time
• Soul
• Symmetrical
• Honesty
• Tenderness
• Gentleness

 

2. Life Cycle Research

The Lifecycle is a perfect three act story

• ACT 1 The Egg turns into Larva/Caterpillar
• ACT 2 The Caterpillar turns into the Pupa
• ACT 3 And the Pupa turns into butterfly which in turn lays eggs (Making it a cycle)

ACT 1 – THE EGG

• The Eggs have a hard-shell
• They are stuck to leaves by a glue
• Some species lay one egg at a time, others lay eggs in small clusters, while others lays hundreds at a time.
• On the underside of the leaf

Transition – Out Hatches the Caterpillar it gnaws its way out of the egg

ACT 2 – THE CATERPILLAR

• Cause Damage to Plants and Fruit
• Consume Leafs and Spend there life pretty much doing this
• Some are Insectivores but most are Herbivores
• They mature, during what is called instars they get new skins

 

• They then go through the stage called Apolysis, of which the cuticle separates from the epidermis.

Transition –

• When fully grown the Larva starts producing certain hormones which cause it to seek for a suitable place to pupate
• The make a button out of silk which they use to fasten to a twig of leaf.
• The larva transforms into pupa, it sheds it skin and underneath is a Chrysalis
• The larva performs metamorphosis inside the Chrysalis. It transforms into the adult butterfly.

ACT 3 – THE BUTTERFLY

• They have four wings and six legs
• It cannot fly until the wings have completely unfolded
• Most excrete a dye after they have hatched
• The have a short life time. and dont eat only eat through their proboscis

Transition / End – The butterfly then continues the cycle by laying an egg or multiple egg.

1. Introduction to Major Project

For my Major Project I am going to create a short animation explaining the Life Cycle of a Butterfly.

Client: Natural History Museum

Audience: Young Children

Aim: To explain the lifecycle of a butterfly within a short animation. To use a particular butterfly and culture to add style and substance to the short. The animation will use the butterfly’s information to define where it is set, how it look and how the butterflies lives. The animation will give the factual information to the level that young children can understand.

Plan:

• To research the life cycle of butterfly
• To Find a butterfly and culture to help with the design of project
• Develop a explanation and story to explain the lifecycle in a way young children will understand and enjoy