Painting Over

There recent was a news report that stated exactly how many years less one lives by engaging in "bad habits". Six. GROAN!! Upon hearing that "uplifting" information on a day when I was already feeling a bit low, I thought I/we needed a pick-me-up and "dashed off" this comic.

Pretty nice. I initially drew an old style (1040's) radio sitting on a table, but realised that might confuse the viewer as to what era we were in. Also, the dog was sitting with it's front paws down and was more in profile. I thought the dog could be funnier, so I drew it begging, widened the hips and voila, funnier dog. When I changed the radio to a transistor radio, I had to put it on something and then the idea of the exercise bike popped into my head. The only thing I should have tried was to draw dust heaped on and around the bike to suggest it hasn't been used in a long time.

I was planning on inking it as I have the Orchid Society cartoons, but I'd also started watching videos on digital painting and thought this would be a good piece to try painting. Once I started, I couldn't stop.

When I said I "dashed" it off, well... it took about a week. Not constant work, but if I did it day after day, hour after hour, I might have been able to do it in a day and a half or two days. Gotta work on that speed!

But honestly, I'm pretty pleased with the results. 

I like how you can "feel" the volumes, the guys arms, legs, body have roundness. I like how his bottom teeth are visible and following the arc of his lower jaw. I like the shading on the burger and it's clam-shell package. I really like the chair's painterly quality and how punished it looks. I really like the fur on the dog - it helps to describe his forms and volume.

I have an idea now how I could have painted the dust, and I next time I'll add texture to the chair and some to the guy so he doesn't look like he's rolled in a bowl of buttered popcorn. Anyway, not bad if I do say so myself!