This is the other half of Return of the Polar Bear, a drawing in my moleskine. It is after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, an artist from the 16th century. I began it as a way to try out his intricate use of line and hatching. The subject matter altered some along the way - his etching didn't have any animals, and of course mine had to be all about the animals. I also simplified. It turned out to be a wonderful lesson.
White and sanguine conte pencils on toned paper. These ruins captured my drawing itch with the quality of the light filtering brilliantly through the tangled growth outside, and the open shade within. At a metaphorical level, the image is about the sense of having a laborious path set in stone for me by custom, convention, and culture, while way is wide open to the chaotic fertility of nature, should I choose to follow my own feet and heart.
In response to this week's drawing prompt: Instead of drawing my house, I drew the house from the movie Knives Out. The house acts almost as a character in the movie, setting the stage for one of the best murder/mystery films I've ever seen.
Freehand sketching in ink from a photo reference I found online, to practice conveying that lots-of-stones look without drawing all the stones (photo credit: K. Mitch Hodge). Micron pens + alcohol markers.
Don’t get caught here unawares… I don’t suggest you take the stairs. The treasure that this castle keeps, deep beneath the water sleeps. But if you’re patient with the tides, there’s another path it hides. Quickly now! Find the door! and hurry back onto the shore. For the moon, she will not wait to turn the tide and flood the gate. Don’t get caught here unawares… I don’t suggest you take the stairs.
Wanted a fantasy comp but with a unique color palette and a modern subject. I also wanted the foreground to appear as a very distinct layer hoping the landscape appears downhill to the viewer. I used Barad-dûr as inspiration for the castle ruins.