Simply Red

This illustration was submitted for a concept and presentation class project back in college.  The class was basically a sculpture class to help one think "outside of the box".  The assignment was to "illustrate a book."  How we chose to do that and which book was entirely up to us.  I was already accepted into the Fashion Design Department at that time so I submitted high fashion paper dolls as my "sculpture". 

The book I illustrated was the play 'Titus Andronicus' by William Shakespeare.  Honestly I was obsessed with Julie Taymore's movie "Titus" so I redesigned costumes for all the characters.  This is Tamora: Queen of the Goths.  How epic would this look on stage? 

This costume would be for the scene in which she delivers an astounding soliloquy where she swears her revenge on Titus and his family during the celebration of her marriage to the new emperor.  The powerful and bold red color would match the tone of the speech.  The bold jewelry, hair style and tribal tattooing makes reference to her old life as queen of a "barbaric" people.

When Mr. Mackie takes on another costume design job I would love to be right there beside him along the way.  I could research costume history, swatch fabrics, scan sketches into photoshop for digital corrections, go on coffee runs; my uses are endless!

I look forward to getting started!

-Philip Estrada