#53: What I Was and What I’ve Become
Art, Art Discussion, Authenticity, Black and White, Paint, Painting, PAOTY, Planning, Process, Emotion, Show Michael Hebda Art, Art Discussion, Authenticity, Black and White, Paint, Painting, PAOTY, Planning, Process, Emotion, Show Michael Hebda

#53: What I Was and What I’ve Become

I’ve finished the black and white foundation of my latest portrait, and now I’m moving into colour through layered glazes. I’m aiming for something more dimensional and expressive — while leaving part of the piece monochrome. I’m calling it What I was and what I’ve become, a reflection of my journey from graphite drawings to full colour painting, and a mindset that’s grown looser, freer, and more creative over time.

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#46: Back to the Brush
Art, Acetate, Art Discussion, Authenticity, Digital Process, laboratory, Paint, Portraits, Planning, Emotion, Experiment, moiré, Time Michael Hebda Art, Acetate, Art Discussion, Authenticity, Digital Process, laboratory, Paint, Portraits, Planning, Emotion, Experiment, moiré, Time Michael Hebda

#46: Back to the Brush

After weeks of moiré experiments and technical tests, I’ve finally returned to painting — beginning my reinterpretation of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam. In this post, I reflect on the shift from preparation to brushwork, and the unique fulfilment painting brings.

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The Emotional Palette: How Colours Influence Feelings in My Art
Colour, Paint, Art, Emotion, Philosophy Michael Hebda Colour, Paint, Art, Emotion, Philosophy Michael Hebda

The Emotional Palette: How Colours Influence Feelings in My Art

For a long time, my work existed in black and white. Stripped of colour, it was all about contrast, form, and texture—letting light and shadow do the storytelling. There was a purity to it, a directness that I loved. But recently, I felt something shifting. A pull towards something richer, something more layered. So, I made a change.

I started working with colour.

At first, it felt like learning a new language—exciting but uncertain. Colour is an entirely different way of thinking, a different way of seeing. Where black and white allowed me to focus on stark, bold compositions, colour introduced a new dimension of emotion and energy. Suddenly, my work wasn’t just about what was being depicted, but how it felt, how it moved, how it resonated through shades and tones.

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