Final Piece

For my final piece, I took inspiration from Bec Wonders and decided to produce a better version of one of the experiments I had done in her style. I first selected an image that I had already edited for my previous experiment and printed it out on glossy photograph paper. This was then followed by tracing over the image on a separate piece of paper so that I could draw the image and make it look more masculine. I did this with a black biro on white paper to contrast with the warm tones and colours of the photograph I traced and it also created tone within the image. After this, I cut into the photograph and folded back sections to reveal the drawing that would be underneath then glued it on top. I did it this way to symbolise how things are not how they appear and that you can't necessarily determine someone's gender just by the way that they look on the outside.

Final Piece

Contact Sheet:

Experiment - Inspired By Bec Wonders

For this experiment, I decided to use the idea of using different mediums to draw out parts of the photographs and then remove parts of the actual photo before layering the two together by hand. I took this idea from Bec Wonders who paints parts of photographs before placing the painted elements onto the photographs to create interesting, unique ideas. 

I chose the mediums of charcoal and chalk, biro pen, and watercolour pencil when creating these images as I felt that using different mediums would allow for more experimentation as well as finding different ways to build up tone to contrast with the photos themselves. Charcoal and chalk allows for creating striking contrast but also for blending mid tones within the light and the dark, creating a smooth yet sketchy and rushed quality. However, I felt that this technique didn't allow for much detail so I chose not to use it in other photos. 

When drawing with biro, I layered up the tone to create more of a contrast as well as directional line to add form. Because I was drawing females and i want to challenge the perception of gender, I drew typically masculine beards and moustaches. I pressed harder with the nib of the pen for this in order to create dramatic lines that stand out against the colour of the photographs. 

With watercolour pencils, I decided that I would have a black and white photograph. This is because I wanted the watercolour to stand out from the rest of the image and I felt that this would make the tonal lines of colour much more visible. I used reds and purples for makeup as I wanted to challenge the stereotype that men don't wear makeup and I layered the warmer tones to add more depth and interest into the composition. In my opinion, I think that this was more successful that the biro or the charcoal and chalk as there was more of a variation of colour and the use of watercolour allowed for me to experiment with layering colour to create tone and an aesthetically pleasing composition. 

Photography Experimentation - Bec Wonders

For my next experiment, I aim to create images in the same style as Bec Wonders who paints on top of photographs to make them look more abstract, adding a deeper meaning to the composition. She has painted on both monochromatic and coloured photographs which adds more aesthetic value and creates more interest within the composition. 





I find Wonders' images more interesting than some photographers' work as there is a nice contrast between the detail in the photograph and the painterly brush strokes of the painting. The brush marks blend into each other to create more tone which adds an artistic and personal feel as well as drawing attention to that part of the image. 

In my experiment, I plan to paint colour onto the monochromatic photos and greys and whites onto the colour images. This will create contrast and allow me to be more creative and experimental with what I can put into the images to symbolise gender as well as challenge the perception of gender symbolically. 

Experiment 2 - More Merging

I decided, for my second experiment, to use different overlay and blending techniques in order to create images similar to Bec Wonders' but with my own sort of influence. So, the first thing I did was to edit a brush in photoshop so that it was textured and had a wet edge effect. I layered the brush on photoshop so that the edges of the strokes overlapped to create a contrast from, dark to light.

Next, I imported an image into photoshop and experimented with the blending option of the photograph which was on the top layer. I wanted to make it so that just part of the chest was visible at this stage and made sure that there you can see the difference of light to dark layering underneath the photo. Once I was happy with this, I did the same so that other parts of the image were showing in the same way with the brush.

I then proceeded to start adding these elements onto another image and repositioned them so that they were layered over the appropriate body parts (chest covering chest etc). 

Satisfied, I began to use the smudge and blending tools in order to make the edges of the images that were layered on top look more flowing to represent that genders flow and that they can combine or intertwine with each other. Blurring the edges I had smudged made them much softer too and created a much more interesting and aesthetically pleasing composition.

The next step in the process was to adjust and edit the levels, brightness, contrast, and saturation of the image. I did this in order to show more contrast within the piece and to make the tonal range more varied.

After this, I imported an image of trees that I had taken and edited the blending option on that particular layer as well as the opacity. This added more texture to the piece and made it into a more aesthetically intriguing composition as there are more lines and textural qualities.

Finally, I added a white layer on top of the other layers and edited it to create a vignette that brings together the image and draws attention to the centre of the composition.

I feel that this experiment has been more successful that the previous experiment. This is because, whilst everything still blends into each other, the blending is more obvious and the piece looks much more refined. This is close to how I want my final piece to look and I plan to make some improvements in my next shoot such as taking pictures of the model in the exact same position both with and without makeup and stereotyped clothing. I will also use different textures and explore a variety of materials to accomplish this.

Experiment 1 - Combination

For this experiment, I decided that I wanted to try and merge two of my images together to try and create the contrast of male and female stereotypes (women have long hair, wear makeup and bras whereas men wear masculine clothing and no makeup). To do this, I took photographs of my brother in both 'male' and 'female' attire. 

After taking the photographs, I looked through the images and chose the ones that matched each other the best in terms of positioning and lighting. I imported them into photoshop and began to remove parts of one of the images to reveal the one underneath.

My next step was to blend the images a with blending and smudge tools in photoshop in order to try and make the piece look more flowing yet still fake looking in order to symbolise that stereotypes can be perceived as fake ideals that others have about appearance and gender roles physically. 

To make the image stand out more I edited the levels of the image. As you can see, this has  made the colours in the wig and the bra seem brighter and more colourful, contrasting with the darker oranges and browns of the background. It has also made the light and dark in the clothing stand out to create more form. 

I have also adjusted the contrast and brightness of the image to create more contrast and tone within the composition. Once again, it has made the brighter colours stand out more which grabs the attention of the viewer and draws in the eye.

I felt that the colours in the image looked too saturated so I lowered the saturation of the image. I feel that this has made the picture more aesthetically pleasing to look at and it is less of an eyesore so it is easier on the eye. The colour still stands out but it is more subtle and still contrasts with the background.

At the end of this experiment, I feel that the image has not been as successful as I had hoped it would be. This is because the image is not as clear as I would have hoped and it looks too strange as everything blends into each other too much.

Contact Sheet For Mock Exam Experiments

Gender Merging Photography

To start with, I took photographs of my subject both in a masculine and a feminine appearance. I did this upon a white background, both with the same light and aperture settings so that they would look like they were part of the same image when I merged them in photoshop. 

Next, I imported two of the images into photoshop. I made sure that they were both as similar to each other as possible in terms of lighting, posture and proximity from the lens of the camera. I cut out half of the more feminine image and aligned them before readjusting levels to bring out the colours within the composition. This also created more variation in shade and tone which makes the image look more interesting.

My next step was to adjust the contrast and brightness settings. This makes the skin as well as the background slightly paler as well as contrasting with the darker tones and the brighter colours as well as bringing out the colours in the hair, makeup and clothing. 

After changing the contrast and brightness settings, I increased the saturation so that the reds and blues were more eye-catching and erased the parts of the saturation layer I didn't need. Not only this, but I also edited the shadows and highlights to make the colours pop out more as well as the create more tone and form within the image such as in the creases of the shirt.

Finally, I created a new layer and made a vignette so that the image looked more refined and finished. I also did this so that the attention would be drawn more to the centre of the composition where the main focus should be.

Contact Sheets:

Final Image: