do it again

Today I haven´t got too much about artwork to say. In fact I am trying NOT to think about artwork at all. I am in a tent in a little island in Sweden called Öland. It is rainy outside and I am crossing everything I got, hoping for sun tomorrow.

I had a week up until vacation just painting 12 hours a day to make everything perfect and finished before vacation. That is why I try not to think about art right now.

When looking through my computer, searching for some new or semi new artwork to share with you and say something wise or semi-wise about, I found this one. It is a World of Warcraft card. What I really clearly remember is that this painting is resting on the shaking shoulders of another, much less impressive version.

The thing is. I did another card illustration of this girl. Another pose, and a much more straight-forward pose. I went through the whole process and transferred and inked and laid down the paint. When looking at the finished paining I just got this hollow feeling:” This is just barely okay. Could have done so much better”. And then I decided to do so. I was thinking only one thing: ”If I got run over by a car on my way home, would I want this painting to be my last? Hell no!” So before jumping on my bike, I sketched another version. The day after I started painting this slightly altered and, to me, much better and more interesting pose.

I would have loved to show you the bad version, but it is no longer among us. Unless some garbage man picked it up and framed it in his little shed. I threw it out as soon as I finished the new version, and sent the good one off to Blizzard. I never told them about the bad version.

I just figured; if I am not satisfied with an illustration, why would my client be?

It is what continuously makes me resketch already approved sketches and what keeps me breaking pencils in frustration, but it is also what keeps me improving and what keeps me happy with most of my paintings in up to hours after completion.