Rhasdra is Playing with Color and Light
Color and Chaotic Energy Collide
Last week, I described my mental architecture as resembling something akin to a what might happen if a unicorn chewed up a craft store and then spat it onto a carnival that had just been hit by a glitter tornado. That’s probably not exactly what I said, but there’s no need to go and check to make sure.
For a long time, I avoided labeling this as exactly what it is: chaotic. “Chaos” as a concept had an unfavorable connotation in media I consumed, so I didn’t want to believe that I might be more naturally inclined to that. For those who have never given it a lot of thought or perhaps have the same perception, picture the following: an unexpectedly delightful explosion of flavor in a new food; the comfort that can be found in a thunderstorm, while threads of lightning pulse across the sky; the delight in surprising a close friend with something they love, unprompted but still appreciated. All of these things have an element of chaos to them. The unexpected, the colorful, the surprising, the emotional: There’s beauty in this chaos.
Which brings me to this weeks Featured Artist: Rhasdra. Rhasdra is an artist located in São Paulo, Brazil, who is creating some beautiful art, much of which really resonates with the concept of chaos I described above. There are so many fun design choices woven into their artworks, from bizarre bulbous fish, to Pokémon redesigns that activate my cute aggression real bad.
I really like a lot of Rhasdra’s larger ensemble pieces, as well. The way that the characters and creatures are placed is very satisfying, and Rhasdra uses color and light to place emphasis while allowing the fore and background components to harmonize with one another. I particularly enjoy how imposing the larger figures (Garchomp and Scolipede, respectively) in the images below look, thanks to the perspective utilized. I also like the way that the color choices in the right image harmonize to allow the Pokemon surrounding the trainer to synergize with the background elements and create such a cohesive composition.
Rhasdra also does a great job showing character through color and light, as well as facial expressions. Stylized faces present their own challenges as far as communicating emotion accurately. How an artist captures the subtleties of facial movement with lines or shapes that don’t necessarily mimic reality 1:1 can make or break the believability of a character design. Rhasdra does good work creating strong compositions within each piece that still manage to communicate a lot of relevant information about the characters that are featured.
I think I might still be in the doldrums a little bit this week. I’ve been experimenting with papier-mâché alternatives, so at least I’m doing some kind of art. Sometimes working on something with my hands that I can see and feel right in front of me is very grounding. For the curious, I’m trying to make a giant jawbone out of cardboard. It’s going pretty well, actually.
Check out Rhasdra’s Artstation here!
