Mellencamp portrait for Rolling Stone
AUGUST 13, 2010
Acrylic & oil on paper | 8" x 13.5"
I wanted to capture the working class tough guy presence Mellencamp evokes—as well as that wild hairstyle!—while contrasting it with the Southern spirituality in this album. I did a quick sketch for Steve incorporating the First African Baptist Church in the background, which I felt best conveyed both the unique locations for the recordings and the bad guy/good guy vibe Mellencamp strikes. Working in the strong vertical format was fun, too—it lent itself nicely to the elements in the composition.
detail
Topical: Music
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