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WindsweptSummer — A VERY different Aurora, Color

Published: 2005-01-28 00:02:03 +0000 UTC; Views: 1926; Favourites: 27; Downloads: 27
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Description This piece needs a lot of explaning (before the Sleeping Beauty fans rip my head off). Well, as most people have probably figured out, Sleeping Beauty's dress in the Disney film is anything BUT Medieval. I think it's beautiful, and maybe somewhere decaying in the earth is a dress just like hers decaying, but from everything I've read and studiedm it doesn't work. Once I started thinking about it, I knew I wouldn't be able to get it out of my head.... I wanted to draw Aurora, but I wanted to try TWO things: Draw her in the style of the Later Middle Ages, the time the movie takes place, and modify her appearence to fit the more cliche images of the time. AKA, she hardly resembles the Disney version (Though you'll see more similarities once I color it.)

Here's my reasonsing....

Style: In the middle ages, there wern't many artists accurately drawing the human figure. Disporportionate, rounded, simple, and the unfitted clothes did nothing to improve the vaugeness of the forms. I think this piece has a bit too much modern influence on it, but that's because of two things. One, it's hard to UN-learn something, and two, I couldn't stand how...well, ugly she was becoming! (The face is still less-than-beautiful, but I didn't want her to have the sallow look many of the women in the art had, so I simplified it to the brass rubbing version.) So it's all a bit tweeked. Her pose is taken, also, from many of the brass rubbings of women I've come across from the time. I was going to put symbolic things around her feet, but I thought Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather would be overkill.

Clothes, hair, etc.: Let me clairify againthat I am NOT a historical fashion expert, and nothing I say should be taken as absolute truth. If you find an error, please let me know how I went wrong! With that said.... The dress is fitted to her stomach beautifully in the Disney version, and they did not have a vast knowledge of fabric cuts to make that work, especially without laces or a belt (neither of which she has). Her hips come out much too far, as if she's wearing a crinolin or starched skirts underneath, which doesn't become popular to later (yes?). And only in a few pictures have I seen the sleeves perfectly fitted all the way down to the wrist with nothing over it. (Oh, and she would never have worn pink high heals, which is seen in some Disney pictures.... The idea is just hillarious. Poulaines would be more like it, especially when she finds that she's a princess.) Oh, and I've never seen anyone have bangs in the pictures.

I gave her longer hair, and braided part of it and part of it is pulled together in the back. I kept her blue cape, but turned it into a mantel. I kept the trademark white...."things" ont he shoulder for effect, and kept the sleeves, but added a point to them. I added bell sleeves over them, and had that piece become the surcote (but with sides) and connect to the once-decorative light pink points under her waist, but brought them down. Not 100% accurate, but the was partly because I was trying to authenticise it and still keep signs of Aurora in the piece.

I LOVE the movie Sleeping Beauty, and I LOVE her dress, so please don't think I'm trying to ruin her! I just wanted to have fun!
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Comments: 9

Muggle-Angel [2016-05-28 13:39:44 +0000 UTC]

Didn't  Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" take place in the 14th Century!?! At that time frame Poulaines were most popular with men only. However they were worn by both men and women after the start of the 15th Century, but became unpopular in the 1480s... Other then that, I really love the changes that you made to her style!

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christa418 [2013-05-21 05:17:14 +0000 UTC]

Very pretty! The pose somewhat reminds me of Mystical Elf from Yu-Gi-Oh...

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sampea [2013-04-03 01:49:30 +0000 UTC]

pretty!

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Dommnics [2012-02-25 22:20:48 +0000 UTC]

You know, when I saw the thumbnail picture fr this, I thought it was Aurora dressed up as Princess Zelda, whom I actually don't really know, as I've never played the game, but I do know what she looks like. Sort of.

But this concept is all very interesting. I'm wondering, actually, if the animators would be able to animate this easily.

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WandererRiha [2006-09-29 14:10:40 +0000 UTC]

Lovely!
Historically speaking, this is probably closer to what her dress really looked like.
Very nice. ^^

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Alene [2005-02-22 12:50:33 +0000 UTC]

Interesting idea there! I agree that Disney's costuming wasn't particularly accurate, but then, it wasn't accurate in Beauty and the Beast either (the story was first written at the end of the 17th century) so, while their versions are very pretty, it is interesting to see someone attempting to draw the characters in clothes more suited to their times.
The version of Sleeping Beauty's dress in the Disney film is based more on Victorian attire than medieval. For one thing, the dress wouldn't stay up unless it was boned, and dresses that were both boned and off the shoulder didn't come into fashion until about 1860. (That is still a problem in your version, I'm afraid. One breath and the whole thing would fall down ) In fact, for the dress to fit as well as it does in the D version, it would have to be boned in any case! There are several options for her skirt as in the D version: she could be wearing a farthingale (15th C), or pannier (mid 18th C) (although her skirt wouldn't move that much if she was wearing either of these items) or hoop (earlier 18th C), or a crinoline (1850s). Your version is much more accurate in that respect...she wouldn't be able to dance so well, but then again, the waltz is German, and I don't think it was around then. It came into general poularity during the regency.
Sleeves did fit well in the middle ages, as they were usually buttoned, or looped, from the elbows to the wrists.
The way you have altered the disney dress to suit the medieval time is really very masterly, although the colours are probably a bit off. I doubt she would have been wearing pink, more likely red or purple, which were, at the time, expensive colours worn only by royalty. The blue would probably have been a bit darker also, if we want to be completely accurate (but that takes all the fun out of everything)
Anyway, now that I have blathered you to death, I shall leave you, saying that this really is lovely, and interestingly different, because you haven't chosen to strictly follow your base version. I've seen something similar (although before Disney), with Sleeping Beauty set in ancient greece!

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WindsweptSummer In reply to Alene [2005-02-22 16:41:07 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice!!! It's so GOOD to find someone that has such vast knowledge about historical fashion!! *bows* And I'm glad that you like it! (and that I've somehow not seemed like a total idiot, lol!) I left the colors the same, as well as the off the shoulder look, because while I was trying to make her more accurate, my first goal was for her to still have the essence of Aurora in her. I felt that if I got rid of too much, I'd be changing her beyond the point of recognition. I had no idea that sleeves were boned down to the wrist during that period though! I knew they were more tight fitting and t could be looped, but not about the boning. good to know! Also about the waltz being German (though I don't even pretend to know a THING about dancing). I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a lengthy review on this and pointing out the small details. Again, I absolutely love and respect anyone with knowledge on historical fashion! It's an area I care about, and can only get better at. With comments like this, getting better is all I can do. Thanks again!

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Alene In reply to WindsweptSummer [2005-02-23 02:28:52 +0000 UTC]

Yes, well....I like drawing dresses too So I read up on fashion avidly! I'm better with 18th C fashion, and tend to draw more romantisised medieval fashions, but it is always good to know what it is you are romantisising! I am one of the few people I know who actually like Disney films- I admire their artistic skills and achievments, while everyone esle seems to have decided that it is popular, so they won't like it!
Sleeves were buttoned, with a button on one side of the fabric, and a loop on the other. The loop went over the button, and held the two pieces of fabric together. Before anything could be boned, they had to have walebone (actually baleen), There were corsets used in medieval dresses (although to create a figure fashionable to the time,and this, coupled with the drawing style of the period, is probably why we don't notice them- but then, the fact that corsets were used at this time is hardly ever mentioned anyway, so I don't really know how accurate it is) walebone was (in addition to leather, rolls and stuffing) used in the extravagent headresses worn towards the end of the middle ages, and was also used in weapons. Later, towards the end of the 1500, walebone hoops were used to bone sleeves, presumably to make them big.
You might find [link] of use, btw.
The waltz started out as a German folk dance, and then became popular, and spread over Europe, and then to England. It caused a lot of shock, as it required a woman to stand within a man's embrace, whereas previous dances rarely had need for partners to touch more than their fingers, and this at some distance away
It is my pleasure to blather away at you- 'tis a topic I am interested in, and currently I have no one to talk to! Anyway, this is a good way to see if I still remember all the stuff I learnt (I have hardly touched a fashion book for some time, because I have had exams and stuff- all last year was pretty busy)

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LaughingAstarael [2005-01-28 18:53:30 +0000 UTC]

This really is beautiful. Amazing work on the coloring!

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