Surrender

Scanner ate it.
Sorry for the Large File

Story Behind the Art...
More or less, I tend to run away from my fears and complications. Many of those fears fall under the files of being "discovered" or someone bold enough to care. Of course, these fears are limited to real-life things. I run and run and run until I think I'm safe, but when my problems catch up to me I start to run again. A one way ticket to "Crash and Burn" alley. Lucky me took the train there - with the help of my family.

As for the Art Itself...
The art was drawn to illustrate the crash and burn. My father was the only one to notice the blood coming from Soldier's paws. The blood gives the notion that she's been running so hard, her paws are bleeding. I tried to give Solider a sort of "fearful" look in her eyes, but it's hard to work with those white things. I started this piece in September of 2005 and finished it December 2005. Three months off and on. I showed this to the Youth at church and three of them said it was showing an evil creature. I asked them why and they pointed to Soldier's eyes. Michael (Youth Minister) came around and I showed this to him. He said (and I quote) "Looks like somebody's stalkin'" That just kinda knocked me dead. It's funny how easily it is to confuse people who aren't artistically inclined. He didn't know what Soldier's scars were, either. But he did notice that the trees in the background were dead and I would like to take a moment to specify the importance of the trees. Those are the exact trees that surround a certain place in Germany - my favorite place to go. I don't know the name of the place, but I do remember those trees. This piece was also drawn in realism because I've noticed that I have never drawn Solider in realism before, so I was bound and determined to do just that. The shading was a pain, the sky took the longest, and the fur detail died away when it got scanned along with the darkness of the shading and sky.

Mistakes and "I wish I could have changed"...
You see those three black dots towards the right? Those came about when i was signing this. I usually sign in black India ink, but the pen went flying and the ink in the pen just... grr! But, I must say, I like this piece more with the dots. Odd enough, but I do. Now i get to point to them and say "Yep, that's where I screwed up." If anything, I wish I could show you the original in all it's beauty. The scanner ate up the colors, as I've said before, but there's no changing the form of the figures. I need help with my rocks. They look okay in the original, but in general, I'm not extremely pleased with them. I had a little trouble fore-shortening her leg, there, and her elbow looks deformed... kinda.

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Hours? - 56 hrs.
Reference? - No
Media? - Staples Wooden pencil + 0.7 Mechanical pencil
Layers? - Lots of "Building Up"
Inspiration? - None
Art + Solider Copyright Traveling Soldier