Embodiment (2018)

Material: Graphite, Colored Pencil

Surface: Illustration Board

Examining the idea of entering the unknown via a spiritual lens. The idea of using spirituality in order to make sense of the chaotic world. Human beings use avatars or gods in order to make sense of the world around them.  How does this notion of spirituality define us? How does it inform our decisions, livelihoods and mental faculties? In ancient civilizations, tragedies, inclement weather and disease were associated to a higher power. Sometimes those higher powers would be connected to certain parts of nature such as trees, flowers and animals. In other instances higher level persons would act as a wellspring of knowledge when it came to the gods, they would interpret events as messages from a higher power. Embodiment serves to capture this idea. The idea of man embodying the avatars they create in order to make sense of the world, in an era without science and enlightenment principles of theory.

The goal here was to commit to a more laboured process. The use of scaled creatures was a good springboard and opportunity to create interesting detail work. Another thing that I was exploring was using subtle colour. To see how to add small splashes of colour (in this case red) in order to direct the viewer's eye to a specific point.

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