G'day, Hive!

Is it Hallowe'en already? No... not unless you want to be, I guess. We don't celebrate it here in South Africa, though I remember my family and family friends doing sort of something spooky when I was a kid. But that was probably just us weirdos.

Still, I do so enjoy seeing the celebration of horror, the surreal, and the macabre blasted across the internet each year. And last year was no exception. I got into the festive spirit, so to speak, and made a little Hallowe'en painting of my own.

WHO'S COMING TO TOWN

I know I usually do weird art and so what makes this any different, or special? I guess because it's not really a serious sort of weird. I wanted this to show something scary but in a funny way. The idea of "spooky", basically. It's not really scary but it's not fully funny. There's a wonderful term in Japanese to describe it: kimokawaii.

Further, I find it odd how what was once "hallowed evening" became the spooky celebration it is today. I guess I'm just unable to understand the overall American culture enough. But it's still fascinating. The hodgepodge of influences that make up the holiday as it's celebrated these days is something my own Afrikaaner and overall South African culture can relate to. Ours also stole from everywhere.

Enough of that, though. I can word vomit with the best of them but you came for the art, not my random rambling thoughts. So here we go.

» IDEA

As always, the obligatory lineart. The sketch, rather. I didn't want to clean up the sketch too much for this because I needed to hang onto the grunge feeling it created.

» LAYOUT

Then I, of course promptly, forgot about that grunge feeling and slapped some purple and orange around. Because why the Hell not? I hadn't painted something with these colours and I figured I might as well give it a try.

» CONTRAST

Luckily, purple and orange are wonderful for balancing the cold and warm colours and contrasts across the canvas (golly, hello there, alliteration!). Now usually, you're supposed to put a contrasting colour behind the focal point. But it was All Hallows, so I rebelled and went mad scientist. Orange behind the orange! And yellow inside it!

Muhahahaha!

» ATMOSPHERE

It was still a bit too funny-cute and I had to crank up the scary factor a little more. Because balance is needed. For both sides of the veil. Nothing a little dramatic and sharp lighting can't do. But then it was too bright. And we can't have that, now can we? So more purple was called in to carpet bomb over the painting.

» GIFNESS

» ART INSIGHT FOR THE WEEK

Rules in art are just guidelines. Really, really good and important guidelines, but still, just guidelines. There is no law dictating you have to do certain things a certain way. So when inspiration strikes, or the wind changes direction, try breaking some rules.

You never know if you can pull it off until the painting is done. Break those rules, on purpose, towards a purpose, and see what you can get away with. Like orange behind an orange focal point. What the heck, right? Not all of your art has to be perfect and ready to be sold. The great and successful artists all have a hidden chest full of throw-away paintings and sketches and fuck-ups. It's how we grow.

And breaking rules is how we make new ones.

Thanks for stopping by and reading and supporting!

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Who's Coming to Town [2D Digital Painting]