Work Placement Day 2: "Full of Forgery"

Working Hours: 10:30am - 6:45pm
Judging by today's work I think I'd make quite a good shifty criminal....

Today started off with me and Natalie prop-hunting in Hammersmith, which was rather good fun! We had to get our hands on some cheap wallets, some pill bottles, some matches, some very small plastic bags to be used for pretend drugs, amongst other things. We were given £20, and came back with about £14, which we're hoping the DSM was impressed with. We didn't manage to get the drug bags, so Nat ordered them off ebay instead for about £1. We then spent the rest of the morning, and most of the afternoon, in a similar way to yesterday, with me printing and formatting, and then Natalie cutting and laminating. Today we made some fake driving licenses for a conman and some credit cards that have to be cut-up in every performance [of 'How to Disappear Completely...'].

                                         ^ Natalie expertly using the laminating machine ^

^ A small sample of our, now thriving, forgery business ^ 

Yesterday it was mentioned to us that they needed a large Gerhard Richter-style painting as part of the set and we were asked if any of us could do Life Drawing. I immediately regretted jumping at the chance, as on reflection my life drawing is APALLING. But luckily today when I was asked to do a small test piece to show the designer later in the week (to see if I was good enough) I realised that it was less life drawing, more portraiture- which, if I'm working 'big' I can be quite good at, having studied it at A-level. Painting a small transcription of the Gerhard Richter piece they were inspired by, I found a very frustrating task, but only because I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I haven't painted in ages, so my skills are a bit rusty. Furthermore by the time I got started it edging near 5:00, the time at which I thought we would probably finish for the day. The worst thing about it was that actually the painting has a visual-quality that is very specifically achieved using oil-paints... but all I had to work with were acrylics and emulsion. I was really embarrassed by my quick attempt at copying the painting, and I hope I didn't seem like a bit of a fool when I tried to explain to the DSM that I could do a lot better with the right paints and on a larger scale. Anyway they seemed pleased enough with it, but it's all down to the Designer's decision, and I won't know the result of that until Thursday. I just hope I haven't let myself down, this opportunity to do a big set piece sounds perfect. I'd feel so lucky to be working on it, plus it could go in my portfolio, and moreover I would really enjoy doing it. I really miss my days of painting. So fingers crossed my attempt today wasn't too amateur... although I really wasn't happy with it myself. Such a let-down. Silly Me!

 

We then spent the last hour or so sweeping and mopping the studio theatre- what a job for the end of the day! So exhausted and I am covered in blisters!

Not sure what we are up to tomorrow, only time will tell! Exciting!