The Lungs.

The lungs are a symbol within Snow White that I want to explore. I was very inspired by the album cover of Florence and the Machine. She is displaying her lungs outside of the body, and they are protected by a dainty outer skeleton.

This inspired me to turn the outer skeleton into a bodice and then fit some wire lungs inside.

Obviously the lungs are used to breathe and in the story of Snow White, her body is restricted and she collapsed. This is why the bodice fits in well with the symbolism - bodices are very tight on the body, sculpting you, making it hard to breathe.

I went to the Bath Fashion Museum to have a look at the corsets there. I took some photos of some of the corsets, and you can see how much pain it must cause wearing them.






As i'm looking at using a bodice for the skeleton, I wont be adding fabric over it, I plan to just keep it simple.

I'm hoping that by interpreting the lungs in this way will make it more artistic and original, i'm hoping I can apply my model of the bodice/lugs into a photoshop piece.

My Wire Bodice

This is the bodice skeleton which I made out of wire. As it was only an experiment I didn't take too long to make it. I made it by taking a piece of aluminium wire and then measuring it around myself so that the structure is in proportion, life size and made from a primary source. It is a little bit wonky in places where the wire wouldn't straighten. However, it has turned out pretty well. I would like to incorporate this into some photoshop work or hand illustrate over the top in order to take it further. If I was to do this for a final piece, it would be nice to add some delicate lace, so that the structure is still see through, but more decorative and finished off. It would also be good to think of something to hang off the bottom, like a skirt.

These are the lungs which I also made out of aluminium wire. I started making them by just forming a basic structure. Once I had that, I wanted to add more detail so there was a contrast between the lungs and the bodice.

So to add detail, I used a very very thin silver plated wire, and wrapped it around, also adding beads onto it. I tried to make it so there were lots of loops and layers of the fine wire to make it interesting and to add texture to the surface of them, because obviously lungs aren't smooth.

I wanted to also try and wrap ribbon all around and in between too, however it took away the delicate look I achieved, as lungs are very delicate.

Wire Qualities:

Aluminium: fairly manipulable, Strong

Silver Plated: very fine, soft, good for decoration.

Modelling of my lungs. I love how these came out, I think they are so beautiful and fragile, a great representation of the meanings behind the real things.

Photoshop Edit Experiment

Acrylic Paint and Pencil

Here is a first piece where I was inspired by the print of the scarf on Alexander McQueen. I incorporated skulls into the pretty flowers, I tried to keep it subtle. I will use these contrasts again...

Pen and Sewing Machine (low tension)

Inspired again by McQueen, a first attempt of juxtaposing the animal features on to a human. I will use these ideas again, this was just a preliminary experiment.

I decided to do another set of basic drawings, I thought this would give me a good base for future material.

Here I was inspired to turn my initial illustration into a new form. As lungs are the organ to breathe, I used the association with roots being what trees need to 'breathe'. I was really inspired by Claire Skully for this piece. This is a typical way in which she uses tone.

My lungs juxtaposed into a piece of nature.

The Heart.

Claire Scully

I saw Claire at the 'Pick Me Up' exhibition held at Somerset House. I loved the simplicity yet intricate style of this collection of prints, so i've been inspired to do my own take.

I thought that I could use Claire Scully's style in the heart which I initially sketched as it would be a good way developing the image further.

It was a challenge to draw because it wasn't made with outlines or block shading. All the tone was made with pattern, and how intense you decide to make it. It was extremely time consuming, however it sets up a good base for some more work, which will be influenced by someone else, therefore Claires inspiration style will be less obvious.

I want my initial heart illustration in the style of Claire Skully to be photographically screen printed. I feel it will truly make the most of the illustration, and the time I spent on it. It will be nice to be able to use a colour as well.

However, before I use that design to print from, I am going to simplify the heart shape and do a basic screen print using a stencil cut out of news print.

Having these first means I have a base to print the detailed heart onto - meaning it will be slightly evolved from Claire Skully's typical style. I plan to make a limited edition set of zines, so if these turn out well, they could possibly be the first page to go inside...

Here I have experimented with a plain screen printed heart, and sewing the pattern on instead of drawing/printing it on. I think it could work really well! I have only done a small amount just so I can get the idea.. but if I keep it in mind for the future then I can spend more time on it and do a more finished version. I like the contrasts between the print and the sewing though!

Below is a final idea for the initial screen print. I did a pretty floral and skull illustration in the style of Claire Skully onto the print. The flowers were photographed by myself from my garden. I really like this illustration on top, I think its a very sophisticated mix of medias.

My Photographic Screen Print.

I used my photographic screen print in a number of ways. I printed on an acrylic paint ground grungy ground, I printed it on plain paper in a mix of colours, and I printed on my original stencil template, directly on top, as well as slightly off.

I really am so happy with how my illustration came out once screen printed. I have printed lots for self promotion.

Erin Petson

This illustrator was at the 'Pick Me Up' exhibition at Somerset House in London, and I just loved her paintings. I think fairy tales are a clear influence in her work, the paintings are very pretty and girly, but at the same time in a few, it looks as though there is an under lying darkness... which is definitely something I found from analysing some fairy tales myself.

I love the looseness of the line and paint, also the sophisticated mix of medias. I definitely will be influenced by her style of work for a future painting..

This was a 15 minute experiment in the style of Erin Petson, I used acrylic paints and a 6B pencil. I only gave myself 15 minutes because i wanted to capture the looseness and movement which Petson creates.

I actually think in real life this came out ok, i'm pleased with how I translated her style from being figurative to being an object.

Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

If you wear your heart on your sleve then it means you are very expressive of your emotions. I think that the characters in the stories are very expressive of their feelings and therefore suit the expression...

I did a small quick illustration, using the heart still, but amongst other things. The flowers were drawn from a photo I took in my garden.

I plan to use this illustration as a base and develop it further into something else..

I turned by initial illustration into a completely new shape. I formed a heart from rearranging the shape. I feel now that the heart theme is really coming along. I started with an anatomy sketch of a heart, and now i'm at a pretty illustration of a love heart, with the anatomy hearts amongst flowers and skulls inside. I used acrylic paints and ink pen to create this illustration.

I wanted to include the flowers and the skulls with the heart for the representation of wearing your heart on your sleeve.. The flowers are happy pretty and nice, and the skulls are deadly, poisonous and bad. So having them all together entwined with the heart, i think represents all the contrasting emotions.

I would like to turn this into a screen print, as well as taking it a tiiiny bit further..!

Below are the separate layers from the illustration.

As this illustration was all about wearing your heart on your sleeve, and different emotions, I made my illustration into a little book which is tied by a ribbon. Inside the book are all different expressions of my models emotion, and with her wearing it, it represents how she wears her heart on her sleeve.

I really like it, and I think the illustration is fitting. To take this further, I could edit each of the photo's of my model, or add illustration on to them in various medias, or turn it into something different all together and use it as inspiration for a necklace..

I desperately wanted to screen print this heart design with photographic screen print, however I am unable to due to the limitations of how many screens are available per student. I think printing this would have worked really well as it would have been really bold and eye catching.

Heart of Gold

Another quality which I found from analysing the fairy tales, is that the princess characters always have a heart of gold; they will do anything for anyone, they are so selfless. So to go alongside my heart studies, I have decided to make an anatomy heart pendant out of clay.

It was a very tricky object to make out of clay as I wanted it to be small enough to be a pendant for a necklace, and I wanted the heart to be carved from an initial block, rather than piecing it together gradually. So due to the size I wanted, it was very intricate, but once I started the shape, it all fell into place.

I used air dry clay so that it didn't need to be fired in a kiln. I placed in in an airing cupboard and so the heart dried in three days, ready for the next stage: painting.


I firstly primed the clay in white paint so that the gold would cover better. Once the white had dried, I started on the gold acrylic paint. I built up layers on the heart, making the deeper areas of the heart a more intense shade to add tone.

I am so pleased with how this clay pendant turned out. If I was to do this again, it would be nice to add a pattern or a design onto the heart.

Beginnings of some artwork..? Organs

I'm now going to start some initial experiments.

To begin with I'm going to work with the body, and anatomy-to go with my research of designers, and how it has a connection with a Fairy Tale.

I will focus on: the heart, lungs, ribcage and the skull. These are skin deep, symbolising there is more than what you see just on the surface. I feel this is quite a relevant observation from the fairy tales i've analysed.

Heart: A literal part of the story in Snow White. The queen wants Snow White killed, with her heart cut out and brought back to her.

Obviously, the heart is also a symbol of love which is a massive theme in most fairy tales.

Lungs (and Rib Cage): Same as above for the story of Snow White. Some stories say the heart was to be cut out, others say the lungs.

I feel the ribs should be included as they are the armour for protecting the vital organs.

Skulls: Symbol for poison and death - integral to a fairy tale.

To begin with, I will do some sketches using pencil, biro and ink pen, and then see where this takes me...

The one part of the spread which I like is the heart sketch, I like the softness and the shape of it. It's an interesting shape because of all the different segments and vessels.

I don't like the lungs in this format of illustration, or the ribcage. The lungs are uninspiring and the ribs are harsh and not what i'm quite after.

So, I am going to look into other ways of using the lungs and ribs (and heart).