“The quill hovered over the paper anxiously. What to write? Around hung images, maps and plans for the far-out future. But the real priority, the cause of fear- the very next word.”
The sentient cabinetry in this image encounters a problem I’ve faced many times myself: the fear of failure. It’s paralyzing, to look at a painting or drawing in progress and know you want to finish it, but be afraid to start because you’re scared of it turning out bad.
But the real image in front of you isn’t the same as the one in your head, that fragile idea that seems so perfect. So while avoiding is easy, sitting down and putting the time in is what you need to do. And this is a struggle I’ve faced for the longest time. But not giving up is crucial…
I drew this one in pencil, roughly 4×6 inch size. Its construction is something I’m proud of. The foreground objects don’t distract from the character, due to my own choosiness of values throughout. I love working in grayscale. Maybe too much? Jury’s still out on that point. Hopefully they never arrive at a vote.
I don’t think I’m done with this sentient objects concept just yet, so I’m looking forward to developing this conceptual “world” where cabinetry resides, free from human interference. Overt backstories are hard for me because I VERY quickly end up way in over my head. The last time I wrote a backstory for a painting, it ended up 700 words and outpaced the details I’d actually included in the image. So keeping things simple really is the best.
Merry Christmas, and here’s to a happy New Year coming soon.
Kristin
Illustrations by Kristin Bandy 