Peace and Quiet!!

This was the first time I had painted in years, which made it an intimidating project for me. I wanted to capture the feelings of pressure and frustration I was having at the time, and my search for calm and an escape. I was inspired by the compositions of Shephard Fairey, and Sandra Chevrier’s art pushed me to look at this topic through the lens of comic books, one of my passions. Jack Kirby’s comic work was a major influence on the background, as I attempted to emulate his cosmic vistas. 

The final composition of the painting went through many iterations and digital mockups, as I tried to present my themes in the most effective way possible. At first, the face was in a cartoon style, accompanied by large text and speech bubbles, leaning into the comic theme. However, I wanted to portray more expression and could only do that through the slightly increased realism present. While it took me a long time to pick up painting skills, I was proud of myself for what I was able to achieve.