Psychedelic 49

I like collages of square images. This Psychedelic Series started with 9, which went to 16, 25, 36 and now 49. Well, the number is already beyond that as I finished a portrait of Eminem yesterday

This series is one of several creative journeys that I am on. Aesthetically, this style will appeal to a particular type of fan as it is very loose and colourful. I think there is something entrancing about looking at a body of work like this and observing how one reacts. Where do your eyes go first, and why? Who do you recognize right off, and who might be a bit of a mystery? For the musicians, what songs pop into your head? For the actors, what movies? For the leaders, what moments in history?

Here is a time lapse video of my latest in this series of rapper Eminem. Here are the steps.

1. sketch the subject
2. painted the subject loosely with black
3. wash with colour and wipe with a cloth
4. use an edging tool to add the colourful texture to the background
5. use Windex to wipe away the areas of the subject you'll need to see (eyes, mouth, hairline, etc.)
6. go over the subject with black
7. add any necessary embellishments - in this case: lettering on the cap

 I often ask for suggestions of subjects to paint in this style. A reference photo needs to have particular attributes that will work with this technique. After the latest cadre of suggestions I went searching for photos that might work well. I need a certain amount of contrast, shadow, and personality. See if you can see the commonalities in these examples.

If you feel like giving this a try and have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me by email: russell@birdsongstudios.ca.