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damphyr — Modern Love

Published: 2008-01-13 06:09:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 4537; Favourites: 46; Downloads: 0
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Phew. I'd forgotten what a fight Illustrator can be.

But... after a long week of re-discovered frustration, it's done! A portrait of a man who has been the object of my desire since I was three years old... David Bowie! I decided this had to be called "Modern Love," first because I adore the song by him, second because... despite how happy and bouncy the actual song is, the mood of this piece more reflects my own thoughts on love. Take that for what you will.

I tried hard to keep it mostly blue but adding in pink and reds to keep it interesting. Lots of purple sneaked in there, too. I really enjoyed doing the face, the sleeves were a pain in the butt. I really really like his lips, too. Took out the cig from the reference picture, not because of any political statement, but because I couldn't make it look right.

52 layers in Adobe Illustator, minor tweeks and cropping in Photoshop.
I hope to have a copy of this signed by Mr Bowie soon.

Edited the image a little to make it look a lil better composition wise, and to clean up some edges for print.

Reference picture: [link] Uber WIP: [link]
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Comments: 27

J-Mobius [2013-02-20 00:14:17 +0000 UTC]

awesome! (I play bass in a Bowie tribute band btw) he has a new CD out too! woot!

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SapphireEyes [2011-01-03 23:50:34 +0000 UTC]

This is a heart-meltingly pretty picture! 3 cheers for Pierrot!Bowie!

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girl-skeleton [2010-12-13 22:20:44 +0000 UTC]

OMG this is perfect!! You made the picture better than the original!! I like this alot!
I love the way you combined the blue tones with the pinks an purples on the sleeves.
This is really surprising, wonderful job!

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dauntdebriss [2010-08-02 23:35:05 +0000 UTC]

omggggg im so right there with you i FRICKEN LOVE BOWIE!!!!! i even share the same bday as him ^_^
3? was it the Labyrinth that got you? omg i TOOOOTALLLY FUKING LOVE THIS

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catemate [2009-08-08 08:07:43 +0000 UTC]

love it

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Garv101 [2008-06-04 01:44:23 +0000 UTC]

What a great likeness - I had no doubt this was Bowie at a glance.

Oddly enough, just this week I played my Changes CD for the first time in years. Until then it hadn't struck me what a major transformation he'd gone through from the Ziggy days to the pop star I remember ('85 to present). I'll always remember him in a business suite.

Good choice leaving the smoke out. Your WIP reinforces why Illustrator is so intimidating That is some intense work!

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CarrotxStuffing [2008-02-11 10:18:34 +0000 UTC]

*le GASP
He's beautiful! Such stunning colours! The emphasis you put on his bottom lip just makes me wanna-
Yeah, I won't finish that
He also kind of looks like he belongs in a cricus...but that's our Bowie
Wonderful work!

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Raventhird [2008-02-10 01:07:53 +0000 UTC]

Great one...

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AoAClub [2008-02-08 07:22:33 +0000 UTC]

Hello
Just because you are great, and we want to show our appreciation to our admin here on DA, this has been added in our section of art that admin have just submitted.
You can find it in this news article

Thank you for everthing you do in DA
Hope to see you at *AoAClub

`Tepara @*AoAClub

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Mad-Eyes [2008-01-22 23:13:45 +0000 UTC]

Very nice! I personally feel the same way about the song, actually.

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w1zzy [2008-01-19 12:23:06 +0000 UTC]

Welcome here. I just love this work, you've done here, so I've decided to feature it in my newest and also first news. You could go and check it out right here - [link] . And please check some other works I've submitted there - they're awesome!!! Keep your great work up!

greetings, Oscar Pilch [link]

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pinguino [2008-01-15 15:54:15 +0000 UTC]

WOW. this is like, the best thing ive ever seen you draw! awesome work

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FluffyScootabunny [2008-01-15 07:21:14 +0000 UTC]

This is incredibly lovely, damphyr! The soft colours and all that blue. It works beautifully together. A definite


Also I hope that gets signed by him for you as well

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welfareleech [2008-01-15 03:00:43 +0000 UTC]

What a nice piece yes, i like the shadowing. 52 layers too? Wow.

It reminds me of Marilyn Manson.

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damphyr In reply to welfareleech [2008-01-15 03:14:36 +0000 UTC]

Yaaay I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the similarities! I've always found Mr Bowie and Mr Manson to be very much alike... just one more extreme than the other. I think it really came through in this image.

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welfareleech In reply to damphyr [2008-01-15 05:12:54 +0000 UTC]

It sure did.

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rezbnik [2008-01-14 13:43:32 +0000 UTC]

nice...

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xailachan [2008-01-14 03:20:07 +0000 UTC]

He looks hotter without the cig and those lips look so kissable... I envy this beautimous piece of deliciousness.

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buffaluffalo [2008-01-14 00:40:11 +0000 UTC]

Excellent work! I love the color palette, just the right mix of blues and reds. The lips, oh the lips

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Raven207b [2008-01-13 16:35:13 +0000 UTC]

Gorgeous!!! It was definitely worth the hard work!

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fourteenthstar [2008-01-13 10:03:38 +0000 UTC]

gets me to the church on time

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jarod1872 [2008-01-13 08:55:34 +0000 UTC]

Great job. Man, I think you just pwned Illustrator. Seriously though, beautiful work, it's amazing to me how much time you must have spent on this.

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livedead [2008-01-13 07:23:22 +0000 UTC]

Nice work. Its funny, as soon as I saw your picture and read the name I immediately knew it was Bowie. Id say that it shows my age but hell, every generation can know of him and should even.
I really like your choice of colors.

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KelseyTroberg [2008-01-13 07:12:31 +0000 UTC]

Hot stuff. He's so shiny!!

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hokuto [2008-01-13 07:11:09 +0000 UTC]

MMMMMMMF that looks amazing. ;o; What gorgeous clean colors... GOOD LUCK GETTING IT SIGNED.

P. S. I can't click the clicky box to make a watermark on stuff. D: Um. HOW CAN I DO SO.

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damphyr In reply to hokuto [2008-01-13 07:26:56 +0000 UTC]

I thiiiink it has to do with making it 900 pixels or smaller. If you select that you get the option to clickie the watermark. I also think there either is or is going to soon not be the option to dA watermark fanarts... technical legal mumbo jumbo stuffs there.

Thanks muchly.

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hokuto In reply to damphyr [2008-01-13 08:27:59 +0000 UTC]

... that would explain it. XD *has ginormous non-shrunk arts*

But of course!

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