Objective

Muse was created for a competition called "Discover a Muse”. The brief for the competition was to use the model Veronika Kotlajic as a reference or inspiration, and create an image that embodies the terms strong, independent, and sexy. Firstly, I decided I wanted to use a costume concept from an old painting I did a year ago called "Violet” (Fig.01). I figured this competition would be a good opportunity to reinvent this image in a new light and with a much improved skill set.

Concept & Composition

In adapting my old painting within the boundaries of the competition brief, I wanted to create a new pose and also show her face so we could see some resemblance to the model. I really liked the dress and the mask from my original work, so I was after a pose and perspective that would show off the costume whilst maintaining the sense of strength and sex appeal. The dress was inspired by old Victorian-style dresses with the full skirts and flounces. I exposed her legs and kept the fabric long and flowing down the back, almost like a tail. It's a little more contemporary with a slight burlesque feel to it, which I think fit well within the brief. I thought the addition of a skull or mask would help convey dominance, strength and give off the impression of an alpha female.

The first step was to sketch out a couple of quick drafts to explore the themes I needed to communicate in the painting (Fig.2a – 2b). I decided to go with the first sketch (Fig.2a) because it had a good balance of all the elements I wanted and also incorporated the mask more so than the second draft. The downward perspective was more interesting to me, showed off the flowing design of the dress and gave me adequate room to show her face. The arm posture reminded me of strength and impatience while crossed bare legs illustrated her allure. I also liked the downward spotlight lighting because it isolated the main character by cutting down on distraction from too much background detail.