Stepping into Focus

Stepping into Focus was a fun picture to work on, as it combines a sense of realism in our central figure, a man emerging from the depths of a forest, against more playful and stylized ink work on the trees especially in the foreground.  

This work started off as a doodle.  A friend of mine had let me play around with a beautiful ink pen that she had, and I was trying to understand the sort of marks that it would make when the foreground trees began to emerge in my mind.  I immediately linked up the thought with a photo I had taken a few days ago of a man walking towards me on a wooded trail.

I wanted the man to seem semi-realistic, as if he were emerging, slowly stepping into focus.  I loved keeping the foreground trees somewhat mystical as a contrast to the main figure, and balanced brown and black inks with neutral watercolor washes to add depth and texture.

Works with a similar vibe include Stepping into Focus, Rapunzel's Vine, and Venice Cafe. 

Original Artwork

Professional grade watercolor and archival ink on 9" x 12" Strathmore 400 series mixed media paper. Signed by the artist.