Hair, sweet hair.

"Hair, sweet hair" is an oil pastel piece of an artist known as Vive-le-Rock on DeviantArt. Here is the link, though it will be blocked on our beloved school Macs.

     I really adore this piece.  I initially actually found another piece called "A Thousand Faces" on DeviantArt here, but learned that it was based upon this piece, which I enjoy much more.

     As my preferred style is minimalism, this piece really appeals to me.  I love the bright, warm colored hair in contrast to the flat black background.  Even more amazing is how the cool, blue face contrasts the bright hair, with almost no discrepancy between warm and cool provided, except the sparse blue strands of hair throughout.  Even without a transition, it looks really amazing.
     Another aspect of this piece that intrigues me is how voluminous the artist makes the hair appear by her use of curved and curly, free lines.  The many colors she uses for the hair also lends to the piece a sense of wild fierceness.

     Another fantastic aspect of this piece is the use different values of blue to shadow the face, providing the transition from the bright, fluorescent colors in the hair to the cool, calm colors of the face.  I particularly enjoy the lips and the artist's use of white to highlight the face just perfectly to create the contours of the lips, cheeks, nose, and chin.  The barely visible left eye beneath the shadows also lends a sense of mystery and seduction to the piece. 

     There is also a sequel to the piece here, if you are interested. :)