"Lies in Black" (2003), acrylics on illustration board, 70 x 70 cm / 27,3 x 27,3 in.

Originally I did this piece as a commissioned work for the US metalband RESISTANCE, but I always wanted to work out some similar idea for myself. The concept was to create somehow a new version of the legendary BLACK SABBATH cover artwork "Heaven and Hell", with the dope-smoking and card-playing angels, but a little different and in my realistic style of painting. There should be 4 angels. 3 of the angels should be identical (as far as possible), one should be "possessed by evil".
As always, I did reference photo shots, here I used a friend of mine, Angela! Perfect also from her name I put her into an old nightgown from my grandma…
During the photo session I also told her to look evil into the camera, but when I later looked at those photos they appeared ridiculous and not very frightening. But then I stumbled over 1 photo where she was laughing because of a joke I had made to break the monotony.
I knew that photo was perfect, later I just exaggerated her eye-brows in the painting and made her white glowing evil eyes. It turned out exactly as I had in mind somehow…

I am often asked if that illustration was done on computer. Again I can only say, NO! Everything here is handmade work!, painted in acrylic inks (Schmincke "Aero Color").
As mostly I worked out the background at first, starting from the distance and working towards the foreground. The angels and tree-trunk were masked with "X-film" masking film. It took 2 days to achieve the exact blending of the colours for the mood that I wanted.
Then the dead fallen tree was done, in less than one hour (which amazed myself). Black, grey and umbra tones which I sprayed with airbrush, and then the structures of the bark were removed partly with an eraser and eraser-pencil, other structures were done with black pencil. The small branches were done with a few quick brush strokes.
Working out the faces and the dresses took approx. 1 week. I must admit that I also used tracing paper when I had completed the first angel (second from left), copied it approx. 2% smaller and used it to fix the lines of the next angel with a soft "Polychromos" coloured pencil, to get them all as identical as possible. The soft shades were done with airbrush (AZTEK, fine nozzle), the rest was painted with a very fine Nr. 10 sable brush and with "Polychromos" coloured pencils in different blues and greys.
Finally I did the mist/fog on the ground, that gives this painting it's mystical atmosphere and places the whole scene somewhere in nowhere.

The image was featured in "SPECTRUM 11, The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art".