Digital Pencil Case

Okay, so anyone who has read this blog may have suspected that predicting an update in less than a week was probably more than a little bit optimistic. Still, at least there is an update.

I have received some gentle encouragement to produce more work for DECONSTRUCTED and of course, this will be forthcoming, however, as mentioned in my last post I have experienced some revived interest in the slightly steampunky/ fantasy world of my Untitled Fantasy Project No.2.

On a side note it may be interesting to point out that the time I am able to devote to creative projects has greatly increased of late owing to the recent demise of my artistic nemesis. After many years of unproductive time consumption my beloved Xbox360 finally gave up the ghost last week and popped its metaphorical clogs having suffered a failure in either its lens or laser optics. The green- eyed cyclops now sits blind and impotent, no longer able to exert its terrible powers of indolence. Rejoice!

On the subject of todays post it is fun to again note that the image posted above was rendered completely in Painter 12, and although it may not look very different to many of my other works it has allowed me to create in a less restrictive way.

The character is a 'Pirate Princess' thus far un-named, who would serve as the leader of a renegade group within the fantasy setting. Commander of a rag-tag group of dubious moral standing she, of course has a heart of gold. Picture if you will a female cross between Robin Hood, Captain Jack Sparrow and Mance Rayder from A Song of Ice and Fire.

The fun thing about drawing in a computer is it leaves me free to chop and change features, experimenting with ideas that might otherwise be left unrealised owing to the more perminent nature of paper and graphite, for though pencil lines can be erased there is no way to revert to earlier versions or to mix and match changes other than creating an entirely new rendering.

This picture went through various revisions; with cape and without cape, both hands on hips, flintlocks holstered on her belt (which had the unfortunate appearance of sex toys which, combined with the heeled boots, tight leather trousers and corset gave a decidedly different slant to the character) and various hairstyle revisions. I'm still not satisfied that I have tried all of these permutations and I may yet go back and make some more alterations, but the fact that I have the option to do so excites me.

Unfortunately work calls, and I am required to eat, live under a roof and pay for electricity (one thing a pencil and paper don't require) so I am forced to leave my creative musings here.

I shall not make a prediction for my next update, you wouldn't believe me anyway.

Ps. Apologies for any particularly noticeable spelling catastrophes, Blogger's spellchecker doesn't seem to be working properly.