Rocky word mosaic canvas
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- Regular price€19,00
The essentials: a face built entirely out of words: the portrait is drawn by a mosaic of black and white type, with the title in white capitals along the bottom. No colour at all. 10 sizes from 20 × 30 cm / 8 × 12 in to 110 × 160 cm / 43 × 63 in. Frame sold separately. From €19 to €109 depending on size, free standard shipping.
A screenplay written in three days and never sold
Having had the idea, a 28 year old actor wrote the screenplay in three and a half days. The studios were happy to buy it — on one condition: the lead had to go to an established star. He refused.
The offers climbed to 360,000 dollars for the script alone, at a point when he had a few hundred dollars in the bank. He held out, and eventually got the part, for a token fee and a budget cut to around one million dollars. The film came out in 1976 and returned more than a hundred times its cost. This canvas is made of the material that started all of it: words.
What you see
Portrait format, black and white only. The face fills the upper two thirds, cropped from chin to forehead, three quarters on — but it is not drawn: it is composed entirely of typographic characters at different sizes and weights, whose density creates the shadows and the volume.
Along the bottom, the title in large white capitals stands out against the weave. From 3 m / 10 ft you read a face; from 1 m / 3 ft the face disappears and only words are left. That is the intended effect.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject | Portrait composed of typographic characters |
| Finish | Typographic illustration, black and white |
| Dominant colours | Black and white |
| Orientation | Portrait |
| Material | Cotton canvas, high definition digital print |
| Inks | Pigment based, UV resistant |
| Thickness | 3 mm / 0.12 in |
| Canvas delivery | Rolled in a protective tube, no stretcher bars |
| Frame | Frame sold separately |
| Care | Dry microfibre cloth, barely damp cloth if needed |
| Use | Indoor |
| Sizes | 20 × 30, 30 × 45, 40 × 60, 50 × 70, 60 × 90, 70 × 100, 80 × 120, 90 × 130, 100 × 150, 110 × 160 cm (8 × 12 to 43 × 63 in) |
| Price | From €19 to €109 depending on size |
| Shipping | Free standard shipping |
Worth knowing: pure black and white competes with no wall colour and no furniture, which makes this the easiest Rocky canvas to place in a room that is already decorated. From 60 × 90 cm / 24 × 35 in the double effect — a face from a distance, words up close — works fully. Frames are sold separately: wooden frame up to 100 cm / 39 in per side, XXL wooden frame from 110 to 200 cm / 43 to 79 in, or aluminium frame in 8 finishes.
A type weave reads at two distances
For both readings to coexist there has to be enough surface for the characters to stay identifiable: below 40 × 60 cm / 16 × 24 in the weave turns into grey grain and only the face survives. From 60 × 90 cm / 24 × 35 in the effect works both ways. The size chart by wall type covers the other placements room by room.
You may also like
- Rocky Balboa fist canvas — the quote poster on a white ground, if you want text that actually reads rather than a weave.
- Rocky retro poster canvas — a vintage poster on a cream ground, if you need a light piece to balance a dark wall.
- Rocky Balboa quote canvas — a line from the saga set in type alone, if the text is the subject you want.
Frequently asked questions
What is the face on this canvas made of?
Typographic characters — words and letters at different sizes and weights, whose density builds the shadows. Nothing is drawn: from a metre away the portrait dissolves and only type is left.
What size canvas should I hang above a sofa?
The working rule is about two thirds of the width of the furniture below it, centred 145 cm / 57 in from the floor. Over a 200 cm / 79 in three-seater, that means 80 × 120 cm / 31 × 47 in; over a two-seater, 60 × 90 cm / 24 × 35 in; in a hallway, 30 × 45 cm / 12 × 18 in. The full size chart by wall type is on the Ali vs Liston 1965 page.
How was the Rocky screenplay written?
In three and a half days, by a 28 year old actor who then refused to sell it unless he played the lead. Offers reached 360,000 dollars for the script alone before he got the part on a budget of about one million.
Is there any colour on this canvas?
None. It is pure black and white, which is what makes it straightforward to hang in a room that already has a palette of its own.
Does the canvas come with a frame?
No, the canvas ships on its own, rolled in a protective tube. Frames are sold separately: wooden frame up to 100 cm / 39 in per side, XXL wooden frame from 110 to 200 cm / 43 to 79 in, or aluminium frame in 8 finishes. The wooden kits are 2.5 cm / 1 in thick and come with instructions.
How do I clean a canvas print?
A dry microfibre cloth handles almost everything. For a mark that stays, use a barely damp cloth with no detergent, wiping across the surface. No abrasive sponge, no glass cleaner.
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