I envelop a perfectly stylised woman in cinematic light: her porcelain skin, retro hairdo and deep red lips evoke glamour, but in her gaze lurks unspoken sadness. I contrast that subcutaneous feeling-my ode to Erwin Olaf-with an infinite backdrop of cylindrical plateaus that nods directly to Escher's rational space studies. The fiery autumn leaves form the visual bridge: beauty in decay that leads your eye from the intimate portrait to the distant horizon.
The 16 : 9 panorama is a deliberate choice; the wider framing feels like a film frame and enhances the switching of focus between near emotion and distant geometry. The deep cyan shadows and warm midtones give the image that distinctive Olaf-like tonality, while the repeating shapes raise questions: is she looking through a window, or are two worlds colliding head-on here?
AI tools acted as my digital sketchbook: through dozens of iterations, I was able to deepen concepts until exactly that arc of tension where beauty and pain merge. Then I refined colour, texture and light manually to make every detail resonate.
Want to read an in-depth scene-by-scene analysis? On my blog, you'll find an in-depth article in which I explain each choice-from composition to toning-in more detail.
Created by Arjen Roos with support from AI.
My work exists at the intersection of modern Pop Art and Expressionism, with influences from Modernism. Contrast, whether in light, color, or subject, plays a central role in my art. The color red is often prominently featured.
Each piece I create tells a story. I produce..
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