Migraine

This skull, walnut and jackhammer illustration was a mock-up for a journal article on migraines. The specs were to draw a 7" x 8.5" vertical image in any medium. I wanted to create an image that was more about the experience rather than the technical side of migraines.

If you have ever had one, I can tell you they are painful - much like having a jackhammer pounding away at your head. You want to crawl into a very dark quiet place, and hide until the pain subsides. You can sometimes experience auras or see stars much like tiny fireworks - which I represented in the background.

I united all the physical elements of a migraine within this image, including a cracking walnut. I felt it had the same texture as a brain, but it was less literal in representation of migraine pain.

The drawing is in ink, watercolour, digital layering and photography.

Migraine - skull image in watercolour, image and digital ~~ © Patricia Pinsk

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