The full skinny on School of Faces

Now I've already posted a variety of blog and journal posts regarding this around the web to drum up some support and ensure that I get to the magic number of 1008 images. Here are the basic details in a condensed form:

What do the need?

A photo of you in profile as per the example and your name as you would like it to appear.

Then send it to schooloffaces@gmail.com

Any specifics on the photos?

The photos don't have to be of amazingly high quality but it is important I can make out your features easily. If it's too dark I may ask you for a replacement.

If you are under the age of 18 you will need your parent/guardians permission but I'm happy to put people of any age or location in this project.

And what happens to the photos?

I am creating an art piece that, once complete, will have all 1008 faces sketched into a specific pattern. I will hand sketch each face based on yours and the 1007 other photos. The finished size will be 3 meters wide by 2 meters high (over 6 panels)

Can you do anything else?

Well, if you have anyone else who may be interested please send them through or if you have a blog please post information regarding the project. If you have a location that people check regularly I can mail through a pack including business Cards and a flyer.

If you want your family included in this project I am happy to put an entire group in together pending space.

Who the hell am I?

My name is Michael Alesich and I'm a visual artist based in Melbourne, Australia. I just completed a year long project of sketching a daily calendar for 2010. I am highly experienced with sketching, photography and wire sculpture.

Thank you in advance

Michael.

Are you kidding me? 2010 Calendar Complete and 2011 Project Announcement

If you had to ask me to single out one thing from 2010 that was truly epic I'd have to say getting married, but if you kept on asking until you got to about the 7th or so you'd hit the true reason I'm writing this blog today.
And the answer would be the 365 Notepads Calendar.

In short, in one year I managed to sketch and post up 365 images to create a calendar and I'm extremely happy with the result. As well as sketching the images I took the time, for every Friday's post, to include colour into the piece as well as highlighting a few  specific days during the year that are important to me.



but while this project has been completed (though a print run for the calendar is in the works) another has started for me and I'm putting the word out for your help.

Here's some frequently asked questions to help you out.

What is the project?
The project is an art piece that combines a mass of people faces together to form a pattern reminiscent of fish scales. The final piece will be 6 1x1 meter panels with 1008 faces on it. This will be exhibited at various places, either as a full piece or the six separate panels spread out.

1008, isn't that quite a lot of images?
1000 was the original intended number but the pattern needed requires 1008 to work correctly. And that is also why I need your help. While I am asking all who read these blog posts to put themselves forward, I'm also hoping you to  pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested. I'd like to include as many people from anywhere and everywhere around the globe.

What is needed?
For each face I need a name and a photo in profile, as per the example shown. The only parts that will be included is the face, a small part of the hair and the chin. Any person who is under 18 years of age will need to have parental permission to have the face included but I am happy to include anyone of any age.

Does it have to be a high quality shot?
The quality of the photo doesn't have to be that great, the example was taken on a mobile phone though I would I will need the image to be light enough to make out your features. If I find it too hard to work with I may ask for a reshoot.The photo will not be included in the final piece.

Where do you send this to?
email both the photo and name to schooloffaces@gmail.com


And where do updates appear?
The updates will mostly appear on this redbubble account or right here, on this blog

If you have any questions please post them below or email me directly.

Thanks

Michael.

Summer Presents

So you may be looking at getting a gift for someone in the near future and your eye may just hit a piece of my art on Redbubble. Maybe it could be A calendar, a greeting card, a framed print, a tee, or even a sticker. What I'd recommend is dropping in to the store quickly and having a good look around but ensure you enter in a brand new code for 15% reduction:

Michman_is_on_sale_8036

 

and this should work right up until the 14th of November

and should you like my 365Notepads items you can use this code to get the equivalent 15% off till the 14th of November:

365Notepads_is_on_sale_4600

A Day of Drawing

Last Saturday marked the day of sketching for a considerably number of people around the world with the officially title Drawing Day 2010 starting and finished a good number of sketches, doodles and other such stuff. The rule being that the sketches had to start and finish on the day.

My own efforts involved a coffee shop in Parkdale , a plate of french toast, two coffees and a pot of tea to come back with 4 sketches


And I'm quite happy with my sketches.


But this isn't all about me. If you have a look at the Red Bubble group for the day you'll notice that there are stupendous amounts of sketches and more will probably still be rolling in over the next few days.

Now since they are aiming to have quite a few sketches for the day (the aim is 1,000,000) then I should feel it is my duty to direct you to a few images from other artists who do make wonderful images. Ensure you click through to look at there work properly.

And so if you do feel like you want to get into such a project next year I recommend this one. For a fun day whittling away the hours with a marker of your choice it's great to pass the time and relax.

Illustrator Interview - Simon Sherry

For most people the ability to call on numerous demons, creatures of the night and gigantic robots of destruction would be enough to pass the time but illustrator and creative mind Simon Sherry still has ideallistic views of taking over the world as a dastardly villain.

Well, at least, it seems that way anyway.

With a definitive style of jagged dark lines, silhouettes and limited tone shading you could be fooled to thinking that a tee or a poster may not contain much detail but you'd be wrong. From the meticulous fluid lines inside a Killbot™ to the hairs on the chest of a gun toting Ace of Clubs his attention to detail is superb and the creations leap off the page and into the mind of the viewer.

 

VC - Most illustrators have found that inspiration comes from there childhood and what literature inspired them. What is the picture book or comic that started you wanting to draw?

SS - I can point to four things:

1. The Masters of the Universe toys and box art. If you’ve never seen the original box art, I recommend checking it out – it’s an awesome mix of Frazetta-style sword and sorcery and Flash Gordon Sci-fi pulp. Can’t go past Barbarians and robots! The miniature comics and storybooks that came packaged with the toys also fired up my imagination, and probably sowed the seeds for my love of pulp fantasy.
2. Warlock of Firetop Mountain and the whole Fighting Fantasy gamebook series – again, an amazing array of art both on and between the covers.
3. Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen – pure fuel for the imagination.
4. Larry Elmore’s art on the Dungeons and Dragons gamebooks – take a look at the red box artwork of the basic set for an example of what I mean (I’ll give you a hint, one lone warrior versus one very big and angry dragon).

VC - Have any of your killbots ever been arrested for disturbing the peace?

SS - Not that I’m aware of – although it’s possible that someone’s tried – the bodies just haven’t been found yet.

VC - What is your best inspiration when having a creative blockage(your plumbing muse so to speak)?

SS - Playing with the kids, random scribbling on paper or monitor, loud music in the ears and a short walk – all of these things have been known to kickstart my creativity.

MF - You have a range of different projects that have been completed including Killbots™, Deck of Cards and The Game of Kings™, What other projects are currently sitting in the docking bay?

VC - Well, I’m pretty excited about the next phase of Game of Kings. People have seen the ‘cast’ that make up the two opposing sides of the board, so the next step is to have them duke it out. We’ve managed to bring some new recruits into the fold to lend their own particular brand of artistic muscle to the endeavour, and I think we’re going to end up with a pretty awesome collection of work to show you all later in the year.

Aside from that, I’ve been assembling my own fictional concept band as part of a challenge being run over at redbubble, and slowly but surely gathering steam with a couple of other ideas that will hopefully see the light of day sooner rather than later. One of them involves a certain undead egg, and I’m pretty eager to get onto it…

VC - I have heard that you are a fan of your Wacom (on occasions it could be seen as a deity of drawing) Is there any other equipment that you are especially fond of?

SS - I think that if I didn’t have a Wacom in my arsenal, I’d be a pretty sad fellow. These days it’s pretty much my primary tool of the trade, although I still like to break out the ballpoint and paper on occasion. I’m keen to try my hand at a bit of sculpture, but like a lot of things, it’s something I haven’t managed to get to yet ;o)

VC - If you had to have any movie/tv series alien as a pet, where would you keep them(oh and which alien)?

SS - He doesn’t really count as an alien, but a miniaturized Godzilla would be perfect. Not only would he be a great conversation starter, but I could set him loose on the neighborhood teens when they get on my lawn.

VC - Should the world be attacked by intergalactic demons with swords would you:

a) Turn on Killbots 7 and 8. 7 to destroy them and 8 to have a cup of tea.

b) Unleash the Bullrock, or at least leave the sidegate open for it to go on a rampage across the land.

c) Politely inquire with the Queen of Diamonds to stare them down.

d) Save the file, go to bed and look forward to finishing the sketch in the morning.

SS - Well…

a) Odds are that no. 7 would turn on me instead, dysfunctional as it is, and I don’t think I’d ever be game to try the concoction no. 8 calls ‘tea’ – I’ve seen what it does with it’s victims, and I’m convinced that liquid has more in common with Soylent Green than Twinnings.

b) Not unless I like the idea of being either stomped or incinerated, or both.

c) She’d probably end up striking a deal with them and taking me out herself.

d) That sounds like the safest bet ;o)

All images in this interview are by the awesomeness that is Simon Sherry . If I could claim any credit for them I would but I have a fear of Killbots that stops me acting unethically