When conceptualizing this project and sketching out ideas, I found myself drawn to deep and rich jewel tones that were representative of luxury, glamour, and drama. I looked to the staging of Burlesque performance as my inspiration for each scene, utilizing contrasting lights, glittery and luxurious textures, and over-the-top campy elements that are so closely tied to this style of performance. I wanted each image to appear highly staged and theatrical, but with elements of fantasy that could only be brought about by the tools I had on my computer. Huge boas, pearls, and sparkles were heavily utilized as key elements to help drive this theme home.

When designing the look of the show's star, I was without a doubt that it needed to be simple and iconic. I had always understood "classic" beauty to be a touchy subject in today's culture, but remained fixated on it and everything it represents in the realm of idealized femininity - something I've always found to be out-of-reach for a young queer kid who grew up within the bounds of traditional masculinity.

I aimed for the model to be reminiscent of fashion dolls before they're given face paint, hair, and clothes. Velvetina exemplifies superficiality, so it was only fitting for me to give the model a plastic (and in some cases, glittery) texture while leaving out extraneous details like hair and skin.

Below are a few examples of sketches and progress shots made during the development of this project.