Art: Voici, le Moulin Rouge!

Unless I come up with something suddenly tons better, this will be my second submission to our Boiled Fish Art Book project, coming Spring 2011! At least forty pages of illustration, sketches, and walkthroughs from ten great artists. Also include exclusive content - and you get more exclusive bonuses if you preorder. You may even win an original sketch! Please support us - through donation or advertising - here: http://kck.st/c8Afi8

I was very active in musical theater in high school, and it's left a mark on me today. Moulin Rouge maintains its place as one of my favorite movies of all time (Ewan's voice!). I love the vibrant, over-the-top aesthetic, especially of past ages.

I colored this in two days with marker and gel pen. This is the most elaborate marker piece I've done, focusing on lighting (and some design detail). It's not as soft as I had hoped, though. I'm a little unhappy with the overall saturation-everywhere feel, but I hope others will like it. My hands are stained as if they did bloody battle with an army made of colors.

Sketches: Color Keys

As an assignment, I had to take three scenes from a movie which use color to help the narrative. Here's the result. I couldn't think of one better than Moulin Rouge.

"Outside it may be raining, but in here, it's entertaining!" The first scene introduces Harry Zeigler, the owner of the Moulin Rouge. I liked how the rows of patrons against the building, further against the sky split the screen into thirds. The value contrast also has a greater range on the figure, which is further brought out by the pinks in the doorway and his face as well as the red on his coat.


"All you need is love." The next scene is where Christian, the penniless writer, confesses his love to Satine, the can-can dancer. I liked how, despite the use of all three primary colors, black, and white, the scene still holds together and can be defined as night. The canopy on the left balances out the figure to the right while still staying in mid-ground. The light blue highlight and Christian's dark clothes help pull him out from the background while still showing his face.


"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." Here, Toulouse, while acting as a truth-speaking sitar in a musical production, overhears that the play's financier wants to kill Christian out of jealousy. I particularly liked the light green in this shot and, being a complementary color, how it pulled the figure forward from the dark red background. Also, there is a use of value to define the curtain - which is a brightly lit neon - and backstage - which is less saturated brown and black. The diagonal lines formed by the shapes in the scene not only show that Toulouse is above the audience but add an air of danger.