Graphic Fairy Tales, Whitney Sherratt: October 2010

Snow White

Red Lips - Red pouty lips. Is that a sign of the seductress?

Throughout history, women have been painting their lips red. Sure, in the recent decades, pastels are popular too, but red lips are the ones that get the second glance, drawing attention to every pout, the slightest smile.. on beautiful lips, red lipstick can hold a man's gaze. Okay, granted, on a beautiful woman, his gaze would wander elsewhere too, but red lips demand attention.

Ancient Egyptians painted their lips red and lined their eyes with khol. As long as there's humanity, there's vanity and makeup in some form or other. In ancient Japan, the geishas paint their faces white and their lips red. Red lips are a universal symbol of beauty.

Think of the hollywood screen goddesses. Marilyn Monroe with her blonde hair and red lips.

The answer is yes!

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Truth-About-Red-Lipstick&id=316786

05/10/2010

INTRODUCING RED

Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant, red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.
HOW THE COLOR RED AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY
Increases enthusiasm
Stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate
Encourages action and confidence
Provides a sense of protection from fears and anxiety

RED: THE COLOR OF THE BASE OR ROOT CHAKRA

Red is the color fo the base or root chakra. This chakra is located at the base of the spine and allows us to be grounded and connect to the universal energies.

First chakra, base of the spine. Groundedness, trust, belonging, lessens feelings of mistrust.

Gemstones that will aid the Root chakra include lodestone, ruby, garnet, smokey quartz, obsidian, hematite and onyx.

See more about chakra colors
RED AROUND THE GLOBE
Red represents beauty in many languages and cultures, including Russia.
In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions and the four seasons. Red was associated with fire, south, and summer.
In Japan, the color red is associated closely with a few deities in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, so statues of these deities are often decked in red clothing or painted red. Mark Schumacher has a page on his site the goes into depth on the Color Red in Japanese Mythology.
In Sweden, Falun red (red based on the pigment from the Falun mine) was reserved for the privileged class.
In China, red is associated with good luck and fortune.
In Greece, Easter eggs are dyed red and the Greek expression "piase kokkino" ("touch red") is said when two people say the same thing at the same time. It is believed that such an occurrence is an omen that the two will have an argument in the future, which can only be broken when the two touch the closest thing that is red.
In Jamaica, a popular slang term for someone who is under the influence or drunk is "red."
In England, red phone booths and red double decker buses are national icons. Standard British pillar boxes (mail boxes) have been painted red since 1874.
In India, a red mark on the forehead is said to bring good luck.
To the Hindu, red symbolizes joy, life, energy, and creativity.
Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides traditionally wear red.
Cochineal red, discovered by the Aztecs, was made using the female cochineal beetle. A pound of water-soluble extract required about a million insects. For the Aztecs, Indian red dye was considered more valuable than gold! However, it was the Spaniards who introduced the crimson color of Cochineal red to Europe in the 1500s.
In Aztec culture, red was connected with blood.
Red amulets were worn in many cultures to prolong life.
In Singapore, the color red traditionally symbolizes joy.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by wearing red clothing and decorating the house with red. Red envelopes with "luck money" are given to unmarried children to bring good fortune to them for the rest of the year.
Red symbolizes feast days of martyrs in the Catholic church.
In Israel, kosher clothing stores banned the color red and sell only loose-fitting apparel for women.
The belief in the protective power of the color red can be traced back to the old Chinese folklore of the Nian, a man-eating beast of ancient China who used to feed on human flesh. Discovering that the creature abhorred loud noises and the color red, the people made liberal use of the color not only in their firecrackers, but also in home decorations and clothing to protect themselves from the Nian.
POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH RED
The color red represents the U.S. Republican Party and beginning with the 2000 presidential election, states that favored the Republican candidates began being referred to as "red states," while those that favored the Democratic candidates were referred to as "blue states."
Red is the color most associated with the Soviet Union during communist reign.
INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT RED
Red is the highest arc of the rainbow.
Red is the first color you lose sight of at twilight.
The longest wavelength of light is red.
In the financial arena, red symbolizes a negative direction.
Eric the Red is the Norwegian Viking credited for colonizing Greenland...he earned his nickname from his bright red hair and beard.
Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents.
According to "The Language of Stained Glass" at Armstrong Browing Library at Baylor University: When Dante spoke of the Seraphim - the first of the nine choirs of Angels - the color that "glows" was the pure orange vermilion which his fellow citizens and brothers-in-spirit (the painters, illuminators, and glassmen) knew as red. So, it may be said that pure red is the color of divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom, and all the warm impulses that belong to the great-hearted everywhere.
Bees can't see the color red, but they can see all other bright colors. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats, and wind, rather than bees.
Red is the color that means "severe" in the color-coded threat system established by presidential order in March 2002. This system quickly informs law enforcement agencies when intelligence indicates a change in the terrorist threat facing the United States.

POPULAR PHRASES THAT INCLUDE RED
Red carpet treatment: giving privileged treatment to an important person
Caught red-handed: clearly guilty
Red in the face: to become embarrassed
Seeing red: to be angered
Red flag: a warning of danger
Not worth a red cent: having no value
Red letter day: a memorable, joyful day
Red tape: excessive formalities in governmental process
In the red: a term to describe an economic loss

QUOTES ABOUT RED
"If one says 'Red' – the name of color – and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds. And one can be sure that all these reds will be very different." -- Josef Albers

http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-red.html

05/10/2010

Black Hair

INTRODUCING BLACK

Black is authoritative and powerful; because black can evoke strong emotions, too much can be overwhelming. Black represents a lack of color, the primordial void, emptiness. It is a classic color for clothing, possibly because it makes the wearer appear thinner and more sophisticated.
HOW THE COLOR BLACK AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY
makes one feel inconspicuous
provides a restful emptiness
is mysterious by evoking a sense of potential and possibility
BLACK AROUND THE GLOBE
In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions, and the four seasons. Black was associated with water, north, and winter.
In Aztec culture, black represented war because black obsidian glass was used as the cutting edge of battle swords. It was also the symbol of religion; priests wore no other color but black.
In the west, black is the color of mourning but the custom of wearing unadorned black clothing for mourning dates back at least to the Roman Empire, when the Toga pulla made of dark-colored wool was worn during periods of mourning.
In rural areas of Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece widows will wear black for the rest of their lives. The immediate family members of the deceased will wear black for an extended period of time.
In England, taxi cabs are traditionally black.
In China, black is a traditional clothing color for boys.
POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH BLACK
Mussolini’s Fascist militia was known as "the Blackshirts."
Black is the color of the Portuguese political party Leftwing Bloc.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BLACK
A black cat crossing one's path is considered bad luck in many cultures, except in England, where spotting a black cat is considered good luck.
Black implies weight -- people will think a black box weighs more than a white one.
The color black is associated with sophistication and power...tuxedos, limousines, judge's robes, and priests' attire are all typically black.
Musicians in an orchestra pit often wear all black during live concerts, so as not to draw attention away from the stage performers.
The color black is so widely regarded as sophisticated in fashion that the term "the new black" is often used to describe and give merit to a color trend.
One old wives' tale claims that if a woman is buried wearing the color black, she'll come back to haunt the family.
Dr. Jigor Kano, founder of Judo, created divisions among students using Belt colors, in order to give students recognition for certain achievements. The Black Belt is the highest color belt in most martial arts, including ITF and WTF of Tae Kwon Do. Black symbolizes the combination of all colors of the universe. From black, all colors originate and spring up to create the lively rainbow. The Black Belt is the beginning of true achievement, understanding and wisdom, and blending the mind and the body into one, into a unity within oneself and with the universe.

http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-black.html

05/10/2010
White Skin

INTRODUCING WHITE

White projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Doctors don white coats, brides traditionally wear white gowns, and a white picket fence surrounds a safe and happy home.

HOW THE COLOR WHITE AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY
Aids mental clarity
Encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles
Evokes purification of thoughts or actions
Enables fresh beginnings
WHITE AROUND THE GLOBE
White is the traditional color worn by brides in the western world, as well as in Japan.
White is a color of mourning in China and parts of Africa.
It was the custom for the Queens of France to wear deuil blanc or "white mourning"
White was the color of deepest mourning among medieval European queens was white rather than black. This tradition survived in Spain until the end of the fifteenth century.
In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions, and the four seasons. White was associated with metal, west, and autumn.
A white flag is universally recognized as a symbol of truce.
The Japanese have six distinct terms to define whiteness.
The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.
RELIGIOUS & MYTHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH WHITE
In Christianity, a white lily represents the Madonna.
On Yom Kippur the Grand Rabbi dresses in white to restore an amiicable relationship between God and his people.
In the Bible, white represents the color of light and is an emblem of the divine.
POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH WHITE
A person who is politically ultraconservative is sometimes referred to as white.
INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT WHITE
According to Pantone Inc., white is the best selling color for the classic american t-shirt.
More shades of white are available commercially than any other color.
White clothing typically becomes translucent when wet.
The appearance of white in a dream is thought to represent happiness at home. White castles are a symbol of achievement, destiny perfectly fulfilled, and spiritual perfection.
Originally, scientists wore beige coats. In the late 19th century, medical professionals chose white ones. The color white was chosen because of the idea of hope and expectations for healing and recovery that the physicians would bring.
WHITE IN ATHLETICS AND SPOPOPULAR PHRASES THAT INCLUDE WHITE
White Christmas: the appearance of snow on Christmas day
White elephant: a possession that no longer holds value for its owner
White flag: the signal of a peaceful surrender
White hot: extreme manner of intensity
White lie: a harmless untruth usually told out of politeness
White feather: a symbol of cowardice
Orphaned
Evil Step Mother/Jealousy
Poison/apple
Witchcraft
Mirror/vanity
Sleep
Escape to the woods
7 dwarfs/Gold mining
The woods
Animals
The Glass Coffin
The Prince

Graphic Fairy Tales, Whitney Sherratt

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Character Development for my illustration.

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

image from deviant art.

Dark fairy tales artwork and photography

Hans Christian Andersen, website

Tuesday, 5 October 2010

The little mermaid

Snow White

Fairy Tales Have a Dark Side.