Capturing History: My Interpretation of the Iconic V-J Day Kiss Painting

The V-J Day Kiss photo has inspired countless artists, including myself. I knew I wanted to capture the power and emotion of the original black and white photograph while also infusing it with my own style and vision. I started with a traditional approach, using charcoal and graphite to create a monochromatic, black and white sketch of the photo.

I began to experiment with different color palettes, using a mix of cool and warm tones to create a sense of contrast and depth. I used blues/greys/greens to convey the cool evening atmosphere of Times Square, while also incorporating warm oranges and yellows to represent the warmth of the celebratory moment. Here's the finished piece.

The art process video for this painting can be found below.

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All the best-

Sam Ryan