Research!

Wednesday 6th March,

This day was spent in the library at Hereford College of Arts researching, I found some extraordinary works in order to draw inspiration from for my project.This research I will be displaying within my sketchbook in order to keep an in depth log throughout, also putting the work into my sketchbook means it will be accessible to me at all times!
    I have now began to build up a wide variety of references and practitioners, this will be very helpful in aiding me through my work. My research into artists' work is mostly focusing on the mystical but also quite dark connotations of their work. I feel this is inspiring my greatly and the reflection upon each individual artist's work will be shown in my sketchbook along with samples of their work.
   I have began researching my topic in great depth also, I have decided to research the topics of Paganism, Wicca, Shamanism, Black Magic and Angels/ Healing. All of these topics broadly link into Paganism and Practical magic, they are also the areas that I feel most enthusiastic about studying as they are very personal to me. I am a firm believer in the effects of magic and healing, I also think it is important to take notice of the five great elements of our world, something which Paganism is centred around.
 

Chakra Edit Test!

This is my first edit using one of the Chakra symbols, I chose to use the Third Eye Chakra as the eyes are the main focus within this photograph. I created it by making duplicating three different layers of the background photograph. Each layer, I used a different effect, I changed the threshold on the first layer, the second layer I took away the saturation and darkened the contrast and then the top layer I added a blue hue to the shadows and a magenta hue to the highlights. I then changed the opacity of the levels and then merged them together, I feel this is really effective as the image is bold and is a deep image. I then layered the image of the Third Eye Chakra over the top of the eyes, I feel this works well as it also demonstrates the real location of the Chakra. I really like this image and feel the Chakra symbols work well within editing, I will definitely be sampling more images like this.

Chakras!

Chakras also fall into the study of modern witchcraft and healing. The Seven chakras in our body are where the energy flows through. It is believed that blocked energy in any of the seven chakras can lead to illness. I believe chakras are an important part of everyday life as people often forget about taking care of their body throughout their busy schedules. The belief of chakras allows people to find inner peace with their body and to understand what's right and what isn't for it. Having clear chakras is believed to keep a clear perception on life and our surroundings.

This diagram shows where the chakras are located within the body, each different colour represents a different chakra, each chakra is believed to have a different purpose within the body.

Red: Root Chakra: This is believed to be at the base of the spine, and it is the centre for our survival issues such as; food, money and financial security.

Orange: Sacral Chakra: it is believed to be in the lower abdomen, this is the place where our sense of abundance, well being and pleasure is centred and dealt with.

Yellow: Solar Plexus Chakra: is believed to be in the stomach area, it is our control centre for our self-confidence and self- esteem.

Green: Heart Chakra: is located within the chest, it controls our feelings of love and inner peace.

Blue: Throat Chakra: is located in the throat and is our ability to communicate and express the truth.

Lilac: Third Eye Chakra: is found in the forehead, between the eyes, it is believed to control our ability to focus and our perceptions of our surroundings.

Purple: Crown Chakra: is located at the very top of the head, it controls our feelings of sprituality and our connections with higher spirits. 

This image above shows the different symbols which are used to represent different chakras. From Left to Right: The Root Chakra, The Sacral Chakra, The Solar Plexus Chakra, The Heart Chakra, The Throat Chakra, The Third Eye Chakra, The Crown Chakra. 

I really like the structure of these symbols and I feel they could work really well within my photograph edits. I will move on to trying to include these symbols into my edits. 

Witchcraft!

Given that the majority of my project is focused around witchcraft, I decided to create a couple of images based on this idea. The image below was created by first duplicating the original photograph. I altered the contrast on one layer in order to get the very black outline, I then added a green hue to the other layer and changed the opacity level. I then laid each individual word over in order to change the colour of the text according to the different points in the photograph. I feel this is a very effective image and is very bold and eye catching. I think the darkness and the green hue perfectly suggest witchcraft. 

 From this image, I then created the image below. The image which I have layered over the top is St. Briavels castle. I find it very beneficial to explore the landscapes and old buildings within my local area in order to exploit them and make the most of my art project. I feel the image of the castle works very well layered over the witch image, the atmosphere of the castle, which towers very high and looms over the village, is very haunting. I changed the contrast and saturation of the castle image in order to darken it; I feel this works very well over the witch image as it is all very dark and quite ominous. 

The image below was created from an earlier image which I edited, I simply layered some text over the top of it. I feel this image works well though as it is very dark and the dark makeup and wooded area behind suggests witchcraft; many witchcraft movies are based within wooded areas of land. I focused in on this when I created the below image. The position of the text works well as it is directly across the centre of the image. 

Wiccan Symbols in Editing!

When researching Wiccan Symbols, I decided to add a few into my images whilst editing in order to see how they could work with the images.

 The image above was created through layering. The symbol used in this image is 'Hecate's Wheel', I chose this symbol as I thought it would fit best with this image. With the layering effect and changing opacity of the symbol I was able to line it up exactly where I wanted it. I feel this image works well as the symbol lines up perfectly with the background image.

 I used the 'Triquetra' symbol within this image, I also layered the symbol three times as it is all about the number three. The triquetra is commonly used within wicca and paganism and tends to represent the connection of the mind, body and soul. I feel this image works well as angels are often associated with good souls and people who lived wholesome lives.

 The symbol which I have layered over this photograph is the 'Triple Moon Symbol' represents new beginnings, the full moon in the centre represents the time when magic is at it's most powerful, the final meaning is banishing things away. I layered the symbol over the background image as I felt that it would create a striking outcome, I am very pleased with it and I feel it really stands out.

 This image above is my favourite with the use of the Wiccan symbols. I used the 'Pentagram or Pentacle' in order to create this image, the pentacle represents the four elements, air, fire, water and earth, it also includes the fifth element; spirit. I feel the three images layered together work really well, the star looks really good over the facial features as it fits with the dimensions of the face and features.

Wicca!

A large part of practical magic originates from Wiccan traditions, for this reason, it will be very relevant within my studies during part 3. I think the important part of this research is discovering the varying traditions within Wicca and how they have lead on to the modern magical world. A particular interest of mine is the symbolism within Wicca.

1)

2)

Above are two examples of the sorts of symbols used within Wicca, I feel most are creative and will work well with my photographs when I edit them.

1) http://www.lunasgrimoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/symbols11.gif
2) http://aesobolwillowshade.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/wiccan-symbols.jpg?w=640

A couple of Crystal edits!

From my photographs of my crystals, I decided to create a couple of edits using them in order to see how effective they were.

I created these angel wings from a necklace pendant, I lowered the saturation of the photo and then increased the contrast, this took away the silver jewellery look of the pendant. The pendant is only one angel wing so I had to duplicate and reverse the image in order to create the pair. I feel this effect works well and creates and more realistic pair of angel wings.

 This edit was created using an image which I took back in January during the snow, I changed the sharpness of the image in order to make the trees stand out from the white snowy back ground. The crystal angel which I layered over was originally red, but this didn't look right over the image, I decided to change the saturation of the image in order to take the colour away. I then changed the opacity of the image in order to layer it effectively over the trees. I feel this effect works well and the image looks quite mystical and magical.

I took a photo of an angel statue which I own, the image was quite plain at first with just the wood effect of the angel. I decided to alter the saturation, when I did this, the angel didn't quite stand out as much as I would have liked, for this reason, I altered the contrast of the image also. I then duplicated the image another two times and layered them over each other with varying opacity levels. I feel this image works well as it is quite dark and striking, it is eye catching. I like how I was able to change a simple, positive image into something so dark and different.

This image was created from the angel wings I created from the pendant. I am pleased with the outcome of this as I feel it is a very effective image in that it is quite unusual. Affirmations are very prevalent within the magical world today, this is why I decided to include the 'Spread you Wings' quote. I feel that affirmations are very important as they make people realise how there is still positivity in life and how it can still be applied in any situation. The image here was created by first making the purple marble type background, i then added in the wings as a new layer and changed the contrast of them and added a blue hue to them. I then outlined them with the dark purple using the airbrush setting and finished by smudging the layers outwards.

Crystals!

Crystals and crystal healing have become very important to me within the last two years, I felt that I wanted to incorporate these into my project too. I have a small collection of crystals, so i began to photograph these with the intention of incorporating them into future photo edits. I have included a few of the photos which I took of my crystals.

 Amethyst.

 Snowflake Obsidian.

 Malachite.

 Flourite.

 Smoky Quartz.

 Bloodstone. 

 Fluorite Angel.

 Sodalite Dowsing Crystal.

Green Fluorite.

Cat photo edits!

After the success of my cat makeup shots, I then decided to edit these in order to make the most of the images I had created. 

 I created this image by stripping the colour and then darkening the image. The distorted effect was created by duplicating the image and layering it over by changing the opacity. I feel this effect works well as it is a very dark image and the cross over of the eyes adds a very cat like effect.

 This image was created by changing the contrast of two images and then layering them over one another. The top image I altered to a very low opacity level in order to create the interesting effect of the layered images. I feel this works well as the top layer almost looks like wings have been layered over; this ties into my project very well.

 This image was created by layering two images again, the top layer has had the saturation completely stripped, the lower layer was created by adding a green hue to the image. The contrast has also been altered in order to bring the facial features out more. I feel this also works well as green is most commonly associated with magic. Most children's programs and indeed Harry Potter shows the use of green beams of light when magical spells are cast.

 These two images (above and below) were created again by layering the images, the contrast has been heavily altered in order to make the features stand out. I feel these two images are effective, however, being early edits, I'm not totally impressed by them as I'm not keen on the lines in the images where the layer cross over; I feel this is an editing technique which definitely needs further work on.

 The image below was again created by layering two images. I feel this works well as paganism and witchcraft heavily revolve around nature, the use of the trees in this picture reflects that. I decided to layer the image with the cat makeup over it because black cats are also associated with witches. I really like this image and feel it works incredibly well; it is effective as it layered really well and there are no visible lines in the layers.

Project related photos!

After the practice shoot, I then decided to create some self portrait shots in order to get to grips with the makeup art side of things. Given that my project is heavily associated with witchcraft, I decided to create some black cat makeup in order to create an effective shoot. I was pleased with these images, I have decided that I will probably use quite a bit of self portraiture within my project as it is quick but effective but I will be using other models for photographs later on in my work.

Practice Photo Shoot!

Given that I didn't have much experience with photography, I decided to set up a photo shoot with a friend, just to get in some practice shots and get a grasp of editing images. I was happy with the final outcome and I feel I can use the techniques that I have began to learn to further my work throughout Part 3 of the course. So far, I have enjoyed any editing I have done and feel that the images are really effective! The images I have created here were created by altering the contrast and saturation of the images, I also layered a couple of images over others. I feel that the layering works well and is a very effective technique, it also gives me a chance to include the maximum amount of imagery in my work.

Part 3 Proposal

I began Part 3 by creating my proposal for the project. At first I was unsure where to begin to look for ideas so I took to the popular website Pinterest. On here I was able to find all sorts of inspiration, I also decided to look back in my life over the last twelve months and find out what was important to me. The factor that stood out for me was paganism and practical magic. I find this is of interest to me as I feel it is something which I can really connect with, going through alot in my life, I sought to find something to believe in which could be constant in my life. I collect crystals and oracle cards so I felt this would be a good place to begin. With the basis that my project would be based on objects which I collect, I have also decided to base my project mostly around photography as I feel this would be the best way to incorporate objects and found items into my work.
   Once I had decided my topic matter and set my proposal, I began my research and brainstorming!