Although I have what is like a million and one other things that I need to be getting on with, such as creating invisibility potions or traversing various dimensions on the lookout for something of interest, not to mention getting the first chapter – no, page – no, paragraph – no, WORD! – onto the page of my book, as well as doing the normal everyday task of actually living, I have decided to undertake a new venture. One that is really appealing to my Inner Artist. It is something that allows me to use my mind in a different way, to be a little more creative, and to use a little more colour. I like colour.
This couldn’t have come at a better time for me, as I’m in need of a little inspiration. Not that I don’t have any inspiration, that is, but it’s always useful to have a little more. Well, that’s what I think anyway!
I’ve recently started following a new blog, an artist by the name of Gabriel Garbow, and it is through Gabriel that I have been introduced to a site called Illustration Friday. What Illustration Friday does is sets a theme, a weekly challenge, where anyone can contribute an illustration linked to the theme of the week.
Last week’s theme, Tree, was the first one I attempted. My tree was terrible. It was so bad I thought I’d better give up the idea before I’d even started. I didn’t submit it.
This week’s theme is Zoom. I wanted to do something different, not just a racing car or rocket ship or cheetah to represent speed or a close up of an ant to represent a close-up photograph. The first thought I had was a roller disco. Well, people on roller skates zoom around everywhere, don’t they? I very roughly sketched out several people dancing on skates. And then it got a little busy. Too many people.
So, I went with idea number two, ice-skaters. Ice dancers, to be precise, as they zoom around the ice rink with grace and speed. I drew two figures, a male skater holding a female skater high in the air. It looked OK, but was still missing something… so I shelved that idea as well.
This art malarkey isn’t as easy as you first think, you know!
I didn’t want to let another week go by without submitting something, without taking the plunge, so to speak. It took me years to start blogging and now I love writing… I’ve loved ‘doodling’ for years, and now I can start to try, at least, to help myself to get better at that again. Hopefully. Slightly.
I wanted to go for the opposite of zoom, and instantly a tortoise appeared in my mind. Not just any old tortoise, though; a lightning quick one! On roller skates! And wearing a crash-helmet! I’ve always been a fan of those Saturday morning cartoons…
I’d drawn the outline in around ten seconds whilst speaking on the phone, and then it was time to get down to adding colour. I’ve always found colouring-in therapeutic. I like highlighting text at work for the same reason! Eventually, the tortoise was in full colour; that’s him at the beginning of this post.
The thing is, he doesn’t really represent the word zoom. He doesn’t really represent the word movement, for that matter.
I added a background of streaky lines, and if you blur your eyes, you can kind of see life zooming by as the tortoise stands still. Or, in my surreal universe, we’re travelling at the same speed as the tortoise and are zooming passed everything else.
I’m starting easy with these cartoon characters, but I’m willing to ‘have a go’ at slightly more challenging pieces of work as time goes on. I may not be able to contribute something every week, however, as like the tortoise, things seem to be zooming passed me a lot quicker than they should be at the moment.
Time to sit back and relax, I think. And start creating.
The Mansionic Perspective 
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