As soon as Sharon said “serial killer,” I could see this visual pun in my mind, using those little boxes of cereal where you would cut open the box and pour the milk right in.
It was a difficult “undertaking” finding enough of these mini-boxes for the scene as they have been replaced by plastic, pre-packaged bowls.
I used spotlighting to play up the drama of the scene and give the painting a movie thriller feel.
What looks like a rather simple background actually required many layers to get the glowy depth I was seeking. Once I got the handle and spotlight focal point to my liking, I added the shadow for maximum impact.
As it turns out, it is really difficult to get a good, clean cut on a small cereal box without squishing the box flat. The result of my failed stabbings were bags of loose cereal mixed together; we ended up eating breakfasts of “mystery cereal’ for months.
If you are on the squeamish side, you might prefer the companion piece Cereal Killer II. It has the same idea, but instead of a knife, uses an arrow to amplify the comedic effect and cut down on the gore!