Girl With Lion Cub - A Digital Painting

Life is sure full of contradictions. Very often, they conflict. One such example would be the collision between man and beast; civilization and nature.

That's the topic of this work. I've taken a girl from the Victorian/Edwardian Era (Victorian times were considered the epitome of what is "proper") and put her in the heart of Africa, the so-called "Dark Continent." Here is the collision: A prim, proper lady with a young King of Beasts. They're two things from two very different worlds.

Instead of a clash between civilized and the wild, I've decided to make this human-animal encounter something else.

I remember that pen and tablet I bought long ago. It was the Bamboo brand, to be exact. I didn't even use it that much, but before I could use it considerably, the pen just had to go missing. I don't know what happened to it. The pen was right next to the tablet, that's as much as I can remember. I don't know if anybody took it and placed it somewhere. I don't know if it's still in the house. I've never been able to find it. It's been a long time already, five years, in fact. I can always buy another one, but I'm a recent college grad with a shitload of loans to pay.

It sure sucks when you're trying to make digital paintings and you don't have a pen. You're left with the mouse only. It's not impossible to create fantastic works with the mouse, not by any means. But it could be a real pain.

That's when competent and extensive knowledge of graphics-producing software is essential Proficiency in the many different techniques of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop can really make work easier for you. The Gradient and Gaussian Blur tools will save you the trouble of trying to blend colors.

Ever since I lost the pen for the tablet, I've resorted to Illustrator to make digital art. I use Photoshop to enhance my Illustrator works; the two in tandem allows for the creation of more fantastic works. I've fallen in love with vector art in recent years. However, I've always had a thing for painting. I've always wanted to paint like the masters. While traditional brush painting gives me a lot of control, it's a long, messy work.

Fortunately, I've discovered Illustrator's Gradient Mesh tool. You can make realistic, painting-like vector art with it. All it takes are good references, and TONS of patience. Combine that with Photoshop to make some of the details like fur, and you'll have a piece that would probably make Da Vinci proud.