World's largest Fireman Portrait in Pencil: "The Fireman", 79"x99", pencil/paper
 

Focus on the face.

The face is real. It's the face that carries meaning. In pleasure, in disappointment, it's the face that lifts these weights. But the face is also a mystery. The face is a mask, a story. It's the face of a thousand expressions. It's a face made from rock, the face of a mountain. Eternal. It's happy without smiling, critical without squinting, frightened without showing surprise. This face knows fear, lives with it, inhabits its thorny grip. It wakes up in the middle of the night, mounts a shrieking dragon and dives headfirst into an incendiary fury. It's the face of a hero.

It's the firefighter

Wow, That is huge. Do you work the charcoal into the canvas or is paper on top of the canvas?

If you use paper, it must be hard to conserve it. Cans and cans of fixative?

It's pure pencil on paper mounted on canvas and streched on wooden panels mounted on wooden frames (chassis).

Hi Sergio,

That is some impressive piece of work. My only worry is the hard edge to the hair around the top of his head. He could be bald, in which case his head would be sharp edged. Then again, he has hair coming down onto his forehead which indicates he has hair. bewildere

You might be interested in having a look at this artist's work. She does oversize watercolour portraits and won a prestigious portrait competition in Australia last year.
http://www.cherryhood.com.au/

How long has it taken you to do this piece? Do you use powdered graphite, or graphite sticks or pencils?:

:sunnysmil

Thanks for the reply and the link to Australia (impressive!!)

This portrait is not finished yet (the hair especially).

I use graphite pencils.

Best regards,
Sergio

Tres Puissant!
 

Sergio,

Formidable!

This is a very monumental drawing, and as my pastels are quite large aussi, sometimes you can see areas to correct when the are reduced in a photo.

On the outside of his right eye and on his lip there is a patch of light that is a bit too light.
They throw off the dark side a bit. The light on our left of his eyeball is too light as well.

Other than that, merveilleuse!

Sincerely,

Formidable indeed! Sergio, this portrait is an amazing feat. It's hard to imagine how you made graphite, a medium traditionally assigned to work within an exponentially smaller format, make such a big statement. Actually, the very fact that graphite was the medium of choice contributes to the wow-factor of this piece.

The visage of your fireman is almost surreal. When I first looked at the piece, I thought, "this couldn't possibly be a real man"---so "otherworldly" is his face. So imagine my surprise when I read that he is actually colleague of yours! It does indeed appear that his is "a face made from rock", so I had a hard time seeing any of the other emotions or states of mind that you ascribe to him. But I don't think it's necessarily important to see any more than the very powerful image that he presents.

I do have one question, though: Is his right nasal wing really bigger than the one on his left?

Le nez
 

Sergio,

Valerie is right, the nostril to our right, the nasal passage needs to be darker and wider, next to the septum , I saw that earlier and forgot to mention that. However, both nasal "wings" seem to be even, it a problem with the nasal passage.

What I like is how you have designed your facial planes, they are artfully simplified, not photographic. I like the shape and design of the head as well. The ears are beautiful.

I am working on large format images and if you are interested I could explain a few ways you could achieve your large drawings more easily than sretching the paper.

Sincerely,

Of course I am interested Sharon,
so just go head with your explanation. Actually I used an acetone glue to "marouffler" my drawing on the canvas because the paper (vinci) was after several unsuccessful experiments to hard to glue with acryl glue. It contained water so the paper got "waves". So if anybody knows a 300g, smooth surfaced watercolor paper which is 2.10 large per 2.60at least I would be grateful for the information!

Thanks Valerie and Sharon,
for your reply, it might seems to you unbelievable but

I DID FINISH this PORTRAIT just now, a few days ago, the day when the war started!!!! more precisely after 3 years of work I've finally done that monster!

Concerning the nose problem here is a bigger and recent photo which might change your mind, I think it is a question of shadow, but really... is it so important?

One more detail.
I will make a Virtual Vernissage for that Portrait as soon as my "chat" or "forum" section on my site is working.

DiBond
 

Sergio,

Dibond is a lightweight composite of an aluminum surface with a polyester core. It is made by a Swiss company http://www.alusuisse-comp.com. It comes in 4'x8', 4'x10' and 5'x10' sheets of 2mm, 3mm, 4mm. The 4mm would be best for you. It is primarily used for outdoor signs, it is very durable.

You can have it monter sans colle ou monter sec at a place that does grande affiches de photographie. Check to see if the DiBond can take the heat.
You will have a lightweight smooth surface that will not warp (voiler).

As to the paper, there are two options of American paper, none are as superior as Arches. Lenox, 250gm. 80" x 20 yds. or Multimedia Aquarelle, 380gm. 80" x 20 yds. You can order samples from www.nycentralart.com.

You can also coat the Dibond with an acrylic gesso that is receptive to graphite, you have to sand it lightly first, the company will tell what grit to use. You can also have the sides bent back so you have some depth and it is easier to hang. Many US artists are using it, you can even get it with canvas on it.

LE NEZ! Meilleur but not perfect. You will have reproductions of this work, n'est pas, to show galleries etc., unless you plan to drag it around with you. It really is noticable in a reduction.

I just finished a large pastel, 6', photographed it. I noticed to mon horreur that the face was all wrong, so I wiped it off and started again. I agree that 3 months doesn't compare to 3 years mais les changes sont miniscule.

Sincerely,

Thanks for the fantastic information about Dibond. I think today's artists do not use all of the incredible new material that is available.

About the drawing: once I have the certitude it is finished, I cannot change it too much. By changing the nose I might change also something else and else and else. Also sometimes the picture must stay for a while so that later on we can come back to it with a new eye.

Hopefully I still have an unfinished picture to start with, a group of portrait of 8'/8'.

http://www.fireface.com/firemen/grou...ostroverhy.htm

Mon Dieu, many members are being unfairly excluded from parts of this exchange. Please use English on the Forum, other languages in personal emails if you wish.

Thank you.

Excusez-moi
 

Steven,

I did not think Sergio would quite understand drymounting. What I said was take the DiBond and the paper to a place that drymounts large photographic posters or panels and have it done.

Sincerely,

Congratulations on finishing this fantastic pencil Sergio.

Can you tell me two things; how did you size up your reference, did you project from a transparency? How many pencils did you go through? Silly question, but I was curious if you kept count! ;)

Hello Elizabeth,

I did a "grid" of 25 cm each, then the same grid on the photo. I spent around 3 years of work on this, but not continuously of course. Concerning the pencils, not so many -- around 20 or 30 Derwent 3H and some 3B pencil powder (100g).

Actually, here is the final version:

Best regards,

Sergio

So powerfull, so beautifull, Sergio.

Thank you, Sharon,

Hard to underline again and again, but unfortunately the photos of that picture give a completely false impression. It is REALLY monumental when you are in front of it. Maybe your ballet dancers give that monumental impression too.
That is why I feel obliged to show some other photos (as the progression). The first photo especially, with the flash, gives that mysterious feeling which the picture is supposed to have.

First sketch:

Second sketch:

Almost finished, except the background:

And the finished picture:

With the details: