Chow 102 :: The Plague Doctor

[S.C. Watson]

ROUND #102

THE ITALIAN PLAGUE DOCTOR

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DESCRIPTION

Historical Fiction II
The Italian Plague Doctor
1349

Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence.
--Eyewitness to History (www.eyewitnesstohistory.com)

“My name is Gabriella. My father was a doctor, and I learned from him how to treat various maladies and to set bones and which herbs and mixtures and such would treat this illness or that.

“My father, he died two months ago from the Black Death. I did not know what to do, so I donned his mask, gown, his boots and stick and gloves, and try to care for those I can.

“I try to help. But they die anyway. So many. I bring the flowers and perfumes, the hot drinks, the blessed artifacts, leeches – I even smoke like a man now to ward the Death away from me! The laxatives do not seem to work, and I hate covering the poor souls in mercury and placing them in ovens to burn the disease out. They scream so….

“May god have mercy on our souls, for I do not believe anyone shall survive…”


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FOLLOW THE TOPIC.

POST YOUR FINAL IN THE FINAL BURNING THREAD.


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example: "CHOW#100_Oblio.jpg"

PLACE THE IMAGE IN A FRAME WITH YOUR NAME/TOPIC


(you can add CA logo, etc).

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DEADLINE
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2008
The way the deadline works: if deadline is on a Sunday and your image is posted on that Sunday 23:59 your local time it's a good entry.
In fact - as long there is Sunday somewhere on the planet your entry is ok. I will make the poll sometimes Monday evening my time (GMT - 8 ) yet I'll have a look at the last entries.
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POST YOUR FINALS IN THE FINAL BURNING THREAD!

Remember to include your nickname in the filename.

About quality - as general rule: if your shapes and values are not decent - you are out. Watch proportions, perspective etc. we need perfectly readable shapes and coherent, consistent values.

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BE PROFESSIONAL - only finished and good quality entries will be taken to the poll. The host will make the selection.
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[daestwen]

Yesssssss.

These guys were so awesome!

I am all in.

[Jason Snair]

great topic Oregano. Just for clarification, are we to draw her wearing the mask, boots, gloves outfit of our own design or the character as she would appear unmasked?

[sho-nuff]

Aye looks awesome...havent entered in awhile so why not aye?

MAybe coz i wont b able to finish it in time but the concept has got me excited and i need an excuse to sketchy sketchy.

[Slash]

I'm in!

[smugbug]

Innee

[Mirana]

The awesome mask/gown ensemble came from the 17th century and not Gabriella's 14th. So my stupid question: Use it anyway? Use it as inspiration? Is this challenge more "Historical" or more "Fiction"?

Also of note: There were female doctors in Italy like the impressive Trotula of Salerno.

[S.C. Watson]

great topic Oregano. Just for clarification, are we to draw her wearing the mask, boots, gloves outfit of our own design or the character as she would appear unmasked?

I think that seeing the character's face would be important - *but* if you can pull off a convincing illustration with her mask on (i.e. some sort of emotional content) go for it. I don't want to just see someone just standing there.

The awesome mask/gown ensemble came from the 17th century and not Gabriella's 14th. So my stupid question: Use it anyway? Use it as inspiration? Is this challenge more "Historical" or more "Fiction"?

Let's go with the fiction aspect. When I was tooling pulling this together it looks like I got my facts confused. Not the first time. So, let's have fun with it!

Also of note: There were female doctors in Italy like the impressive Trotula of Salerno.

good source - though the Trotula from the sounds of *may* have been fictional. Regardless, I would say that she was the exception, not the rule. Thanks for posting that!

Ciao,
~Oreg.

[Matsign]

that costume still scares the shit out of me. I'll try this.

[ArtFish]

they scare the shit out of me too o.O

I've been so absent on this site lately >.> maybe ill be able to whip up some sketches and get something finished in time (although that depends if i get my new computer or not...im currently on a loaner and without means of digital art :|)
-sketches-

[Destinatus]

Man I really hope I can get time to do this, it sounds really interesting. I feel like a dummy for not know about these plague doctors before. In case anyone was wondering about the mask:

"medico della peste" (plague doctor), used only in for urgency (i.g. plague) the long nose contained filter prepared with salts and aromatic plants: rosemary, garlic, juniper. In secondary moment, this mask has been used as spell meanings."

[Mirana]

good source - though the Trotula from the sounds of *may* have been fictional. Regardless, I would say that she was the exception, not the rule. Thanks for posting that!

"At [the time of the Black Death], women healers predominantly tended pregnant women and ill children, functioning as herbalists and passing on their knowledge through apprenticeships. ... Women healers were also less likely to leave their homes for the country to avoid exposure to the plague and thus became the main caregivers in the cities during the decades of the Black Death." From History of Women in Healing

Many articles state that female doctors were available in the Middle Ages up until schools were established and females were not allowed to join (in most countries...Uni of Bologna had a femme professor). Then the church got in on the fun and decided that women healing without licenses were witches. That was around-abouts the time of the plague doctor get-up, though.

I did not intend to read this much. Damn you History for being so interesting!

[jread]

hmm, I wounder if they ever got together at the weekends for a masquerade-ball?

[Destinatus]

heres my poop in progress. Perspective is a bit wonky. If anyone has crits or suggestion it'd be much appreciated, thanks

[Rist]

All my sketches will go here. My final will be posted on the final burner when done.

[Aeger]

"I hate covering the poor souls in mercury and placing them in ovens to burn the disease out. They scream so…." Talk about kick em while there down!

Now i have two CHOW's to play with

I wish i wasnt so ill, and i wish Final Fantasy Tactic's was a little less addictive

[S.C. Watson]

Mirana,

Thanks for setting me straight there. I'll adjust the brief accordingly

Am I going way out of context or can we re-invent the Plague Doctor? I do not mind changing the design.

I'd suggest narrowing it down a little bit. Right now, the illustration doesn't quite look like a doctor of any sort to me - more of a deranged monk with an angel of death fetish That said, as always, if you've got a solid idea of what you want to do as a redesign, go for it. But keep it *solid.*

~Oreg.

[NARobles]

Definitely in for this one! Gotta get back on the CHoW down horse.

[kayness]

sounds super! Something that I can actually grasp better than the Spanish Inquisition, anyway
might join, but no guarantee, i have exams and stuff coming up

can't wait to see what everyone will come up with, though!

[sho-nuff]

Well sketched and added a lil more detail during sketching then expected but u get that sometimes i spose.

Not really happy with any of these but im sure i would be if i had time to render one of them out fully. If i could do that with a design it would probly be Miss Red Gloves - probly evolve her a lil more too.

But as it is i dont really have time coz i got other pieces to work on and i gota focus more on studying render techniques, so this is as far as i go.

Had as much fun as i did frustration making them all.



More of a casual contemporary kinda look


She's not fooling nobody once she offers a hand, her man disguise dissapears for obvious reasons. Chastity belt was a present from her dad.


time has taken its toll, stuck in perpetual anguishing aid - uhh is 'anguishing' a word?


The only salvation from black death, given only by the Mistress of black death herself - The floaty muscly scary black chick

[Mrianna]

I did a quick sketch just to get an idea of what I was doing.... I'll probably refine and fix my perspective tomorrow... since it's like... bed time soon and I have other things to do! XD

[longshao]

My idea is that the girl finds out that she's infected and just gives up.
Kinda matrix looking right now, don't know if it's good or bad. Comments and crits are welcomed.
shi_nuff: I think the first two sketches are hilarious, but the third one is pobably the most fitting to the topic.

[JLynn]

Hey guys, this is my first CHOW, and it sounds like a lot to fun!
Playing around with a sketch, i'll work the mask in there somewhere. crits and suggestions are welcome

[kayness]

and I hate covering the poor souls in mercury and placing them in ovens to burn the disease out. They scream so….

ohhh sure, they're cured alright XD. Roast dinner, anyone? :p

[Trashy]

Ah crap...this topic is too cool...can't resist...arghhhh...

okay I think I'm in on this one.

*edit*
er... scratch that...no time now.......I just can't do it captain... *blows up*

[UCT]

Can we make a scene around the character to help explain things or is that cheating?

[B-Man]

Oki so Im a bit confused as well... I thought this lady took her fathers job and is hiding the fact that she is Female.... Most of these looks like schoolgirls in modern cute-gothic cloathing. And on top of that, they try and look cute, Shes miserable damn it! And she is wearing her dads clothes (male clothing) My advise is get new ides, Im tired of the manga goth wave! Im just saying that I wouldnt wote for such characters.
Chape up damn it!
All the best people!
Mahalo!

[Flom]

hello everybody!

[JessiBean]

Flomaster - Impressively fast work, and a very nice render, but do be aware you aren't following the rule, we need to see 3/4 of the character for this to be a valid CHOW entry. You have some time to go fix that.

[Pseudocognition]

Oki so Im a bit confused as well... I thought this lady took her fathers job and is hiding the fact that she is Female.... Most of these looks like schoolgirls in modern cute-gothic cloathing. And on top of that, they try and look cute, Shes miserable damn it! And she is wearing her dads clothes (male clothing) My advise is get new ides, Im tired of the manga goth wave! Im just saying that I wouldnt wote for such characters.
Chape up damn it!
All the best people!
Mahalo!

Darn right.