Perhaps I belong to an earlier time. From music to books, my favorites often originate in a time before my birth. I fell in love with the classic Eames lounge chair on first sight. And, yes, I’ll watch the “Andy Griffith Show” if given the opportunity. Even the woman I love has a thing for Mid-Century Modern design. To some degree, I am vintage at heart.
A Vintage Epiphany Develops
For years, I have been experimenting with images inspired by George Hurrell, Gil Elvgren, and Frank Frazetta. Lighting, posing, color, and story. These are lofty names. Their work consistently catches my eye and helps me dream. More recently, photographer David Byrd joined that list of inspiring artists. While it isn’t vintage, his images were a clear message: You can do this.
Of Liberty Meadows and Comic Book Covers
The final piece: The amazingly talented artist Frank Cho. I had discovered his humor and art style with Liberty Meadows only to be more enthralled as I saw more of his work. Then came that afternoon when I was idly scrolling through social media posts. Just under a new piece by David Byrd, there was a Frank Cho image. Pin-up style with a theme and color pallet that reminded me of Frazetta. CLICK. What I had been flirting with for years became a sudden awareness.
Documenting the Vision
“Epiphany” seems a strong word, but that is exactly what it felt like. I realized that I had been here before. Each prior vision was lost to untimely “distractions” like hard drive crashes or trying to not die. Dropping everything, I immediately made very specific notes. Posing style, color themes, story-telling devices. A brief yet detailed “mood board” sprung to life in less than ten minutes. This would be my “data dictionary”, a glossary of terms to remind me exactly what I am working towards.
Now What?
The examples of “Vintage by QuestionMark” included here are not new. These were created from my catalog with one being over a decade old. I have used these to help cement the concept in my mind. I will continue to work on this conglomeration of inspirations. I’ve got my “save point”, if you will, and I’m moving towards something more refined.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this particular direction. Is it too derivative? Overdone? Or am I headed in the right direction? All opinions welcome so long as they are kind, constructive, and don’t yuck anyone’s yum.
MODELS: Interested in helping me explore Vintage, please reach out! Do you want to see something from one of our collaborations done in this style? Then do me a HUGE favor and leave a comment here. It will help spread the word and give me a great excuse to revisit some of our best work together. If we have an image that will translate well, I work it up. Finally, please share!
