Romeo And Juliet : SFSU - 2000

Gouache On Canson

I consider this my most epic and time consuming project I ever worked on in as an undergrad. I never designed a ballet before and discovered its very different from regular theater. It does call for creativity, but it a different way and in different parameters. The main objective to keep in mind is that the performers must have complete freedom of movement. This was a challenge considering the renascence is a period of very heavy fabric and many layers. The class also had to render the entire show, which was a cast of eighty-five. The ones here are only the ones I felt were my best.

I went for a rather bright color pallet. Although Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, I still see it full of love and joy in a fairy tale way. After all,in the end its easy to imagine the two lovers finally reunited in another world. My colors are borrowed from the art of Brian Froud. The colors he uses I think lend themselves to the swirling skirts of ballet.

In retrospect, I think I would change the act 3 costumes of Romeo and Juliet and not make them match. At first I thought it would work. But looking at it now, they appear more like a figure skating duo than ballet dancers. I shouldn't be too harsh on myself. By the time I got to that rendering to paint, I was already awake for 48 hours.