All This Work for Nothing

So I have been working on this book for quite a while now. I technically could've been done a little while back. What happened? Video games? Kinda. Friends? Hmmmm, I guess a little. No, what really happened was I wasn't happy with what I had. I had the whole book illustrated and I didn't feel like looking at it. And if I don't want to look at it, why should you? I stepped away from it for at least a month or so. It was flat, boring and lifeless. See for yourself.

I wanted it to be minimal, but there's minimal good and minimal bad. This was leaning heavy on the latter. However, I was determined to do this. I had a moment where I could almost hear the Rocky music playing in my head and I felt like punching slabs of raw meat and getting back in the ring and finishing this dang book. So I may have had a burger instead, but I came back. I took a second look at what I had done. It needed something else so I grounded the image.

Ehhh. Better. I was getting closer, but it needed a little bit of texture so I gave it some. Actually, a lot.

Ok, this is a little too much, so the final illustration is a little more scaled back, but you get the picture. It has somewhat of a painterly and aged look. I'm happy with it. I was actually hesitant to show you guys because I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I like you. I feel like we have a connection. I don't know, I mean, I was thinking maybe we should move in together. Just think about it. We'd save so much on our utility bills. Sleep on it.

This is where I'll leave you for now. Oh, yeah, remember how I said I was going to add a T-rex? I did.

Word!