Inktober 2019 – 3

I really wanted to see how it felt to work with a comic layout and not use Pixton. I loved it. Planning each panel, figuring out the progress in each, and then putting it all together was a blast. It made me want to do it again, and I did. I also wanted to focus on saying something about danger, and about protection. The impression I often give is that my thoughts often turn to a cruel, dominating, possessive stance when it comes to the tiny man in my stories. Nothing could be further from the lies. But I’m also splendidly nice. I’ve also yet to write about what happens to the little guy once she brings him home, patches him up, and gets some grub in him.

Well, the prompt was dragon, and I wanted to draw a dragon, so I did. I also used Pixaloop to create the appearance of heat and the dragon’s smoking breath. From the moment I was aware that the fairy tale trope is to put a princess in a precarious position near a dragon, and to then have a prince rescue her, I’ve wondered why no one ever thought of having the princess rescue herself, or be much taller than the dragon (and the prince), and take them with her as she departs to have many adventures.

That movie had been out for months, so it’s fair to say that this drawing was inspired by the visual of half the people vanishing in clumps of ashy nothingness. What I’m not sure about is why she’s smiling. Oh, I remember now! I always intended for the image to show his outstretched arms, and never his tragic disappearance. She would never smile at such a thing.

The basic idea behind this drawing is about how much I love looming. Standing tall over much smaller forms. Fully aware of a tremendous size that overcomes everything down there. There is an important give-and-take, because just as I’m preoccupied with the depiction of that great shadow encompassing and overwhelming the feelings of all that is darkened by it, I know that the owner of that shadow is equally enraptured by that small body trembling down there. Also, looming over something that’s positioned at just the right height… is… good.

I have no idea what’s going on here. I don’t know what he’s doing, or who’s making him do that, or what she can possibly hope to accomplish. Anyway, look at the time. Gotta go. Things to do, people to shrink.