"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 lifetime, he experienced a personal journey of enlightenment – from a petty criminal, to a preacher of White hatred, to an internationally recognized spiritual leader who advocated for interracial and international brotherhood. Malcolm eventually came to believe in the potential for a cross-racial alliance in the global struggle for human rights. Soon after calling for international unity, he was assassinated while on stage making a speech.
I respect Malcolm X for representing a more militant side of the Civil Rights Movement. He was unwavering in demanding for change to happen now and not later in the future. To me, Malcolm X was an "AfroChicano."
In Malcolm el AfroXicano, I combined yellow and red, with tints of white and shades of black, to create an analogous color portrait of Malcolm X. I first separated all the portrait's significant values and changed them into organic shapes. I then painted each shape a different color, starting with yellow and white for the highlights and gradually adding red and black to create the brown shades. When composing this type of painting, my focus is on the organic shapes created by the values and not the composition as a whole. If done correctly, the facial features are formed with the separation of colors.
When viewing this style of painting from up close, you'll see a bunch of painted blobs of similar colors. The further away you look at the painting, the more the various blobs of color blend together to form a smooth and cohesive portrait. 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.
I respect Malcolm X for representing a more militant side of the Civil Rights Movement. He was unwavering in demanding for change to happen now and not later in the future. To me, Malcolm X was an "AfroChicano."
In Malcolm el AfroXicano, I combined yellow and red, with tints of white and shades of black, to create an analogous color portrait of Malcolm X. I first separated all the portrait's significant values and changed them into organic shapes. I then painted each shape a different color, starting with yellow and white for the highlights and gradually adding red and black to create the brown shades. When composing this type of painting, my focus is on the organic shapes created by the values and not the composition as a whole. If done correctly, the facial features are formed with the separation of colors.
When viewing this style of painting from up close, you'll see a bunch of painted blobs of similar colors. The further away you look at the painting, the more the various blobs of color blend together to form a smooth and cohesive portrait. 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.