John Muir (Find Your Giant)
This project centered around finding a historical or cultural icon that resonates with you. After much thought I decided to go with one of the founding fathers of our national park system, John Muir.
Step one was finding a photo, importing it into photoshop and using the posterize tool condense it into two values, black & gray. These were then printed onto 13 x 19 and using vellum we traced the outlines by hand to provide an organic tone.
With the various mediums of black and gray stencils now imported into photoshop, the introduction of John Muir’s journal entries, drawings, and journal cover itself was applied. The original picture of John Muir was one of him reading and deep in thought, while reading through journals one of his words stuck out as it brought the whole piece together, “refuge”.
The Texture Templates
Brush Texture for Black Values
Canvas Texture - Black
Cardboard Texture - Gray
Brush Texture - Grey
Canvas Texture - Grey
Cardboard Texture - Black
Once the tracing was complete the vellum was xeroxed, one copy for black and one for grey. Then using an exacto knife these sections were cut out to be used as templates on textures of our choice (ie cardboard, canvas, and stock paper).
The use of spray adhesive locked everything in place as the ink and paint were brushed, splattered, squeezed, and sponged on. The results provided great textures to be brought back into photoshop for the final layering process.
Preserve the Legacy
With the various mediums of black and gray stencils now imported into photoshop, the introduction of John Muir’s journal entries, drawings, and journal cover itself was applied. The original picture of John Muir was one of him reading and deep in thought, while reading through journals one of his words stuck out as it brought the whole piece together, “refuge”.
John Muir - Refuge
John’s posture in this piece is that of deep thought while reading, hand to chin while the other straddles the book. For this state of sitting and deep in thought one must be able to relax and feel secure. “Refuge” most definitely applies to the setting of John’s figure, however it’s also found in the steady babble of a mountain stream, the chattering of squirrels, and the rustling of leaves as the wind caresses through the forest. For John Muir, the wilderness was his refuge.