Artists inspiration?

[Perry Owens]

Manged to make the obligatory steel rose without cutting or burning myself

I enjoyed it a lot - made a change from fabricating reactive targets - and I would like to try some other arty stuff. Trouble is, I don't seem to have any artistic sense at all. I have the tools and could acquire the skills but inspiration? No.

 

[bigegg]

tattoo clip art. Old vehicle magazines. Old books about fish ( )
I find defocusing my eyes (or taking specs off) and just seeing the overall shape and lines helps.

Course, if I defocus my eyes, take my specs off AND have a beer [1] I end up with what is called "abstract" art


[1] for the design part - not the angle grinding! Cos I'm daft, not stupid.

 

[chunkolini]

Inspiration?
I am lucky that I find it everywhere. I wonder around in my fluffy little world being easily distracted.
I am also lucky that people ask me to make their ideas for them, this usually leads to the best work especially if they are not realy sure what are after.
Here is a wonderful book that I use a lot for ideas
Art Forms in Nature by Ernst Haeckel, I have two copies one at home and one at work.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forms-Nature-Dover-Pictorial-Archive/dp/0486229874/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
He was a brilliant illustrator, visionary, philosopher enemy of Charles Darwin. A gorgeous book the drawings almost work as plans for sculpture, you can see his influences all ver the place.
Other sources? google images is a great help seeing what other sculptors have made.
Clip art as said is useful, vector images can help, really it is about opening your mind to think about shapes, forms and lines.
I am lucky I can build things in my head and save them to look at later.
Sounds a bit daft but it works. A mate called it 'downloading.

 

[Maker]

Look at a Google search for things like electron micrograph, Chunko's made some really cool stuff based on microbiology.

Nice rose by the way, I've only ever made copper ones.

 

[chunkolini]

I can spend ages browsing scanning electron micsoscope pictures.
A very useful site is this one http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/Index.cfm?keyword=frog&x=15&y=15
they offer computer generated images of a massive variety of subjects, they are for sale as packages but I download and use them as guides for designing sculptures.
I cant see there being any copyright issues as I am only using them as source material for the things I make, rather than using the images themselves.

 

[bigegg]

Art Forms in Nature by Ernst Haeckel, I have two copies one at home and one at work.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forms-Nature-Dover-Pictorial-Archive/dp/0486229874/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
He was a brilliant illustrator, visionary, philosopher enemy of Charles Darwin. A gorgeous book the drawings almost work as plans for sculpture, you can see his influences all ver the place.

Originally published 1904 so out of copyright.

PDF here
(130mb) / 430 pages

 

[chunkolini]

I was talking abut copyright on the website, but it is public and only being used as inspiration.
When I am minted I will try and buy myself an original of one of his drawings. Gorgeous stuff.

 

[bigegg]

I was talking abut copyright on the website, but it is public and only being used as inspiration.
When I am minted I will try and buy myself an original of one of his drawings. Gorgeous stuff.

Sorry - I though you meant the turbosquid stuff, rather than in general!

Nice pictures - I've promised myself a Cecil Aldin original

I can but dream...

 

[Perry Owens]

Thanks for the very useful tips guys. When I'm raking up leaves today I shall view them not as a damned nuisance but as possible sources of inspiration.

 

[chunkolini]

Inspiration two examples.
I was sat in the pub a while back and glanced at the sign on the tap for the Wye Valley brewery.

I spent most of the evening looking at it, dismantling the shapes and ended up making this.

Another one.
I watched the excellent horror film The Skin I live in about an insane italian plastic surgeon,#as the credits came un there was an animation of a DNA molecule twirling round in the background. Straight into beard twiddling mouth breating mode ( I look like a right loon when this happens). next day I did this.

Anything can set me off.
I caught myself in Sainsburys recently, staring into space mouth open somebody asking me something ''Sorry I'm busy' I must have looked a right fool.
I suppose I am in the right job.
Sweeping up leaves you might spot something odd.

 

[strada]

very nice rose,

made a change from fabricating reactive targets

what are these ?

 

[Perry Owens]

very nice rose,


what are these ?

Targets that react in some way when struck by a bullet. Bobbers, duelling trees and can throwers are examples. Here's a link to one of my can throwers in use at a western shoot.

 

[strada]

They look fun Perry , Have you made any resetting knock down targets for airifles ?

 

[Perry Owens]

They look fun Perry , Have you made any resetting knock down targets for airifles ?

No, the clubs I belong to shoot western action and historic rifle so the targets are pretty heavy duty. There are a number of air rifle targets on sale so it's not always economic to make your own.