Turning a Failed Drawing Into a Christian Art Masterpiece | Spirit On Fire
Drawing Title: Spirit on Fire
2023 | 9x12 | Charcoal on Paper
Experimental Charcoal Drawing
When I first began this project, I hoped to do a simple practice drawing. To simply get some practice drawing wings for an upcoming project and draw a dove. However, this did not go according to plan. It began as any of my pieces do, brainstorming ideas, finding reference images to draw from, and studying the subjects to see how all the pieces fit together. One such study involved learning bird anatomy to most accurately draw all the pieces of a bird’s wing.
I find experimenting with studies like these very enlightening when I try to draw something. I find that learning why something works the way it does can help me use those very same building blocks in other artworks. As Viktor Frankl says, “Those who have a 'why'... can bear with almost any 'how'.(Man’s Search For Meaning)”
I Knew I Had More to Give
Every once in a while, you have one of those projects that you know could be better, should be better, and it drives you wild trying to figure out what is missing. For me, this charcoal drawing was one such piece. Once I had finished drawing the dove, I knew it wasn’t finished, at least not the drawing I initially sought to create This was no ordinary grid transfer like I make in my Porsche 911 drawing, so I was on my own for ideas.
I sat and pondered what more I could add, and then I got the idea to add a halo. Then, once it was drawn, I saw too many possibilities to stop at that. Though I had finished with the drawing, the drawing was not finished with me. I saw too many more possibilities, for Christian art symbolism, for playing with the negative spaces, or even for experimenting with such an expressive medium like charcoal.
Pushing My Artistic Comfort Zone
So I began to push myself, testing not only my technical art skills but also my ability to add symbolism to my pieces (which I will detail later). Drawing a halo atop the dove's head was the first part of this. From there, I brainstormed what I could add since it still felt empty. To fill this space, I chose to draw flames, which I had never really done before.
Around this time I was experimenting with what charcoal could do. In my drawing, “Tears of Smoke,” I began to push my art with small touches and flourishes. In this, I drew smoke pouring out of the eye of a sad woman. In my “Gaze of the Abyss” drawing, I took this one step further and drew more of these smoke-type forms bellowing out of both black eyes. So Naturally, in this charcoal drawing, I wanted to draw the thing that precedes smoke, and fire.
Gaze of the Abyss
Another experimental charcoal drawing that gave me many ideas for this piece.
In drawing flames, I realized that it was very similar to drawing smoke. Since my paper was already black with charcoal, I could use my eraser to carve out the shapes that would appear to be glowing. In effect, it was the exact opposite of drawing smoke. Once I had realized this, I was able to add those new flames to the dove drawing. I chose to almost mirror the wings and tail with this inferno.
Christian Art Symbolism
Now for my favorite part. It is not hard to see that there is a fair amount of Christian symbolism in this piece. First of all, the Dove has been a stand in symbol of the Holy Spirit since the very beginning. Take Luke 3:22 for example:
“And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased”
The Holy Spirit was linked with the form of a dove across all kinds of translations (BibleHub) In fact, there are numerous Holy Spirit Dove parallels drawn throughout scripture. According to an article by The Blue Letter Bible, the most prominent ones are as follows:
The Dove Symbolizes Peace and Rest
The Dove Represents Love
The Dove Represents Purity and Perfection
The Dove Represents Humility
The Dove Is Harmless
The Dove Moans When There Is Trouble
The Dove Understands the Change of the Seasons
The Dove Is a Clean Bird
But the dove is not the only symbol of the Holy Spirit I tried to add to my drawing. Fire is another example of Christan Symbolism that is often associated with the Holy Spirit. For example, an article by The Witness describes it as such,
“When we think of fire, we often associate it with warmth and illumination. Similarly, the Holy Spirit brings a comforting and guiding presence into our lives. Just as fire provides warmth in the cold, the Holy Spirit offers us a spiritual warmth that brings comfort and reassurance”
Also in the Bible in chapters like Matthew 3:11:
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
As a result, I tried to add that very same welcoming feel to my drawing. Drawing flames that leap off the Holy Spirit’s dove wings and blending the symbolism of the clean and pure bird with the welcoming and passionate fire. And of course, no Christian drawing would be complete without a halo that I placed upon the Dove’s head.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this drawing was a challenge for me, but it is a great reminder to me that I can do more than I think I can. That when I push myself above and beyond my original vision, I can make something truly special that resonates. It serves as a powerful reminder that I can honor God with my art and my abilities and should strive to please him in all I do.
Thank you for taking the time to read my reflection on this piece of art I made. I truly appreciate it if you made it this far. If you felt moved by this drawing and wanted to support me and my journey, you can purchase an art print or the original drawing here. Thank you again. It means the world.