The Four Kings of Boxing: Part two (Or Coyote Duran invades Las Vegas...kind of)

The Four Kings of Boxing (Clockwise): Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler, 18" X 24", Acrylic paint on stretched canvas. Art by Coyote Duran.

It's been a year-and-a-half in the making (yes, just about 18 months) but my "Four Horsemen/Four Kings of Boxing" painting is finally finished! Now before you get all judgy about my work rate/ethic, just know that this piece was never initially a commission. Originally this was just something to do between commissions and my regular work as an online editor for RingTV.com and UCNLive.com (free plugs for one and all, baby!) while working on a surface on which I hadn't in a while: a stretched canvas. All in all, looking back, the process was rewarding and easy as pie. I often work with acrylic paint on canvas panels and Bristol Board, so this wasn't really a stretch. (See what I did there?) However I don't own an upright easel, so I had to be mindful about how heavy my right hand and not lean on my surface in any way.

Who ultimately changed this piece into a commission the girlfriend of our cousin Allen Medina (whom everyone affectionately calls "Bud"), Cynthia Salinas, who actually does medicals for Top Rank, one of the biggest boxing promotional firms in the world.

(Bud and Cynthia are actually both steeped in Our Sport, as Bud's son is a rising amateur boxer, as well. They all really know their stuff, Howlers.)

Last year, as I was sharing steps in my penciling and initial paint processes, Cynthia contacted me about perhaps buying this piece to present it as a birthday gift to someone very special in her professional circles, some time in February.

That person? Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman.

Good(man) enough for me.


Now some of you who have seen the previous steps might have noticed that I shifted my process somewhat in certain details. My associated Instagram posts will actually clue you into the sections I've changed, specifically details in Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran's hair.

For a bit, I just couldn't see the overall balance and felt a little dismayed but couldn't figure out why. Well, adding the little light pockets in Sugar Ray's hair and the highlight slashes in Duran's hair just wasn't cutting it. Had I left them, I would have had to change the overall tone of the piece and that might have been too much work for too little impact. And sometimes, too many ingredients can way spoil the chili. Believe me; I know...and I also know chili.

So I took a risk and relied on my pop art sensibilities. I'm going to let less say more and allow the remainder of the piece help do the talking. So while I reinforced what I already had going on, my risk (or reluctance to take a further risk) paid off.

And now my Four Kings now has a new and happy home in Las Vegas with one of the finest players on boxing promotions. Thank you, Cynthia and Bud for your confidence and a new opportunity to show off my work. And I hope you Howlers love it just as much as I do!





Questions? Comments? Complaints? Commissions? Hit me up at coyote@coyoteduran.com. You can also follow me at twitter.com/CoyoteDuran, instagram.com/coyoteduran and facebook.com/CDCreationNation.