Sunday 5 August 2018

Do we dream the same?

Uhh, so yeah...it's been close to a year since I've posted. No, it's not what you were thinking,  I haven't disappeared into some sort of inter-dimensional tear where everyone thinks art creates zombie werewolves bent on global domination. I mean, that would be one crazy story, but it's also complete fiction (this time). I do apologise for the long wait between posts, work has been taking more out of me than normal, but I'm hoping that will ease soon.

Instead, allow a post detailing my latest exploits into illustration grace you screen. I think you just might prefer that too.

So, the first piece I have for you today was created for a submission to a publication where the theme was one mere word: Dreams.

An illustration based on one word can be both a challenge and also extremely fun. On one hand it can be hard to come up with a good idea to fit the theme, but on the other it's always a great way to break out of your comfort zone and try something different: I often think of really different things I would never otherwise consider drawing and this piece is certainly no exception. Behold!


I started my design process thinking about things that are only possible in a dream, however I abandoned the idea pretty quickly as I felt that this would only lead to a confusing outcome and the link to the theme would be tenuous. I then decided to take a rather different direction; considering the many common themes people experience in dreams. I decided to see how many of the most commonly experienced dream images I could fit into one illustration.

See how many dream themes you can find in the artwork! Check your answers later in the post.


I always enjoy setting myself requirements for a picture. I often create a list of things that must be included when I'm sketching compositions. I find this a great way to work through the most important imagery and help develop the layout.It's a very methodical way to work, but it's what seems to come naturally to me.
 
 
 
 



It took me some time to get the composition right. I knew I wanted to strongly feature flight and falling, so I worked around that. I'm sure it's not gone unnoticed that sky features a lot in my artwork. I've always had a fascination with flight and that seems to transfer to my artwork.

Colour-wise I usually start with a main colour and decide on the rest of the colours with ones that compliment the main. I chose purple. I've asked many people. "What colour do you associate with dreams?" Some say black, but most say purple. so it was a nice, easy choice.

With the background, I was inspired by my first idea. I wanted to create a dreamscape, something accessible, but at the same time slightly odd. I settled on floating islands, I think it really helped the overall flight theme. The water is a common theme in sci-fi to give a visual representation of using technology to experience another person's subconscious, (think Ghost in the Shell). It is sometimes even referred to as 'diving'. You'll also notice ruins in the distance. I was inspired by some of the epic environments in the anime Bleach. Honestly, I really wanted to try painting some ruins and thought it would really fit nicely with the floating islands.

 

So how many dream themes did you spot? Check your findings here.

 



1. The teacher

The teacher himself is a major authority figure from our youth that can appear in our nightmares. The trigonometry textbook represents one of the most common themes I think everyone has experienced, forgetting to do school homework.

2. Revolver 

The teacher is chasing the dreamer with a gun, another common theme is a feeling of constantly running from an assailant that seems intent on doing us harm.

3. Food

Who doesn't like food? It's certainly the stuff of my dreams! Also it's a bit like the Portal cake.

 4. Spiders

Arachnids and other insects are very common. It's probably why they feature so strongly in horror movies. Pure nightmare fuel.

5. Fez & Gumboots

The clothing of the dreamer is that feeling of being under-dressed for a situation hence the mismatch of a fez (I'm a Doctor Who fan, so of course it needed to be a fez) with gumboots. Of course there's also that dream where you end up being in your underwear in a public space. Talk about embarrassment!

6. Quantum mechanics in ancient Rome exam

The only thing worse than forgetting to do your homework is feeling completely unprepared for a school/university exam. Especially when it happens to be on the most convoluted subject ever conceived: Quantum mechanics in ancient Rome.

7. The lover

We often daydream about romance and sex in our waking hours, so why should our dreams be any different? I'm not overly public about my sexuality, but I can always enjoy exploring it in this medium of illustration can't I?

 8. Snake arm cuff

Snakes and other serpents are also the stuff of nightmares.

9. Wasp sheet

Much like spiders (4). I find them particularly creepy myself. I haven't been stung in a very long time, so I'm mildly terrified of them.I chose paisley as it's a common pattern used on bed sheets.

10. The dreamer & Spitfire tattoo

A feeling of freedom is often experienced as free flight. It's that idea of the sky being without boundaries, as there are no walls, it seems open-ended. Hence the plane tattoo. Conversely, a feeling of falling can mean the exact opposite. Plunging into an endless abyss. I'm sure many of us have had those waking dreams where we feel like we've just landed on the bed after experiencing free-fall in our dreams.


11. The white rabbit

The white rabbit from Louis Carroll's Alice is a symbol of lateness. Most people really hate being late or having that feeling of being rushed (I know I do).  Almost everything we do in our lives is tied to the passage of time, so it makes sense that we would dream about it.

Did you find many? I hope you enjoyed this little game. I'll try to do more stuff like this in the future.

Since this work was going to be published, I created a short description.that was going to sit on the facing page. This was written back in October.

Dreams are such fascinating things, full of both wondrous and terrifying imagery. While their content can be as variable as there are stars in the sky, there are some common themes which seem to be universal to the human experience. Can anyone say they have never dreamed of falling or being chased by an unknown assailant? Or what about failing an exam or being inappropriately dressed in public?


 Well that's it for this post. You shouldn't have to wait too long for the next one. If you follow my Facebook  page you'll see I had some work published in a booklet developed for a youth homelessness organisation here in Melbourne. I have yet to complete a post about it, so look forward to it.

Keep drawing!

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