2.11.2009

Cosmicomics Painting-At Daybreak


                                             Watercolor on Plate Bristol 13"x9"

I'm taking part in a independent study with Sterling Hundley and Robert Meganck in which we (the students) are illustrating the stories in the book Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino. A really open ended, strange and intriguing book. the book consists of 12 short stories all connected in one way or another. This is a painting for the story At Daybreak  where they see color and the sun for the first time. The character in the painting is the Narrator's little sister who I imagined would be intriqued and scared at seeing color and light for the first time. In her eyes is the reflection of the sun rising. He is a short from the text where I got some inspiration for the image:
 "...she abandoned herself to dreams. They weren't dreams like ours (in the midst of darkness, we dreamed of more darkness, because nothing else came to our minds); no, she dreamed- from what we could understand of her ravings- of a darkness a hundred times deeper and more velvety."   
I think it's the longest I've ever spent on a painting...I have no idea how long it was, haha. I was going to do it on hotpress watercolor, but at the last second decided to do it on plate bristol.
Here's some process work also
Thumbnail:
Photo reference: A special thanks to my friend Michelle. I ended up taking reference of her 5 TIMES(!!!) of the same pose, but I would always realize afterwards when reviewing the photos that I forgot to do something or just had taken the wrong angle or not enough information. All my fault and was extremely frustrating, but totally worth getting it right, especially for this piece where the whole thing was a face. Thanks Michelle! :)

Color Study, which I should of explored more, because I ended up just falling in love with the second one I did and said, "Yes! thats what I'm doing.."
Eyeball study and the relationship of soft and hard edges
in-between stage...
aaand the final up top.
 Hope you enjoy! and maybe this was helpful. -Will

5 comments:

Theodore Taylor said...

Great stuff. Looks really solid.

Arbel M. Cohen said...

beautiful work will! keep it up man !

Jeffrey Alan Love said...

Possibly my favorite thing you have ever done, after throwing your cellphone into the ocean.

Anonymous said...

YESSS! I finally got to see it!! =DDD I showed it to my brother, he said I looked like I'm from Apocalypto hahaha No, but seriously, I like what was done =)

ps. Sweet story, I liked that short from the text

Will said...

thanks friends, I preciate it!