Doctor Sleep

This piece was originally a loose concept I had for Gallery1988’s ‘Location Scout’ show, but just didn’t have the time to fully flesh it out (which you can read about here). For the aforementioned image I depicted the hotel from the original 1980 film ‘The Shining’, with the intention of creating something that also included the sequel ‘Doctor Sleep’, from 2019. I also realized the more I fleshed out the layout, the less it was about the location, and more about me fulfilling a personal need to include everything I wanted from both films. I discarded the idea, but kept the concept on hand for use later. Thankfully, as I made my way through my invitationals for the year, I found a contender with Gallery1988’s ‘Close Your Eyes’.

 

First initial concept for a Doctor Sleep/Shining combo piece.

 

I started the process much like I normally do once I select a subject for my piece. This time however I had a clearer idea of what I already wanted to do with a strong layout already established in Procreate on my iPad Pro. The only thing I really needed to do was locate all the reference material I would need in order to accomplish the task. I began by watching the Mike Flanagan film, which is a direct sequel, to the original Stanley Kubrick film, and stars Ewan McGregor (Danny Torrance), Rebecca Ferguson (Rose the Hat), Kyliegh Curran (Abra Stone), Cliff Curtis (Billy), Zahn McClarnon (Crow Daddy), and Emily Alyn Lind (Snakebite Andi). Also special acknowledgements to both Alexandra Essoe, and Henry Thomas for filling in during those flashbacks. It couldn’t have been easy to embody someone else’s performance. The story itself catches viewers up to the events that leave us with an adult Danny Torrance (McGregor), who reluctantly assists a budding young psychic Abra Stone (Curran), after she draws the attention of the True Knot, led by charismatic Rose the Hat (Ferguson).

 

Final layout design.

 

The film is an audio/visual feast. The Newton Brothers did a marvelous job scoring the film, adding to the tension. I tried my best to capture this in the illustration by using a few tropes from the movie. ‘Steam’ as it is called, plays a heavy role in the story, so I quickly decided to use this as my main device for the narrative image. I knew I also wanted to depict the three major players (Danny, Abra, & Rose), while not overcrowding the layout with faces. The best way to mitigate this I decided was to depict both Danny and Abra, while using Rose’s iconic ‘Hat’, to signify her presence. This also helped ground the illustration.  

For my background I went with the blackboard wall from Danny’s residence, that played a key role between our protagonists. I also wanted to incorporate an element from the film (and subsequent adverts), in which we are presented with the infamous throwback ‘RedRuM’. In this case the literal plaster cracked from the wall. I wanted the word to be legible, but my plan was also to render it slightly obscured by the ‘steam’ I was using as a narrative device.

 

I then moved onto to developing the visages of both Abra, and Danny. It can be a challenge when attempting to capture an actor’s likeness or image from a film. I was very thankful that my reference material was decent enough that I was able to successfully replicate them, and without much struggle. Sometimes it’s a fight. This time I was able to quickly develop the faces, and then go back in later and clean them up.  

 

A collection of sketches ready for the color process.

 

I already knew from my initial design, The Overlook was to be placed central, between the two visages of our heroes. The placement was essential as it is pivotal to both stories, as well as a connecting element that bridges the films. I (reluctantly) utilized my previous illustration from the ‘Location Scout’ show of the hotel, and simply did some editing to make it look abandoned by adding boards onto the windows. I rationalized that reusing this image was the best route to finishing this piece on time, and because it was going to be so small in contrast to the original image, I pulled it from, it would be more implied.

The next step was to determine what to do with some of the negative space I had left. Luckily during my rewatch I gathered a couple of references that could work to fill in the gaps in the piece. Above the hotel, I added Abra’s window, which appears multiple times during the film, and plays a role in the narrative. I also added the skull-moon because it just felt appropriate, no real reason there, there was just space, and I felt like it. It does add some ambiance though I suppose, but I also wanted it to be rather subtle anyhow.

Below ‘The Overlook’, I used the forest as a transitional image that leads us to ‘The True Knot’. Now, originally I wanted to make a knot either out of roadways, or use the shape of the caravan to imply one. Either way, I couldn’t get it to work the way I wanted, and I was also having trouble envisioning how this would transition to the hotel from above. Instead, I opted for a simple approach by choosing to depict one of their RV’s. I found an image from the film that worked well, allowing me to creating the illusion of it emerging from the forest behind. I added the park bench as a reference point for those who recognize it from a rather poignant scene in the film. 

 

Final color adjusted (for legibility) color image.

 

With some time remaining, I decided to add back in, an idea I had but couldn’t figure out how to incorporate. In the film there is a cat (and I LOVE cats), named Azzie (after Azrael the Angel of Death), who would provide bedside solace to numerous patients. While he doesn’t play a huge role in the film, he is based off of an actual cat named Oscar (who passed in 2013, I know, very sad). I determined the best way I could get Azzie into my piece was to create some paw prints as if a cat had walked through the room. I’m not entirely sure it reads, but I wanted to work it in rather subtly anyways.

 

I then sent the piece out to SGX to print.

 

I started this piece on January 5^th, 2024 technically as it was the origin for my ‘Location Scout’ contribution, however I wouldn’t return to it until late August (around the 25^th), 2024. I would complete the piece on September 20^th, 2024 (although adjustments took me to the deadline September 27th, 2024), spending approximately one hundred and six (106) hours on this project. I’ve estimated that about twenty (20) hours were spent sketching all the image, with an additional five (5) hours modifying the original ‘Overlook’, and the remaining time spent digitally painting in Procreate. There was also some time spent editing in Adobe Photoshop adjusting the layout, or resizing images as necessary.

 

Final 11" X 14" image on White Pearl Linen.

 

The 11” x 14” image (printed on White Pearl Linen, thank you SGX), was made for Gallery1988’s ‘Close Your Eyes’, a group show celebrating spooky season with artworks based on your favorite flicks,

which opened October 11^th, 2024. At this time the prints are exclusively available via the gallery, so please check their website for all remaining works related to the show including mine.

 

For more information, or to see a catalog of my other work, please visit my online store here.

You can also find me on various social media platforms below doing a multitude of other artistic things that include hand lettering, and the occasional sculpting, crafting or painting.

 

Website: www.michaelstiles.com

Etsy: Stiles of Art

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LinkedIN: Michael Stiles

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(Get A) Clue!

Occasionally I get a very specific invite for a show that’s dedicated to a particular actor, director, movie, series, or even production company. I always enjoy these tributes, because the interpretation by each artist is so dramatically different. It’s truly like seeing a crime scene from multiple angles, which brings me to the focus of our entry today: 1985’s ‘Clue’.

While this movie was not a major box office success, it has earned a cult following that few other films can rival. Personally, my parents took me to see this movie, so I have some very fond memories of it, and I thought it was very funny if not a little odd in the most charming way possible.

The film for those unaware (not sure who that would be), is based on the Parker Brothers version of ‘Clue’, a version of ‘Cluedo’, invented by Anthony E. Pratt. The games rights have exchanged hands many, many times, (it’s been around for 75 years), and is currently held by Hasbro (I believe).

The game is a basic who dunnit, in which players attempt to solve the murder of the ‘victim’. The potential suspect list includes all six playable characters, who assume the role of detective in scouring the mansion for ‘clues’ as to the identity of the assailant.

The film (directed by Jonathan Lynn), follows a similar precedent, and primarily stars: Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp, and Lee Ving.

 

Rough layout and placement as done in Adobe Illustrator.

 

Initially I had no idea what or how I was going to depict this movie.

My first step was to watch the film, as it had been ages since I’d seen it.

Afterwards I contemplated what I could do as I was still a bit lost, and eventually thought about making the piece more interactive, like perhaps revisiting the BINGO card concept. I really didn’t want to reuse the same idea for another project, so I did some research on simple games.

It was then I came across an idea for creating a paper fortuneteller.

I used to make these as a child, and then write all sorts of random weird fortunes on the inside to make it fun.

I took the concept and quickly made a prototype out of paper.

Much to my surprise all the ‘information’ for these devices exists on the same side of the paper.

It blew my mind, as I was concerned I might have to do some double sided printing which was not worth the effort in my opinion. The main reason was it would take too long trouble shooting how to line the image up properly, and time was not something I had in abundance, but thankfully it was not a concern. 

 

Flattened final image.

 

I spent the days after designing the ‘fortuneteller’ in Adobe Illustrator. Initially I was tracking the time I spent working on it, but it was a lot harder to track than when I work on my iPad which records the data for me.

Once I had a good idea of how to lay out the format, the project took shape quickly.

I primarily used the fonts Neue Kabel and Gallia for the typography.

The border design was inspired by the film, as was the mansion.

I outlined the mansion in Adobe Illustrator, then moved it into Procreate where I detailed the image on my iPad.

I then returned to my desktop, and in Adobe Photoshop I added the mansion onto the header, in addition to adding the description on the backside.  

 

Prototype of fortuneteller with header in the background.

 

I originally debated adding a header for this piece but decided that asking a potential customer to cut and fold all of this was unreasonable. That meant I was going to need to package it as already ‘made’, so I would need the header for the sake of presentation. 

 

I then sent the piece off to the printers for a proof. The first proof unfortunately was printed on 100lb Cover, and proved to be too difficult to fabricate the fortuneteller out of. The second proof was printed on 80lb Cover, and it was also very rigid but workable. Unfortunately, I had no more time to troubleshoot so I took some photos of the best prototype I had and sent it off to the gallery. While the paper isn’t ideal, it would work, and depending on sales, it may not even be an issue.

 

I started the image on July 21^{st ,}  2024, and finished it July 30^th, 2024. I spent approximately seven (7) hours, and seven (7) minutes working on the piece in Procreate, with an additional eight (8) hours, and fifty-one (51) minutes in Adobe Illustrator. I also spent some time editing the layout in Adobe Photoshop, but exactly how much I am unsure of. In total, the image took about sixteen (16) hours to complete.

 

The final product bagged with header.

 

The fortuneteller is approximately 8.5” x 8.5” (completely flattened), and is printed on 80lb Cover (thank you SGX). The piece was made for Galler1988’s ‘Clue’, a group show dedicated to the beloved film ‘Clue’ from 1985. The show opened August 30^th, 2024. At this time the fortunetellers are exclusively available via the gallery, so please check their website for all remaining works related to the show including mine*.

 

For more information, or to see a catalog of my other work, please visit my online store here.

You can also find me on various social media platforms below doing a multitude of other artistic things that include hand lettering, and the occasional sculpting, crafting or painting.

 

*UPDATE: 9/16//24

It turns out the piece was more of a success than I anticipated, and it sold out!

 

Website: www.michaelstiles.com

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Neverland

This show was added after the normal invitationals, and I was glad I could fit it into my schedule. The gallery’s theme for this exhibit was ‘The Masters’, and was to focus on the following four iconic film directors: (Francis Ford) Coppola, (Martin) Scorsese, (Steven) Spielberg, and (Quentin) Tarantino. I’ve seen a lot of the films these directors have created, but pinpointing a film to focus on was going to be a challenge.

 

I started by breaking down which films I had seen, liked, or were available to watch/rewatch on some kind of streaming platform I already owned. I own some of the films which helps makes the process a little faster. Regardless, I watched several films from these directors, and more so over the course of this last year prior to the show’s announcement. I eliminated Scorsese, and Coppola quickly as their films were not readily available for viewing (also, Scorsese’s films are LONG, and not always my jam). I grew up watching Spielberg, and Tarantino films, so I began to reflect on what was available, revisiting those selections, and seeing what resonated with me.

 

Initial sketch of Neverland.

 

It was while watching Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ that inspiration struck. The film is follow-up of sorts to the story of ‘Peter Pan’, and explores what happened to ‘Peter’, ‘Wendy’, and the rest of the ‘Lost Boys’. As with any Spielberg film, it showcases a roster of extreme talent, featuring: Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Charlie Korsmo, and Amber Scott.

Having already done a related piece, I was reluctant to approach the subject matter again, however, I felt that I could take the piece further capitalizing on the former. I took a similar approach, but this time I decided I was going to develop the image of ‘Neverland’, as we see it in the film.

 

This was a bit challenging, and required multiple reviewing’s, alongside research on the internet, and a lot of guessing. The images in the film are primarily matte paintings, and while beautifully done, they do little to give a concrete idea of the realm’s structure. Most of the scenes depicting the environment are brief, and it’s almost impossible to pin down direction, lighting, or time of day in most of them.

 

Sketches of Neverland, and London, ready for inking, and color.

 

I knew that stylistically; I was going to be working graphically given the silhouettes I had planned for the London skyline that would serve as my illustration’s base. I wanted to stay within the same realm visually, so I opted to use color as my transitional element. My palette was also predetermined, as in the film we are given a shot of ‘Neverland’ and its spectacular colors as we, the viewers, are brought into it. It’s also from this shot that I drew my inspiration from. In the scene, as we ‘enter’ Neverland, we draw ever closer to the ‘second star on the right’, and it begins to expand or almost explode into a cosmic light show that fades with us entering this new fantastical realm.

 

With my ideas and reference shots gathered, I began sketching my initial concept out on my iPad Pro, in Procreate. In some cases, the sketches began a little more detailed than necessary, but sometimes, in order for to eliminate guess work later, I will ‘map-out’, an objects form more accurately.

It’s a gamble sometimes.

Upon completing the sketching process, which lasted roughly thirteen (13) hours and thirty seven (37) minutes, I began to apply some color to the background.

As stated previously I had my color palette in mind, so I simply went to town painting some clouds, and using a few texture brushes to create the cosmos. The two stars were also created using a texture brush to set the apart from the ones I added manually to the background with the Round Brush.

 

Once I had the background laid in, I moved onto filling in the details, and form of both the London cityscape, and Neverland. I would end up spending an additional forty-three (43) hours and two (2) minutes painting the landscape of Neverland, and London.
Once down, I brought the image into Adobe Photoshop, and started to adjust the layout/contrast a bit to make sure it was legible. I took some parts of the background and added a bit of a blur to smooth out any hard edges the filter brushes would have made during use. The editing process took me a bit longer than anticipated, at  five (5) hours and twenty-six (26) minutes. I was however more than happy to send it off to proof so I could move onto a new image if nothing else, lol.

 

Final unedited image before adding Peter, Jack, Maggie, and cropping both Neverland & London.

 

Unfortunately, the initial proof was pretty lackluster…if anything it was just a really boring image.

The colors were fantastic, but it was missing something.

I then went back into Photoshop, and tinkered with the scale, and cropping of the landscapes. While I really wanted to depict the entirety of Neverland, we as the viewer never entirely explore the world, and therefore, what lives there is ultimately, irrelevant when paying homage to the film. Basically, anything we didn’t see in the film was not necessary to depict. The results I think created a much more interesting scene. I also had to correct a few problems regarding legibility as some of the elements were hard to read. The only problem I realized is, it lacked any elements of implied movement as it was very static given the subject matter, and I determined that I could add a few of the characters flying around the perimeter of the images as a fix. I selected Peter, Jack, and Maggie, to portray, as they are the only ‘travelers’ to Neverland we see flying in most of the film.

With this added element, the piece finally seemed to come alive. I then sent it off for one more proofing to make sure it all read well.

 

Final edited image to include characters, and a closer look at Neverland.

 

Thankfully the second proof came back looking fantastic. The first proof I used 100lb Cover, and on this second proof I decided to try the White Pearl Linen, which proved to be the better option. It really gave the colors a boost in vibrancy which was really what I wanted. I am also a bit conflicted on the choice, as I had a really great idea very late in the game (for ‘Kill Bill’), and had my docket not already been so full, I would have been more than happy to develop the other piece as well for the gallery. Alas, it will live in the orphanage for now.

 

I started the image on March 27^th, 2024, and finished it on April 21^st, 2024, spending approximately sixty-two (62) hours, and thirty-five (35) minutes developing the image from start to finish.

Final 14" X 11" image on White Pearl Linen.

The 14” x 11” image (printed on white pearl linen thank you SGX), was made for Gallery1988’s ‘The Masters’, a group show dedicated to a quartet of prolific film directors, which opened June 7^th, 2024. At this time the prints are exclusively available via the gallery, so please check their website for all remaining works related to the show including mine.

 

For more information, or to see a catalog of my other work, please visit my online store here.

You can also find me on various social media platforms below doing a multitude of other artistic things that include hand lettering, and the occasional sculpting, crafting or painting.

 

Website: www.michaelstiles.com

Etsy: Stiles of Art

Threadless: mistiles

LinkedIN: Michael Stiles

IG:  stiles1978

TikTok: stiles1978

Pinterest: Michael Stiles

Tumblr:  stiles1978

Twitter: stiles_of_art

 

 

Vertigo (1958)

I usually get most of my invitationals to participate in shows at one time, but occasionally a gallery will reach out to me with a request, and this was one of those occasions. Much to my surprise Gallery1988 reached out to me regarding my ‘Psycho’ print I did for their ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ show. Apparently, the print sold so well the gallery was commissioning me to design another image based off of the infamous director Alfred Hitchcock’s line of work.

I was shocked, flattered, etc., and immediately accepted the offer. I did however ask what films of his they had in mind, as I was only familiar with a handful of the more popular ones. Even then, I’ve only seen two, maybe three of his films in their entirety, and the others I simply recognize by name. The Gallery responded and sent me a list, of which I picked the one I was intrigued by, and knew the least about: ‘Vertigo’.

 

Final layout design featuring Kim Novak as 'Madeleine Elster' in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' (1958).

 

The film, for those who want a brief spoiler free synopsis, is essentially this: A retired cop suffering from vertigo after a traumatizing incident, is hired by an old friend to follow his heiress wife who is exhibiting strange behavior.

 

I started my process much in the way I always do, by watching the film, although this time, I had to end up buying a collection of Hitchcock’s films, because my rental expired before I had time to finish watching it, and it seemed like a good investment at this point.

SIDEBAR: When I started watching this on Amazon Prime it was in its original format of black and white. When I received my copy, it was colorized. I was NOT happy. I get why this was done, but its appeal is lost on me, and the fact the collection doesn’t have an option to switch OFF the color to its original glory is mystifying.

When I finally finished watching the film, I began to sketch my layout, and think about how I was going to showcase this piece. I did some research again on art movements, like when I created my ‘Psycho’ piece based on the Composition works of Piet Mondrian. This time however I was at a loss to find a similar style that would work with this piece, and not copy my original idea (which I could have done as well). 

 

Reference photo found on internet when search for Optical Art, which offered some inspiration.

I found some interesting art movements, but there were no ‘key’ pieces of work I could find that would make a good template like the ‘Psycho’ piece. Instead, I took inspiration from both the films premise of confusion/disorientation, and that of the movement of OP (Optical Illusion) Art. The more I worked on the piece however the more I discarded the OP Art influence in favor of something with a bit more organic imagery. I like my pieces to be narrative or at least tell the main parts of the story. Much of OP Art is very mechanical making it difficult to incorporate. I did however find one reference photo of a model wearing clothing that blended into the somewhat psychedelic background. I did use this as inspiration when I designed the main portrait of ‘Madeleine Elster’ as played by the multifaceted Kim Novak. 

 

Digital pencil render of the Mission San Juan Bautista as depicted in the film.

 

Naturally I went back to the film, gathered my reference imagery, and set about sketching each image in the same way I did with the ‘Psycho’ piece. I knew I wanted to include: ‘Madeleine’ (as my main focus), Carlotta’s Necklace, The Sequoias, The Golden Gate Bridge, the McKittrick Hotel, The Mission San Juan Bautista, the Palace of the Legion of Honor, and some reference to all the driving that took place in this film (there’s A LOT).

 

Digital pencil render of the 'McKittrick Hotel' from the film.

I then began sketching all the images I needed in Procreate on my iPad Pro, this time at a much larger scale, and then took each one individually into Adobe Photoshop, and rearranged them until I was satisfied with the layout. I then transferred the file back to my iPad and finished painting the image in Procreate. I decided early on that I wanted this piece to remain in a gray scale. I’m not sure why, I just felt like it was the best way to properly represent the image as classically as possible. I wanted it to look like a portrait but also have much more hidden within to look and see. I also figured a bit of (limited) color to the piece who be a nice accent, so added a bit of red to the gems on ‘Carlotta’s’ necklace ‘Madeleine’ is wearing. The necklace I felt was a key element in the film that transcends all parts of the story, and nicely ties the film together despite the confusion.

 

San Francisco's own Golden Gate Bridge as it spans over Fort Point.

Upon completing the painting process I took the image back in Photoshop to make some minor edits or adjustments to anything that wasn’t reading well. I then got the image ready for proofing, which thankfully only took one pass, as the image was legible.

 

The Palace of the Legion of Honor, Seqouias, and Carlotta Valdez's necklace.

I started the piece on August 15^th, 2023 and finished it on October 5^th, 2023. The initial sketching process took me approximately sixty (60) hours, and twenty-two (22) minutes with the painting process taking me an additional seventy-five (75) hours, and five (5) minutes, for a grand total of one hundred and thirty-six hours (136), and fifty-seven (57) minutes (this includes the one and half hours [1:30] spent in Photoshop). 

 

Final 11" x 17" image.

The 11” x 17” image (printed on 100lb Cover, thank you SGX), was made by request for Gallery1988, and was given a special release on October X, 2023. At this time the prints are exclusively available via the gallery, so please check their website for any remaining inventory.

 

For more information, or to see a catalog of my other work, please visit my online store here.

You can also find me on various social media platforms below doing a multitude of other artistic things that include hand lettering, and the occasional sculpting, crafting or painting.

 

Website: www.michaelstiles.com

Etsy: Stiles of Art

Threadless: mistiles

LinkedIN: Michael Stiles

IG:  stiles1978

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Tumblr:  stiles1978

Twitter: stiles_of_art