In Rahab's Window (Process)

The first painting I completed is based on the character of Rahab. The accompanying text is: "It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies" (Hebrews 11:31 NLT). Rahab is pictured in the window of her dwelling in the wall of the ancient city of Jericho, letting the two spies out to freedom on pieces of red fabric.

Research

As I began this section I found that the main idea I wanted to portray about these characters is that their stories were accessible. I wanted everyone to be able to relate to their emotional human struggles. I also realized that each of these biblical characters have the element of being unfinished and this should encourage the viewer to interact. I didn't want to portray just the triumph of victory but the struggles beforehand. I looked up various other portraits of Rahab and found reference for Israelite architecture and costume to help tell the story.



Thumbnails

As I intended to paint these illustrations for a horizontal layout in a book Kazu (www.kazusano.com) recommended using vertical elements to break up the space. Also, adding architectural elements and some danger in the distance.

Photo Shoot

I used a friend named Shavon Grayson as my model for Rahab and we did our photo shoot on location at my church one evening. I found cheap fabric and jewelry at Ross as it was easier than travelling by bus or train to a costume shop. Shavon emoted well helping me to feel the character's real emotions.



Comps

I was prompted to look at the shape of the moon and ask myself if there was more Arabic influence in the architecture, how much you can see of the spies, etc. I was also encouraged to look at the movie "Kingdom of Heaven" for further reference.

Final

A few issues I addressed in the final were: looking at the movement of the curtain, the details in the foreground, the brickwork, and how various parts of the painting capture the light.