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Author
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Comment
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tredeger
Registered User
(11/21/03 5:18 pm)
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midsummer night's dream reference help
This is my first post here, hello everyone. I am studying computer animation and have chosen to put together a demo reel based on William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hopefully, I'll be able to complete goblin and fairy designs for this piece, but right now I'm concentrating on Bottom after he has transformed. Regretably, I've found a disturbing dearth of art references and am wondering if any of you might have suggestions, including where I can find the appropriate materials. I think I've found all the Rackham illustrations (lovely) online and they number only about 4. His faery and goblins are practically definitive to my mind's eye.
There aren't very many good pictures of donkeys online unfortunately. And I've discovered the differences b/t horses and asses to be quite significant.
When I was a kid, I had an amazing book, Dream Makers, that profiled the incredible Charles Vess. I recall that it included a couple pictures that he did from an illustrated version of the play, but Dream Makers is now out of print and included only the 2 pictures. My edition has been lost in time. And my attempts to find the Vess edition of Midsummer have been abortive. I can't find it anywhere and I suspect if I do, it will be out of my price range. Is anyone here familiar with this work and can they comment on the illustrations? My childhood memory from Dream Makers was that the design for Bottom was quite expressive and charming. Actually, it is my fond childhood memories of the Vess work in the book and Arthur Rackham that have inspired me toward this particular pursuit many many years later.
Thanks so much for your time and any help you can provide.
cheers, Jazz
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Jessica
Unregistered User
(11/22/03 3:20 am)
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could you...
...be thinking of "Dream Country", from Neil Gaiman's Sandman Chronicles?
I'm not sure whether or not Charles Vess illustrated *that* one, but I remember reading somewhere that they, together, won a literary award for a chapter in Sandman.
Maybe for the "A Midsummer Night's Dream" chapter?
--Jessica
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LornaYnot
Registered User
(11/22/03 12:03 pm)
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images from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Regarding images of Bottom after his transformation, have you tried a Google image search with the search term defined as A Midsummer Night's Dream? When I read your post, I did this and I found a number of images of Bottom. I didn't have time to trace the sources, but it might be worth your time to do so.
Sincerely,
Lorna
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tredeger
Registered User
(11/22/03 1:28 pm)
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Re: midsummer night's dream reference help
yeah, google yields a lot of scans from illustrated versions of the text. Rackham is pretty definitive in this regard. Most other illustrations are quite painterly and in a classical style or of a woodcut type. They aren't particularly useful however as they lack much realism. The 4 Rackham illustrations are fantastic, lots of character, but his design is almost simian in some ways and the wedge of the head is really more horse like than ass like.
The big challanges in designing a Bottom that will work well in 3D is that he must be able to move and emote without any cheats. A lot of the illustrations around hide the neck or depict it inconsitently across a series based on pose. An equine head is meant to have an equine neck tapering into an equine shoulder girdle. It is rather hard to make one transition smoothly into a human shoulder girdle. My vauge childhood memory of the Vess illustration is that it has a large neck (can anyone confirm?) Which the Rackham does not. The other challenge is placing and orienting the mouth for lip synch so that it reads well (i.e., human-ish in conjunction with the eyes). And determining the orientation of the eyes is another design point--finding the balance between human and donkey placement.
Jessica, I believe Mr. Vess illustrated a version of the play *and* collaborated with Mr. Gaiman on a Sandman centered around the authorship of the play. I think another Sandman was written around the Tempest as well. I am not familiar with the Sandman issues however and don't know if they have any illustrations germane to my research, though i think you are right about them winning a slew of awards.
Thanks and
cheers,
Jazz
P.S.-- On a more faery note, which are your favorite depictions of Titania and Oberon?
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Charles Vess
Unregistered User
(11/23/03 5:36 pm)
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Illustrating Midsummer
There are many, many illustrated editions of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Rackham iluustrated the play in three different editions: The Heinemann (London)/Doubleday(NY) edition of 1908 with 40 to 50 full color plates, the 1929 edition commisioned by the NY Public Library (and the originals can be still viewed there) with approx. 12 color plates, not published until 1977 by Abaris Books and the Limited Edition Book Club edtion of 1939. There is also a splendid edition illustrated by W. Heath Robinson in 1914 published by Henry Holt& Co in the US with tons of color and b/w art. Also there are inuremable books on Shakespeare loaded w/ illustrations. Fuseli (?) did several nice oil paintings of Titania and Co.
As to my own work. There was indeed an illustrated edition of the play published by Donning/Starblaze in 1988 with approx. 40 color and b/w images. Then there was my art for SANDMAN #19 w/ an intirely different interpretation of the characters and events.
But my advice would be to try to look at as many interpretations as possible and then lay them aside. Go to Google and do an 'image' search for donkeys and develop your own concept of Bottom, Puck and all the other delightful denizons of Shakespeares enchanted forest.
Good luck!
Charles
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janeyolen
Registered User
(11/24/03 6:16 am)
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Re: Illustrating Midsummer
I was wondering when the Vess himself would reply! <G>
Jane
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Charles Vess
Unregistered User
(11/24/03 10:16 am)
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More Midsummering...
Jane, alright, sorry I was late to the discussion but I I was busy in the yard this weekend since we were enjoying 60 degree and sunny weather in SW Va.
I can't believe I forgot to mention the absolutely splendid edition of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM illustrated by Dennis Nolan (and adapted by Bruce Colville) for the children's pcture book published by Dial and still in print.
Dennis did a great job of designing all the characters, but especially his Puck. There are several notable full page pictures of Bottom in all is donkey spender...
Best,
Charles
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tredeger
Registered User
(11/24/03 5:44 pm)
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Re: More Midsummering...
Gosh gosh gosh, I found this board through Google, didn't realize that you posted here. Now that I've looked through the archives, I see that you're active here. Well, thanks for the inspiration over the years and many thanks now for such a thorough answer to my query.
I agree with your advice about doing a ton of research and then setting it aside. I need to find a face that works in both form and function--it has to be capable of lip synch and expression, and no single still image really gets me there. But this research has been really fun to do, I just wish it were easier to get hold of some of the material. I had heard that there were three Rackham editions, but I didn't realize that they were all different sets of illustrations. That is really good to know. I'll be looking for all of those other cited works as well now.
As for the timeliness of your reply, I live in VA as well (near Williamsburg) and it would have been criminal not to be outside this weekend. I've been hanging holiday lights on the roof myself. Anyway, thanks a ton. Take care and
cheers,
Jazz
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