At the Crossroads

 Robert Johnson Thumbnail 1.5"x 3"

Value Study

Digital

Robert Johnson at the Crossroads

Watercolor 11"x 15"

It is said that the blues musician Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil, exchanging his sole for  musical  talents. This legend that has been retold in many shapes and forms since Johnson's untimely death in 1938. Obviously the story inspired me to create this painting, and in this post I am sharing a bit about the process of creating the final image. The first image is one of many small thumbnail drawings that I always do when starting an illustration. The second image is a digital value study, and at this point in the process I lay out the large shapes within the composition. The final painting was done with Yarka watercolors on Arches cold pressed paper. The painting was scanned and I made a few finishing  tweaks in photoshop.


For more information about the legend of Robert Johnson check out this link:
http://www.vagablogging.net/robert-johnson-sold-his-soul-to-the-devil-in-rosedale-mississippi.html