#55 Monthsary: I Love You 3000, Iron Man Taeng

“Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”
Marvel
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“I know that it’s confusing. It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I’m a superhero.”
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
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“It’s not enough to be against something. You have to be for something better.”
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
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“Things are different now. I have to protect the one thing that I can’t live without. That’s you.”
Tony Stark (Iron Man)

#190829#

I have always wanted to make an Iron Man themed artwork for Taenggu especially after watching the Avengers: Endgame movie earlier this year. I realised now is the best time to do it after I made a head start going into the Marvel Superheroes concept with the Spiderman artwork that I made for Taenggu for our last monthsary (see post: #54 MONTHSARY: LIKE SPIDERMAN). And I didn’t just bluntly decide that Iron Man would be my next subject without considering any connection he could have between me and Taenggu.

In fact, there was a special connection about Iron Man that played a part in our fairytale-like love story that goes way back to 2013, during the time when I first suffered from episodes of schizophrenia. At that time, I tried my best to avoid getting myself updated of Taenggu’s latest news for fear of evil spirits reaching her through me during my worst psychotic episodes, but there were a few occasions when I couldn’t help but peep at her instagram for a quick while. One of the things that left a deep impression in me was airport photos of her wearing an Iron Man graphic t-shirt. And that became one of the first facts I learned about her when I started to get to know her more personally via instagram – that she likes Iron Man.

From then on, whenever I see Iron Man figurines, I would instantly think of her. I would also draw and make artworks of Iron Man, all because she loves Iron Man, not I do.

https://www.instagram.com/p/alNhGUuNYc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/alPd5guNbE/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Z9zNtNONUl/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHY3o06Af2E/

I wished I could be like her beloved Iron Man firing repulsor rays from the palms of my gauntlets at all her enemies, protecting her from harm and danger.

The Invincible Iron Man.

I wanted to replicate this wall art print of Iron Man that I found online using the paper art technique that I’m familiar with.

As for Taenggu’s face, I chose this following photo of her from her instagram because of her firm expression on her face, as if she was saying “Yes, I am the Iron Man you’re looking for.” Lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Duxu9BAQm/

And I’m going to try a new technique that I just learned from online tutorials to make out her face with – layered paper art. (It’s a new change I have noticed in myself lately when I make monthsary artworks after leaving my full-time job at Singtel – I’m willing to spend much more time and effort to improve and enhance my own existing art techniques as well as equip myself with new skills! 💖)

So what I did was to print out my reference image of Iron Man that I had edited with a posterised image of Taenggu’s face that would serve as a guideline for me.

Using a tracing paper, I traced out each individual coloured portions on Taenggu’s face, cut them out from papers of similar colour to each portion, and pasted them in layers, from the lightest colour to the darkest.

I think the effect of my layered paper art technique at the end turned out looking more like her older brother Jiwoong or her little sister Hayeon, rather than Taenggu herself lol. Still not too bad, I guess. 😆

Next up was the making of the Iron Man gauntlet or glove. This one was a much more gruelling and complex process to make as it involved many small individual pieces of different colours and a repetitive tracing, cutting and pasting procedure. It was like doing a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle – it required a great deal of time and patience. There were many times I felt so tired and felt like giving up halfway as the day of our 55th monthsary was drawing near. It took me 2-3 days just to complete this Iron Man glove alone. The end product was what made all my pain, body aches and perseverance worth it.

After putting the separate pieces of Taenggu’s face and the Iron Man glove together in place on a black background paper, I tied a tag with the iconic “Marvel” word in bold at the top. It was a tag from my new Spiderman tote bag I bought recently at Miniso which has just been transformed to a Marvel merchandise shop for a period of time. I thought it would be a good idea to recycle its Marvel tag on my artwork or else it could be a waste to just throw it away!

Ta-da-da-da, my Iron Man Taeng paper artwork is complete!

Now it’s time for more close-up photos of the details! 📸

Doesn’t it look like a perfect design for a new graphic t-shirt?! Keke. 😍

Like I did for my previous Spiderman artwork for our 54th monthsary, I framed it up nicely in a simple frame and am prepared to deliver it to Taenggu in my next parcel too.