Birgitte M. R. Johnsen Illustration & Design

Fall Out Boy poster

During 2020 I started painting portraits again, which included portraits of the members of the American band Fall Out Boy. After that initial set of portraits I had the idea for a double exposure image. I did my initial attempt at a double exposure image with an image of my Princess and General Leia, which I was very happy with. I painted the four portraits below, and ended up wanting to create the poster below, but I also created another poster using only the performance images.

Media: Digital illustration and layout.
Double exposure poster for the band Fall Out Boy featuring a portrait of each of the band members with a full body live image inside their respective portraits.

While the portraits can stand alone, they were painted to be viewed together, as the stage continues through all four portraits, making a poster a good way to show them off. The portraits are facing outward in order ot invite the viewer into the image. The performing band members on the other hand are facing inward, showing that the band’s performance is all about the crowd and the fans. The fans are also present in the image in the form of the bokeh in the background, as they sometimes hold up their lighters or phones. The ordering of the images isn’t at random either. When the band play on stage: Joe on the left hand side, Patrick and Andy in the middle, and Pete on the right hand side.

When painting these I wanted there to be a contrasting style between the portraits and the performance images. The portraits have smoother render, which is more reminiscent of the initial portraits I painted of the bandmembers, while the performance images are more stylised and painted in a limited colour palette.

Double exposure portrait of Joe Trohman, detail from the poster above. The image consists of profile portrait of Joe which acts as a silhouette of a full-body image of Joe standing on a stage playing his guitar at a live show with shining lights in the background signifying the audience. The full-body version of Joe is painted in hues of purple and hues, and as it is overlaying the portrait, the features of the portrait are less clear and tinted by the live image.
Media: Digital.

A more detail looked at the double exposure image of Joe Trohman. I had to make sure I added Joe’s neck tattoo in the portrait, though it is partially obscured by the performance part of the image.

I used multiple reference images for the silhouettes/portraits. However I was using specific references for the images from the live shots. Most of the images from the live shows were captured by photographer Elliott Ingham, most of which were posted to Fall Out Boy’s Instagram account.

Double exposure portrait of Patrick Stump, detail from the poster above. The image consists of profile portrait of Patrick which acts as a silhouette of a full-body image of Patrick on stage holding his guitar by his side with one hand and singing into the microphone he holds in his other hand. The full body image has shining lights in the background signifying the audience at a live show. The full-body version of Patrick is painted in hues of purple and hues, and as it is overlaying the portrait, the features of the portrait are less clear and tinted by the live image.
Media: Digital.

A detailed view at the double exposure image of Patrick Stump. The performance image had to show Patrick singing, but I also wanted to make sure it captured him with his guitar, as he does play multiple instruments during the live shows and on the albums. I feel this image is a good representation of some of the energy of a live show.

Double exposure portrait of Andy Hurley, detail from the poster above. The image consists of profile portrait of Andy which acts as a silhouette of a full-body image of Andy playing the drums at a live show with shining lights in the background signifying the audience. The full-body version of Andy is painted in hues of purple and hues, and as it is overlaying the portrait, the features of the portrait are less clear and tinted by the live image.
Media: Digital.

A more detailed view of Andy Hurley. I did draw his neck tattoo, but sadly it is entirely obscured by the live version of him. I’ve also tried to stay true to his drum gear, which there is a lot of, which required me to use multiple references.

Double exposure portrait of Pete Wentz, detail from the poster above. The image consists of profile portrait of Pete which acts as a silhouette of a full-body image of Pete standing on a stage with his hand up signaling to the audience, shining lights in the background signifying the audience. The full-body version of Pete is painted in hues of purple and hues, and as it is overlaying the portrait, the features of the portrait are less clear and tinted by the live image.
Media: Digital.

Finally the detailed view of Pete Wentz. While a lot of the other live performance versions can make it hard to date the reference images, the one used for Pete definitively gives it away, as the jacket he is wearing features the cover of Mania, their 2018 album.