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Table of Contents

1. The Big Do-Over! | Illustration

2. Bi-Weekly Recommendations | Closing Thoughts

The Big Do-Over!

If you have loosely followed this newsletter, you may have seen me take an old illustration, often one that causes me emotional harm to look at, and use it as the basis of a new, inspired artwork. {See “If You Were a Color” or “The Marshmallow Dragon”}. When I’ve done this in the past, I often limit myself to a certain amount of time, as not to get too bogged down by detail, and focus more on capturing the original essence of the piece itself. It is still a sizable amount of work, often landing somewhere in the range of 2-4 hours, but this time, I decided to do something a bit different. No limits.

Now, when I say no limits, I want to clarify that the areas I usually focus on, including lighting, composition, character, and action, all stay equally as relevant. The only difference is really just the time. But those who know me, and my ADHD fueled tendency to hyper focus, understand that it gently lifts the corner of Pandora’s box. Usually, it is something that I try to avoid for the sake of controlling burnout, but I promised myself that if it was the only thing I included in today’s newsletter, I would allow it.

So off I went, opening up my faithful folder; my dark, dusty journal entitled “Old Artwork (Yikes)”, and began to dig. It took a little while to find an artwork worthy of a no limits rework, but eventually I happened upon one.

Let me preface the drawing’s introduction by saying this is a piece that has always felt a little lost. It was one of my early attempts at digital painting, and the only reason it was created was to meet the minimum amount of artwork required for a professional to review your portfolio.

Looking back, I can tell that it was rushed. That I struggled with color balance, blending, shape language, and both character and composition were lacking in confidence. But at the time, it felt like every other piece of artwork I was creating. When the day came to show an illustrator my work, upon turning to this drawing they paused, sighed, and asked me if I had ever given serious thought to my “style”. A tough thing to hear in my first portfolio review, but also transformative for my future as an artist. While I know it wasn’t the fault of one piece, or any single issue, I always think about that moment when I look at this picture. So let’s give it the chance it deserves.

Without further ado, here is our subject for today, carrying with it, the weight of all its potential.

First and foremost, let’s get address the elephant in the room. Chimps are apes, and apes DON’T have tails. As much as I could argue this was supposed to be some other species of monkey, I must ardently admit my mistake. For someone that loves animals as much as I do, it’s an embarrassing start.

Despite its flaws, there are a couple things about this piece I like. I can tell it was my first time attempting some effects with the water splashing. I like the softness of the sky, the colors of the clothes, and I think there is a character to be discovered here.

Before starting, I wrote down a quick list of things that I wanted to update in my deep dive, such as the composition, a fully developed background, character body language/presentation, and building a story. I made a point to note the color-scheme of our character, and the general setting to prioritize a little bit of consistency.

With that, I did NOT set a timer, and began to rebuild. Let’s draw together!

Aaand, we did it!! Here is the finished piece. From where we started, I think we gave this artwork the proper chance it always deserved, and I am so happy with the result.

Overall, it feels like we captured and expanded on the essence of the original, while paying tribute to certain elements like the pose, the outfit, and the setting. The character feels so much more alive to me, and I hope the emphasis on storytelling comes through. I would love to hear what you think of the artwork, and what tale unfolds when you look at it!

As we reflect upon the difference 6+ years of work can make, let us not forget to be kind to our past selves, and our past work. As hard as it can be to look back, I’m finding that embarrassment is simply a sign of growth. To cringe is to reflect with compassion, so let’s be kind to we we were, who we are, and who we have yet to become.

Bi-Weekly Recommendations

• Take some time to reflect on an area of long-term growth, be it personally, professionally, or passion…ally. Think back to who you were at different stages of that journey, and see what comes up. If there are any signs of embarrassment, see if you can hold compassion in the same space.

• A few songs that aren’t classics, but should be:

  • “Close To You” by Dayglow

  • “Strong” by Allen Stone

  • “2001” by Foals

  • “400 Cities” by Paul Russell

Support My Work!

If you enjoy what I do, please consider a donation! Not only does it support the time and effort I put into my work, but it also allows me to create more. Anything is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for being here.

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