Academic busts have been making pretty quick and easy display projects, but it is easy to get lost in the weeds. They also lack some of the narrative opportunities of other kinds of mini art. So I think the key for me is to not get lost in this multi-month iteration with them at the expense of other things!
So I picked up this bust from Verko’s Vault on a whim at Pigment this year. It seemed like a fun non-military piece, and a good way to practice textures after my class with Jerry Allen! I had fun imaging this young man as a newly arrive immigrant to the continent, thinking about the journeys my own relatives went on long ago, and the relevance to the modern age.
Anywho, that gave me enough narrative motivation, and I think the little painting on the plinth is a fun way to ground that, and was a neat exercise. I basically copied this image of Ellis Island (thanks Wikimedia!)
I started this one on vacation, and did a couple rounds of coaching to help improve. I tried to practice faces and better eyes, in addition to texture. Some parts are pretty successful I think!
And here’s where I got him to
Now on the to next one- I definitely have a few things in various stages that are all battling to get out of my brain haha. There are 4 more pieces I am planning in this line of historical works, and then some oldhammer dioramas (maybe for GD next year)!
-BS