Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Prince Hall for American Legacy Magazine



THE CLIENT

American Legacy Magazine

THE ASSIGNMENT

A full-page illustration for a feature article on Prince Hall, who, in 1784, was one of the founding members of the first African-American Freemasonry order.

THE CHALLENGE

Create a beautiful, accurate, historical portrait of Mr. Hall, with the stateliness of “one of the first black organizers, in American history,” according to the feature article.

On the eve of the Revolutionary War, Prince Hall, and fourteen free black men, risked their lives, and their freedom, by taking a boat to the enemy’s fort, at the entrance to the Boson Harbor, in an attempt to join Freemasonry. After being rejected by colonial Freemasonry, these men, determined to join, were accepted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, Lodge No. 441, on March 6, 1775. After the British evacuated Boston, the African-American Masons were left without a lodge. The departing Irish soldiers gave these Masons a permit to meet as African Lodge No. 1. However, without a lodge, this permit provided limited provisions. A petition for lodge was sent to the Lodge of England. In 1784, the petition was granted, and African Lodge No. 459 was founded — the first African-American fraternal order, with Prince Hall as its leader.

Today, the nationwide branch of African-American Freemasonry is named Prince Hall Freemasonry, in his honor.

GETTING STARTED

The direction would be a head and shoulders portrait with the Masonic symbol, behind. My task, now, would be to gather reference, showing what the man may have looked like. There is a bit of leeway, when it comes to historical figures, for whom no good reference exists. No one is around to dispute. I also needed to be sure and gather historically-accurate clothing and hair styles. This includes general Revolutionary-era attire and powdered wigs.

The Freemasonry symbol is the square and compass. As with many aspects of Freemasonry, these items are rooted in symbolism. There are no concrete, consistent meanings, behind them, however, they are, often, to be reflective of lessons in conduct. The square is to remind members to square their actions and the compass is to remind members of their bounds with all of mankind. The letter, “G,” is often found, in the center of the logo. It is generally believed to represent God.

PRELIMINARY SKETCHES

I provided 4 options, in various configurations.






THE FINAL ART

My client chose sketch #3.

My sketches are based on other sketchy artistic renderings. So, a photo shoot was in order. Matthew was my subject and a combination of a nondescript sweater and a Revolutionary War-era costume from the costume shop, was our wardrobe.

This is the photo composite reference I used for the final art...



Acrylic paint with Photoshop is my medium, of choice, for color work.

Unfortunately, the illustration did not see publication, as the magazine, unexpectedly, went through some restructuring. However, Prince Hall is still a popular figure and the illustration has taken on a life of its own, since its creation:

• It was accepted to Illustration West 50 annual and exhibition, in 2012, sponsored by the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles.

• As mentioned, there are not many depictions of Mr. Hall, and those that exist are not very detailed. As a result, it caught the eye of the leader of a California Freemasonry Lodge who licensed it as part of Prince Hall Day, at their Lodge.

• It will also be seen at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, in Bloomington, MN, as part of an educational exhibit.

My thanks to the folks at American Legacy Magazine for the opportunity to learn more about Prince Hall and to bring him to life, in this way.



Allan Burch is an award-winning illustrator and portrait artist, providing solutions for editorial, book, advertising, and institutional projects.
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Friday, March 20, 2009

Joshua Palmer for USD Magazine

Marine 1st Lt., Joshua M. Palmer, 25, of Banning, California, lost his life due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on April 8, 2004. He graduated from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor's degree in international relations.

This illustration was done for an "In Memoriam" section for USD Magazine.

I've been fortunate to develop a great relationship with the University of San Diego Magazine, and have been lucky enough to create many illustrations for them over the years, including several "In Memoriam" pieces.

For obvious reasons, when many days are Memorial Days for families around the world, this illustration of Mr. Palmer was an honor to do, and a tiny way in which I can pay respect to Joshua and those who serve our country.

I didn't know Joshua, but researching him later, I found him to be a remarkable young man.

He loved to read, was multi-lingual (English, Spanish, and Chinese), and was engaged to be married.

What follows below is an excerpt from his memorial service, and a reminder of the real stories of those we sometimes take for granted. The rest of his story may be read, here.

On April 8th, in the afternoon, Josh’s convoy began taking sniper fire as they entered Fallujah. Josh was a first lieutenant, and led a group of men. Some of the men in the convoy, from another lieutenant’s unit, were injured by the sniper fire. It was determined that someone needed to hunt down the snipers and kill them, before they killed any of the men in the convoy. Josh had been trained in sniper hunting, and volunteered. He led a small group of men into the area where the snipers were. They pinpointed the snipers’ location and ran to the building were the snipers were located. Josh didn’t hesitate, he just ran. When they got there, they began clearing rooms with grenades. When they got to the room where the snipers were, Josh insisted on being in front. Usually officers stay in the back, because their lives are considered more valuable. But Josh had always said that he would never send his men somewhere he wouldn’t go himself, and the test of a true leader was whether or not he led from the front. It was known that there was a very high chance that the person in front would be shot, as they were so close to the snipers, and the snipers were waiting for them. Josh still went in front. He probably knew that he was going to be shot, but he wouldn’t allow someone else to die when he could have prevented it. So he leaned forward and threw the grenade. As he did, he fell a little bit forward, and was shot many times all up his left side and into his neck. Immediately his men pulled him back, and killed the sniper who had shot Josh, the other two snipers were taken prisoner. They pulled Josh to a safe location, where he eventually bled to death.

My best to the Palmers, as well as Joshua's extended family and friends, as we near the 5-year anniversary of his passing.

Allan Burch is an award-winning illustrator and portrait artist, providing solutions for editorial, book, advertising, and institutional projects.
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