More Artist Inspiration

Easter has just started and the beginning of this week I have just been continuing to paint scenes. Additionally, I have found it helpful to look back at a few different artists for inspiration and motivation. These have included:

Angela Barrett -

The Night Before Christmas - Angela Barrett

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy -
Angela Barrett

The compositions in her illustrations are always inspiring and makes me want to go out of my comfort zone and be more experimental with mine. I love the mood and atmosphere she manages to portray in her images as well.

Yoshitaka Amano - 

Yoshitaka Amano

Yoshitaka Amano

Again, Amano's composition and the contrasting shapes/colours have been influential, particularly in illustrating the Snow Queen character. Her tall, grand figure dramatically contrasts Kai's much smaller figure which I emphasised in the painting below.

The Snow Queen and Kai on the Sledge, Selina Quach, 2014
Although red is the symbolic colour that ties Kai and Gerda together - meaning love - it can also represent other themes, such as danger. Here the red scarf indicates the latter more.

Audrey Beardsley's work is similar in that she uses a lot of striking figures and simple, effective curving lines which have also been an influence on me.

A Suggested Reform in Ballet Costume - Audrey Beardsley

The Peacock Skirt, Audrey Beardsley, 1983