Creating the Eyecon “The Stinging Policeman”

Writer: Marco

December 2025

2 min read

Just some of the charcoal and pastel pencils used

The finished artwork The Stinging Policeman

Behind the Artwork: The Birth of “The Stinging Policeman” by Art-Marco

I knew I wanted to create something that felt intensely personal yet universally recognizable, something that would make the viewer stop scrolling and actually look.

The MyEyecon series are not portraits—they’re mirrors held up to our fractured selves, capturing the icon in a transformative way.

The central element is a hyper-detailed eye, rendered in pastel and charcoal on black paper, every lash and iris filament demanding scrutiny. Tears may fall from the lower lid, but they’re made of “gold” rippling like digital glitches. The color palette is deliberately seductive: deep midnight, greys and whites pooling in the shadows, electric cyan highlights slicing through like late-night notifications. It’s striking, expensive-looking, almost too perfect—like the filter we all apply to our lives.

Why the name MyEyecon?

Because our identities are no longer our own. They’re built from the icons we worship, the brands we wear, the feeds we consume. The eye is the window to the soul, except now the soul has sponsored content—curated, algorithm-optimized, eternally on display and in many cases legally protected. This in itself ceates a conflict for an artist wishing to create a transformative artwork based on an iconic subject. I have covered more on the legal aspects of using celebrity images in my blog “Stardust”

The Creation Process: From Sketch to Publishing

It started with a late-night scroll through concert footage—sweat-slicked performers, crowds lost in adoration. I sketched the eye first, my preferred approach, letting the persona emerge organically. Hours blurred into dawn; charcoals smudged, pastels built depth. When it was finally finished and I stepped back, I felt two things at once: pride and unease. Pride in the technical triumph—the way the eye catches the subtle likeness. Unease at how closely it echoes my own filtered existence. That’s exactly what I wanted the viewer to feel too: a jolt of recognition, a pause to question the image. Is it him? Does half a facial image represent the whole person?

“The Stinging Policeman” portrait in the MyEyecon series. ( Not Endorsed)

MyEyecon’s are not available as originals but in a very limited series of giclée prints—archival quality, signed and numbered. For collectors, fans, dreamers, or anyone haunted by reflection, this piece is for you. Head to MyEyecon.com to claim yours before the edition closes.

Thank you for looking, really looking. What icons shape your soul? Suggest one you would like as an original commission or as an addition to the Eyecon range.

Share your thoughts in the comments as it helps Marco to decide which one to produce next.

Art-Marco

©2023 by Art-Marco

The Stinging Policeman Update 2025

Our identities are built from the icons we worship, the brands we wear, the feeds we consume. The eye is said to be the window to the soul, except now the soul has unedited content and influences far beyond our original beginnings. The Eyecon series of prints are meant to be collected and perhaps built into a wall collage of figures that have influenced you. If your icon isn’t currently featured just drop me a line with your suggestions of who should be added to the collection. I am always interested to receive comments and suggestions.

Art-Marco

December 2025