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Personal Mask Project

Over the weekend, I had gone out shopping with my sister, and on a trip to The Works, I had bought two of the paper maché masks.

Now, a while ago I had discovered a post on Pinterest which utilises two masks in a very unique manner.

Though most of it is attributed to the makeup of the girl inbetween, the two masks are stitched together in a unique fashion with the wires, along with the makeup done very well.

But anyway, I wanted to try and replicate it.

I started out simple, painting on the lips using a purple shimmer paint mixed with some black, and then pasting a piece of paper into the eyehole and painting over it with black, slavering some hot glue over it to give it a fleshy appearance.

Then I started with the lashes, which were easily done with a ballpoint, and some blood done with red paint.

Only then did I feel ready enough to cut them.

You might also notice the wear and tear on the nose and side of the face, this was both intentional and unintentional.

The nose was a result of using black paint mixed with water to attempt to add a shadow, but then the mask started to flake, so I had decided to go along with it and do the same on the opposite side, to make it appear like I did it on purpose.

Fixing together the string was difficult, as I had to ensure that it would both hold the mask and also not be too tight when hugging the face.

So I had started to weave it through and glue it through the seams as I went along.

And at this point I realised I'd forgotten the eyebrows, so I simply just done them over with a pen.

And ta-da.

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Volantem Aranea (Vó-lan-tèm A-rè-nē-a)

Nicknamed 'The Butter-Spi', this creature is a subspecies hybrid of Redback Spider (Latrodectus Hasselti) and typical Garden Butterfly (Lepidoptera).

Image taken of the Butter-Spi as found in its natural habitat.

Studies have shown that this species would have originated as a Redback Spider, but during the mother's capturing of a Butterfly, and subsequent devouring of, the spidering was speculated to have absorbed said Butterfly's DNA tract into its own during the birthing process, hence the mutation.

Despite this, this creature was the only found with said mutation, as all of its relatives were either unable to be discovered or had no indication of the mutation.

It is still unknown at this point how this has happened or how it was possible, and scientists have attempted to replicate the effects of this mutation but to no avail.

Upon further observation into the Butterspi's behaviours and patterns, it has been observed to behave more akin to a spider (likely due to its previous form post-mutation), however it has been observed to utilise its wing mutation with relative ease.

Artistic rendition of the Butter-Spi flying.

Researchers are unaware whether the Redback was known to have difficulty preceding its mutation and it had simply grown accustomed, or if it had this precision from birth, though the former has been perceived to be very likely, due to the Redback's presumed thought pattern not processing it as having meant to contain wings.

Alongside this, the ButterSpi also seems to retain a regular nesting pattern akin to a common spider, wherein it would build a web for it to catch prey.

However, it has been noted to often hunt for prey and extract nectar from flowers, often used within the process of its web-building, both for web-stability and for attracting prey.

The Butterspi is not known to hibernate during colder climates, more specifically the Autumn and Winter seasons, but it's known to enter a state of dormancy, wherein it would seek refuge within burrows, such as trees or dry ground and leaves.

Due to this fact, it has also been noted that the Butterspi would sometimes take shelter in common human-litter.

One instance being a simple, empty can.

The can having been taken into containment.

The Butterspi was noted, over the course of a few weeks, to not only have burrowed within said can, but to have even nested within it, having built a web to retain its prey and even host her eggs.

This seemed to be quite the scientific marvel, as it was confirmed that the hybrid was not only female, but it had reproduced.

Researchers and Scientists alike are awaiting the results of the birth, questioning whether the hatchlings would retain the mutation and how they would behave and interact with their environment and mother.

Written as of 20th November 2024.

(100th Post!)

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COMIC Research 2

// Potential Spoilers for Kick-Ass, I Kill Giants, Sin City and Through the Woods.

Kick-Ass is a comic that had started in 2008, the series spawning multiple volumes, going from the focus being on Dave Lizewski and his rise to superherodom, to then following Hit-Girl preceding the death of her father.

As a comic, it tends to follow the very standard style for most superhero (and even supervillain) comics, with the linear being done very heavy, and the shading often consisting of dark and broody colours.

Though most of the colours, especially in the background elements, seem as though they've been done with watercolour paints, giving them a very light and airy appearance.

The cover and concept art also seems to extremely ramp up said style, being far more heavily produced and, in some instances, having some very heavy lighting.

Created by Mark Miller and illustrated by John Romita Jr (along with other credited artists: Tom Palmer as an Inker and Dean White as a colourist), the franchise has spawned many volumes and spinoffs, along with a movie of the same name, released in 2010.

This is also a personal opinion but I feel as though the suits and characters look way cooler in the comics as opposed to the movie.

Also originating in 2008 is the comic I Kill Giants.

Created by writer Joe Kelly and artist J. M. Niimura, the story follows a young girl by the name of Barbara Thorson as she frequently escapes into her fantasy of life, in which she fears that giants will be coming to disrupt their way of life, and its up to her to stop them.

Kelly has cited that the story is about a girl who's "a bit of an outsider, a social misfit. She's taken her fantasy life a little too far and only talks about giants to people. She's convinced that giants are real [and are coming] and it's her job to stop them [when they show up]. This fantasy life is seeping into her reality, and [as] we see things from her point of view, we see pixies and clouds and other things that might tell her monsters are coming."

There was also a film adaptation created in 2017 directed by Anders Walter.

The art style is something I very rarely see used in comics, in that it's completely done in monochrome.

Consisting only of black white and grey, the style works to the extreme benefit of the comic itself, especially when setting the tone and mood.

Take this panel for example.

The palette is very dark, with the only white seen being Barbara's face and body as the light shines from the window/screen.

Meanwhile, the headmaster(?) is done entirely in black and grey, obscuring their identity and making them seem intimidating, which could be how Barbara perceives them, or how the reader is meant to perceive them.

A lot can be done with very minimal palettes.

Sin City is a comic that had originally originated in from the "Dark Horses' Fifth Anniversary Special" from 1991, before it had then continued under the name 'Sin City' from 1992, released in thirteen parts.

Not only that, but it was also created by.. Frank Miller!

Known famously for the artstyle used, Sin City adapts a film-noir like aesthetic (known as Neo-noir), with its backgrounds appearing very bold and harsh, and the only colour used being white, with the exception of the occasional red and yellow, and blue in only some stories.

This is likely done to emphasise a panel, or to draw the viewers attention elsewhere. For example, That Yellow Bastard (seen above - yes, that is his canon name).

Now, the comic with the most unique style (just in my opinion), is Through The Woods by Emily Carroll.

The style seems to betray itself quite a lot, as often in some scenes the style is very minimalistic (see above), whereas very frequently in other instances, the style is very beautiful and interesting.

Immediately I can sense the watercolour style, but it's done in a way that's so fluid (no pun intended) and clean, with the lineart complementing it extremely well and the colours being very light.

Meanwhile.

Nightmare fuel.

This is what I mean in the style betraying itself, it seems in some instances like it can't decide what kind of theme it's going for.

That, or it could possibly be a deliberate contrast.

As the style is very light and, dare I say, childlike (in the sense that it's what you would see in a children's novel), scenes like the one above give off a stark tonal whiplash to catch the reader off guard, especially with the wolf.

I'd definitely want to give it a read, it's grabbed my attention.

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More Pixel Art

Having actually managed to tie in one of my song researches to my projects, instead of them being standalone ramblings, I had decided to do a rendition of the pixel art ButterSpi as inspired by Azealia Banks' EP, Tarantula/Wings of a Butterfly.

The spider just looks so amazing, I'm so proud of her.

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EXTENSIVE Research - 4

(This is my interpretation of this song, you're entitled to your own opinion. And definitely listen to this song!)

//Mention of an eating disorder

Girl, So Confusing - Charlie xcx (Featuring Lorde)

(The Original)

Girl, So Confusing is a song featured on Charlie xcx's 2024 Album, 'brat', and it sparked mass popularity online for its theorised alluding towards another female pop artist, Lorde.

This was put together as the pre-chorus of the song mentions that people say that her and this girl 'have the same hair'*, and that they both talk about making music together.

Despite this, Charli has her doubts.

She cites that she's not sure if this girl actually likes her, or if any of their interactions together are genuine, prompting her to question if she hates her.

The second chorus mentions that the girl is 'all about writing poems', where Charli prefers to throw parties, and fans have pointed out that this could be an indirect mention towards MARINA (And the Diamonds).

As of 2024, MARINA has been updating on her social media that she is releasing a book of poems titled 'Eat The World', so this could be where the writing poems comes in.

*The quote about 'having the same hair' requires some context, and this goes back quite a long way.

Charli and Lorde have been enduring the comparisons between them for years, likely from once they'd both debuted, but in 2014, Billboard did an interview with Charli addressing the joke by mistaking her for Lorde.

She does so by mentioning that her favourite Charli xcx song was 'Royals', which was Lorde's breakout song in 2013, released when she was only 16.

Charli then goes along with the bit, explaining 'her' inspiration behind writing the song.

The reason being for these comparisons between Charli and Lorde is that... They've got the same hair!

( < Lorde - Charli > )

It's been the punchline of many jokes that the way Charli styles her hair looks extremely similar to Lorde, along with her overall appearance seeming close to hers.

Charli has gone on the record, interviewed by Zane Lowe of Apple Music 1, citing that she was 'fully ready' for Lorde to never speak to her again following the song's release.

Along with speaking to 'Rolling Stone', admitting that she was jealous of the success Lorde had gained from her song, 'Royals'.

Quote: 'You piece all this stuff together in your brain, like: "She was into my music. She had big hair; I had big hair. She wore black lipstick; I once wore black lipstick." You create these parallels and think, "Well, that could have been me."'

Along with that, before the scheduled release for 'brat' in America, Charli had called Lorde to explain the song to her, likely in an attempt to lessen the blow the song might have.

With Lorde having responded that she already guessed what song it was, as the album had been already released in New Zealand (where Lorde is from.

But then Lorde would note that it would be cool if she had released a response to the track, and the next Monday, Lorde had texted her own verse of the song to Charli.

And just like that, history was made.

On June 21st, the world completely shifted on its axis, as Charli xcx had released the 'Girl, So Confusing Version Featuring Lorde', and it had sparked the massive amount of popularity and memes alike, coining the term "work it out on the remix", which is to apologise and make it up with someone.

Originally being a standalone track, Girl, So Confusing featuring Lorde would then be able to be featured on an album, along with the Guess (featuring Billie Eilish) remix and Von Dutch (featuring Addison Rae and A.G Cook) remixes on Charli's new album,

brat but it's completely different but also still brat

Which was a remixed version of the album, featuring popular artists like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, continuing on the brat legacy.

Lorde has gone on record, citing that: "I love that we truly did work it out on the remix. There’s something very brat about that, something very meta and modern. Only Charli could make that happen. She had opened up a channel between us, and it made me say things that I had never said. I was articulating things I’d never said or maybe even things I’ve never even heard said. This whole thing has been such a huge honour."

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Pixel ButterSpi

On the topic of giving myself things to do, I decided to create a pixel art rendition of the ButterSpi.

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The Comic Cover

So, on the bus ride over this morning, I was thinking in my head on what I could possibly do for my comic, and then it had hit me in my mind.

And I'd wrote down in my notes, quote: "Spider coming down on a web, on top of someone in bed looking at it with the fear of god struck into them".

So when I'd arrived, I started sketching, but I had a bit of an issue when it had came to the perspective of the persons face, so I had done a little draft on a post-it note.

And this would then help me in completing the final sketch.

I thought it would also be a cool idea for the name be written out in webs, which is meant to be Araneaphobia (as Aranea is Latin for Spider, it's literally Spider Phobia) but I had accidentally missed out the E whilst sketching (this would be fixed later).

And it's also funny to note (which someone had pointed out), the text being done with webbing looked really similar to how it was done in Charlotte's Web.

Which I find cute.

Though, I notice now that the perspective of the face is still off, as it looks more as if it's facing to the side, but this should be okay with the final product, as you'll see.

So I had begun tracing it in photoshop, and during which, I did like the way it turned out, but.. It just didn't seem to work well as the specific cover.

So I'd begun to sketch an alternative.

This I like a lot more.

The focus is mostly, if not entirely on the ButterSpi, whereas the creature is instead staring right back.

So I had taken it and ran with it, applying a colour overlay and dabbling with the background to see how different compositions would look.

(Just a random outcome that had happened whilst trying to apply a stroke).

And this was the, so far, finished outcome of that experiment, having added a red stroke underneath the white lineart, starkly contrasting with the black background.

And soon, Kyrstie had suggested implementing the first sketch too, somewhere in the corner, which I had taken to.

And this was essentially the finalised version, before I had fixed up some of the webs and added more little details to make it more refined.

And here we are, the finalised version.

This really helped kill two birds with one stone, as I'd not only creating the (sort of) official cover for the comic, but I'd also implemented an artstyle that I would be happy using for possibly the entire thing, except maybe with a more toned down palette, because it is a bit heavy on the eyes.

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Wally Wood's 22 Panels that Always Work!!

Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on a vast amount of work on both Marvel and DC Comics, ranging from Green Lantern (1969) to Captain America (1970).

Though, he might be the most famously known for creating a reference sheet known as the "22 Panels that Always Work", which was to be used as a reference point when designing engaging comic panels for storytelling.

And there are some popular examples of these frames having actually been used.

Seen in 'Maus'.

Seen in 'Born Again'.

Seen in 'Sensational Spider-Man'

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Comic Restyle

Testing out different styles regarding the comic.

While I am extremely proud and satisfied with the outcome, I do feel almost as though it's just a bit.. Childish.

Most adult comics have more heavy styles, with the borders and the characters alike, so I was considering adapting a different style, starting out with applying a black and white filter.

This looks.. Interesting?

It certainly gives off an old noir vibe, probably cause it IS noir, but it's not the sort of thing I'm looking for in regards to the finalised outcome.

So then I'd tried black lineart with the only colour being white.

Simply filling in the colours with the bucket tool, I stole a panel from the main comic just to test on, and it would save me from having to go over the whole comic.

I would say it looks good, but part of me is really conflicted.

I think it's purely because of the way it's drawn, because the spider does look really good, but the fly seems to be a bit more off..

So if I ever redrew the comic in a different perspective, it might look better.

But I'm still on the fence.

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Final Touches to the Can

Now.. I know I said it was done.

And it was!

But it was suggested to me as a stretch that I should design a label for the can, which I thought would be relatively simple.

So I started out with the measurements (thanks to another student for letting me use their can for measurements, as mine had webbing on it. You know who you are).

Though ironically enough, these measurements really didn't matter due to the way I had fixed the label onto the can.

At first, I had the idea for a simple can of beans, which would be simply due to the fact that the ButterSpi would have found it in the wild and decided to nest within it, but the label wasn't really panning out too well.

So I'd scrapped that and restarted.

I'd had a lot more success with the next can, which maintained the motif of having BEANZ as the prompt, but I decided I'd add a comedic twist by having the sauce be avocado sauce, which now I realise is literally just guacamole.

(The suace was a spelling mistake on my part, but I decided to keep it).

So the label was done, but then Kyrstie had raised the question - How is it going to go on the can?

Well.. I didn't really want it to, but I was quick to consider an idea that would adapt.

So I tore off the nutritional info and began to colour in the paper using felt tips and watercolours.

Along with also aging it with sandpaper and simply scrunching it up whilst it was damp with water.

Then I had considered the idea that the label would simply be hanging off of the can, as if it'd been worn over time, so I had applied that.

And.. ta-da!

The only disappointment I have is, due to the way I'd glued it, you can't see the label promising that it doesn't contain spiders, but.. I suppose you wouldn't exactly need that if you just looked at it.

But regardless, I'm extremely proud of this stretch in development, as it makes the can look a lot more convincing than it already did.

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Finalised Comic

I'm extremely proud to say that the comic is finally complete.

And yes, I said that already, but now it's finally been completed as I have fixed a few more details with the characters, backgrounds, and the canvas size.

Woohoo!

I'm so proud.

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EXTENSIVE Research - 3

(This is my interpretation of this song, you're entitled to your own opinion. And definitely listen to this song!)

//Reference of verbal abuse, violence, sexual content and Azealia Banks

Tarantula - Azealia Banks

Tarantula is a single released by Azealia Banks on October 2nd, as part of her Tarantula/Wings of a Butterfly Single EP.

The song has sparked controversy as it has been cited that it was a response song to GRIMES' '100 Percent Tragedy', which remains an unreleased track to this day.

GRIMES has gone on the record, mentioning that the song was about her "having to defeat Azealia Banks when she tried to destroy her life", preceding their falling out and subsequent fight in 2018.

Without delving too deep into the controversy, Banks was scheduled to have produced and released a collaboration song with GRIMES, wherein she had showed up to Elon Musk's house to meet with her, only for GRIMES to not show up.

This would then prompt Banks to release a series of tweets and livestreams wherein she would talk very lowly about GRIMES, citing that she had only invited her to Musk's place so they would be able to engage in sexual activity with her, and she'd mention how she was disgusted with her and would go on to refer to GRIMES as a junkie.

During these series of tweets and messages having been thrown around, Banks would make several indirect threats towards GRIMES' and Elon's baby, stating that,

"The karma will come right back on Elon and that baby, and we'll see how tough she is when she no longer has him to hide behind and she has to spend 24/7 in the ICU praying her baby's cracked skull and brain stops haemorrhaging."

Along with two Stories posted to her Instagram, one of which being a picture of a tarantula with the caption "what do you do when you wake up with this tarantula in your baby's bed Claire?"

And another simply being a black background with the text,

"I don't take well to GRIMES wishing tragedy against me, Feel this hex b*tch, Pray for your child, I promise, you'll be the first to die."

This of course is a direct reference to the aforementioned song 100% Tragedy, along with the "You'll be the first to die", quote being featured in the song.

And with GRIMES and Musk now having been separated, Banks claimed that she would be open to the idea of collaborating, now that, quote, "That apartheid Clyde is out of the way."

Opening the song with the verse,

"Waif-like and blind, Frail is your body, A conscience redesigned, To be childlike and bitter."

Which is definitely a dig at the way GRIMES had publicly spoken about her, referring to her as childish.

Though this could also be a direct reference to GRIMES' child himself.

Going on, Banks compares herself to the hypothetical tarantula, having been walking across the ceiling and watching GRIMES and Elon together with distain, before commencing her attack.

"I walk across the ceiling at night, I see you through all eight of my eyes. I'll zipline venom inside, Blood boils you awake and you're paralysed.

He tried so many times, to take my life away. But he'll be the first to die tonight. You'll be the next to die tonight."

She goes on to repeat this verse, having changed more of the lyrics.

"I walk across the ceiling at night, I see you and him through all eight eyes, while you are sleeping, my dear. I'll zipline venom inside, Blood boils you awake and you're paralysed. A witness of your own demise. You'll be the first to die tonight, A dead groom and a corpse bride. You'll be the first to die, I promise my dear."

Once again, alluding both to herself being the tarantula sent to eliminate GRIMES, and the tarantula she had threatened would be the one to attack GRIMES' child.

This song is an interesting case, and of course I don't condone Banks' behaviour towards Elon, GRIMES and their child whatsoever.

But using the metaphor of herself being a tarantula, which is a creature known for its precision and of course its venom, so it would be a very strong and sly creature able to sneak its way through defences and take out its prey.

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EXTENSIVE Research - 2

(This is my interpretation of this song, you're entitled to your own opinion. And definitely listen to this song!)

Fallen Fruit - Lorde

Released in 2021 as the fourth single for her (as of now) most recent album, 'Solar Power', Lorde uses the breathy and stripped-back essence seen throughout the album in a ballad of metaphors and social commentaries on the climate of the world and celebrity fame culture.

The alternative version featured on the Solar Power EP (known as "Te Ao Mãrama") named "Hua Pilau" also features vocals from Hinewehi Mohi, Hēmi Kelly, Bic Runga, and Hana Mereraiha and is fully performed in the Mãori language.

Opening the song with the verse, "To the ones who came before us, All the golden ones who were lifted on a wing."

Lorde is seemingly alluding to the generation preceding hers, and how they hold a place of privilege over her current generation.

"We had no idea the dreams we had were far too big."

Could likely be in reference to the technological advancements of the recent generations, and how much of a push for consumerism has been seen in recent years.

"And we will walk together, Psychedelic garlands in our hair. Through the halls of splendour where the apple trees all grew, You'll leave us dancing on the Fallen Fruit."

Once again, making that correlation and disconnect between modern generations and the previous, the mention of walking together and being left behind is likely in reference to how the previous generation, or one step further, celebrities and those of wealthy status, could simply be whisked away should the situation g awry, whereas those less privileged would be left to 'dance on the Fallen Fruit'.

"From the Nissan, to the phantom, to the plane, We'll disappear in the cover of the rain. Took the great minds and the vapers, And a pocketful of seed, It's time for us to leave."

Further pushing the idea that those of higher social status would simply be able to be transported away to safety.

"And we will walk together, Psychedelic garlands in our hair. But how can I love what I know I am gonna lose, Don't make me choose."

Now this seems to instead be leaning more towards the climate crisis, where the subsequent result of our technological advancement and overall neglect of the planet herself is resulting in vastly negative consequences.

From wildfires, polluted waters, animal extinctions.

Lorde is dwelling on the fact that she's unable to appreciate the world for what it is, because she knows at some point (whether it be in her lifetime or after), she's going to see it taken away from her due to the negligence of mankind.

The music video for the song depicts this idea very strongly, wherein Lorde is seen walking through a civilisation on the beachside, and the frame occasionally cuts from the scene during the day, which is scenic and natural, to the shots at night, where the campsite is seen destroyed.

(Video was cut down slightly, please watch the original)

She is also seen being carried away via an escort vehicle at the end, further emphasising the point that the second things turn dangerous or unstable, celebrities of her status would be able to simply just leave everyone else behind to save their lives, and she acknowledges that she has this level of privilege, but she can't do much about it.

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EXTENSIVE Research - 1

Predator (1987) - The Yautja Species

Originally drafted with the title 'Hunter', Predator is a 1987 movie directed by John McTiernan and was written by brothers Jim and John Thomas.

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays the role of Dutch Schaefer, as he follows the paramilitary as they attempt to rescue hostages being held in guerrilla-held territory in a Central American Rainforest.

Here, they encounter the Yautja, an extraterrestrial being who makes it their primary directive to hunt down and execute said recruits.

This creature is a member of the species of Yautja's, who primarily compete with one another in the sport of trophy-collecting, with said trophies being skulls of the creatures they hunt.

Early design concepts of the creature, as done by Stan Winston.

On a flight, alongside the creator of Alien, James Cameron, Winston had been creating some early designs, having quoted saying "I always wanted to see something with mandibles."

Arnold was also the one to have recommended Winston, as they'd previously worked together for the movie The Terminator, as he (and his studio) was brought in to assist in creating the suit for the actor Kevin Peter Hall, as seen in the movie.

The process of creating the actual suit for the Yautja was rather extensive, as it was originally planned to have a long neck and only one eye, but this was scrapped as it became apparent how difficult it would be to film with this design.

It was also said that the studio had contracted Richard Edlund's Boss Film Creature Shop to assist in the makeup for the creature, but due to complications and crossing with filming Alien, this role was passed down to Winston.

However the makeup would go on to fail due to the 'impractical' design of the Yautja having 12-inch leg extensions, to give the creature a backward-bent satyr-leg appearance, and this wasn't going to work with the jungle locations.

And after six months of filming, they'd go on to shut down so that Winston would be able to create a new suit, which would go on to take eight months, with filming resuming for five more weeks, ending in February, 1987.

The Predator species are known to have an association to the Xenomorphs too (the creature seen in Alien), and they refer to them as "Kainde Amedha", which translates to "Hard Meat", and they view them as the worthiest of prey, with some Yautja's having forcefully bred captive Queen's of the species so they would be able to hunt the spawn, which was used as an initiation for young predators.

"I know one thing, Major - I drew down and fired straight at it. Caped off 200 rounds and the minigun, full pack, nothing... Nothing on this Earth could've lived... Not at that range."

Mac regarding the Predator to Dutch.

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COMIC Research

(POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

John Layman and Rob Guillory - CHEW

Chew is an American Comic Series, written by John Layman and illustrated by Rob Guillory, which follows the protagonist 'Tony Chu', an agent of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and solves crimes, doing so by consuming a variety of foods.

Chew, in itself, has a very distinctive art style, with the characters seeming very pointed and sharp, and this is further pushed with the heavy shading present with the black.

To me, though different in its own ways, the style brings my mind to the works of Shawn Coss, who has always been an inspiration of mine.

It's a very brutalist style that, from what I perceive the comic is about, really matches.

Not only that but the composition almost reminds me of Cowboy Bebop, which was a Japanese 'Neo-Noir Space Western' series from 1998.

An illustration depicted which is a clear reference to 'The Last Supper' as painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Jeff Lemire and Jose Villarrubia - Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth is an American comic drawn by the Canadian Cartoonist, Jeff Lemire.

Described as "Mad Max meets Bambi", Sweet Tooth follows a young boy by the name of Gus, a young boy with deer-like features (antlers and ears) as he is rescued by a man by the name of Jepperd as he was nearly slain by hybrid cultists, like his father had been.

Earning the nickname of "Sweet Tooth" by eating all of Jepperd's candy, Gus would follow along with Jeppard up until his betrayal, having been exchanged for the remains of his wife to a scientific facility.

(There is more but I won't recite the entire Wikipedia article).

Similarly to Chew, Sweet Tooth's style does seem rather dark art style, although the colour composition (atleast in the image above, as The Return seems to have a more refurbished style, (which made research EXTREMELY DIFFICULT), is a lot more neutral, with it having a sort of water-colour-like vibrancy to it.

Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard - The Walking Dead

Contrary to belief, the comic was actually created before the series had been adapted (starting in 2009 where the series was greenlit in 2010).

With the first six issues being illustrated by Tony Moore, along with him creating the cover art for the first twenty-four issues, the torch would then be passed onto Charlie Adlard.

You're probably tired of hearing it by now, but this style does indeed carry some similar motifs of the ones seem previously, with the very stark shading seen in the cover art.

Whereas within the actual comic itself, the style being simply just in black and white, which was said to be due to the cost of printing in colour, but it had became the iconic style used.

Which works very well to its benefit, as it gives it a very gritty, old noir aesthetic.

Bill Morrison

Bill Morrison is an American comic book artist, writer and editor, and he was accredited with co-founding Bongo Comics alongside Matt Groening (the creator of The Simpsons) and Cindy and Steve Vance.

Morrison's style is actually a lot more cartoonish and versatile, as it's able to adapt to the needed thematics and general style of the characters, which is seen especially with his work on the Simpsons comics.

Now, either I'm not looking very hard, or these comic series' are actually pretty difficult to find online.

But his works do perfectly encapsulate the friendly homeliness of The Simpsons and their antics.

Bryan Lee O'Malley

O'Malley is the illustrator known mostly for his creation of the Scott Pilgrim series and its distinctive cartoonish style.

Scott is a young boy who's a bit of a loser, and he manages to score a girlfriend by the name of Ramona, however this comes with the difficulty of having to fight and take down her six ex boyfriends and one ex girlfriend.

The most noticeable aspects of his character design and overall designs of the comics is the cel-shading and the style itself, which consists of very chunky lines, vibrant characters, and of course, the eyes.

It's also pretty fun to note that O'Malley is also a musician under the name of Kupek.

Frank Miller

Frank Miller is an American comic book artist and writer, known most notably for his work on Daredevil, wherein he had created the character Elektra, and his work on The Dark Night Returns.

He's known to combine inspirations from film-noir and Manga, having quoted been saying that "American [and English] comics are too wordy, and Japanese comics are too empty. So I'd attempted to create a hybrid."

The style, which is mostly unseen in popular comics, actually has more thin and wispy lines, as opposed to the typical bold and cartoonish ones.

It almost seems like the outlines were done with finalisers whereas the colours were done in watercolours, giving off a very blended and shady look.

I also just think it's worth noting that his rendition of Batman is an absolute unit of a man, and it really gives off the impression of a superhero that you would never want to cross.

[poeblaire]

CANNED! Research

Mina Lima

Mina Lima is a graphic design studio that was founded by Mina and Eduardo Lima in 2009.

The graphics created have a very fantastical and mystical appearance, which really complement the books that are often of the same theme.

Which brings me to their work on the Harry Potter Books (I will not be discussing the author).

Likely their most recognisable work, the graphics done on the Harry Potter books, as mentioned before, contain that very magical and childlike wonder that really encapsulates you into the essence of the books.

For example, their works on the covers often using golds, especially on the frames for the graphics.

It appears almost like a door into the book, which reminds me of the doors from The Nightmare Before Christmas, where each door takes you into the world of a different Holiday (i.e Christmas, Easter).

It's like you're taking a journey into the world of Harry Potter, which believe me, many of us would love to do.

H.R. Giger

Giger is an artist that is most popularly known for his works using airbrushing techniques, combining aspects of mechanical and human bodies, which was known as "Bio-Mechanical".

Along with his unique and absolutely stunning (yet horrifying) artworks, it's worth noting that he was also responsible for the creation of the Xenomorph, featured in the 1979 movie, 'Alien'.

His works have also inspired a lot of other unique mediums, ranging from furniture to album covers too.

The album 'Brain Salad Surgery' by Emerson, Lake and Palmer uses one of these works for the cover art.

His works are very surrealist and eerie, due to their absolute immaculate attention to detail and simplistic use of the greys, maintaining that mechanical aspect.

The Mos Espa Marketplace

Mos Espa is a city and space-port on the planet of Tatoonie, featured in the popular film series, Star Wars.

The first appearance of said location seemed to be in Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

The market is divided into several quarters, each one specialising in different vendors, ranging from the food markets to some tailored in fixing droids and selling weaponry.

It's also said that the markets used the tactics of having cooling units nearby to attract more customers, as the climates of Mos Espa are frequently humid.

The main focus of this would be the food stalls, which consisted of e Gragra's Gorgmonger Booth, Akim's Munch Outdoor Café and Jira's Fruits Stall.

Street Foods (Graphic Content - I Apologise to Vegans)

Though seeming like a very general topic, a lot of street foods (especially internationally) do seem very strange and even disgusting.

In the UK, we're likely known simply for our fish and chips and mushy peas, and the US might be known for fried chocolate bars.

However, if we broaden our horizons, we could find some very.. Interesting foods.

Cambodia, Asia, has a very popular street food known as Fried Tarantulas.

You read me right.

FRIED TARANTULAS.

Or Blood Soup.

Though harder to pinpoint the origins, Blood Soup is a soup consisting of mainly (or perhaps only) animals blood.

(I won't be providing an image).

And Andouillette, which is a French sausage with a filling of Pig Intestines.

Needless to say, a lot of these foods can seem disgusting to an outsider (like myself), but these do have roots within different cultures, and regular citizens of these places would likely view these as very normal in their cuisines.

[poeblaire]

The Walk Cycle

Having been lined up on a spot against the wall to create a consistent cycle, we were tasked with taking photographs in pairs of us following the previously animated 9-frame walk cycle.

Which was somewhat embarrassing, but thankfully my partner was as embarrassed as me, so the combined shame sort of helped us overcome it.

The real shame came when I had to trace over it in photoshop.

Now, of course this looks very chunky, and it really was.

Planning out a natural walk cycle by striking separate poses obviously would be very trying, but thankfully I was able to somewhat polish it by aligning the frames and then animating them with the timeline.

(I should clarify that there was also an animated walk cycle created using the images of myself, but I'm choosing not to post that for privacy reasons, you get the same motif from the images above).