For the past twenty years, Cincinnati Opera has commissioned artists to create illustrations for the promotion of productions. Their work has appeared prominently on billboards, print ads, and digital displays. Many Cincinnatians still fondly recall works by Rafal Olbinski and Mary GrandPré.
This year, we commissioned five different artists: one for each of the five productions. For Another Brick in the Wall, we reached out to Robert Carter, a Canadian illustrator well-known for his portraits and editorial illustrations. Here are 6 facts about the work.
1. In the Opera offices, we refer to the image above as “Pink Triumphant.” It shows Pink, the central character of Another Brick in the Wall, in a moment of musical ecstasy.
2. The entire image was painted in Adobe Photoshop.
3. The guitar has four strings, indicating that it’s a bass guitar, the instrument played by Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.
4. Did you notice the script written at the top of the guitar? There, on the headstock, you’ll see the title of the opera.
5. Our graphic designer was super impressed by the realistic rendering of the texture of leather in Pink’s jacket. Here’s the thing: even when you zoom in, it still looks like leather.
6. Robert Carter also did a second, complementary illustration for Another Brick in the Wall. In that illustration, Pink is restrained and deeply troubled. We call it “Pink Trapped.”
Want to see more of Robert Carter’s work? Visit www.crackedhat.com.