Saturday, August 04, 2012

This... Is... Sparta !!!

Several years before the release of the movie "300" I was busy explaining the intricacies of ancient Spartan civilization to my students. These images were created as class demonstrations in 2002. For the drawing below I used Col-erase Blue pencils along with a red version of the same make of pencil.


The image on the right is a monochromatic watercolor wash based upon the initial concept sketch in blue pencil and black line.


These are studies of what ancient Spartans may have looked like. Intense, strong, rugged and brutal, yet contemplative and confident and a little crazy.


I find it very helpful that on occasion I can create class lessons based upon an exploration of history. My students learn not only how to successfully execute their artwork but they also get a glimpse at what's involved when developing a project that requires a level of historical research. This is what they can expect to encounter at a studio or on a production that calls for a similar approach.

No comments: