Surprise – Music-book Doodles 2022

I just had an A-ha moment on this one… it reminds me of the little white antagonist in the old Pin k Panther cartoons: always with a look of angry indignation and incredulity. Maybe my bird just can’t believe he was caught in a vulnerable pose; maybe there’s a whole greater story going on outside the frame of this composition. I leave it up to you to decide (and hopefully share).

I’m still struggling with the question of preference for pastels over crayons for pigment strength, coverage, and blending. Playing with a gentle blending of tones and creating tension with complementary colours works very well here. It creates the fuzziness I love to show movement: while the figure is clearly standing shock-still, it also appears to be trembling in its surprised state.

What do you see?

More to come…