though i don't like anything about war.. it's a nice picture..

intense!

well, dunno if this is ment to be political... i'll guess not
very well done... expression on the face is great! details are just mindblowing!

p.s. i dunno in why warfare these days is especially chemical or biological?!
-peace-

It's not meant to be political, but many people have chosen to take it as such. It's not really even about war, contrary to the description mentioning it. The true whole point behind it is this one, single act of self-sacrifice. Still, many people choose to see the uniform rather than the actions of the man behind it. Ah well. It's really one of the good things about artwork - that each of us can interpret something differently, so I wouldn't necessarily want to change that.

Thanks so much for the comments.

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my opinion on the "war message":

first of all, you can't pretend the people not to see the war meaning. Usa on 20 march 2003 at 3 am started a war, attacking a state with fake reasons, and they are still into it. 705 usa soldiers died. Thousands of civils died. War is what we see every second we look at the tv or at magazines or at newspapers. And we always see usa flags on army suites.

We see usa flag on army, always. I have enough of this.

I want to remember the usa for Jack Kerouac, for Hemingway, for Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Bob Dylan, all the artists it produced, for the beautiful people i knew from there (and they are a lot)... not for the invasions, the wars, the neoliberism, the violence, the racism.

Why didnt you paint a soldier killing children and women? Doing phisical, psychological or sexual violences on prisoners? Sending bombs to civil people? Cos this is what usa armies are doing now, too. I never heard of usa soldiers saving children in iraq, while we all know for sure of all the children died for usa bombs. And we know of all the children into the iraq prisons, kept there by the usa cos they "could be involved in guerrilla" (they are around 60 at the moment, from 11 to 16 years old, and it is the Pentagon that admitted it, last week... children kept with adults, in the same jails...).

Usa soldiers can save children nowdays, sure. In usa movies.
What they are doing now, is saving the oil.

Don't take me bad, but i have enough of all this. They are making us hate usa. And i dont want to hate, never. So it's time usa people starts getting rid of this crazy faith in their army. Also a civil could save a child doing a sacrifice, giving him the mask, cos in the war theatre there is plenty of masks, be sure.

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Technically it is a nice artwork, though it looks like a paintover. And i said "it looks like" not "it is" so don't take me wrong!
I dont like only the green fog , it is too clear you used a filter. You should try to give it depth.

All of your artworks are technically really good.

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greetings,
a.

AntonioBianco, I understand how everyone else must feel about the USA, especially regarding war right now, but stephaniels has already said that her intent was not to make this into a political piece. Even if it has turned into such, which isn't necessarily bad, there is plenty of art out there protesting the USA's horrible actions in Iraq. Perhaps this piece is showing them what they *should* be doing, instead, which may be a far greater gift than merely chiding America.

This is a pretty powerful stuff if it can raise such controversy, though. Nice job with the expression .

well their actions end with death peopl and thats all.
i have seen such heroic pics before... on nazi banners from ww2.

_quote:

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 stephaniels wrote on 08/19@536 Still, many people choose to see the uniform rather than the actions of the man behind it.

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/quote]

I'm not even going to get into the political responses. A place to share and critique people's techniques with artwork is not the place for such debates. I will say this, however. Antonio, you said that "they are making you hate the USA" and "you don't want to hate, never" - nobody can MAKE you do anything, sweetie.

For those of you that responded to the piece and not to the war (which, again, this piece is NOT about), I thank you!

I used no filters in this piece, nor did I paint anything over. So glad that you think the man (who is my husband, by the way) looks realistic enough to have been a paintover, Antonio. The green "fog" is not fog at all, but an -even- distribution of a poisonous gas. There wasn't meant to be any depth to it. But thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks for trying, Kittyfox.

Why ow why do people keep bugging US citizens about the war in Iraq just because they happen to come from the US O_o

Anyways, looks good, and nice idea

The only thing I'd change is the sharpness of the picture, i know the green is supposed to be some poisonous gas but i think that if there would be some much in the air that things would get a bit blurred and greener

Exelent work as always. Details and lightening are great. I like it eventhough it looks like a propaganda poster a little bit . It reminds me some periods of my countrys history more then the iraq conflict. Guess everyone interprets it in differnt way and that is certainly good thing about it. Well dohne!

I love this peace it shows a true mastery of the brush, pen, mouse. Keep posting I can't wait to see more of your work

This piece is really well done, I especially love the details of the BDU's and the eyes Beautiful work I also admire your courage to post something like this

Quite well done.

(Political squabbles are not a smart thing to engage in, people...)

Love the Painting, Excellent Rendering! Proud American - Sally

OMG...truly spectacular!!!

Well it seems to me that I am the first soldier not just to view this piece but critique it as well.... and I for one applaud it. If not for it's rendering than for it's message alone.

I've been to Kuwait, Iraq twice, and I am getting ready to go spend my birthday over there for the 3rd year in a row...I've missed Christmas twice, missing Thanksgiving this year....but I don't have a single complaint. Other than missing my wife, child and dog

I do have a gripe...not with AntonioBianco but with the US Media.

Death, fires, IED's is all that it is reported. Well over 300 new schools have been built or renovated, Fire Dept's once delapitaded now working in full force, people who praise us as we walk down the street.

Out of 10million possible voters, 9million have registered to vote in Afghanistan..4 million of them women who at one time couldn't even go to school. Christ, they have a better turn out rate then us (USA).

Now, there are PLENTY of people in Iraq that hate us, don't understand why we are there, or are pissed because they just want a job, water, and electricity...but the one thing they do understand is that they now have the right to say so without fear of torture or death. Plus, most of the 'bad guys' aren't Iraqi, they are from other surrounding countries trying to capitalize on.....well that's another forum...

I've watched hundreds of hours of atrocities videos, family members shot for the pettiest of reasons by the old regime, etc etc....

I'm not even infantry, I'm a Multimedia Illustrator for the Army. It's amazing how the lingo of Adobe can cross language barriers, (my Arabic is pretty rough )

So say what you want to say about this current conflict, I will continue to defend your right to do so...

And stephaniels thanks for lifting my spirits while I get ready to head back to the sandbox.

-Wysiwyg aka SGT Brett Karpowicz

Thanks, Wysiwyg. And be safe out there.

First concerning the picture itself.
it is beautifully rendered (pun intended, because it almost looks like 3D) and delivers a great deal of suspense.

Well Stephanie .. well .. maybe this outgrown discussion could have been avoided by NOT making the guy a GI, but an ANYsoldier Then the goodness a human being in uniform CAN achieve would be emphasized - contrary of everything we have seen (and what can be summed up as the "Abu-Grahib effect".)

As much as I sympathize with Antonio about most things and as much as I understand and share his honoable fury, I also consent with Brett that *the being within the uniform* makes the difference. Because it is the soldier that had been sent there and not the corrupt administration craving for oil. dressman are waiting is save distance and let others do the dirty work politicians are responsible for.
In the end everyone is responsible for his/her own deeds - which can be honorable like displayed above or .. other (we've heard enough about that).

This is freakin' awesome!!

This is a BEAUTIFUL piece, very touching. It is so alive. And sad. His expression is so real... I don't care for the politics here, I care for the art and idea, and it is beautiful. Max points from me

Beautiful details, very well done

Flowjoe

Thank you Stephaniels