ASS3 - Project 1 - Visual storytelling
Research point
Published by British artist William Hogarth in 1751, the popular satirical engravings Beer Street and Gin Lane were part of a campaign to curb gin drinking amongst the poor in London. The prints show the consequences of excessive gin drinking on Gin Lane in comparison with the moderate consumption of ale along Beer Street. The verses at the bottom, written by James Towneley, explain the meaning of the images, but most of the meaning is embedded within the image through the use of symbolism and visual metaphor. We may recognise parallels with today’s binge drinking but Hogarth was talking to a contemporary audience. Many of his references may seem a bit obscure now, nevertheless the images still hold a lot of visual language we should recognise.
Compare the two images and identify how Hogarth has used denotation and connotation. What has he shown literally through denotation to support his anti-gin/pro-beer argument and what is implied through connotation? Think about the visual language and symbolic structure he has used to construct meaning – for example, the use of buildings in good repair or disuse, what’s in the foreground and what’s in the distance. What about the pawnbroker’s symbol and the symbolism in the physical language of the human body – the gestures, poses, sizes? There’s even a dead body in there somewhere. How does Hogarth use these to construct meaning? If it helps, view the images on Bridgeman and use the zoom tool to help you focus on the fine detail. Use your learning log to document your points of comparison and analysis. You’ll look at other satirical illustrations in more depth in Part Four
My Answer:
Beer Street and Gin Lane are two prints issued in 1751 by English artist William Hogarth in support of what would become the Gin Act. Designed to be viewed alongside each other, I have compared the both below:
Beer Street - Denotation
More men
happy and jolly
Artist painting a sign
Working men - fishermen and builders
Rich people - better dressed
Beer Bellies - plumper people - well fed too
Pirates stealing barrell - (I think he may of come from Gin street as he has a skeleton gaunt face)
Man giving beer through locked door
Men on roof - looks like they are rescuing a drunk man
Building are mostly pubs - also some wear and tare to the construction. and also new buildings being built.
Gin Street - Denotation
More women and children
Poor
Starvation - people eating off a bone
Suicidal and death
Woman with saw
People look a little crazy
Clothes are rags and torn
Unhappiness/pain and sorrow
Broken buildings and crumbled
Overcrowded
Meaning of the Images
Comparing these two images side by side they show that the artist is conveying a message. He is implying that there is a good and evil between drinking beer and gin. His illustrations are showing that people on Beer Street who drink beer are better off, healthier and richer, compared to people on Gin Street, who drink gin where people are poor, starving, and suffering.
Both illustrations are connected to each other and show the artists opinion on different drinks and how they affect lives. Gin Lane shows starvation, madness, decay and suicide, while beer street shows wealth, industry and a thriving town. these two illustrations together are showing the illustrators opinion of associations between gin, beer and its effects in his day..
Connotation for both scenes
These images looking at them from the modern today you can relate to effects of drinking as drinking is still popular today - different drinks create different social groups of people and they are also drinks which are seen as a male drink or a female drink. In England we are known to have many binge drinkers who end up in fights, forget themselves and make a scene. We are well known for the younger population to go on holidays abroad for long party breaks and cause trouble and make us look a mess. I personally don't drink so I cannot relate - I have a good time without it, but I have seen people become different people with it.
I don't think in today's world gin is for poor and beer is for rich, in today's world gin has got very popular and more people are enjoying it, A lot of both men and women drink it and in today's world women have more freedom to work, vote and earn money compared to when these illustrations were created. My personal opinion is that beer is seen as an middle to old man's drink and spirits like gin and wine are associated with women of all ages. Younger people enjoy drinks such as vodka, cocktails and shots of spirits and enjoy mixing more compared to when these illustrations were created.
There are now so many different types of drinks and different flavours that there is a lot to suit almost everyone's taste.
Overall I can associate with these images the effect that alcohol has on people, how it plays with emotions, reaction rates and how they feel the next day with a hangover. Drinking is a social thing and brings people together so it's not all that bad, as long as you watch how much you drink.
Exercise- Proverbs -You Are What You Eat
Choose a proverb to illustrate and produce two different versions, one implying the ‘good’ and the other the ‘bad’ meaning implied by the advice. Think about how you use the two images in relationship to one another. How do you create a comparison between the symbolism of the good with the bad? Think specifically about which elements in the illustration you need to tweak to make this work successfully.
For this task I am going to look on the internet and look at some of the proverbs I know and pick one which I feel will work well for this exercise.
The meaning of this proverb is based on people of the same sort or with the same tastes and interests will be found together.
The Negative
Its great people getting together with things in common and joining in activities, but it can also cause outcasts and people feeling outside a circle of people. It could also cause people within a social circle or network to whisper and talk about outsiders or just don't understand someone being different.
The Positive
The positive is helping people to be social together, joining in with the same interests and activities. Certain things such as fashion, sport and hobbies bring people together.
Ideas For Illustration
For these two illustrations I am going to show the negative - feeling left out and the Positive - bringing people together.
As this proverb is talking about birds, for the illustration I want to use bird characters to showcase the positive and the negative meanings. As the proverb also talks about a feather, I think a great idea would be to play with the words and show some birds with big feathers on there heads and another bird the same species but with out a large feather and feeling left as a negative. As a positive the left out bird could pull out a feather and hold it over its head to join in with the other birds. The other birds will be shown as happy, accepting and welcoming them in to the group. I think these ideas will work well and will be easy to understand as a viewer.
I am first going to start looking at my character design for the birds as well as the scene and the messages in each illustration.
Above: My character designs, I have come up with an idea of a Toucan/parrot design with I am excited about.
Above - Sketch of the negative side showing the parrot with no feather being left out and the other birds with feather whispering and talking about the bird with no feather (looking different).
Above - Sketch of the positive side showing the parrot with no feather plucking one out and holding it over its head. The other two birds notice and are welcoming and accepting.
Above - A good sketch for the final illustrations but I want the final illustrations to have less detail as will be making them out of paper.
I have now done some sketches and feel ready to create my final two final illustration ideas. I am choosing a tropical scene because I want to show the birds in their tropical home.T|hey will be all sitting on a branch with leaves around then to set the scene. I want my illustrations to be aimed at children to educate them about accepting people who are different and not to make people feel left out.
Final Illustration Sketches
Next I need to look at colours:
As they are all the same species, I want them to be all the same colour. I have tested colours out with different pencil colours to get an idea of that colours work well together. I want the illustrations to be bright and use colours which gives the mood of happiness.
After testing out all the colours I like bird four with a vibrant turquoise and pinks and reds. With the scenery which will be full of greenery it will create a great contrast and make the three birds stand out against the background.
Creating my illustrations out of paper
To make the illustration in my style I have to now used my tracing board and work out all the shapes on paper to then scan in my PC and get my cutting machine to cut out all the shapes from paper that are of the colours I liked the best..
Above - Traced shapes from illustrations ready to be scanned in to cut them out of the coloured paper matching the colours I like best.
Above - Showing the assembly of the shapes to form the birds.
Above- Showing process of added detail
Birds for the positive illustration and now complete, I have used colouring pencils, fine liner and a white Posca pen to add details and create textures.
Next up I've gotta look at the background. In my art room I have come across some yellow/pink paper which gives a great effect of a sunset atmosphere. It will work well with the greens making an attractive background.
Final Illustrations
Once I created the first illustrations the second illustration was a lot faster as the background was kept identical to keep the scene. Here are my final illustrations below.
Illustration one: The Negative Side - Feeling Left Out
Illustration 2 - The Positive Side - Being Accepted
Final Illustrations verdict and my Evaluation
Looking at my two finished illustrations together, I feel they work really well and show the good and bad meanings of the proverb 'Birds of a feather flock together'. I think they both show clear messages and not only appealing to children but to adults too! The colours I have used work well together and make really attractive illustrations. They are appealing and tell a story. The background keeps the birds the main focus in the illustration.
Overall I think my two illustrations have been successful and work well together.I have understood the positive and negative meanings and produced two illustrations that are easy to understand. The have a great relationship between each other as they are set in the same scene with the same character telling a story of being accepted. I had fun creating these illustrations and I found that I really enjoy adding all the extra details on top of the paper which shows my style and my joy of mark making.
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