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This image shows the prepared canvas with the composition sketched in white pencil. As simple as this composition is, I didn’t feel it necessary to put a lot of detail into the drawing, but the basic proportions are all there. The grid lines I used to transfer the sketch to the canvas can just be seen in red. I don’t think there is much more I could say about this step unless anyone has a question.
As I worked with the ‘Atlas’ composition I decided I wasn’t satisfied with the visual balance. This sketch is the end result of several variations on the composition, and I think it is much more effective than the original. This sketch is drawn to exactly ½ scale and will be exactly what ends up on the canvas. My intention is to keep the piece very stylized with extremely high contrast on the figure and the earth in the foreground. The background (which is non-essential to the theme) will be ridiculously simple…not much more than flat black with just a hint of gradation to give it some depth.
Welcome back to the Artist’s Studio. I have been thinking for some time of working on a series of smaller, figurative paintings designed to focus specifically on the human figure. The inspiration is the simple effectiveness of sculpture, and the motivation is to give myself some much needed practice on my figure painting without sacrificing theme and also to create a few pieces which will be quicker to paint and a bit more financially accessible. This new piece is the first of several paintings to come in this series.
The title for this new piece is still in development, but the image is of Atlas just after he frees himself of his eternal burden. The idea is obviously based on the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. This early sketch is actually one I submitted as a possible idea for the cover, but which didn’t work out. I liked the idea so much, however, that I decided to paint the composition anyway.
"I was born on February 12, 1975, and have been drawing as long as I can remember. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be an artist, although at the time I didn't have a clear idea of how exactly I would use my talents to make a living.
"As I continued studying art, I began to suspect that fine visual art was dead. No one seemed interested in teaching students how to draw well, or paint well. More often than not, my own skills exceeded those of my instructors.
"The only field left that seemed to require good drawing, painting, and compositional skills was illustration, and therefore I began studying illustration at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. I became even more convinced that I had made the right decision in staying away from fine art as I endured course after course of required "drawing" and "painting" classes in which instructors required me to draw with "less focus", or use ridiculous materials such as shellac, glue, sand, salt, etc.
"My second year at Utah State, I met Damon Denys. In discussing Art with him I realized that there were other people who believed that technique and subject matter were indispensable components of any work of art. I then decided that I would work to develop my own painting skills with the purpose of creating artwork that I considered worthy of being called Fine Art.
"Since that time, I have studied on my own: Drawing from live models to learn the human form, studying proper painting techniques from any source I could find ample reason to trust, and developing a philosophy of Art based on reason, and life on earth.
"My goal is to portray the heroic and romantic in human nature and human achievement in a realistic style and a modern setting. I place particular emphasis on composition, technique, realistic detail, proper craftsmanship and consistency of style."
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