Lake Howell High's one-night-only Nov 21st 7pm production of Hamlet has THE most stunning posters I've ever seen for an Orlando theatrical production. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but I don't think I am. The show is five bucks, takes place at the school (4200 Dike Road, Winter Park, FL 32792) and is produced and directed by Orlando's own man-in-penguin-costume James Brendlinger
UCF student David Smith, the posters' artist, sheds a little light on the creative process behind creating the art for this show:
The Daily City: Who are you?
David Smith: My name is David Smith. I am currently enrolled at the University of Central Florida, with plans to graduate in the Spring of 2009 with a BFA in Drawing. Aside from art, I am also extremely interested in programming, and see the two subjects as being very similar: Neither are about the limited tools used to solve a problem, but rather about the creative ways simple tools become complex designs.
The Daily City: Your painting for the Hamlet poster is beautiful. How long did it take?
David Smith: That is difficult for me to say, since I wasn't keeping track of time. If I had to estimate, I would say approximately 10-12 hours total because it is a rather large piece: 30"x 42"
The Daily City: Is it done in a particular style?
David Smith: The image was done in no particular style, or rather, I was not thinking about any particular style when I made it; however, I am very impressed with what I have been taught, and constantly try to take my professor's ideas and philosophies into consideration when I draw or paint. Other than that, all I do is try to improve upon what I have previously learned about drawing what I see.
The Daily City: What's the collaboration with the show's artistic staff like?
David Smith: It is actually a rather interesting relationship. I was approached by the director before the show was even cast and asked if I was interested in creating various promotional and artistic material for it. We then sat down and talked about what his vision was for the show, the overall ambiance, and color scheme. I have been in frequent communication with the director, but not so much with an art staff.
The Daily City: Any thoughts on poster art or art in general?
David Smith: As a society we have become so used to the notion of "conceptual" art that anything can be rationalized as exceptional art by a few clever words. I personally follow the philosophy of Leonardo Da Vinci: "The supreme misfortune is when theory outstrips performance." Simply put, a great idea executed poorly is still just bad art. So whether I am making a theater poster or a portrait, I try my best to make it the best drawing or painting I have ever made, so even if a person does not like the idea, they hopefully will not be able to say it was technically poor.