I WAS RECENTLY COMMISSIONED TO CREATE A LARGE CUSTOM PIECE FOR MY FRIEND AND FELLOW CREATIVE, ZACK (@ZackEsterhuisen). ZACK CAME UP WITH THE CITISCAPE IDEA FOR THE PIECE, WHICH IS TO BE PART OF A FEATURE WALL IN THE CENTRAL MANCHESTER APARTMENT HE SHARES WITH HIS PARTNER. THE ROOM IN WHICH THE PAINTING WILL BE HAS BEEN FULLY DECORATED, WITH THIS RUG AS A KEY PIECE (SOURCED IMAGE):
WE DECIDED THE PIECE WOULD USE COLOURS FROM THE RUG.... IT'S A LOT MORE COLOURS THAN I'M USED TO WORKING WITH! THIS WAS DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE BUT A FUN ONE.
I STARTED BY CREATING SOME SIMPLIFIED ILLUSTRATIONS TO HELP ME WORK OUT THE COMPOSITION. I SELECTED MANCHESTER SPECIFIC STRUCTURES WITH INTERESTING/ RECOGNISABLE OUTLINES:
(THIS ONE WAS JUST FOR FUN - THE CAT IS ZACK'S CAT, GUCCI!)
I SPENT A BIT OF TIME LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION - I WANTED THE PIECE TO LOOK PAINTERLY BUT ALSO A BIT LIKE A PRINT WHILST RETAINING MY STYLE. THE THREE OF US REALLY LIKED THE IDEA OF A 1960S MINIMAL-STYLE PRINT LOOK TOO - THIS FITS IN WITH WHAT I'M INFLUENCED BY ANYWAY SO I USED THIS AS A GENERAL POINT OF REFERENCE WHEN PUTTING COLOURS TOGETHER:
(THESE PICS SHOW ONE HALF OF THE PIECE, I MASKED OFF AREAS AND TO CREATE ABSTRACT BLOCKS OF COLOUR WITH GOUACHE PAINT).
I COMPLETED THE PIECE WITH INKED LINEWORK IN MY SIGNATURE STYLE:
I'M HAPPY WITH THE PIECE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IT IN SITU - IT WAS A NICE CHANGE AND REALLY USEFUL TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON A PROJECT BASED ON THE SPECIFICATIONS OF A CLIENT WHILST TRYING TO RETAIN MY OWN VISUALLY STYLE.
= KIM =
