"Malcolm el AfroXicano" (2005) – gouache paint
I admire Malcolm X for being a visionary and an advocate for oppressed people around the world. During his brief lifetime, he experienced a personal journey from a petty criminal, to a preacher of "white" hatred, to an internationally recognized spiritual leader who advocated for interracial and international brotherhood. He eventually came to believe that there was a potential for a cross-racial alliance. What I most admire about him is that he represented a more militant side of the Civil Rights Movement that demanded for change to happen now and not later on in the future. To me, Malcolm X was an "Afro-Chicano"!
In Malcolm el AfroXicano, I combined yellow and red, and added tints (white) and shades (black), to create an analogous color portrait of Malcolm X. First, I separated all of the significant values of Malcolm's portrait and changed them into organic shapes. I then began to paint each shape a different color, starting with yellow and white for the highlights and gradually adding red and black to make the shades. When painting this type of portrait, my focus is on the various shapes created by the values and not at the portrait as a whole. If it is done correctly, the features of the face form themselves. When looking at this style of painting from up close, you see a bunch of painted blobs of similar colors. The further you look at the painting, the more the portrait is formed by these blobs until the various organic shapes begin to blend smoothly with each other. This effect is created by using the right mix of colors and shades. If any of the colors are a bit off, it throws off the whole painting.
In Malcolm el AfroXicano, I combined yellow and red, and added tints (white) and shades (black), to create an analogous color portrait of Malcolm X. First, I separated all of the significant values of Malcolm's portrait and changed them into organic shapes. I then began to paint each shape a different color, starting with yellow and white for the highlights and gradually adding red and black to make the shades. When painting this type of portrait, my focus is on the various shapes created by the values and not at the portrait as a whole. If it is done correctly, the features of the face form themselves. When looking at this style of painting from up close, you see a bunch of painted blobs of similar colors. The further you look at the painting, the more the portrait is formed by these blobs until the various organic shapes begin to blend smoothly with each other. This effect is created by using the right mix of colors and shades. If any of the colors are a bit off, it throws off the whole painting.