when something dies, something else grows out of it
Process
This is the final result of the work in progress I previously shared. As mentioned, I didn't have a plan when I was making it although I had a general idea of what it might look like.
I started with taking photographs of myself to use as references for drawings and paintings. Then, I just picked whatever is in there and started drawing it on Photoshop. I just traced the figure from the image cos I'm not stylizing it and to me there's no point since I already know how to draw and doing it this way makes the process quicker. I do like the process of filling the colors in though so I only traced the outlines. :D
I just followed my intuition and felt this line in the background fits well with the overall composition.
My favorite part is drawing the figures especially the black and white ones. I really like how I can focus on doing the highlights and shadows instead of the colors since they are simpler. While I also keep the painterly style that I love so much.
This is quite inspired by Claude Monet's water lily paintings although I only painted mold-like instead of lilies. My concept turned into about being death and organic beings that's why I wanted to add mold and fungi to it.
I experimented with the figure line as well. I changed colors and the way it is drawn. The best thing about digital is that you can just undo it. :D
I left the drawing for what felt like 2 weeks lol. At one point, I felt like it's finished but something's missing. The line figure just doesn't do it... Until I revisited it again and had the brilliant idea to make the sitting figure to be filled with white instead of just an outline.
I think it worked well this way and gives a nice balance in the overall drawing since it now has a white space to let it breathe.
After experimenting with the colors, contrast and my signature look, this is how it ended up.
A lot of times I really just needed to not see it for a while then realize what must be done to finish it to my satisfaction. I like how it turned out. :D
