"When I enter the jungle, I need nothing but jungle to survive." - Rajan
I've been exploring the idea of third eye activation and the image of a pinecone as a symbol of the pineal gland. This symbol can be found throughout many ancient cultures and some attribute it to the idea of spiritual awakening.
The idea of the unfolding pinecone and eyes as an unfolding of higher consciousness is heavily inspired by the work of master painter and visionary Alex Grey.
Early sketches
Final sketch/idea
Digital sketching
I started sketching the final design directly in Photoshop
I continued refining the sketch on the same layer for a more freestyle workflow. (I duplicated the layer every now and then to save my progress shots)
I decided to have the lower eyes a bit more closed to create a sense of gradation and I settled on this as the final render.
Final image
The quote at the top of this page is something I was reminded of while painting this. I found it on a piece of street art that I photographed in the city of Istanbul a few years ago.
