Metamorphosis – Finished

*Sigh*
It’s done. It has taken longer than I anticipated due to other projects and life getting in the way. I’ll be starting another one soon… hopefully this one won’t take 6 months to complete! 🙂 

This is the final version of the drawing from this post.

 

I transferred the original sketch onto illustration board and brushed on a thin layer of gesso. Just enough so it’s protected but I can still see the sketch underneath. The second step is to lay down the initial color with colored pencils and thin them out with turpentine. I do this to create a background layer and give it more dimension. Sometimes I do it more than once, if necessary. I then go over it with many different layers of colored pencils. I keep my pencils sharp and spray it with fixative if it gets to waxy and can’t take any more pigment.

Final drawing is 21.75″ x 6.5″ created with colored pencils.

Metamorphosis

Here is my latest piece. Please click on it to get a better view. It’s kind of small in this environment.  I wanted to do a metamorphosis like many of my idols have done: MC Escher, David Wiesner, and Sandro Del-Prete (who I just found recently!). They have invented these worlds that morph into each other all on their own. By playing with perspective and placement these artists create impossible worlds. Something that cannot be done with a camera. That’s what I’m trying to capture here. 

There isn’t really a name for this yet, just “Metamorphosis” for now. I noticed as I was drawing that there is wood in every part of this metamorphosis. In the first part the candle is sitting on a windowsill (made of oak) with trees in the background that come around and become the foreground. The branches, then, turn into streets in the map which is sitting on a table made of pine. So maybe the name of this should have something to do with wood? or trees? Any suggestions?? The map is loosely based on Hartford. Not for any particular reason other than I’m from that area. 🙂

I will be doing more morphing and playing with perspective pieces. I have always been fascinated by it. So stay tuned for more! This piece is done in graphite, and it is 7″ x 22″. (I will also be doing a color version of this with colored pencils.)