Zebediah
Zebediah (2023)
8½x11 Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Available
By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments. — Thomas Aquinas
Meet Zebediah, a new addition to my Mini Figurative series. Hands tucked behind his head, he has a gentle, confident gaze directed right at you that gives the entire piece a very relaxed, self-assured mood.
With this pose, I wanted to explore the vertical stretch of the male torso. Having the arms raised completely alters the anatomy of the upper body, pulling the pectoral muscles upward and creating a much sharper, more defined symmetry down through the abs. To translate that onto our familiar background, I worked with the play of overhead light, using soft, blended dark tones to catch the deep shadows under his chin and arms, balanced by bright white pastel highlights to follow the elongated lines of his chest and core.
