Ken Sarafin Analysis

Ken Sarafin [www.sarafinconcepts.com] graduated from the Art Institute of Colorado and now works as a free lance artist. In the book "Biotech Art : Surrealism, Cyborgs and Alien Universes" by Martin De Diego Sadaba, Ken Sarafin describes his workflow as 

"I'll make a few quick sketches on a Wacom Intros tablet to get the idea across. Then i'll work it up on a black canvas, painting lighter values as i progress into the painting. I also use colour adjustments and texture overlays to make the pieces look less computerised"

Some of his influences include dreams, sci-fi, video games and music.

His work is interesting to me because of the subject material and the striking visual style, which i will try to analyse and use to influence my own work.

"Love" Available from http://sarafinconcepts.deviantart.com/art/Love-285004709

This piece is a digital painting featuring what resembles two bodies hugging and merging over a distorted and unclear landscape, lit by what looks like a purple blaze on the horizon. The work is primarily monochromatic, being build of layers of pink and purple values. The lower of the two bodies is facing the camera, and you can clearly see that it is intended to be human, or atlas humanoid from the facial construction and sad expression. The second form, the one facing away from the viewer, is more irregular, but remains grounded as a human form thanks to the emaciated arm hanging in the lower centre of the image. Above the lower head there is also the general shape of another head, facing the other direction.

The background is an important part of the image, being what looks like a wasteland it cements the foreground as the focal point of the image, whilst also providing a bleak and hopeless feeling. The emotions of the subject and ontrasted by the bright pinks and reds, traditionally associated more with love and happiness, to me the colours used could be what gave the painting the name "Love"

This would be a very interesting form to try and recreate in 3D , and i think that if i were to do that, aside from the hanging arm, the bodies of the two figures could be made from one subtotal in ZBrush

"THdr" - Available from http://sarafinconcepts.deviantart.com/art/TDhr-350206802

This digital painting is of a human torso, surrounded by a weaving architecture of bone like ridges and skulls with their mouths open. The centre form is humanoid by anatomy, but stops at the waist, revealing a healthy and normal looking baby to be sat where the womb would be. Outside of the womb there are other emaciated babies, cradled in her arms and seen crawling in the background, merging into the walls.  Like a lot of his work, it is also largely monochromatic, being composed of only shades of red and orange.

The ribbed walls and strange ridges over the creatures and characters are reminiscent of H.R. Giger , and a lot of people in the book i got seem to reference him and Zdislaw Beksinski as major influences, and yet they are all quite different, giving me hope that my work won't necessarily be as cliche and over done as i was worried about.