- Published on
"A Murder Most Fowl" (skewing Jacques-louis David's "The Death of Marat") - acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas, 16 x 20. NFS
"I haven't checked, but I highly suspect that chickens evolved from an egg-laying ancestor, which would mean that there were, in fact, eggs before there were chickens. Genius."
- Ta-Nehisi Coates.
"I haven't checked, but I highly suspect that chickens evolved from an egg-laying ancestor, which would mean that there were, in fact, eggs before there were chickens. Genius."
- Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The studio has gone to the birds.
Well, to the chickens, anyway.
When you live with another artist, you might find yourself in a challenge to render a version of this, that or the other in your own particular style in a sort of soft paint-off competition. This time, the challenge was CHICKEN.
And since I only recently learned of "The Death of Marat", and was smitten with its beauty, it seemed only natural to place a fowl in the scene and skew Jacques-louis David with a wink (or a cluck?)
Well, to the chickens, anyway.
When you live with another artist, you might find yourself in a challenge to render a version of this, that or the other in your own particular style in a sort of soft paint-off competition. This time, the challenge was CHICKEN.
And since I only recently learned of "The Death of Marat", and was smitten with its beauty, it seemed only natural to place a fowl in the scene and skew Jacques-louis David with a wink (or a cluck?)
A Murder Most Fowl (skewing Jacques-louis David's "The Death of Marat")
Skewing, like painting self-portraits, is a really good habit for stretching your painterly muscles and dabbling in different color palettes and styles. And this one, proudly hanging in the studio/gallery, is really something to crow about. :)
About the art: beginning with a notanized photo of David's painting, roughing in the shapes with a chunky colored pencil and some wet brushes. Adding a layer of yellow ochre to the lower half as an underpainting and keeping a limited color palette as David did in the original. Using soft, watery washes to create shadows and highlights and resisting the urge to overly define.
Cadmium red light and a sprayer bottle used to create evidence of a murder. (I wouldn't turn my back on that rooster, though)
Cadmium red light and a sprayer bottle used to create evidence of a murder. (I wouldn't turn my back on that rooster, though)
mayhem
malarkey
muted colors
masterful skewing
who, me? madness in fowl eyes
my, oh, my!
magnifique!
Just LOVE that fowl!