"Iconography Study" oil pastel on colored paper 11"x 14"
Dhanwantari (Archangel Raphael) (left) Skanda (Archangel Michael) (right) |
Project #4:
For these pieces I returned to one of my favorite mediums, oil pastel. I used a blending stick and chamois for the first time with these pieces and gained new depth in my ability to blend to create dimension. I struggled to create the more fair skin values on colored paper because the oil pastel is translucent. I spent a lot of time looking at traditional iconography before embarking on these pieces. Particularly Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine icons but also contemporary Hindu icons. I was studying these pieces to create an amalgam image of what these archangels look like, however I couldn’t have ended up strayed farther from the traditional images. I started with an image of a male model that was very similar to the image of St. Michael in my mind’s eye. I made several attempts with acrylic paint and colored pencil before deciding to use oil pastel. I added a hebrew inscription at the top of the first piece (Michael) but decided that it looked nasty and cropped the paper. I was so pleased with Michael, despite his crooked nose that I made Raphael to go with him. If I could make these pieces over again, I would have done two things differently. I would have used the tan paper for the lighter skinned figure and the blue paper for the darker one. I also would have stocked up on blending sticks because the two I had became very ratty towards the end. My theme is about my personal exploration of the concept of manliness. I was inclined to draw Archangel Michael because he is the embodiment of masculine energy, and I associate him with all things “manly”. As I was looking through traditional Christian and Hebrew art depicting him, I became bored of the toned muscle blonde guy holding a sword. I wanted to portray him as heavier in stature, darker in completion, and more peaceful in nature. I did the same for Archangel Raphael. |