"The Moon" by Steeven Chapados
The Moon | Steeven Chapados, 42"x88"
Artist Steeven Chapados worked for over 200 hours between 2020 and 2021 to create this large-scale masterpiece drawing of the moon. It was drawn with graphite pencils on a roll of Strathmore 400 Series Heavyweight Drawing paper.
Steeven detailed his process to give insight on how he rendered such a technical and immaculate drawing:
"To create this piece, I referred to a hundred high-resolution photographs from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), launched into orbit by NASA in 2009 as part of the former Constellation space exploration program. Since these images were taken at different times, the angle of the sunlight hitting the lunar surface varied from one lunar region to another. I had to harmonize the shadows cast by the mountains and craters to give the impression that I was relying on a single comprehensive snapshot of the Moon taken at a specific moment.
I have portrayed the primary lunar structures and formations, such as seas and lakes, craters, mountain ranges, promontories, escarpment faults, and ridges. All those that exceed 2 km in diameter are, in principle, visible in the drawing."
Steeven's artwork is currently on display at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), which is participating in NASA's Artemis program aimed at establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon. It has been legally transferred to the CSA and occupies a central and accessible space at its headquarters (located in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada). Its digitized reproduction may serve as a reference tool for future CSA activities.
Steeven's drawing is also the subject of an upcoming book titled Lune: Culture - Nature - Exploration, entirely dedicated to the Moon, set to be released on October 18th, 2023 by Fides publishers, and has already been awarded the "coup de coeur" designation at Renaud-Bray, the largest bookstore chain in Quebec.
Steeven is offering five limited editions (ranging from 100 to 25 copies each) of his drawing of the Moon in the original 42" x 88" size or smaller sizes: 36"x75", 30"x62", 21"x44", and 12"x26" on his artist page.
STEEVEN CHAPADOS BIOGRAPHY
I have been a philosophy teacher at a college in Montreal since 2007 (cegep of St-Laurent) and am a former lecturer at the University of Montreal and the University of Quebec in the field of philosophy of science. I completed my doctoral studies in philosophy at the University of Montreal in 2000 under the guidance of the renowned Canadian philosopher Jean Grondin.
I lead an artistic career. I practice hyperrealistic drawing in the areas of portraiture, astronomical, wildlife, and archaeological drawing. I've been drawing regularly for over 40 years, and professionally for 25 years. My career took off after I crafted several official portraits for Céline Dion and her family in the early 2000s. Over the years, I've produced portraits for several globally recognized figures, such as Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth (for the Royal Canadian Mint), Prime Minister Pierre-Elliott Trudeau (owned by his son Justin, the current Prime Minister), and many more. In the realm of astronomical drawing, I crafted a large depiction of the Moon which is now owned and displayed by the Canadian Space Agency, using it as an educational tool in their activities and programs, including Artemis.
I am a researcher and author in the fields of philosophy, history, and scientific popularization. I have published several works: a Historical and Philosophical Dictionary of Logic (published in French by Presses de l'Université Laval and Hermann in France, 2017), a trilogy titled WORLD: An Odyssey into Major philosophical and scientific Worldviews, vol. 1, 2, and 3. (published by Fides ed., 2021, 2022, and 2023) and an upcoming book titled MOON, set to be released by Fides ed. this coming October and to be launched at the next Montreal Book Fair.
