Illustration Friday: Celebrate

When you're young, even small things are cause for celebration.....like the birthday of your kitten friend! The sad thing is, I did this very thing to my little Yoshi when his first birthday rolled around....only I was not young at all! And look at him now...all grown up. He seems rather disinterested in his illustrated self so I guess it's okay to post on this blog!

I'm proud of this illustration, not necessarily because of how it turned out but because I am amazed that I was also able to sketch it, redraw it and color it in one evening!!! This is an amazing accomplishment for me....I agonize over things, drawing and erasing, drawing and erasing for so long. I really need to get to the point where I can confidently make a piece of art from beginning to end in a reasonable amount of time. It's a challenge and a matter of practice and determination. AND you have to let go of perfectionism and take it easy!

Here is the sketch I drew on scrap paper. I hope you can see the many eraser marks from all of the times I changed something (for my beautiful friends that wish they had the confidence to be artsy. Aimee! Chris!). I am amazed when other artists show their sketches or artistic journal and the rough drawings are so.....not rough! I am unable to draw that clearly and perfectly the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd time. I ALWAYS need a good eraser and a paper that can withstand all of my minor corrections. I guess life is kind of life that....lots of new paths and possibilities and a billion little refinements and corrections. Hmmm.....