Dubbed “Childhood Revisited,” this sequence of Star Wars artwork by Matt Cauley was impressed by his assortment of classic Star Wars motion figures.
New York artist Matt Cauley has been acknowledged for his excellent and electrifying acrylic portraiture—however his Star Wars artwork takes a really totally different method. Dubbed his Childhood Revisited sequence, the playful work have been impressed by the Classic Kenner Star Wars motion determine line the artist collected as a toddler.
“These work have been a enjoyable experiment,” Cauley says. “Since nostalgia performs such a big function in my life, I made a decision that as a substitute of portray portraits of individuals, I’d try to color ‘portraits’ of my childhood toys. These have been the toys my mother had bought for me some 30 to 40 years in the past, so there are all of these added recollections and associations with the subject material.”
Behind the Star Wars Artwork
The work are made in ink and tempera, utilizing a resist course of that creates a modest sense of type and a vigorous floor whereas retaining a powerful graphic high quality.
Right here’s a walk-through of the novel method:
- Define & Paint Floor: Cauley begins with a really tight define drawing on illustration board, then makes use of white tempera paint to fill in all of the areas exterior the road work. This creates a floor that’s painted fully white besides the place his pencil strains are left uncovered.
- Apply Ink: As soon as the paint dries, he applies massive areas of ink over your complete floor, typically going with colours a lot darker than these he needs within the last piece, akin to blacks, browns, and darkish blues.
- Rinse: As soon as this stage dries, he positions the board in a sink beneath operating water. Utilizing his fingertips, he step by step helps the tempera paint dissolve and “sculpts” with the ink that’s left behind. The remaining darkish inks create the phantasm of both an engraving or a woodcut, relying on how a lot ink erodes in the course of the rinse course of.
- Tint: As soon as the portray is dry, he tints areas on the board to finesse the colour.
In line with Cauley, a part of the thrill of working this manner is that he by no means fairly is aware of how the picture will end up. The precise last look depends upon split-second choices he makes whereas he’s operating water throughout the picture.
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Artistic Cross-Coaching
Cauley is equally comfy with wonderful artwork portraits and illustration, and he values the cross-training every of those pursuits has supplied.
“For me, it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m portray a picture of a buddy or mannequin, or sculpting and crafting a superhero or sci-fi character,” he says. “All of them use the identical primary methods of paint, likeness, and constructing of type, no matter the subject material. My work are knowledgeable by my graphic design, simply as my toy design is influenced by my illustration abilities. The design ideas are relevant, whether or not the artwork goes on paper, canvas or digital screens, or is molded in plastic.”
Certainly, Cauley’s portraits convey an intense and considerate exploration of the way in which people relate to the world and one another. That is absolutely knowledgeable by his childhood fascination with the Star Wars narrative, through which small human dramas play out towards a background of epic forces.
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What’s Subsequent within the Star Wars Artwork Assortment?
Cauley has discovered collectors who share his ardour and nostalgia, and luxuriate in amassing his work of the toys they grew up with.
“There have been greater than 100 Star Wars figures created for the classic line, and I hope to finally have work created of all of them,” says Cauley. “It feels good having the ability to share these childhood recollections with individuals who have comparable recollections.”
To remain up-to-date on new releases, observe Matt Cauley on Instagram.
A model of this story first appeared in Artists Journal.
Meet the Artist
Matt Cauley has an in depth background within the visible arts. Born in Dallas, he moved to New York in 1992 to attend Parsons Faculty of Design, acquiring his BFA in Illustration. Whereas there, he found a love for portrait portray, and he has continued his portray research on the Faculty of Visible Arts beneath the steerage of famend artist John A. Parks. man and group exhibitions, most lately on the Plaxall Gallery in Queens, N.Y. He makes his house in New York Metropolis. Along with portray, Cauley can also be an achieved illustrator and toy designer.