Let there be (Native) Color!

After the full-spectrum tonal study it is time to introduce the local or native colors into the mix. Surprisingly, this happens quite quickly, as all of the groundwork has been laid.

Say goodbye to the strange-looking colors that previously dominated the scene. In the coming days everything will begin to appear lush and vividly convincing...now that I am into the natural hues superimposed over the full-spectrum tonal study.

In a matter of a just a few more days, I can now say with confidence that all of the detail and colors will be coalescing to create a startling illusion of reality, albeit on a fairly gigantic scale.

You can now plainly see how the figures are really starting to pop three dimensionally out of the background. But with no trickery beyond the judicious use of contrast and field of depth techniques. For example, all of the layers are applied with careful consideration so as NOT to create lumps and bumps in the paint. I do not subscribe to the idea of plastering on a thickness of paint that lamely imitates a low-relief effect. For me, the surface of the finished painting remains relatively smooth. I am a purist in that way and always have been.

 

Introducing the actual colors that signify the various companies that ran the parade of grain elevators in the heyday of Young, SK.

World's Largest Free-Standing Mural?

Last night's meeting with the Young Centennial Planning Committee was a big success.


I presented my color mock-up of the 'forever Young' mural and it was very well-received. The transition from the monochrome version to the colorized is really quite remarkable. There's no question, the addition of full color makes a solid design that much more attractive. 

Happy faces all around as we nudge the 'forever Young' mural closer to reality. ( with two of the  local  champions of the project)

Yet again, I find myself pondering the meaning of life as I contemplate the logistics of this project.


The mural will be painted on 4' x 8' panels that are specially designed and prepared for superior exterior durability. The project calls for about fifty-two of these panels so you can  imagine that the sheer volume of material is quite staggering. Put it this way, I will not be handling these panels any more than absolutely necessary. However, they have to be separately primed (all sides and edges), man-handled into their respective position on to the temporary frame that I will be designing and building in the shop where all the excitement will take place. 

Scoping out the wall which will be the backdrop for the free-standing mural.

Then comes the fun part: the painting!


After the entire mural is painted on its temporary mount, it then has to be un-assembled to be permanently installed on its custom-designed free-standing painted steel frame. I believe that this mural will be the largest free-standing mural in Western Canada, if not Canada entirely.


Possibly even the world.

The setting of the mural from across the #2 highway. 

I will have to start researching this claim before I make it.


We're talking about something perhaps two or three times larger than those huge highway billboards. About 1600 square feet, give or take.

Mock-up showing position of free-standing mural in scale with the building. It will face the busy #2 highway.

Have you ever heard of a huge free-standing mural? If you have seen one, heard of one or know of one that competes with the scale of this puppy, I would appreciate it if you would let me know.

If you look carefully you'll see a tiny person standing by the lower right-hand corner of the free-standing mural. This ought to give you a pretty good idea of the scale of the is thing.

I decided to post one more image that I CGI-ed to represent a life-sized human standing beside the free-standing mural in its location at Young. This will give a pretty clear indication of how ...big...this is.