A Rabbit Hole of Fan Art Fashion Musings
And just like that 2022 is upon us! With the start of a new year, I was pleasantly surprised to be hired to create a couple black and white illustrations for a book that is in the process of being published. The job was a stretch for me as it took me back to a medium that has sat gathering dust for far too long. Graphite, conté and charcoal are not familiar tools these days. Furthermore, the subject matter was a genre in which I do not usually dabble: pop culture. To be precise, one drawing each was required of both Princess Leia (acted by Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame) and of Wonder Woman (of the DC Comics universe, acted by Gal Gadot). These were based on reference images selected by the client.
I am so accustomed to doing painting commissions that I hardly knew how to tackle providing my usual preliminary mock up for a drawing. In fact, the “mock ups” I submitted were essentially rough drafts (sketches on steroids) of the renderings I proposed. Below are my final submissions and I’m delighted the clients were happy with the results.
Princess Leia and Wonder Woman (charcoal, conté base scanned and developed with digital painting)
As I was working away on these portraits of powerhouse women, some thoughts came to mind based on their attire. I’ll plainly confess, I don’t know much of significance (if anything) about the worlds from which these two hail. Consequently my following mental musings may lack some critical background information, and by no means are intended to be a commentary on gender roles, feminism, or even fashion design. At their root, these are just reflections of a very pragmatic, possibly hyper safety conscious observer who may lack imagination.
As a shameless appreciator of comfort over style, I strongly prefer Princess Leia’s raiment to Wonder Woman’s. That said one is a princess, the other a super hero, so maybe I’m comparing apples and oranges here.
In a skirmish, Princess Leia would be spared potential disaster thanks to her wise choice to tie up her hair into earmuffs, keeping them (both her ears and hair) safely out of harm’s way. Sadly, the elegantly draped fabric of the rest of her outfit could nullify that smart hairstyle choice and just as easily get caught in some dastardly scenario. Mercifully, she is somewhat protected from casual scratches by a costume that covers most of the high-scrape zones (elbows, knees). And I believe her footwear in this outfit is quite practical, flat, and comfortable-looking. Good call, whether she has to schmooze with other delegates over cocktails or wait hours for a ride from the Millennium Falcon.
Wonder Woman didn’t get any memo about tying her hair back for the sake of safety. Heck, even visibility would be hampered having that storm of hair blowing in front of her eyes. Did neither of these ladies take a Shop Class (woodworking/metal work) in middle school?! But Wonder Woman is not likely to get her costume snagged in a band saw or lathe since it’s pretty much a second skin. But I can’t help but wonder: how confident is she that her armored bodice is going to stay put? I’ve tried wearing strapless garments and I can say with confidence, I had NO confidence that my clothing was going to say put. I daresay, actively fighting evil and saving humanity is not the time I would want to experience an inconvenient (and embarrassing) wardrobe malfunction. Her Wonderfulness, however, is wisely protecting her wrists, forearms and lower legs. She’s really halfway there.
My final contemplation about Wonder Woman’s outfit is to ponder if her superhuman strength protects her from troublesome accidents like rug burn. If not, she certainly could do with a motorcycle safety course because there she’d learn just how idiotic it is to have so much tender flesh exposed to hazards. When I was getting my motorcycle license, a biker friend told me that they (presumably the safety-conscious bikers) refer to those who ride in tank tops and shorts and sandals as “squids” because if they were to hit the ground, tumbling from a motorcycle at any speed, the mark their unprotected body would leave on the pavement would be reminiscent of what a squid’s body might leave in a similar situation. Lots of slime. Not pretty.
Since taking my motorcycle course, and riding a few years, I am very aware of the dangers of the road that exist to bikers. I even cringe at driving/car scenes in movies when the director has chosen to remove driver’s and front passenger’s headrests in order to get better camera angles and avoid distracting obstructions. Do they know what would happen if that car was in an accident? All of this is probably laughable to some of my family members who have seen me in younger more reckless years make some less-than-cautious decisions. I’m reforming bit by bit as I get older and more aware of consequences and as my carcass takes that much longer to stretch out, heal up, and even move!
From the archives: A slightly staged photograph of my Yamaha V-Star 650
and me in almost full protective riding gear (just missing my riding boots). Safety first!
A few years back I created a farcical calendar featuring a most unlikely “model”; namely, myself. I don’t have the first clue about fashion and find it, for the most part, baffling and impractical. For the sake of poking some fun at myself, since I’ve dished it out to poor Princess Leia and Wonder Woman, I will share with you the July page from my ludicrous self-published “Passion for Trashin’ Fashion” 2017 calendar (joke gift – but still practical - distributed to a select group of family and friends). July’s look is entitled “Safe, Sporty and Still Spicy.” The accompanying caption can be found more legibly below the image.
Safety has come a long way from the days of ugly plastic helmets that mom made you wear! Eye-catching, and brain-protecting wigs made of Styrofoam (wignets) are now trending in the most fashionable biking districts. Go ahead and add that subtle je ne sais quoi with virtually invisible eye protection sure to keep the attention on your wignet. Kneepads featuring killer, hard-core graphics are another safety accessory you don’t want to skip! Tie it all together with strong fluorescents, reflective strips, and a nice set of sausage casings (cycling shorts), and you are ready to hit the trails!
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there are serious problems with my “sporty and safe” look; however, I think it’s important to mix some fun in with the practical. And the same can be said to our opening heroines, “Go on ladies: wear what you must.” Anyway, whatever you choose to wear – whether on diplomatic missions (Princess Leia), or saving humanity (Wonder Woman) – I hope you will have a practical, safe, and if necessary, highly fashionable New Year. For goodness’ sake though, don’t mindlessly jump on trends; at least make sure you know why you’re wearing what you’re wearing! And be yourself perfectly!
