Inspired by Botticelli’s painting of the same title, Birth of Venus represents my first completed large scale figurative painting. 

Botticelli’s painting is seen to represent the transition between the 2-dimensional, graphic shape dominate qualities of the Gothic period into the more 3-dimensional naturalistic techniques developed in the Renaissance.

I liked this quality of symbolic shapes in transformation, becoming 3-dimensional. I had also noticed some visual similarities between in Botticelli’s painting and other artworks across the world, such as Tibetan Thangka painting images. I wanted to pull from both territories while creating Birth of Venus. 

From inception to completion, this project stood center stage of my attention over the next 1 ½ years.   

Prior to producing Birth of Venus, I experienced several failed attempts in working on large-scale projects. I was skilled in painting pieces of small and medium scale, and found it manageable to work on a specific area while keeping my eye on the big picture. But when working on a monumental scale, I was finding it lot more challenging to balance the particulars with the whole—the micro with the macro.  

I needed to develop a new system; for this project and any other future large-scale epics. 

From a young age, I was moved by the grand narrative paintings particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. I was fortunate to see these works in person when we visited our relatives in Italy. These massive works of raw myth and narrative resonated within me deeply.  I felt compelled to find a way to create massive paintings of myth and narrative. 

I’ve also had a long time interest in developing systems. During my initial failed attempts in creating large scale, multi-figure paintings and seeing them crumble before my eyes mid-process, I came upon the realization that I could draw upon the digital tools, particularly photoshop, that I learned prior to my classical training when working in the games industry. I thought, ‘why not leverage the flexibility of the digital medium, and use that as a prototyping tool for large-scale works?’  

My solution was to use both traditional and digital tools for extensive planning and experimentation, and creation of a prototype. I would then use this prototype to execute the painting.

In contrast, the workflow of this project:

Finished Monochromatic Digital Painting
This slide represents the finished product of the monochromatic digital painting.

Sample Initial Color Study
This is one of the initial color studies using oils. I first printed out the monochromatic digital painting, mounted/adhered it to a board, and primed it with clear acrylic matte medium. After it fully dried, I painted with oils on top.

Alternate Variation in Oils
I wasn’t happy with the overall color relationships and feeling of the piece. Around this time, I went to Hawaii to attend the APA convention with my father. I was struck by the colors of the ocean and its feeling of vastness.  This felt more in line with how I originally envisioned the piece. I sought to capture a sense of serenity and beauty, coupled with a perception of vastness, awe, and fear that often comes from looking out into the open ocean. To depict this change in environment, I took new photo references and returned to the ‘drawing board’.  I reprinted an updated version of the monochromatic painting, then painted this version in oils. 

Refining the Digital Prototype
I liked the overall new direction of the piece.  I used my new color oil study to begin the final digital prototype. 

Updating the Foreground
I then focused on the foreground and began the refining process. 

Canvas Size Debacle. After finishing the transfer and beginning the painting, I couldn’t shake the feeling that figures looked too small. Even though the actual canvas size was quite large, the figures seemed oddly small. One of the factors that influenced my decision on how big to make the painting was based on ease of transport through my doorway. I went back to my digital prototype and printed out a version at the absolute maximum size that would be able to fit through my doorway. I invited my students from Georgetown Atelier to give me feedback regarding which size they liked the painting better. Almost unanimously, they preferred the larger version, so I started over, again.

Transfer Detail After Toning. After getting a new stretcher built, surface prepared, and drawing re-transferred, I toned the canvas.

Color Palette. This image shows color strings on my palette that map temperature changes along the value scale. The darker blues correspond with the shadow side of the pitcher plant. As the form moves into the half-tones, it becomes more of a sage/cool green and then warmer green/yellow as it approaches the light. I began the painting by first working on the pitcher plants and large leaves that flank the right of the shell. The tops of the pitcher plants needed their own string progression, as they contain considerably more yellows and reds.

Color References. For the large ‘veiny’ leaves, I harvested the color relationships I found from basil leaves while eating a bowl of pho. 

Beginning the Painting. I began by painting the pitcher plants and veiny leaves. Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher plants are formed by specialized leaves. The plants attract and drown their prey with nectar. 

Plant Additions.  My next focus was to add the orchids and other plants.

The Shell.  I then moved on to paint the shell. You’ll notice that a small portion of the sky and water along the edges of the plant and shell are also painted. This is to allow ‘wet into wet’ edges to be blended before the paint dries.  Unless this occurs, in other words if foreground and background elements are done in separate sittings, it often results in harsh, cut-out looking forms.