"Of Dreams and Death" - How it went down

This year I decided to take a slightly different approach to my personal paintings, and finally turned an idea that has been milling around in my head for some time into an actuality. This method basically involves me coming up with an image that I want to create, breaking it down into panels, and then making each one of those separate panels into in image on its own. Each of the panels relates a variation of the same idea or concept, carrying itself as a series of ideas that are parts of one idea (the larger image). At the moment I dont know the technical term for this approach to painting, and I havent actually seen it done elsewhere in this way, although I wouldn't be surprised if it has already been done. However if you happen to know what this is called please let me know (with a link if possible) as I'd love to have something to call what I'm doing.

After seeing this painting, and the following set which I completed in Feb (coming next), I was asked by a number of people how I made the images,.... so..... heres a number of images that I took while I was working on the piece, these are not every little new details, but give an idea of how it got put together. This is also the first time I'm showing this kind of step-by-step of any of my work, so hope it gives a sense of what happens to turn a white board into a very fun entertaining (to me at least) painting.

Also since this is the first time sharing this, I'll be explaining what is going on in a sentence or paragraph under each image. If at all anything I say gets confusing, please let me know so I can either edit or further explain to those interested. Thank you, and Enjoy

"Of Dreams and Death" - January 2010. Acrylic on Illustration Board.


Start.
Sketching (1)- Already have the glid for the panels laid out, rough sketching of the face image is down very lightly. Defining details at this point, with this image I started with the middle three (left to right) you can already see the girl in the left one, some of the elements in the center, and the man on the right.






















Sketching (2) - At this point all the basic elements that define what each image is about have been put into the drawing, some of these will be altered by the time the piece is done, usually while I'm painting. This is pretty much my structure for what I'm going to do in the piece.

Once the sketch is finished, I spray it with a coat of fixative. All that does is put a thin layer over the drawing which protects it from the wet medium of the paint. (no smudging of pencil while I'm painting)


















Shading (3) - Since the overall image is going to be broken down, I'm relying on line work and shading to keep if visible to the viewer. This is me laying in some very watered down browns to figure out where I need to keep the image darkest and lightest without losing the face.























Shading (4) - Further developed shading. I now have my panels essentially planned out. For me this means one of the more difficult stages is over and I can now play with colors and brush strokes.

























Layin' Paint (5) - At this point I lay a few basic washes of color, just to give myself an idea of what I'm going to be working with in each area. The top right and bottom right corners I also flesh out some details that I didn't want to lay down too darkly with the browns. This is the final touches of groundwork, and next I get into the nitty gritty detail of things.






















Detail Paint (6) - Now that I've got my groundwork I start finishing each panel. During this process I occassionally use a piece of cardboard with a 4" x 6" cutout the size of my panels to block out the rest of the image. I do that so I can make sure I like the way the panel looks on its own, especially since this is meant to be a number of strong single images which make 1 large one.

By now I've basically finished the first panel and started laying in the second, as well as some random details elsewhere as I see fit.

















Detail Paint (7) -Finish on 2nd and 3rd panels, also rewriting the poem in panel 2 in ink over the acrylic. Simply because my brushes are meant to paint not write, and the pen has a fine tip which makes it easier and neater.
























Detail Paint (9) - The 4th panel goes down well, much of the shading was already down, so it was really a matter of laying in the waves, and working up the values of my color.

























Detail Painting (10) - Panel 5 is essentially the nexus of the painting. It is both a heavily surrealistic image, as well as a piece that has to show the facial features, while still tying the rest of the images into one another. My first approach at this one I liked,.... until I stepped back from it and realized that the excess amount o white I had in the lower portion of it pulled the bottom too far forward as well as from a distance made the face scary by giving the impression of a tied mouth or teeth or something.



















Detail Painting (11) - Softening the contrast in the center panel gave it a look I was more confident with, the face feels softer. Also darkened under the eyes to carry the shading through and give more definition to the facial features. Panel 6 is also done at this point although I will go back into it later to make some adjustments.






















Detail Painting (12) - Starting on the firetruck piece I wanted to build the main elements first and try to get everything as accurately laid in as possible. Building up the smoke, and the shadow on the vehicles.

























Detail Painting (13) - Added the firefighters and other rescue persons, as well as the lamp post in the foreground. The lamp wasn't part of the original sketch, but I wasn't liking the way that the lighting was, or how flat the piece was starting to feel, so I integrated another element that filled the symbolic need as well as a foreground image. Symbolically the lamp is the brightest part of the scene, and it is also what is position wise, at the center of the action. What unites these men to save lives at the risk of there own? A burning beacon within is this simplest way I can put it. That is why the lamp came to be.

















Detail Painting (14) - Once the shadows were darkened and all the paint layers came together on the 7th panel (bottom left) I really liked the way it showed, as well as the tie in to the rest. 8 and 9 were a cakewalk in comparison.

This is where any addition details are touched up, values are adjusted to where I want them if they weren't there 100% before. Its time to bring in the knife.






















Making the cut (15) - Yes, that's right, choppin' time. Each panel is cut from the illustration board, taking extra care at this point to not damage the images themselves, or (hopefully) myself. After each is cut out I use a matte varnish over its surface as well as the sides to seal the board. Arrange as necessary on a hand painted black background on watercolor paper. This puppy is now ready for a frame. FIN.





















That's the synopsis of how it all went down. This took,.... I'd say about 2 weeks of work to accomplish, and considering at least one of those weeks involved little to no sleep, I'd say its about 3 weeks of a 9-5'ers hours invested. Hope you enjoy the finished piece, I know my back did. A couple days o letting my spine re-align into position and more work.

Feel free to share any comments, critiques, interests, or ask any questions. Thanks.

~James Groeling