Kyle 3/25/10

And now, my friends, we come to the end of Into the Woods...but first, let me explain this last character...

The Mysterious Man is played by the Narrator (that's why his clothes have to be easy in, easy out) and has been living in the woods for years and years and years. We find out late in the first act that he is the Baker's Father who went kinda crazy after the Witch takes the new born Rapunzel and his wife dies of grief. He's in a kind of tunic that could be a ripped and torn period shirt that he went into the woods wearing. The baggy leggings are bound with braided vines (this is also the tie belt). He has a really rough short sleeve jacket made of patchwork leather and a jaunty scarf made out of a dead fox (super hot!). The hat is actually a really early medieval hat. I really liked it because it looks like an acorn...

I had a lot of fun with Into the Woods. I leaned a whole lot and did some pretty good drawings...I'm gonna have to paint some of these some day...I keep saying that, I know, but maybe I'll take some time and do it this summer...maybe with markers...

Kyle 3/24/10

Ah, more costumes that are on stage for about 2 minutes...

In the second act of Into the Woods the two Princes (who married Cinderella and knocked up Rapunzel in the first act) happen upon Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, both snoozing away in a glass casket or tall tower, and change their minds about their relationships. We don't actually see these two drowsy dames until the last few bars of the last song and during curtain call...

Snow white is is a peasanty blouse with a kind of Germanic jumper and sash. She's got some flowers in her hair...those dwarfs had to do something!

Sleeping Beauty has been asleep for a long time. I didn't want to go medieval (saving that for the Witch and Rapunzel) so I decided to go Tudor. She is a Princess and the Tudor period is two and a half centuries away from the story time period...that's a long enough nap, in my opinion.

Often, these characters are done as almost direct copies of the Disney versions. That's a really really funny and cute sight gag and all, but I wanted to do something different...I don't know. These don't necessarily scream "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty", but, egh, sketching them was fun.

I was a little distracted as I sketched tonight. The Metropolitan Opera's new production of Les contes d'Hoffmann was on PBS and I was completely enthralled. It was absolutely gorgeously sung, and the costumes were really interesting....and then they showed previews for this season's productions of Carmen and Der Rosenkavalier and I peed my pants (metaphorical, of course).

Kyle 3/22/10

Not too much to say about this sketch...He's the Narrator of Into the Woods. He comes on and tells some of the story, introducing characters and starting the stories going.

Because he's not directly involved with the story (until the second act, at least) his costume isn't set in period. I think of him as a grandfatherly type, reading the stories to the audience. The costume is total central casting Grandfather - slacks (with suspenders, of course), button-front shirt, cardigan sweater, beat up dress shoes, reading glasses. He doubles as another character during the show, so all this has to be easy off and on...

Speaking of the drawing - I'm quite pleased with the face...it is kind of an unholy marriage of Bill Black (Eric knows who that is...and we love him) and Stanley Tucci's child rapist character in The Lovely Bones (google it...you will be afraid). Despite the scary love-childness of the face, I really like it.

Now, back to Dancing with the Stars! GO NIECY NASH (and her juggly parts)!!!

Kyle 3/21/10

I'm very sorry for the lateness, everyone. I got the script for the show that I'm Coordinating/Designing(?) this summer for Great River Shakespeare Festival so I've been working on that. And doing some house work that's been hanging over me for weeks. To make up for my tardiness, I've done two sketches.

In Act II of Into the Woods we are re-introduced to Jack and his Mother, now rich from his thieving from those Giants in the sky.
They both have new clothes, fancier clothes, and look cleaner and happier all around.

They are both still in Polish peasant dress, but of a fancier cut. Jack's got a new shirt with a lace tie, a fancy floral embroidered silk waistcoat, velvet and corduroy striped breeches, a wool cropped jacket with velvet binding, collar, and cuffs. His hair is clean and combed. This costume would have to be doubled to look dirty later in Act II.

Jack's Mother is fancier too. She's in a new linen blouse with eyelet collar, yoke and cuffs, several lace trimmed petticoats, a silk over skirt with pretty lacework apron, an embroidered wool vest. With all that money from the Giants, she also bought some necklaces and a pretty flower trimmed hat. She's movin' on up!

I like these sketches, especially the one of Jack (I like the hen, OK!). There are only about 5 sketches left for Into the Woods (I think I could do 7 or 8 more, but I think I'm ready to move on). I might put up a poll on here and on the Book of Face to choose my next selection. I'm not sure if the show I'm doing for Great River Shakespeare Festival is gonna need sketches. I'm talking to the director this week at some point. I might sketch it anyways...we'll just have to see.

Kyle 3/18/10

This blog is so wonderful...

I get to design whatever the heck I want without having to worry about budget or time or the actual building of any of it!

This costume for Cinderella is what she wears at the beginning of Act Two after she has married her Prince and is now a Princess in the Palace. Unlike her Ball Gown, which was very simple and natural, this gown shows the other side of the early 19th century silhouette - that being a simple shape with luxurious fabrics and trims. She's covered in gold and jewels and has a heavy velvet court train lined with ermine. I want to show how uncomfortable she is in this finery.

This is one of those costumes that's literally on stage for about 5 minutes until she changes back into her peasant wear. But, like I said...I got all the budget, time, and labor that I need in my head.

Kyle 3/17/10

Like Cinderella's Stepmother, her Stepsisters have moved into the 19th century silhouette for Act Two. They're in some light cotton day dresses (well, really plain under-dresses with light, sheer-ish lawn embroidered over-dresses.) While they are blind at this point (they had their eyes pecked out by birds...awesome) but they're still dressed beautifully because their mom dresses them. I'm keeping them in the pink and mauve as their predominant colors - same as in Act One - keeps the musical theater comedy going.

There are lots of hair styles and great hats in this period. Its a little early for the REALLY extravagant Biedermeier hairstyles but weirdly beautiful things are already going on, usually with some sort of bonnet, tam, turban or day cap. It may be best for the sisters to have no hat, leaving that to the Stepmother, but just crazy hair. I sketched one with a tam and tassel, but that may not be the best choice to split up the pair.

Like the Stepmother, both sisters have capes and big bonnets for their escape from the palace.

I'm pooped...I hate the time change - it has really messed me up. I'm still not quite used to doing the time change after spending 3 years in Arizona where the time changes aren't observed. I'm adding that to the list of things that I really miss about Tucson...it ranks at about 327...

Kyle 3/16/10

In the second act of Into the Woods, as I've explained earlier, there is a silhouette shift for the Cinderella story line. Cinderella's magical ball gown has moved everyone into the 19th century - especially her "fashionable" Stepmother and Stepsisters.

We see them all together first in the palace with Cinderella. For the Stepmother, I've planned a sort of day gown of light-weight embroidered cotton with decorative rushing on the bodice and sleeves. The rushing is a motif that I'm carrying over from her Act One dress. She's also wearing a day cap with a crazy fun pleated ruff frill.

Later in Act Two we see Cinderella's family escaping from the palace. Over the day dress she's wearing a floor length cape with arm slits. It is trimmed out with rushing down the center front and around the arm slits and has a large rushed collar (all kind of like a coffin...spooky). The day cap is gone and has been replaced with a huge bonnet with a rushed brim and feathers. It is all muddied up and yucky.

There we go...now I have to get to bed. I've got another 8:30 am fitting in the morning. Blegh. I did get to go to a cool lunch talk given by Carl Kasell from NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me...it was so awesome. I'm a HUGE NPR junkie, so it was, like, the high point of my year...yes, I know, I'm a dork.

Kyle 3/15/10

I took a break from getting all my tax documents together to do tonight's sketch...I also had a HUGE margarita earlier so this is gonna be a doozie...

I realized last night that I don't have too many sketches left for Into the Woods. I got a wonderful suggestion from Rachel last week for my next project but I'm still open for other suggestions. Maybe if I get enough I'll turn it into a poll or something. Could be fun.

Anywhoo...In Into the Woods Cinderella's Father is still alive and kickin (not like Disney at all!) which, in my opinion, makes Cinderella's story waaaay sadder. Her Father never lifts a finger to help her but we're never told why. I think that he's a totally unhappy drunk...drowning his sorrows and all that. His wig is a mess and he's got some pattern on pattern action going on - like he got dressed in the dark. I realized as the sketch was being scanned that I drew the totally wrong champagne glass for the period - it should be the short and squat kind rather than the tall flute...

Oh well. Drunks are so sad with their messed up wigs and mismatched clothes...they don't know what they're drinking out of...Keep those project suggestions coming!!

Kyle 3/11/10

I'm in Lexington sitting next to Eric as I write this...it was so cool to sit next to someone who's also sketching while sketching.

Pretty self-explanatory sketch...dude's a Steward to the Royals...its livery with gold braid trim and contrasting collar and cuffs...yep.

One of the really interesting parts about sketching with Eric is that his scanner HATES my sketches. They are waaaaaay too light. I use a really hard pencil so I don't smudge the drawing. Eric got it to work eventually with lots of computer magic...

Kyle 3/10/10

I went kinda fast and easy with tonight's sketch. I was at the shop stitching a coat mock-up a little late - it is one good looking mock-up!

I like this sketch. The face is pretty good...and its just a straight forward night gown - easy, breezy, beautiful (Covergirl).

Tomorrow, I'll be on my way up to Lexington - sketching with Eric in between speed tailoring! I can't wait to see how far we can get on this coat! YAY!

Kyle 3/9/10

Hello, Friends! I'm about to reveal to you one of my "concepts" (I hate that word) for Into the Woods. Be patient, Friends, the sketch shall follow.

As you've seen and read, one of the themes I've decided to enforce from Into the Woods is that of class and status and showing them thorough the costumes. All the peasants are, well, poor. Some REALLY poor (Jack and his Mother) and some kinda middle class (The Baker and his Wife). Cinderella and her family are upper middle class with aristocratic aspirations. The Royal family is really rich. All are set in an 18th century silhouette.

Towards the middle of the first act Cinderella is given a dress to wear to the Ball by the spirit of her dead mother that lives in a tree in the woods. With this magical dress, she becomes part of the group of "Others" (the Witch and Rapunzel) who are not within the 18th century silhouette. The Witch and Rapunzel live in the past - The Witch wanting her past beauty back and Rapunzel being held back by the Witch. Cinderella, however, moves the story along - and her story looks towards the future - for the first act at least...

Cinderella shifts to the 19th century. Historically, it was a return to simplicity. Simplicity that the woods would give her; "Something natural" as Marie Antoinette would have said. It also makes her stand out to the Prince, who is really not as genuine as he seems in the first act.

Cinderella has set a trend that her Stepmother and Stepsisters will follow in the second act, be it on a grander scale.

I've been thinking more and more about why I'm enjoying doing this blog so much and I've realized that its because its forcing me to think though these shows with time that I might never be granted in the real world. Not that doing the actual sketching hasn't also been really really really beneficial. My drawings have gotten much better (I think, but you be the judge - in a nice way please), but it has been wonderful to think through both Into the Woods and Merry Wives. Let me know what my next project should be...that won't be for several weeks, but its nice to have some early suggestions!

Kyle 3/8/10

I really enjoy this sketch...those sassy evil stepsisters are, well, evil, but they've sure got some style.

Like I've said before, its very rare that I sketch without referencing a photo for faces and poses. Well, as you can see, there aren't much in the way of faces in this sketch, but I did pretty much copy the poses...and the shape of the gowns...from one of my great reference books (Dangerous Liaisons from the Met Costume Institute). I admit it...I'm a pose/gown copier. However, in my defence, the poses and faces I use as references are from photos, not drawings. Translating a photo to a sketch is different (not harder, just different) than from a sketch...so there.

While I copied the silhouette of the gowns I trimmed them differently and used different fabric patterns and textures. As for color they are scripted to be mauve and pink ("Never wear mauve at a ball!" - "Or pink!" - "Or open your mouth!") though that's a pretty open spectrum. The trims on both are lace. Florinda is in a stripped silk taffeta while Lucinda is in embroidered silk taffeta.

I'm super excited to share my sketch tomorrow...I won't be posting on Thursday or Friday though, folks. Sorry, but I'll be teaching (I'm using that term very loosely - more like guiding) a tailoring workshop at Lexington Children's Theatre and helping to build a coat for Eric's show! I still love you all though!

Kyle 3/5-6/10...sleep was needed.

So you know those days where you get home from a really long, frustrating, stressful days at work and you start to do something, say cook dinner or do your daily sketch, and all you want to do is cry, drink tequila, or fall asleep. Well, that happened last night. I got home and started to sketch (not getting very far) and then put a bagel in the toaster. I sat down...you know, just watching Wheel of Fortune...I woke up 45 minutes later...that bagel was cold. Then I went to bed.

I woke up 12 hours later and felt a lot better about the world...and I found that the sketch was a pretty good start.

Cinderella's Stepmother and Sisters have, by far, the most costumes in Into the Woods. Here we have the Stepmother's second costume, which is for the remainder of the first act. Its a lovely robe à la française, made out of peau de soie satin and lace. The lace is all the decorative rushing and poufs as well as the petticoat flounce. There is also loads of fly fringe along the edges of the rushing and flounces. Color wise, I'm thinking maybe a light violet with accents of yellow.

I'm super excited about some plans that I've made for Cinderella's ball gown and the second act...but you'll have to wait a few days till you find out...

Kyle 3/4/10

One more man for today and then back to the women...
The second Prince in Into the Woods goes to Rapunzel. Traditionally the second son in an aristocratic family will accept a commission in the military, usually rather high ranking...a rank that doesn't actually do any fighting. That's what I've decided to go for with Rapunzel's Prince.

Often the characters in Into the Woods are all mixed up when it comes to period. I've decided to keep everyone in the 18th Century besides the Witch and Rapunzel (I want them to be the others in the production). I'm more interested in the class/economic themes of the musical rather than the fairytale aspects. I'm trying to tie the princes together with colors and textures also.

The military clothing of the period is quite dashing - its no wonder Rapunzel wants to run away with him. Buckskin breeches, riding boots, buff waistcoat, satin coat with velvet turn backs and gold braid trim...pretty zexy. Any man is zexy with a pompadour hairstyle.

Kyle 3/3/10

Yesterday I made a suggestion to Eric of what he should do for his next sketch (I'm SOOOOO EXCITED!) and I asked him which Into the Woods character I should do next. He asked for the Wolf...so here you go...

One of the main issues with the Wolf is the hair and makeup. I looked at photos of lots of past productions and saw everything from face paint to masks to crazy things that I can't even explain. I looked at photos of real wolves. I looked at drawings of wolves. And then (light bulb) I looked at a 1985 Michael J. Fox cinematic masterpiece...yes, my friends, Teen Wolf. There was a little prosthetic makeup but the wolf effect came mostly from the hair...lots of hair. My design incorporates a full wig and major facial hair leaving the eyes and mouth free with a prosthetic nose piece. I don't want to disguise that fact that he's human. I think that's one of the most important aspects of the character. He's also got some nasty nails mounted on some flesh toned gloves.

The costume is a mix of 18th century and 19th century riding clothes. I originally though of a kind of modified fox hunting outfit. This has a little of that still going on with the jodhpurs (With a fur stripe down the side) and the tall Hessian boots. The 18th century comes back in with the waistcoat (pieced leather...like from animals and humans he's eaten) and the coat (which is a sort of whimsical bastardization of an 18th century military coat). The cravat and sleeve ruffles are a spidery lace that has been dyed to match a tone in the wig so that it looks like chest and arm hair sticking out. He's got some bows and stuff too.

My point is for him to look friendly but still smarmy and a little scary - like the child molester at the mall, rather than the one that hangs out at the grade school crosswalk...I just totally made myself throw up in my mouth a little bit....success, I guess.

As for the drawing. I like the face, but his legs are a little short. Its the proportion of the jodhpurs and boots that messed me up. Oh well. I still like it though.

Kyle 3/2/10

After two days of drawing pretty (or slutty) Witches, I though that it was about time I drew a man...but he's a pretty Man.

There are two Princes in Into the Woods. Brothers - one is in love with Cinderella and the other with Rapunzel. Cinderella's Prince always follows her from the King's Festival so he's pretty fancied up. You know, 18th century style; shirt, hose, breeches, stock, cravat, waistcoat, coat, shoes...pretty fly.

I've said before that I use posed images from my "photo morgue" when I sketch. In fact, I hardly ever sketch without a pre-posed image. I'm just not all that good at it. Sometimes the face is from one and the body from the other. In this case, I used an image of Louis XVI that I've had for a long time. The photo that I have stops before his hands so I had to make the rest up. The legs are a little short...but the effect is good. I usually find other images of the clothes, but in this case I just kinda borrowed it all from the Louis XVI image...especially the baldric. In the photo it is a really beautiful silk moire. Stole that...its a really difficult fabric to sketch and render (its a little easier to do in color). I don't think it looks too bad. Stole the metals also...its not stealing though. I borrow and choose. And, as Eric can attest to Bill Black always saying, "Designing is choosing."

Kyle 3/1/10

HAPPY MARCH! That's two whole months of this fabulous blog...thanks Eric!!

I decided to go ahead and finish off with the Witch tonight. We've seen the ugly old Witch, the pretty showgirl Witch, and now we get the slutty nasty Witch. We see her first in this costume at the start of Act Two when Into the Woods turns really dark. A Giant has just ruined her garden and I want her costume to look like Medieval dominatrix lingerie. She was an ugly crone for years and years - now she is a total babe. She's re-discovering her sexuality. Lots of leather and lacing under a silk velvet robe lined in silk moire and edged with beaded fringe. The belt, which echos a Medieval girdle, is really a sassy cat o' nine tails whip.

She's hot...very Dita Von Tease....and you know what they say, "Sex sells." - This Witch is sellin' hard core.

Kyle 2/26/10

Yesterday you saw my mean, ugly, nasty Witch...tonight, my friends, you see my still kinda mean, gorgeous, sexy Witch.

Sorry if it spoils the story for you, but that ugly Witch turns into this Witch. And she does it on stage (Ah, the magic of theatre)! This is all under a hooded cape rigged to look like her first costume with the nasty makeup - yay prosthetic makeup - and rigged with fake hair. That all comes of and we get this!

I wanted to tie together the ugly and beautiful costumes a bit more than I have seen in other productions. The sleeves are a lot like the shawls that were worn in the ugly version, the neck line has the tabard opening with magic symbols. The body has that sort of Medieval cling to it but the shape and hair and makeup is more modern. She's got sparkly legs and sparkle on the arms also...she is magic and all.

I got a little distracted as I drew tonight. I've had Whip It from Netfix for the past two weeks so I decided to watch it, as the Olympics are totally boring now that Figure Skating is over. Roller Derby is, after all, just another form of skating, isn't it! I loved the movie, but it kept me from getting my drawing done quickly! Now all I want to do is go to a Roller Derby Bout...what would your Roller Derby girl name be? Mine Is Dixon Ticonderoga!

Kyle 2/25/10

Now this lady is just nasty...

I though that since I sketched Rapunzel last night, I would tackle her "Mother," the Witch, tonight...and really, who doesn't love a good witch? Am I right?

Like Rapunzel, the Witch is more Medieval in costume than the rest of the characters. She's, like, eleventy-billion years old and, boy, is she showin' her age! Seriously though, She's got a really rough, hooded, unfitted sack of a dress, with cracked and nasty leather cuffs, a woven tabbard with magical symbols (you know, like Witches do...) and then two or three crocheted or knitted ponchos and shawls. Her costume is padded out with humps and bumps and thinks.

The hardest thing for the Witch is the make-up. I think that it is OK to get really detailed (This, of course, is my imaginary project, so I have no budget) prostetics and things and a great wig, as long as they can be easily simplified and removed onstage at the end of Act One when (SPOILER ALERT!!) she becomes pretty again. I've seen photos of Productions that use masks for the Witch, but I'm not really a fan of that.

I can't wait to sketch what I have planned for her pretty look...hotness is all I'm gonna say...

Kyle 2/24/10...some days just suck...

Ugh. Serious ugh. Some days just suck for drawing. And today, my friends, was one of those days.

I'm gonna share a secret (its probably common sense, but oh well). I have this folder on my hard drive where I collect great photos from the interwebs. Usually it is faces or poses that I like and think would be fun to draw. I look through it quickly before starting a sketch and use photos from it very often. Well, a few days ago I found a great picture to use as a pose for Rapunzel in Into the Woods. There was great hair brushing action and wonderful hands. Needless to say I tried 4 times to get it right but my proportion sensor was just malfunctioning. I could tell that it was all kinds of jacked up, but I was just not able to fix it.

This was the best I could do...her head is too big, but it looks even bigger with the hair making it twelve kinds of crazy.

For the costume I'm going for something completely different for Rapunzel than from all the other characters. She's been raised by the Witch, who, in my opinion, is from farther in the past. Rapunzel is very isolated by the Witch - locked in the tower and has never seen or men seen by anyone besides the Witch. Its kind of a Medieval/Pre Raphaelite chemise with a wide girdle. Barefooted, simple, virginal...hairy. She'd have a second version of this same dress that's all dirty and nasty for the second act when she has run away...and the long braid on the wig is rip away so the Witch can 'cut' it off.

Like I said, not the best drawing, but, eh, its not horrible...or is it...