Redux: Forced Emotion
This is one of the most conceptual of my conceptual artworks. I’m not sure if I started out with a clear idea in mind or it just sort of happened one piece at a time as I brainstormed while in Poser rather than on paper. I first created this idea/concept in 2011 but then created a better redux in 2012 that I liked for quite some time. Then, in 2019, I decided to revisit this concept and try to create a brand new and improved redux.
A cropped version of this artwork was used in the creation of a book cover for the book The Incurables by Mark Brazaitis which is available as a paperback, audio book, and there’s now a Kindle edition.
Read on to see exactly how this artwork has evolved over the years as I tried to perfect it. To see the most recent and/or final redux of this artwork, see here: Forced Emotion
Here is what I wrote about the original “Forced Emotion” back on July 08, 2011:
A lot of symbolism in this one. She’s holding the famous tragedy and comedy theater masks and is looking towards the tragic one, meaning she’s leaning towards depression. There’s a wind-up key connected to her heart, something has to keep her going. There are marionette strings controlling her, she has no control over her own emotions or actions.
I haven’t made something this conceptual in a while. I guess it’s just the depressed mood I’m in at the moment taking over my art. Still, it does look cool so I guess that’s a good thing.
Below you can see my first try at this concept and the first redux from 2012. I basically reopened the scene from 2011 and just edited it here and there to create the first redux. I changed her hair model, updated a few materials, and altered the positioning of her hands/fingers. I also added joint morph corrections and did a slightly better job at postworking the artwork. For the most par though, they are very similar.
I liked the 2012 for quite a while and wasn’t sure if/how I could improve it. I finally got some ideas on how to improve it in 2019. Given that it’s one of my favorite and most personal artwork concepts, I of course had to try again to perfect my idea and make it real.
Below you can see a comparison of the 2012 redux and the final redux from 2019. Although I found and used the 2012 scene file as my base, I changed it significantly compared to my previous redux. I updated all of the materials and changed the main character to my more recent Nicola 3. I changed the hair model again and added some more details including the hat and some more jewelry. I again altered the positioning of her hands/fingers but this time I also altered her head position and expression. I changed the artwork’s canvas ratio to square, created a brand new light setup, and postworked it in a very different way than ever before.
As the time continues to pass, she shifts from one extreme to the other and is forever controlled by her forced emotions.
Every once in a while, I impress myself and this artwork has impressed me. I’m still a little in shock that I’m the one that created it. LOL I believe this redux will stand for years to come as I do not see (at the moment) how I could possibly improve it.
To see the artwork page for “Forced Emotion”, click here. You can also inquire about Prints of my final redux.
