CHIRAQ

I'm going to call this done for now, though I'll probably add some more details later.

The original drawing is 24 inches on paper. After completion, the drawing was then photographed with an iPhone and digitally painted using a Wacom Intuos tablet and Photoshop, over a period of 3 days. I normally do everything digitally, but I like the freedom and speed that sketching on paper provided first, so I'll probably use that method in the future.

My goal for this painting was to represent the struggle minorities face in Chicago, which has earned itself the nickname 'Chi-Raq',  a nod to the gun and gang violence that has taken more lives in the city's streets than the war in Iraq. I'd like to expand more on this concept when I have more time. 

The completed canvas is about 5 feet tall. 

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CHI-RAQ: "We are at war in Chicago right now."