Research and Development

Choosing to base my Final Major Project on a self generated plot involving Guido Fawkes I need really improve my resources and reference material I have while designing to create a more realistic history based base of artwork with my own twist on top. There are a few key features that I need to research to get the full potential out of my art work and also to help me create more varied and interesting designs while relating to the period. In the years of the event 1604 and the following years, it is a era known as the Jacobean era, this is an era when James I (IV) came to be King after the death of Queen Elizabeth. The era was a struggle between Catholics and Protestants, it followed the end of the Tudor and Elizabethan period. The first big factor is the materials that were available at the time, this will implement and shape my designs I create from the materials used in clothes and buildings and also the materials I can play with to create some fiction such as assassin weaponry to perhaps an element of magic in the order of the Jesuit, a group of high English Catholics. The second is the clothes used and materials and colours that were worn, by both nobility and the poor. The clothing will have a distinct fashion that I can use to design of off and create my own interesting designs of clothes. A third major factor is the environment and settings they lived in, the building and the architecture that surrounded London in the 1600’s. Basing my art on 17th century London allows me to actually visit London and get some good primary research from the museums there. While I am not necessarily planning on designing transport there may be exceptions such as how Guido travels around in secret and so again looking at the vehicles used in the 17th century can be useful for reference.

The key points summed up for research are;

Clothing;

Style
Colour
Patterns
Shape
Class related clothing
Iconic clothing
Materials used

Buildings and Environment;

Architecture
Style
Layout
Materials used

Materials;

Current Materials
Widely used and common/rare materials
Materials found out in the era
Technology developments

Hopefully with some good research I will have plenty of reference material to design off when coming to moving on to the design stages. I will be acknowledging what I have research in each bit by applying them in a drawing sense by doing small thumbnails and sketches after I have found something worth using or considering.