That Hero

My doodles of the greatest fictional superhero of all time and his first Larry-Mobile. Usually I don't like to post my drawings of stuff that other people have done because it feels like copying, but today I have a point.

This post is less about art and more about the purpose of art. I put a lot in this blog about how I want God's will to be done, but I don't always demonstrate it on here that well. I wanted to give a better example. I've placed a lot of pride in how I don't complain as much as other people do, but the problem with that is that I still complain, I just do it when I'm alone. I've been doing it more and more recently whenever I could get the chance, but today when I was complaining I stopped and remembered again that venting scientifically does not work. Then even more, I remembered a quote from Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures episode 2, "Leggo My Ego!" The quote is "The way to feel super again is to build others up, not to make them feel small." I know that quote. I should know that! I saw that episode before I was even in school (but only last year learned what that title is a parody of), and today it feels more applicable than ever. It's been that way for most of the Larry-Boy stuff I've come back to in my adulthood, and it's surprised some other college-aged kids I've shared it with. If only I'd remembered. So now, for the practical application, I've decided on the discipline of trying to remember and say something nice about the people I'm mad at. This is especially if I've just complained about them and even if it makes me feel ashamed at first. It's so obvious I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.
Update 8/24/17: Actually the more effective discipline has been practicing silence when I'm alone and trying to engage people and ask them questions about themselves. It's helping me to not blurt or see things only from my perspective. This is a process. 

And that's where the purpose of art comes in. Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures does not have the best animation of all time (as hard as it is for me to admit). But the point of art is not the art itself. Art has, and always will be pointing to something else. It should be judged based on how well it conveys that thing, not whether or not it's "artistic." Art is not good for it's own sake; only if it helps people. Larry-Boy has done more practically for my life than any other fictional superhero. That's what I want to do for someone else. This is the way art, guided by God directly or indirectly, makes a real, practical difference in a person's life. I hope that makes sense to someone out there.

A Sketch of Forgotten Stars

I just now realized the title of this post sounds like click bait, but no. It's a pun on the name of the book series these three characters come from, A Song of Forgotten Stars, by Mr. Kelly Sedinger. I just finished the second book in the trilogy, and it did not disappoint. In brief, it's a sci-fi fantasy story set in the distant future about two star empire princesses who crash land on a remote planet with an unusual connection to a heritage of theirs they never knew about. It's kind of like Star Wars but with much less samurai influence and much tighter storytelling. The three main characters, pictured above from left to right, are Princess Tariana, Princess Margeth, and their protector Lieutenant Rasharri, who remains my favorite character in the series so far.

When I read the first book there was no way I could draw the characters well. Now that I've improved a little I wanted to draw them as best I can. I still can't draw them as well as in my head, but it's fine. I based the portraits on the cover art for each book and filled in the gaps with how I've been picturing them. I didn't add as many details as I wanted though because A: I'm not good with details on cartoon drawings and B: there's no way I would get them all how Mr. Kelly intended them to be. I wanted to try to draw an illitar though. That's the weapon Tariana's holding in her hand. I actually picture the blades as being a bit bigger, but you get the idea. It's a throwing weapon common on Xonareth (the alien planet), and it is pretty cool. Also I drew Tari in how I picture her flight jacket, and I also included Lieutenant Rasharri's blazegun (again, my mental image of it) for fun. I also wanted to include Margeth's musical pipes but ended up not doing so. Side note: I've been including pupils more and more in my characters. I'm still not very comfortable with it, but I've enjoyed it! I'm personally very honored to have tried to draw something from this book at all. Part of me wants to make an animated movie series of this trilogy someday.

Song of Forgotten Stars official site: http://forgottenstars.net/category/song-of-forgotten-stars/
The first book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PURIF1O/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I hope one day God makes my projects at least as good and well done as Mr. Kelly's work. God's will be done.

Relaxed Pace

I've been meaning to write this post in some form or other, but I didn't have any art for it until I was going through my old drawings last night and found this. I thought I had lost it forever. Originally it was drawn to go along with dialogue I had already come up with, but by the time I drew it I had forgotten the words. So I guess they weren't really that important. Anyway, the drawing is of two versions of me talking to each other. Often I've felt like I was either talking to myself or there were two parts of me disagreeing with each other. I've basically gotten over that by this point since I've been able to identify where those voices come from better.

But the relaxed tone of the drawings fit what I wanted for today. I haven't posted a lot of art since I got back from college. Not only because I've been working on a lot of other stuff that I've wanted to do for a while, but also because I don't feel as worried about getting my art done. I used to feel so worried that I was going to lose these years or that I wouldn't get better at art if I didn't push myself a little all the time. But now I know that it's going to happen. It's going to happen naturally, and there's no reason to pressure myself to do it. I'm sure that sounds worrying to some people I know who are worried I'm going to "go too far the other way." I haven't. I'm finally going at my own pace after 8+ months of near-constant stress. And my faith that my work will get done doesn't come from me. I don't think I'm going to naturally get better. Far from it. I think God is going to help me naturally without my forcing it. He's the answer to both procrastination and workaholism. And there's nothing I can do or not do about it. Thank you, God.