Basic 101:Class 15 - Fantasy and Imagination

JayD · #1 03-14-2005, 02:01 AM

Basic 101: Class 15
Fantasy and Imagination
Or
Where Are You, Mr. Kitty Fantastico?

I had a really strange dream the other night. I dreamt that I was living in a small apartment like the one I had in college and was late for work so I grabbed the briefcase and went to work, late of course, and when I got there I could not remember the name of the company that I worked for so I rushed up the stairs that were in the building and when I got to the top, I looked down at my feet and discovered that I was barefoot. Instinctively I opened my briefcase and a ton of umbrellas came tumbling out and the only shoes in the briefcase were calico colored bunny shoes.

So I sat down on the floor and proceeded to put on the shoes. While putting on the shoes, I glanced to the side and noticed a Man, a little girl and a cat sitting next to me. The people did not speak to me or even acknowledge that I even existed but suddenly, the cat looked at me with an almost strangely grandmotherly look and started speaking…….

Darn it! I woke up!

Not being deterred, I immediately entered this in my dream journal which I had been keeping sine I was 16.

I use the dream journal as a source from ideas for everything from business to art—it also makes great reading.

Imagination.

There is no natural instinct for imagination. You all have it but like drawing now everyone knows how to exploit. When you have an idea that presents a solution you have used your imagination. When you invent something or write something as simple as a letter, you are using your imagination. Your imagination is tuned to the world around you and that is what you should learn to exploit.;

To exploit your imagination consider doing the following:

1. Keep a dream journal

2. Doodle

3. Keep a diary

4. Meditate

5. Take a shower and just let your mind float free.
5. Lay in your bed at night and go through your entire next day as if it were really happening.

When painting or drawing you can do a number of things. Your imagination is controlled by

1. Your racial culture

2. Your religious beliefs

3. Your family history

4. Your health

5. The people around you

6. Your education

7. Your economic conditions.

You just have to know how to look. Doing the exercises above will help you and I strongly recommend that you try them all. Mostly, do not THINK—imagination is a reflex.

JayD · #2 03-14-2005, 02:04 AM

Here is the demo—my comments, as usual, are on the photos.

JayD · #3 03-14-2005, 02:06 AM

Here is part 2

JayD · #4 03-14-2005, 02:07 AM

Your assignments:

1. Imagination Exercise. Using the Encounter Drawing (the demo drawing)—tell me what this drawing is about. You don’t have to be fancy—just say what you think it is about—use your imagination and give the image a life.

2. Drawing—create your own fantasy piece. You may use any and all elements at your disposal. You are NOT limited to just nudes—do ANYTHING that you want as long as it comes FROM your mind’s eye.

Bonnie will be gracing us again this week as our Fantasy Expert and will be ON hand to lend you A hand. Please take advantage of her expertise. Bonnie draws from her own personal life experiences and translates them into the beautiful images that you have see posted here on the forum.

The Field Trip.

Instead of the featured field trip this week. I want you ALL to spend time in the Fantasy Forum and see what other artists are doing. Feel free to comment and ask questions.

In short: HAVE FUN!!!!--Jay

SILKNSATIN · #5 03-14-2005, 02:28 AM

JayD very good and very interesting

So you had an idea of a goddess gazing into the eyes of a fire dragon

It all came together beautiful and love the way you placed the darks.
Well I did a hardbody fairy awhile back and deirdre asked where's the hardbody male fairy?lol.Well figured this was a good time to make him.
When I first started drawing him I was going to have him with a fireball in his hand,but something just didn't feel right about it.So I figured a nice little big eyed character in his hand would look more pleasently.I didn't mess with doodling the form on the scans,I just drew the form the way I wanted then darkened the lines I wanted to stay.This is more or less just a simple drawing and not much detail or deep shades and blends put into it.If you close your eyes you can see things just like seeing them with your eyes opened.So here goes.

sultry · #6 03-14-2005, 02:51 AM

Great Demo Jay and my background being hispanic & native american, I believe in the soul & spirit of things. This has always caused me to see things in people and in the environments around me, in a different light then others would. I tend to read people's nature and their aurora by how their work talks to me, or how their personality is. Because of this, I see them sometimes, decked out in wings or claws or up in the clouds or deep in the sea. lol
Anyways, I think your beautiful fantasy looks Oriental to me, as I told you in the fantasy forum.
Story of what I see is this...
A beautiful girl is trying to find her strength in life by facing the Dragon of Fear that has always held her back from doing the things she always wanted to but was afraid to. I see her facing it and becoming braver and stronger and able to reach her goals that will enrich her life.

Great Male Fairy Bon

JayD · #7 03-14-2005, 08:08 AM

As soon as everyone gets their intrpretations of the picture in, I will tell you al what I had in mind when I drew this but WOW! both are angles that I never would have considered Bon and Sultry! VERY imaginative.

Bon: HARDBODIED Fairy--probably not a good idea for him to show up her in the South!

Are you influence by Japanese Manga? Those wing are staight out of that style and beautifully done. Also, I see you have a Hamlet thing going on there as well. VERY niced!

**mothsailor** · #8 03-14-2005, 09:33 AM

Great drawing, JayD! Thanks for yet another wonderful demo.

The lady and the dragon seem to be looking at each other with loving expressions, so it reminded me of the sort of stories I used to tell Sarah when she was younger.

Everyone is scared of the dragon, but actually he is a gentle, lonely creature. Because the townspeople hate him so much, the dragon is forced to live in hiding in the mountains. One day, a beautiful young woman is attempting the hazardous journey through the mountains in order to find the wise old woman who lives on the other side. She hopes the woman will be able to help her cure her young child who is dangerously ill. Unfortunately, the young woman slips and falls during her journey. The dragon finds her unconscious, and takes her back to his lair. There he nurses her back to health, and she realises that he is not a frightening, fierce creature after all. When she is strong enough, the dragon helps the woman to reach her goal, and she returns home with a powerful, magic remedy just in time to save her child. The dragon returns to the mountains, thinking sadly that he will never see the beautiful woman again, but she has fallen in love with him, and returns to the mountains to seek him out. As she gazes into his eyes (that is the moment captured in the drawing), the spell that had turned him into a dragon is broken, and he turns back into a handsome prince. And, of course, they live happily every after.

OK, so it's not very original! Best I can do!!

resgene · #9 03-14-2005, 09:41 AM

I can't wait to catch up with the lessons but they are going to have to wait a few more weeks as I am taking a long awaited holiday

Anyways, here is my very first thought after looking at JayD's finished drawing "Encounter".

"She is new to this world of dragons and is not afraid of them or life, you could say she was a little naive in fact. The dragon faced with such an innocent is transfixed by her gentleness and doesn't move, just in case he scares her away."

SILKNSATIN · #10 03-14-2005, 10:00 AM

No JayD i'm not influenced by japanese manga?lol.But thank you.Guess this drawing doesn't read much into it?.Maybe this one will?.
This one I was influenced by the belly dancer I did.Sorry no ref photos because they are from my imagination.I had a hard time trying to make her upper part of her body look twisted as though she was belly dancing

.
Colored pencil.

JayD · #11 03-14-2005, 10:20 AM

Bonnie, you should focus your superpowers into a story. Have you ever thought of tackling one of the stories from The Arabian Knights. You would have lots of fun with it.

Dave and Resgene--I like your takes on the what's happening in the picture. why is she naked?

Resgene, we miss you and hope you can hurry back to us.

**mothsailor** · #12 03-14-2005, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayD

Dave and Resgene--I like your takes on the what's happening in the picture. why is she naked?

Yeah, I have to admit that the nakedness doesn't really fit in with my story! At least, not in the children's version...

SILKNSATIN · #13 03-14-2005, 10:42 AM

From a single piece to a multi piece just a piece of can speak volumes.
I'm working on one now that sultry will be able to read very well

One thing i'm working from the imagination.Not from piecing things i find together to make a story.But imagination is still from what you have seen or done and it gives you ideas to create.Thats where the imagination comes from.
JayD I don't think you think of dragons,nude goddesses lol so you had to piece an idea together.Whats in that imagination of yours wanting to create something?.Come on

brign it out.

.You already started,you looked at something and got an idea and pieced it together to create it.Now look around you and get an idea but don't go searching for the pictures to create what you are thinking.Just let go and let your hands and mind do the walking.
Wow dave good imagination reading geesh lol

resgene · #14 03-14-2005, 11:10 AM

Thanks JayD. She could be naked because she was born that way - she has not yet suffered the world so chooses to be this way as she knows no other way to be.

Bon - I love your work, it is very imaginative and well crafted.

sultry · #15 03-14-2005, 11:35 AM

Hey Dave I like the story but it does not have to mean nakedness in physical sense it can mean nakedness in lost sense as in she lost everything being lost and almost dying (till the dragon nurses her back, she is clothed when he turns into the handsome Prince & then she has everything that she ever needed).

Shelly I like yours too

Jay very cute bug man

Ohhhh Bon she is beautiful

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bon

I'm working on one now that sultry will be able to read very well

You know why I can read things? I just never grew up, I refuse to.

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