I’ve dabbled with doing an ink of The Phantom of the Opera in the past. The first idea I had was based on a makeup test by actor Lon Chaney Sr., one where he was smiling. Technically, it was accurate. But it just didn’t grab the idea as I’d hoped it would.
The second one was a quick sketch for someone when I was a guest at VisionCon a couple of years back. It turned out well, but it was meant to be a bit more of an ink sketch than a final piece.
Since I have a nice frame that needs some small art, like yesterday’s Creature of the Black Lagoon ink, I decided to give the old Phantom another try. It’s based on a scene that I consider one of the great scenes in all of film. It’s the moment that the Phantom’s mask is pulled off, revealing the horror that he is.
I wasn’t going to bother with any of the Broadway-style Phantoms. For me, the character, while tragic, is still a horror character. Chaney’s ability to channel that horror, and yet still a sense of humanity, is what made the role so groundbreaking.
Here it is, it’s 4 1/2″ x 6″, ink on 140 lb. Cold Press. I’ll even have it at the Spectrum show next week.
Click on the image for a larger version. Here’s The Phantom of the Opera:
