Gas Mask

Inspired by this
'68 anti-war poster

Project Assignment: Anything your heart desires.

I chose to work with charcoal and water color for this piece.I was inspired after looking through anti-war protests for the Vietnam War and came across some compelling images of gas masks. Something about the dark mysterious nature of these objects really intrigued me. I incorporated the butterfly wings because butterflies represent the soul and there’s that old saying, “The eyes are the window to the soul.” I was terrified to work with charcoal because I was not very familiar with it before this piece but ended up absolutely loving it in the end. I started out by covering the eyes with blue painters tape to preserve the white and completely blacked out the board with charcoal. I then went in with a kneaded and white eraser and did the detailing in the shadows. I had my final critique today and overall the professor was pretty pleased. I’m thrilled at how this piece turned out!