Thursday 29 May 2014

The Coffee Shop Fan Art - Showcasing Coconut-CocaCola



Artwork fascinates me, probably because I’m often in awe of the talent that is around, of artists who can transform an image or create an image so perfect you have to wonder if it’s an actual photograph that you’re viewing.  Or an artist who uses pencil to create a detailed drawing from memory, without fault or error of design, and as much as I know I can draw, I could never match the talent of a natural creative artist.

One such artist who fascinates me this month is Chloe, but you may know her better as Coconut-CocaCola on DeviantART.  Chloe uses a variety of different approaches to art.  In her earlier days Chloe used Photoshop Element and Tablet Graphic to produce the images of the early Classic Who and the Torchwood characters Jack and Owen that I chose for this article.  Nowadays she will use pastels, pen, pencil, prismacolor, aquarelle and acrylic.

I recognised Jack instantly although others were critical of his facial image, and I suppose there are elements of David Boreanaz in there – Angel!  But I liked it as I recalled in which episode I had seen it used - Small Worlds

My favourite of the two Torchwood photos has to be Owen, set in shadow and silhouette.  This is of course is Owen the Dead Man, so his character is much darker from the second series. Although there’s still an element of cartoon feature with this, I do find myself drawn to the darkness of this artwork.


In the Classic Who, I’ve selected three of my favourite images, although in the Patrick Troughton image, Jamie McCrimmon does look slightly strained, but it’s the image of Patrick I was most impressed with.  The Second Doctor has a way of pulling such extreme facial expressions that it must be any artists dream to match that in whatever tools are available, whether it be Photoshop or pencil


Another of the classic Who characters was the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker, this time with Sarah Jane Smith – Elisabeth Sladen in Doctor Who and the Dinosaurs which looks as if it should adorn a book cover.  In fact so certain was I that I’d seen this work before, I scoured the internet, but alas, I’m unable to find it. 



The Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy I found quite a comical facial reaction, but his portrayal of the Doctor was different in a way to others I’d viewed, he was far haughtier in character, so this comical expression really matches his character well, giving also an animated look about him.


My favourite pieces of art of the New Who are the David Tennant and Matt Smith pencil drawings.  I’ve always loved pencil drawings and I like the contrast of colours around Matt and the weeping angel with the planets surrounding them.  Even though it’s a drawing it feels almost real, with the intricate detail in the shirt creases and the pattern of the shirt. 



David Tennant’s Doctor, I love, he was after all my favourite Doctor of the New Who and his facial expressions for the Doctor were brilliant.  This was one of my favourite photos collected in various magazines, but to see it recreated in pencil is just awesome.


Chloe has been a Doctor Who fan since the new series began.  “I loved the adventure and the little horror in the episodes.  But what drew me the most was that character Who faced his enemies not with guns and hate.”
Chloe was only drawing animals and such when the new Who series began.  “It is after beginning the Classic Series that I began drawing the old Doctors.  I know it is weird, but somehow, I always preferred making fanarts about the old ones.”
Chloe assured me that Photoshop was not as difficult as I was led to believe.  “Digital art has so many tools that ease the artist’s work, with a click we can perfectly erase mistakes.  Sure, it took a little time to get use to the tablet graphic and Photoshop’s tools.  But after getting the technique, you can easily surpass your level in traditionalism.  That’s why I stopped it for a while, because in some way, I felt that I was a bit cheating since my real level of drawing was behind my digital art.  I wanted to find myself a style that would be unique to me (still searching).”
Chloe does love Torchwood but when the series ended, so did her artwork on the programme.  “Doctor Who is an obsession that comes to me every year.”  Chloe does do fan art of other programmes including Supernatural, and Anime.
At the moment Chloe is a student, finishing her cegep (pre-university in Quebec). Currently her priority is getting a formation in Tattoo and working on her graphic novel.  She is hoping to get into Emily Carr University in Vancouver to study illustration. 

At the moment Chloe is raising funds for a sponsored head shave challenge for cancer, that is taking place in the Carrefour Laval, in Laval at 2pm on 15th June 2014, we wish her all the best for this venture.

See link below for more details and how to get involved



Artwork by permission of Coconut-CocaCola



http://coconut-cocacola.deviantart.com/art/Universe-s-Guardian-Angel-329606369  (done with oil pastels for the background and normal pencil for the Doc and angel)






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