Choosing an Era

For this module, we have been given a brief to create an environment or character. The themes for environment are Gothic, Moorish and World War 1.  I did think about a character but there isn't a point of doing one if I want to be an environment artist. 

My first thought was to go straight for Gothic. I love the look of the old cathedrals and the general feel that they give off.

Even though I like looking at the style and have visited a few 'famous' examples such as Notre Dame, Cologne Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral, I don't actually know that much about the history so I looked in to it. I found the main characteristics include:

• The Flying Buttress - They seem to be beams that are unsupported between two parts of the building

1

• Rib Vault - From my understanding, a rib vault was the solution for ceilings being able to support the heavy wooden roofs without having pillars coming from the center.

2

• The Pointed Arch - The Ancient Romans used normal or curved arches on many structures. With a pointed arch which was mainly used with Gothic styles, it allows for taller openings. I think the arches link with the rob vaults which is why the vaults have a similar arch shape.

3

After looking at all this I thought, as brilliant as these cathedrals are, that seems to be what the majority of Gothic architecture consists of. After an awful experience modeling a church before, I was put off.  



References:
1 - http://calarchitecture.com/flying-buttress-gothic/
2 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_vault
3 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/4427228490/