Original Artwork "This Bird Was Lost"

This piece was inspired by heartbreak. I wanted to convey the loneliness and frustration that occurs near the end of a relationship. The bird has no wings, and therefore feels trapped. In an empty room with only a chair he feels isolated and ostracized. Looking out the window he longs for a time he can be free.

This piece was a lot of fun for to put together. I started like many pieces, in my sketch book. Once I had a rough sketch, I put together a comp on screen. I downloaded some pictures similar to my concept, and in photoshop I built a rough composition. Once I was happy with the composition of the piece I started creating the individual pieces. I built a small bird house for the background and painted the interior. I sculpted the heart based on anatomical cross sections and painted it as realistic as I could, taking artistic liberties and exaggerating color. For the chest I took some fabric, ripped the center, and pulled stuffing through. I acquired a photograph of a bird, then began photographing each piece one at a time. Once each component was photographed, I composed it in Photoshop. I used blending modes to give the jar a see through look. In Photoshop I re-colored, and hand painted each shape and component layer by layer using the brush tool and my Wacom tablet. I used Illustrator for additional accents and complements. I then used blending modes for contrast and clarity.