The Failure. Pen drawing
Years ago in college I wanted to create an abstract drawing that is clustered with lines and detail. (as usual). This was featured in a show with the theme of mystery.
I'm a little faster now with the pen, but at the time this drawing took me so many hours. I wanted to fill the bottom with hidden objects. Such as a face, fetus, or some doors. The idea behind this was to have the majority of it filled chaotically with a ladder at the top of the page. As if to say, "There is no way you will reach your goal and make it to this ladder."
Detail 1
Detail 2
A side story to this piece... one night when I was working on it I decided to go get some Indian food here in Chicago. When I was driving back home to finish this piece a man started running across the street to catch a bus. (His light was red) He ended up running right into the front corner of my car, his body went up and destroyed my windshield. I didn't even realize what had happened. I pulled the car over when I went through the light and as I turn around I see a man lying in the street that I thought for sure was dead. I ran to him and got him to the sidewalk. He was startled but OK. To make the long story short an ambulance and the cops came, and to my surprise the man admitted that he was trying to run to the bus across the street and that it was his fault. I still felt incredibly bad.
Anyways, "The Failure" at the time was a big accomplishment for me. I'm glad I could share it with you all.
I love all the details and effort put into this artwork!
wow, that's a scary story about that man running into your car's windshield !!! im glad he's okay but i would have been super shocked if i was driving > __ <
great art, also <3 love the heavy details at the bottom part and the completely white space at the top makes the the bleak and strange parts even stronger <3
upvotes and resteems
It was very scary. After I found out he was OK, I thought for sure he was going to sue me. Ended up just being a nice gentleman.
That sure is at least a good story's ending ! PHEW !
Agree with Spider, the full dark bottom contrasting with the top part brings strong bleak feeling.
Wow, and that story of you hitting someone with a car is .... dunno, it's really my fear! Here in Berlin there are lot of bicyles and pedestrians all over and I had a few stresses already...
I opened the image in a new tab and zoomed in - mesmerizing details! I think i found some strange creatures, something that looks like an eye and stairs that lead to a tiny doorway. amazing!
Ahh yes. Thank you for zooming in! Those are definitely in there.
My hand hurts just looking at this x_x Did you have some plan for the placement of the objects in the clutter or did they just happen naturally? There's a bit in the middle which seems to bulge out of the page, that looks pretty cool. It looks great anyway, looks like something a viewer could spend ages in front of seeing what they can find :)
I really did not have any sort of plan doing all the clutter. I did start at the bottom and worked my way up. The are that seems to bulge is probably from 1 day of drawing. I could do about an inch up each day.
I'm at a loss for words at the details in this. You could organise a treasure hunt just within this piece.
What a side story. I'm sure you must have been scared out of your wits. Did you draw parts of the incident out here?
Thanks for the kind words.
I did not. I was almost finished when the drawing at the time of the accident.
wow, the detail on this is incredible! i feel like i could spend ages and ages just looking at this and i still wouldn't find all the small details. i feel like this would look really great as a print, or on a shirt or something ... it's awesome!
Thanks! It was actually used as the poster for the art show. I wish I had a copy of the posters they made. They printed it out on very large paper. It was interesting to see my art blown up to such a scale.
This is so fascinating, I could stare at it for hours looking for secrets, or maybe Waldo. Seriously though; another example of excellence from your fine self; bravo.
Wow, just wow. The detail and patterning is hypnotic.
It is everyone's nightmare to hit a pedestrian; I'm so glad the man was o.k. and hope you got over it too. The crowded graphics give the drawing a geological feel.