Final Module
With
Stamps (Assignment With Baxter & Bailey)
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For this module, I will be taking an opportunity in creating 4 - 8 stamps with design studio: Baxter & Bailey. The objective is to follow my given theme of Hammer Horror, and visually transfer their film library into postage stamps. Other requirements given are to include the Kings head, and the value.
I am also assigned to make this collection of stamps with the idea of one colour in mind, and have very minimal fine details in mind. Despite this, I have decided to replicate Hammer's poster advertisement style in fully developed artwork pieces, to get a feel for their colour palette and details (darker, saturated colours. harsh strokes from a paintbrush texture, etc.) I will be downsizing them later to create more simplified designs, to fit with the briefs standards.
Research/Development:
Being somewhat familiar with the Hammer lineup before, I decided to choose some already watched films I had seen (Phantom Of The Opera, The Horror Of Dracula), with some newer ones I had yet to watch (Let Me In, The Snorkel, The Mummy, etc.) With this pre-existing and new knowledge in mind, I chose 7 from a variety of Hammer Films' titles, and tries different styles and methods to each, as Hammer themselves were versatile in ideas, colours, set design, and more for each individual movie they released. And after learning of Hammer's History, I had also discovered that this year (2024) is the 90th anniversary from when the studio was founded. I decided to utilise this into the postage stamp's designs, as it seemed ideal to capture when I would make the stamps in comparison to Hammer's first release 'The Public Life of Henry the Ninth'.
Books/Websites Cited:
- The World Encyclopaedia Of Stamps & Stamp Collecting (Dr James McKay)
- How To Collect Stamps (Jamestown Stamp Company, Inc.)
- Birds, Blocks & Stamps: Post & Go Birds of Britain
- The Stanley Gibbons Book Of Stamps And Stamp Collecting - Hardcover
- A Thing Of Unspeakable Horror: The History Of Hammer Films#
- Unspeakable Monsters
- Japanese & American Horror
- Horror Film Aesthetics
- Japanese Illustration Now
- Gothic: The Dark Heart Of Film
-Hammer Films.Com
- The World Encyclopaedia Of Stamps & Stamp Collecting (Dr James McKay)
- How To Collect Stamps (Jamestown Stamp Company, Inc.)
- Birds, Blocks & Stamps: Post & Go Birds of Britain
- The Stanley Gibbons Book Of Stamps And Stamp Collecting - Hardcover
- A Thing Of Unspeakable Horror: The History Of Hammer Films#
- Unspeakable Monsters
- Japanese & American Horror
- Horror Film Aesthetics
- Japanese Illustration Now
- Gothic: The Dark Heart Of Film
-Hammer Films.Com
My Theme: 'Hammer Horror'
What is hammer horror?
Hammer Horror is the generalised term that is used to describe the horror films that have come from the highly acclaimed british film production studio: 'Hammer Films'. The studio was founded by William Hinds (otherwise known by his own nickname: "Will Hammer". Hammer films was established in 1935 by Hinds, and has amassed many films that have been very well received in the field of British cinema, and the horror genre alike.
These films consist of:
- The Resident (2011)
- The Lady Vanishes (1979)
- The Quartermass Experiment (1955)
- The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973)
- The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957)
- The Mummy (1959)
- The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
- Let Me In (2010)
- The Snorkel (1958)
- The Taste Of Fear (1961)
- Maniac (1963)
- The Old Dark House (1963)
- The Lodge (2020)
- Straight On Till Morning (1972)
- Horror Express (1972)
- Hands Of The Ripper (1971)
- Phantom Of The Opera (1962)
- The Abominable Snowman Of The Himalayas (1957)
- Horror Of Dracula (1958)
- The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Citation: https://hammerfilms.com
Hammer Horror is the generalised term that is used to describe the horror films that have come from the highly acclaimed british film production studio: 'Hammer Films'. The studio was founded by William Hinds (otherwise known by his own nickname: "Will Hammer". Hammer films was established in 1935 by Hinds, and has amassed many films that have been very well received in the field of British cinema, and the horror genre alike.
These films consist of:
- The Resident (2011)
- The Lady Vanishes (1979)
- The Quartermass Experiment (1955)
- The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973)
- The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957)
- The Mummy (1959)
- The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
- Let Me In (2010)
- The Snorkel (1958)
- The Taste Of Fear (1961)
- Maniac (1963)
- The Old Dark House (1963)
- The Lodge (2020)
- Straight On Till Morning (1972)
- Horror Express (1972)
- Hands Of The Ripper (1971)
- Phantom Of The Opera (1962)
- The Abominable Snowman Of The Himalayas (1957)
- Horror Of Dracula (1958)
- The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Citation: https://hammerfilms.com
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My Stamp Ideas
After consideration and an in depth browse into Hammer's filmography, my chosen films from Hammer's lineup will be:
(Postage Stamps)
- The Curse Of Frankenstien (1957)
- The Horror Of Dracula (1958)
- The Mummy (1959)
- Phantom Of The Opera (1962)
- Let Me In (2010)
(Hand Stamps)
- The Abominable Snowman Of The Himalayas (1957)
- The Snorkel (1958)
(Postage Stamps)
- The Curse Of Frankenstien (1957)
- The Horror Of Dracula (1958)
- The Mummy (1959)
- Phantom Of The Opera (1962)
- Let Me In (2010)
(Hand Stamps)
- The Abominable Snowman Of The Himalayas (1957)
- The Snorkel (1958)
Initial Artwork (Sketches/Production)
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Finished Artwork
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I had designed and finalised 7 artwork pieces in total, with 2 being stamps. My digital art software of choice was Clip Studio Paint, as I was most familiar with its library of brushes and knew how to achieve the details I had in mind. Despite starting out as sketches on paper, I found colouring and rendering them on a drawing tablet to be very straight forward and had little trouble translating them into digital art.
Hand Stamps
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Postage Stamps
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The final results for the stamps show a comic book, illustrative visual style, with minimal graphic design elements added in for a 3-Dimensional effect. My illustrations based on the Hammer films of my choice, were drawn with reference to the posters, scenes and general material given to advertise their films. The colour choices, silhouettes and designs were replicated in my illustrations, and were intended to mix the live-action visuals with my animated, Japanese manga/comic book style I usually work with when I illustrate. I am quite content with the results and really enjoyed this module in particular.
