Craft:
When I first began these illustrations I kept thinking about how I was going to draw the object. I realized, after our introduction to the pen, that it would be best to use it the same way I used a marker. I started to sketch the objects with fluid lines and filled them in with lights and shadows by adding more and more lines. I used lighter colors to represent the lighted parts and the darker colors to show the shadows. This worked from the very first mask that I created. I then began to play with the different line types and thickness until I found the one that popped out to me as if it was saying ‘yep, you find me and I’m perfect for your mood’.
After looking at the masks that I crated I realized that I needed something else, something to express myself, so I began to write with the pen tool around the masks on the paper. This was simple like writing on a piece of paper. But after trying as many as five of my different hand writing styles I realized that only one worked for these illustrations. So I recreated all of my text, my own poems, with that specific writing. I then increased the lines thickness until I found the perfect amount to pull the illustration together.
The next step that I took was to use the box and octagon creators. I used a simple black outlined box with no fill to surround the text and mask. I then used the octagon creator and matched the color to those I used in the mask illustration to help pull the illustration together as a whole. I then pulled the octagon shape slowly into the picture, but not the entire octagon. I used just a simple corner of the octagon. I placed an octagon at every corner of the illustration.
Composition:
When I first began the sketches of the masks I placed three masks upon each picture. I then realized that I had created a lot more masks than I needed to create. So, I ended up picking my six favorite and placed a single mask in the center of each illustration. The masks were sort of floating there, as someone pointed out to me, so I decided to give some of the masks, but not all, a simple shadow underneath. This helped the masks look like the belonged there, but I realized that I needed something more to pull them together.
When I looked at the masks I began to think of the type of story each mask would have. This led to me thinking of some of my past poetry that I had created so I decided to do some fishing. I decided that the poetry should surround the mask, but not go through or behind the mask itself. This made the page look like a jumbled mess and I needed something to fix it and fast.
I decided that the best way to fix the jumbled mess was to include something on the outside of the illustration to make it look like it wasn’t just thrown together. I used the octagon symbols first to make the picture look as if it was being held down as if it was in a scrapbook. But, after another person pointed out that maybe the text shouldn’t run off the illustration we decided that I should place a boarder around the text and under the octagons. This made it look like a simple picture that was being held down. It worked perfectly.
Concept:
These illustrations didn’t have anything of importance to me until I began to change the colors and designs. Then they struck me. I always had this old story in my head about the evil that went along with the mask, funny enough it was from a movie I watched as a child with my grandmother. The fear that sent a chill down my back and the wanting of that mask is what had made the mask such a big part of my life. I wanted to help express this to all those around me.
When I looked at the masks alone on the sheets I knew that others would most likely never make connections to the feelings that I was having about each and every one. I knew from many past acquaintances that the best way to express oneself is to show them the deepest feelings through a group of words. I decided that my group of words would be my poetry.
The colors of the illustration just stuck to me and I couldn’t change them but the masks that held these colors made me realize that a shape can make a feeling more distinct. I placed those poems that expressed my feelings for the mask around the masks. Now the only thing that I have left to do is wait and see if everyone else feels the same once they looks into the eyes of the masks.
Bedizen Textsketch
There are many reasons why I named my style Bedizen Textsketch. Bedizen basically means tasteless and when I think of something written or drawn I either like it or I don't. And I believe that everything needs to have a specific taste for someone to like it. So, when I was looking upon my illustrations I realized I was placing the two different ideas of poetry and drawing in one picture. I then decided that this work would be seen as tasteless yet tasteful to many people, so I decided on the term bedizen. The textsketch part came basically from the idea that I was writing text within an application by sketching it. When one writes text they are simply writing or typing it, but when one uses an application like illustrator they will need to draw or sketch the text within the illustration. This is how I created the word textsketch.
