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No-Sign-of-Sanity — Two-Face vs. Batman

Published: 2006-03-30 12:09:37 +0000 UTC; Views: 85758; Favourites: 2168; Downloads: 2558
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Description I’m generally more of a Marvel-guy than a DC-guy, but you have to admit that Batman has some of the most intriguing villains of just about any superhero out there. This here is my tribute to one of the most conflicted villains of them all, Two-Face.

For those unfamiliar with the character, Two-Face is the result of the fractured psyche of attorney Harvey Dent, two sides of the same man fighting for control of one body. Years of childhood abuse caused him to develop a much darker side of his normally kind and just personality and the barrier between those two sides was broken when a mob boss destroyed half of his face with a vile of acid. The dark and cruel side of Harvey now unleashed, the criminal Two-Face was born, a polar opposite to everything the noble Harvey Dent once stood for. (Now that’s some cool shit right there!)

With Two-Face there is no right, and there is no wrong… there is only the coin. Every major decision that Two-Face makes is decided by the flip of his two-headed coin (one side of which is scarred just like him). If it lands pristine side up, then mercy is shown; if it lands scarred side up, then… he’s not so nice...

I pretty much tried to steer clear of the Tommy Lee Jones “Batman Forever” version of the character and stuck with a more old-school classic gangster vibe. And I thought keeping the entire picture rendered in black and white suited both that old-gangster-era vision and the character as well. One side of him is very sleek and handsome while the other side is just as polished, but entirely twisted and evil. I also tried to blur the line a bit in his face as to where one side starts and where the other one finishes as I thought it added some mystery and a touch more reality.

So in this picture he’s got the drop on Batman, and the flip of the coin will decide the Bat’s fate. I tried to get a little artsy and divide the composition in half without actually cutting it straight down the middle. So to that end, I’ve got Batman’s cape going diagonally one way and Harvey’s shadow continuing that motion in the bottom half of the piece. That also gave me a nice dark background to contrast the white side of Harvey’s suit and to help silhouette the coin. Ohhhh, check me out! I’m being all artsy!!!

Desktop version for your computer can be found here [link]

99% Acrylic paint on illustration board with only the highlight and the motion blur on the coin done in Photoshop.

Two-Face and Batman characters © DC Comics, this image of Two-Face and Batman © Walter O’Neal 2006
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Comments: 346

SamWhatley In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 18:46:14 +0000 UTC]

It really is incredible... Just from the shear amount of detail I thought this must've been completely digital...

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to SamWhatley [2006-04-02 22:49:51 +0000 UTC]

Nope not digital - I'm just really anal.

If you really want me to blow your mind check this out... Batman's face in this picture is only about the size of a nickel!

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bulletinthegun In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 18:22:26 +0000 UTC]

That is incredible. I saw the detail of the face first and I just find it so hard to believe that is a painting. Amazing. I love the detail of his hand and the coin and the way his hadn really looks like he has just thrown the coin up. The movement is just awesome. Definite

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to bulletinthegun [2006-04-02 22:46:55 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Yep it's a real acrylic painting alright. I'm just not willing no make the full leap to digital art yet. Just call me old-fashioned

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bulletinthegun In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-03 13:23:31 +0000 UTC]

Oh no I totally understand lol. I don't think I could ever move on to digital "art".

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syrcaid In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 17:54:32 +0000 UTC]

Absolutely fabulous. X3

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to syrcaid [2006-04-02 22:27:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you starluck!

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D-NA In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 17:24:03 +0000 UTC]

You = god of acrylics.

Ahh, Batman... I am very behind on EVERYTHING Batman. The last time I've seen it was when I was little and there was a Batman TV show or something.. Never had the nerve to watch the movies in full. Although Batman rocks big time

I just love the composition and EVERYTHING Didja get that job?

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to D-NA [2006-04-02 22:26:40 +0000 UTC]

Nope. No jobs for me yet, but I'm still spending all of my time trying to get someone in the industry to notice me and give me a shot at the big leagues.

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mavsfan99 In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 17:20:32 +0000 UTC]

Batman has always been my FAVORITE comic book character!!! And Twoface/Harvey Dent was always my favorite villian. Nice work yo!!! Love the foreshortening, and that coin!!!

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to mavsfan99 [2006-04-02 22:21:13 +0000 UTC]

You've got great taste in superheroes then because we're on the same page. I'm glad you like my work buddy!

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mavsfan99 In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-04 16:59:49 +0000 UTC]

Lol, no doubt!!!

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Wyv-Kate In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 16:28:02 +0000 UTC]

Great good GOD man, this is just *insaaaaaaanity*!!! Your talent just boggles my damn brain!! So awesome, all of it, its really just......damn!

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Wyv-Kate [2006-04-02 22:14:55 +0000 UTC]

Naw I'm just a product of my environment. You'd be surprised at the kind of work you'd turn out if all you had to do was paint and eat hot pockets all day like me.

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farris In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 15:49:05 +0000 UTC]

Simply awesome!
Man you rock them arcylics...! *envies some more* Lovely angle and simple poses, yet so muchos action.
Yum BW-ness...!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to farris [2006-04-02 22:12:36 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I've been really trying to push myself lately experimenting with different camera angles. I'm happy with how this one turned out, and I'm glad you like it also!

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Sereda In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 15:33:17 +0000 UTC]

So cool! I really love the composition. Stunning work altogether.

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Sereda [2006-04-02 22:11:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much!

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DemonJN In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 15:00:24 +0000 UTC]

*_* i'm lost for words... m(_ _)m master....

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to DemonJN [2006-04-02 22:10:53 +0000 UTC]

Ha! Thanks!

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DemonJN In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-03 13:42:51 +0000 UTC]

^^v

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Pzak In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 14:45:39 +0000 UTC]

WOW! That is fantastic. I love the perspective and the composition. Truely amazing.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Pzak [2006-04-02 22:10:18 +0000 UTC]

Thanks man! Now if I only had your skill and technique when it comes to sculpting... want to trade?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Pzak In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-03 12:28:55 +0000 UTC]

Funny, I have alway wanted to do a two face bust. Maybe one of these years I will get to it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Pzak [2006-04-03 17:35:28 +0000 UTC]

Ya know, I had the same urge to sculpt a Two-Face mini-bust myself while making this painting... Wierd eh?

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bongoshock In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 14:32:28 +0000 UTC]

you're an animal, man. I can't beleive that skill!
excellent job. best render of these characters I've ever seen.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to bongoshock [2006-04-02 22:09:07 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! But you're leaps and bounds ahead of where I was at your age, so I have no doubt that you'll be handing us all our artistic asses by the time you're out of school.

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DISENT In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 14:27:55 +0000 UTC]

that is insanley awesome, wd

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to DISENT [2006-04-02 22:07:24 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! You are insanely kind!

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Sapph-Fire In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 13:20:27 +0000 UTC]

Superb work! The detail in this picture is amazing. You are extremely talented. I love how you have divided the picture in two and I think it's best in black and white. The coin effect is clever, too. Absolutely fantastic!

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Sapph-Fire [2006-04-02 22:06:50 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! I really had a good time painting this in black and white, although it was my original intent to shift the entire piece into a monchromatic red palette. But once I finished the black and white I liked it much better than anything I did when started to add some color. So b&w it stayed!

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utarefson670 In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 12:55:12 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful work. It's work like this that inspires me.

I've sat here for 10 minutes trying to think of ways to say how much I appreciate this type of art. Should I compare you to Alex Ross? No, everyone does that. Then I thought I should comment on the utter realism....but then thought "It's not utterly realistic, it doesn't look like a photo...it looks better than a photo.

I've decided on expressing it in this way: Emoticons are the way forward!

Simply suberb.

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to utarefson670 [2006-04-02 22:00:19 +0000 UTC]

I really love the work of Alex Ross, and I think his stuff is just incredible. You're right about the photo-realism thing also. I try to make my stuff look detailed, rendered and solid, but I'm not trying to make it look photo-real. Is it better than a photo? I don't know about that, but I'm really glad you like my style! Thank you!

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utarefson670 In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-03 07:40:55 +0000 UTC]

Thats what I meant. lol. You worded it much better than I did. It's real and yet not-real.

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Reidyn In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 12:51:57 +0000 UTC]

Holy freakin'... I have NEVER gotten Acrylic to do that... that's just amazing! The composition and the hues are out of this world - I bet it took FOREVER.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Reidyn [2006-04-02 21:48:26 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! It did take me a little longer than I would have hoped, but it all came together in the end. I'm glad you like it!

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Firretayl In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 12:22:19 +0000 UTC]

A really great composition...

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to Firretayl [2006-04-02 21:47:06 +0000 UTC]

Thank you Firretayl! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, although there were a few points along the way where I was just ready to junk the whole thing.

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Firretayl In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-03 04:43:31 +0000 UTC]

No Problem.

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dtownley1 In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 12:17:54 +0000 UTC]

Brilliant work. Amazing detail and tones.

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No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to dtownley1 [2006-04-02 21:45:51 +0000 UTC]

Why thank you! It's not everyday that someone calls me brilliant!

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

khiconheo In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-09-07 20:49:51 +0000 UTC]

doing easily to what others find difficult is talent. doing what's impposible for talent is Genuis!

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dtownley1 In reply to No-Sign-of-Sanity [2006-04-03 05:46:18 +0000 UTC]

it's well deserved mate, well deserved

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NinjaKiller In reply to ??? [2006-03-30 12:11:48 +0000 UTC]

wow O.O
really amazing!
batman rulez ^^ two-face too, hehe -.-

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

No-Sign-of-Sanity In reply to NinjaKiller [2006-04-02 21:45:07 +0000 UTC]

Thanks buddy!

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