December 10, 2012 - Comments Off on M’s Maserati

M’s Maserati

Well if you haven't gotten to see Skyfall yet be warned, possible spoilers ahead (and I don't know what's wrong with you). The film was spectacular. It was a beautiful piece of cinema and a wonderful homage to the Bond films of old. What exactly makes Ian Fleming's classic spy so riveting is hard to say. Maybe its killer action, beautiful women, or perhaps just the martinis. Regardless, 007 has undeniably become part of our cultural fabric, inspiring us all with each action-packed outing.

This week's piece is a fun painting of Daniel Craig as 007. I originally wanted to go with simple line art and a water color approach but I'm as of yet to figure out how to do that digitally.

The best moment of practically every Bond film are the opening titles. When done correctly, they set the mood for the entire film while teasing it's plot; a perfect portal into the world of Bond. On occasion the movie, song, and credits harmonize with such outstanding perfection, they threaten to eclipse the rest of the show. For instance, the titles from The World is Not Enough stick with me to this day, women of oil abounding like some strange Exxon fueled trip. The man behind this and many similarly epic sequences, Daniel Kleinman, has made an outstanding return in Skyfall. Accompanied by the hauntingly beautiful voice of Adele, these latest opening credits were quite the spectacle. The paintings of Harding Meyer share many of the same themes we see in Bond sequences. Their play on feminine beauty being manipulated and transformed through strange effects calls to mind the projections and distortions of many classic beginnings. In Harding's case, many of the portraits feel like they're being viewed through some strange warped lens to marvelous effect.

As much as our favorite super spy loves women, Bond has probably had more one night stands with his cars than his ladies. His autos seem destined to get damaged, dented, and blown up soon after they appear on screen. And he never even leaves an insurance number. I find it particularly fun to go back and watch older Bond films to see what was the hot vehicle of the day. Likewise the assortment of gadgets Q manages to pack inside those svelte metal chassis never ceases to amaze or amuse. Evans Halshaw, a car dealer in the UK, reflected on this illustrious automotive history with a micro-site.

We always travel when we accompany James on his adventures, this latest film being no exception. Yet even when he travels to such exotic cities as Hong Kong, the action never approaches the jaw-dropping levels of the local hand-to-hand awesomeness that is classic film kung-fu. This live-action short was made for the release of the game Sleeping Dogs where the player must take on the role of an undercover cop, not quite a spy but scintillating nonetheless. Somehow this short manages to pack in more action in eight minutes than many 007 films see in two hours. Simply amazing.

Sorry for not posting last week but I was on vacation. Good luck with your holiday shopping and I'll see you next week.

The Sketching Mechanism is a series of weekly posts, published on Mondays, containing the artistic musings of Mobile Designer/Developer Ben Chirlin from our Monday morning meeting at the NY Creative Bunker as well as his inspiring artistic finds of the week.

Published by: benchirlin in The Sketching Mechanism
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