Music #11

I started with the idea that I would make a self-portrait version of Ray LaMontagne's Gossip in the Grain Album Cover. I originally wanted to do something with the album cover for Trouble since the song Trouble was the only thing that would calm me down when I was a baby. If I was screaming, crying, etc., people would try to talk me down, but every time playing Trouble would work. That album cover didn't quite stimulate an idea for my artwork. When I saw the cover for Gossip in the Grain, it felt perfect because I could replicate it almost exactly, but just with myself instead if LaMontagne. 

The contrast in this album cover is very stark and almost looks like a really washed out image. This contrast as well as the yellow-brown tint reminded me of burnt wood. The background especially reminded me of wood because of the smoothness and uneveness. I also considered using siena charcoal, as it might allow me to get more detail, and I would be more comfortable with the material. I wanted to try something new, but also I had tried woodburning briefly before so it's not a completely forgein concept. I definitely did struggle with it a little bit. It wasn't quite as smooth in shading as I had thought that it would be. I have a lot of little lines and marks that I wasn't expecting, so as I continued I had to find a way to make these marks a part of the work. It also took a lot longer than I was thinking it would, even with the largest of the nibs. 

I started with the idea to make a self-portrait version of Ray LaMontagne's album Gossip in the Grain. I started by taking photo references, trying to get the right agle, shadows, and stance. It took several photos to get it right. I left one unedited and used it primarily for the dark and light tones in my hair that got lost in the edited one but there are some details in the original album cover. I eduted the other one, trying to get that really exaggerated contrast and almost washed out look that is on the album cover. I then sketched on the wood the portrait before beginning to burn. When I started burning the graphite didn't burn off quite as well as I had hoped. As you can see the facial features are slightly more grey and shiney than the hair due to the graphite being burned into the wood rather than completely dissintigrating as it was burned.