Taking the three of my favourite silhouettes, I created these value studies, clarifying the details of the figure, pose and clothes. My designs are more traditional figures for the time, despite my character being the Witch. Given the time period, I was drawn to the idea of the Witch being not a magical creature linked to the mythology of the time, which I initially considered, and instead a woman who was cast out of the village because of her family's shame.
Honour was incredibly important to the Japanese, particularly in this period, and shamed samurai would be expected to commit seppuku. In my version of The Tinder-Box, the Witch's father, a samurai, was ruled to commit suicide, and she, through both the shame she had for her father, and the village's disdain for her family's lack of honour, left her home to live in the wilderness. Suspecting the Tinder-Box's power, because of local legends and myths, she waited for someone to retrieve it for her in the hopes she could recompense for her father's shame and rejoin the village as an equal, despite the unlikeliness of that situation.
In this study, the Witch appears in more regal attire, although her kimono, having been dragged along the ground for so long, has frayed and ripped. Her hairstyle, a traditional bun, has also become loose as time has progressed, with her long hair trailing strands behind her as she walks.
In this study, my figure was more decrepit, needing a support to help her walk. Instead of going for a traditional cane or stick, I decided to design something a little more exaggerated, basing the support from the traditional red gates, Torii.
Here, I decided to have the witch hide her face, as part of her shame for herself. Until she can restore her family's honour, she will not allow others to see her face, deeming herself unworthy to be looked upon. She also holds a long stick, to aid her walking, although this is much simpler than in the previous study.
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