26-ItsMiley3
©2010 Craig Ashby
Mixed media on masonite.
10″ x 7″

In the third and final version of Miley Cyrus, I am using a top layer of composited photos. I also think I may have done a red layer in addition, to add some clarity to the image.

The rainbow color of shapes in the upper part of Miley’s face happens to be a building in the Meat Packing District. You might also notice the bee on her chin in bright orange. This is a paper graffiti artist from the same neighborhood who always does these cute bees.

Funny that at that time I would have been really drawn to that area. I guess it’s an easy walk from the Chelsea galleries.

I love the lines that radiate from her throat and even show on the dark side of Miley’s face. But I find the red oppressive in this piece. Sometimes adding additional layers works and other times, not so much.

If I were to do them now, I probably would stay away from corrective layers altogether. There are so many possibilities. I could just put ten/twenty of the same layer on and see what it does. I could separate the colors and layer them with other elements. I could break them down into four-color process and see what weirdness the human hand could cause to happen.

There is still a huge room for experimentation in this idea. And these have helped write a rulebook on what not to do.