PAINTING A SCENE OF GREEK DRAMA

Alexander Leskinen creates a stormy environment featuring harpies, the winged messengers of Zeus.

- Alexander Leskinen

This illustration was created for a zine on ancient Greek mythology, so it was important to adhere to the canonical depiction of harpies in Greek art and ensure the image aligned with how ancient Greeks envisioned these characters, avoiding pop-culture distortions. Harpies are birdlike messengers of Zeus, sent by the Olympian ruler to punish humans for their crimes. They embody sudden gusts of wind that carry away human souls.

I decided to depict them bathing in a storm. I emphasised the strong wind through flowing hair and tunics. The sharp light from a lightning flash was meant to make the image more tense and dramatic. I directed the gaze of the nearest harpy towards the viewer, as if the viewer were seeking shelter from a severe storm by the seashore and accidentally stumbled upon the carefree, bathing harpies.

I chose a dark tone for the illustration to emphasise the grim nature of these characters. The colour scheme consists of cool shades with a slight warm contrast on the horizon, caused by the setting sun.

Breaking down the light