Illustration Friday: Extremes

I just got in under the wire, submitting something for last Friday's theme, "Extremes." This one sat on my work table in various incarnations, finally beginning to speak to me late in the week. How do illustrators ever work on deadline? I'll never know. When partly finished, at left, I couldn't figure what to add next.The version I sent to Illustration Friday, below, may not be finished, either.

"Miserable Among Men Am I

If I Continue On This Way"

I wanted for the figure to seem vulnerable, and to be resisting extreme forces. The text on the 2 pillars are from the same book , entitled (I think) Zig Zag. The heavy letters at the top are from that title. The quote at the bottom just felt the way war feels, so I added it. Mixed media on Academie 80# sketchpad: Collage and colored pencil over a tea wash. I wanted to introduce more color, but couldn't decide which one, and didn't want to color it up unless I knew the "why" of additional color. I had an intense feeling about the subject, so maybe it's OK monochrome this time, except for Crimson Lake at the top.