Eva-01 Watercolor

Evangelion Unit-01, the gorgeous purple devil itself.

I suppose this entry is especially for the hardcore Evangelion fans and to record an entry of my endeavor for posterity. But anyone who enjoys the collectability of all things Evangelion this is at least one of a kind, like it or not. This is the final in a planned trilogy of paintings.

This is my third effort and venture into the world of watercolor painting. It is finally completed. I began the effort around Christmas 2011 and finished at the very end of January/ early February. Two weeks for framing and here we are. My apologies for the lack of images to capture the process. Somewhere along the way I lost sight of doing that and before I knew it I had finished painting and forgotten to use the camera.

I had planned a sort of Neon Genesis Evangelion watercolor trilogy for the living room, but The One To Be Pitied forbids me to put them on the wall. I'm waiting things out a bit. I'm hoping in time an opportunity will present itself. Though, it's not looking too good. Perhaps a yard sale is in their future? That would be unfortunate. Scrapped robots, how fitting. Any buyers out there?

As you know, my first effort was Evangelion Unit-02 or Eva-02. My second effort was Evangelion Unit-00 or Eva-00. As a fan of the series, I was reasonably satisfied as a novice. They were both sketched and painted on 12 x 18 watercolor paper and brought to their respective completions.

For the third and final outing I chose to make Eva-01 in the hopes it would be the center piece on the wall between the other two paintings. So I decided to go bigger on this one. I sketched and painted on 18 x 24 watercolor paper. So, like the Eva-01 itself, this was intended to be the monster with a fairly massive depiction in size.

I do think I'm learning and growing in the process even if just a little. Obviously I have no official training. I am essentially going into the dark night on this one. My kids love the pop art. In fact, the Boy Wonder was all about painting it orange and blue for a completely original representation. Mostly, I'm relatively pleased with the end result of this particular painting complete with the colors, borders and framing chosen. The fellow at Michael's, a guitar man, was digging it. He seemed sincere.

The One To Be Pitied, who has had some painting experience and training, essentially looked at me gobsmacked, speechless and refused to pay the painting deference of any kind. She's brutal. Ultimately she's the one that needs to give it a stamp of approval to make it on that wall and thus far that's not happening. I may have to go with a picturesque cabin in the woods in snow for the next one. My Eva-01 might as well be a naked leg lamp with fishnet, but even Darren McGavin got to put it on display for all the world to see. Of course, that "major award" never went over well. And The One To Be Pitied pretty much has a go at it like McGavin's wife in A Christmas Story. But, I do it for me, much like writing, and enjoy the process of creating a painting. The One To Pitied might ask: "Is that what you call it?" But, damn, I am still seeking a place that welcomes biomechanoid art in full color.

As far as the painting goes, I utilized an image from Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Series. Can you guess which episode? As you can see from the image included in the post, I took artistic license with some of the details, which don't show up on the selected animated cel I used for a guide. I chose to add the red highlights around the eyes often associated with this particular Evangelion. I also chose to detail the hands with the requisite bolts you can sometimes see in the series for the close-ups. The eyes were also lit up to give it the added sense of menace and terror often associated with the beast.

All in all, I'm generally pleased with the outcome and thought I would share the latest effort here with y'all. The complexity and depth of color and shade is always fascinating to me. Sometimes what you aim to achieve comes out on the paper like a happy accident. Though you can certainly achieve your desired vision by manipulating the paint until you get where you want to be. I suppose how I'm approaching the painting isn't necessarily best suited for watercolor. Regardless, painting always looks deeper and far more textured than an animated cel and I always appreciate that aspect of the art form. Look, if it doesn't make that wall and no one sees it at all, it's like it never got painted, so I share it with you. According to The One To Be Pitied, his paints are in the basement, all's right with the world [again]. That's alright, my AT Field is still intact friends. Now where is that still image of the boat in the harbor with the seagulls.