Calypso

As I was taking my first steps on learning how use brushes for inking, I started my studies with what seemed to be an effortless fluidity of ink lines from comic-book masters like - among others - Paul Pope and Hugo Pratt. Pope’s art book “Pulphope” gave me a first insight to the abyss-like bottomless artistry behind his work.

After reading his writings, the artwork took a secondary role in understanding the process. Inspired by him - and primarily to practice with the brush - I did a quick sketch one night (using a Pentel brush-pen) (Image 1)

The crude sketch gave me inspiration to continue experimenting, but also kept me unsatisfied so much that years later I started thinking again about this powerful and passionate female (Image 2). Wrapped around by cartoon-like smoke, she reveals her body without exposing an inch of her enigmatic self.

Her name was as obvious to me as a flashing neon sign in the night. The Mediterranean modern Calypso (Καλυψώ), meaning “to conceal the obvious/visible”. The colour palette is a poor-man’s study inspired by one of Paul Pope’s illustrations (Image 3).

Links for purchasing prints of various sizes can be found here.

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