Iron Giant by Heather Harris

   www.heatherlynnharris.com

   This piece of art was inspired by my love for emotional story telling.  The Iron Giant is one of my favorite animated films because of the emotional relationship that develops between Hogarth and the Giant. A boy who makes a friend, and a new person to an area who needed a friend.
   I wanted to capture the special relationship that these two shared in my painting.  I placed the Giant on the hillside to help give perspective of how large and strong he really is. Then I set Hogarth in the large metal hands of the Giant.  I set the scene at night because I love the coziness of a night time scene.  It feels warm and enveloping and is secure, just like Hogarth is secure in his knowledge that the Giant won't hurt him.  I placed the cape on the Giant as my own nod to the Giant's adoption of the "Superman" role and not the villain role in his newfound society.
   I chose to do this piece in oil paints and oil washes with pen and ink and color pencil added for emphasis.  I love the rich color of oils and the washes allow me to create a wonderful harmonious mood to the whole piece.  The pen and ink and pencil gives me the ability to bring in the clarity of line and detail that I wanted to capture the scene of the town, the junkyard, and the power station, which were all integral places in the development of their relationship." -Heather L. Harris