Maurice the Tiger:

Materials: pencil, Chameleon Markers, & sharpie.

Dimensions: 9in. x 12in.

Artist statement:

In this piece of artwork, I really wanted to create something that would be found in a children’s storybook. I wanted to bring the image of the tiger alive and let you decide what it was doing. I added details to show that it was going somewhere yet I didn’t want to specify exactly where it was going. So I added a bikini a beach ball and sand pale. Now I let the viewer decide whether they think it’s going to the beach or on a vacation etc.This picture relates to my life by showing me that you can still have an imagination no matter how old you grow. I want your imagination to run wild when you look at Maurice and I want you to decide what he is going to do that day. Maurice shows me that it’s ok just to be a tiger wearing sunglasses on a skateboard, even on a Monday.

I first started off by using a pencil to sketch my design out I used a 2H pencil because it was lighter and easier to erase when first starting off. I then went over this in a pen. The pen I used was a 0.5 tip Tru Red pen. When I knew that I liked how this looked I went in with my chameleon markers. I love my chameleon markers because they are easy to blend and have a beautiful vibrant color which was good for what I was doing. Finally, I went around the edges with a fine point sharpie to finish it off.

Whenever I try to draw something like a circle for example the sunglasses, I want to make sure its got no rough edges. So I try to trace something round or use a drawing compass. I also often use rulers for straight lines to make for the least amount of dents. Since I started with a pencil I was able to see the texture from the paper and wanted to balance it with the image of the tiger. I like being able to layer different materials such as paints or pencil and marker. It was satisfying to see the changes from just gray and white to now a rainbow load of colors. I think if I were to draw it again I would want to refine the edges and add more details maybe even make it look more realistic. I would also add some details to the background to make it look like it was in a new location.