Philip Byers - Artist & Illustratorさんのイラストまとめ

...of my present circumstances is strongest. In this piece, that path is signified by the stained-glass world within the tower. Stained glass has always read as both portal and barrier to me, its lead seams a lattice barring access to a world beyond.

I created Darkspire just as the coronavirus pandemic was breaking over the United States. I had recently been laid off from my day job and was feeling pretty discouraged. Most of my darker pieces have been produced at times of emotional distress, when my longing for a path out...

What metaphors do you use to conceptualize the world? Are there any you find yourself drawn to in media such as art, film, writing, etc.? I find I am drawn to metaphors that express longing and the unattainable. One such is that of a winding path leading to a nexus of choices...

Painting a crystal today! It's a subject I've never depicted before and one that had me frustrated for awhile. As I'm first figuring out how to paint a subject, I tend to include more detail than is necessary to communicate it, because I don't have a visual shorthand for it yet.

I elected to have the chimneys emit nebula-like forms instead, to much better effect. The big takeaway was that sometimes you have to let go of your original vision to make a piece the best that it can be!

The portal was imagined as being both materially present and part of the cosmic backdrop. I wanted to create a sense of impermanence, as though the portal could suddenly dissolve into the background, the path leading to it devoured by the waves, the moon blackened.

The Waning Passage was inspired by my thoughts about the day/night dichotomy and my desire to create a piece that juxtaposed and contrasted them strongly. It also emerged from a desire to shake up my process and make bold choices with color and value.

The Waning Passage, 2020.
I had originally intended to post this piece at the end of last month, but the tragic murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests prompted me to take a break from posting art in order to process my emotions and, importantly, let other voices be heard.

I paint portals to other worlds because I yearn for such paths in our world, paths that lead to higher knowledge, understanding, and transcendence.

This last picture is part of my latest piece. I'll be wrapping it up in the next few days!

How do you think your subconscious mind affects your day-to-day life?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how my experiences affect my art. I'm recognizing more and more motifs that reflect major influences from my past, many of which I haven't thought about in years.