Micro to Macro : The Jubjub Bird & Bandersnatch

I got it in my head to do this kind of entry a long time ago, but it's been hard to gather up the images especially with all the moving and the internetlessness. I thought it would be something fun to see visually if I chronologically order my process in it's entirety with everything it took to make one painting.

Since my Jubjub and Bandersnatch painting has been one of my more well known pieces of work, it seems to be appropriate to see it's process originating all the way from it's fetus like 'doodle on the napkin' stage, hope you enjoy!

 

When I took on illustrating the poem "Jabberwocky" I had decided I would try to stick true to Lewis Carroll's own descriptions for each beastie. There isn't a lot written on what the Jubjub bird or bandersnatch look like, but it is said that the Jubjub is a bird that lives in perpetual passion, maybe on an island, and that the Bandersnatch is a swift moving creature with snapping jaws and has the ability to extend it's neck.

Then came the fun part. I think my favorite thing to do when creating new work is come up with weird and challenging compositions. I wanted the two creatures to fit together with as many awkward tangents as possible.

Many of the next photos are from my camera phone, so I appologize for the quality and lighting. The first few hours into a new painting are usually the ugliest and the hardest, and it's my nature to look after I leap when it comes to decision making.

I was comfortable enough at this stage to show my work to CCA alumni and awesome illustrator Jorge Masacarenhas. He gave me the thumbs up with everything except the Bandersnatch's fur color. He said that it reminded him of James Jean, and maybe I could change it around a little.

(And Jorge, I am so glad you said that.) I stood there clueless for about 15 minutes after he left and pulled out a color tube I hardly use, cadmium orange. Turns out if you glaze that over some magical Kazu Sano Violet grey colors you get the perfect Siamese cat fur hue. I realized then that the Bandersnatch was siamese:

I got this painting done right in time for my senior show. I thought it would be fun to use it to promote my exhibition, and I liked the idea of being photographed with it to depict a sense of scale. I had my friend and fellow thesis room roommate (about 4 of us lived there full time) Jaron Stokes take my promo photo.

I figured the painting had run it's course and could now retire to a closet until I could sell it, but on a whim I decided to enter the Society of Illustrators student competition. It got in :) and I got to have the unpleasant experience of getting it custom framed, insured, crated and shipped to New York. (Next time I'll just move there and paint a new one.)

  

I've made it a goal to make this painting pretty obsolete within the next year, but I do honestly like this painting and I think it's one of my best so far. I really believe that grad school is going to help me reach my new goals and standards... bigger and better paintings ho.