"Almost Anonymous"

Here, at last, is the finished illustration, "Almost Anonymous." (9 x 12" , acrylics & collage on cardboard). The last time you saw this piece, it was simply a line drawing. But through several hours of meticulous acrylic glazing, I was able to whip it into the shape you see before you.


In the final work, we see that our masked She-Devil has betrayed her lover, and is slicing him open like a fresh fish. Despite his immense size advantage, her victim is caught unawares and easily dispatched. All the poor fool can manage is to unmask her and peer into the face of his own doom, as his kingdom burns around him and Death comes bloody and grim.


I knew I wanted this to be a darker piece, both in tone and actual look. And I ended up putting a lot of time into building up the subtleties in the shadows. When I'm painting (or even inking), I imagine myself physically carving out the deep, dark areas in a piece. It can be a slow process, but I find that it works for my creative mindset. Maybe it's based on my constant craving for process, rooted in my love of printmaking. Or it could be from when I was much younger and worked in clay as much (if not more) than I did in pencil, ink and paint.

Now that I'm back on track with Alphabet Attack!, I'll be kicking into then next piece in Series 3. Look for the raw beginnings of the "B" illustration tomorrow, August 24th.

"My man, where you going? You can't escape. When the Tribe is in the house, that means nobody is safe."
- Dave Crosland