Drawing a Panther & skull design
Quick process of designing this dark panther & skull scene. A new project I had recently been working on, on and off over the past year.
Cycling through some concepts, layouts and other ideas. I was initially led towards a symmetrical layout but decided against it.
This started out as a tattoo design but I decided to do something else with it and further develop it.
Initial pencil drawing is almost done, The panther's face still needed some work, among other things.
Part of the intent of this design was to play with contrast and light. The Panther is loosely placed to align the shadows of the skull.
I've shared some interesting quotes relating to the artwork.
“They've promised that dreams can come true - but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too.”
- Oscar Wilde
I printed out a copy of the scanned pencil drawing and went over it with prisma colour pencils. It was mostly finished but I still wasn't happy with it at this point, it sat on the back burner for some time...
"Beauty is an omnipresence of death and loveliness, a smiling sadness that we discern in nature and all things, a mystic communion that the poet feels."
- Charlie Chaplan
Here's a quick animation/timelapse of the process from pencil sketch to finished painting.
"Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."
- Terry Pratchett
"The fear of death is the beginning of slavery."
- Robert Anton Wilson
"In the sleep of death what dreams may come."
- William Shakespeare
"It is difficulties that reveal what men amount to. whenever you're struck by a difficulty, remember that God, like a trainer in the gymnasium, has matched you against a tough young opponent. 'For what purpose?', someone asks. So that you may become an Olympic victor: and that is something that can't be achieved without sweat."
- Epictetus. Discourses, 1.24
You must be a wide reader to have known all of those quotes. The first one by Oscar Wilde is interesting. I myself did not realize that. But people usually have different takes on good dreams and nightmares. If it is good, they would say dreams come true. If it is a nightmare, the would say nightmares are opposite of what's going to happen in reality. How selective!
It is good to see your progress with the in-between photos. I am still trying to decipher the relationship of the panther and the skull but I take it that the panther is death, the replacement of that faceless black creature with, what's that, sickle?
Nice drawing you got there!
Thank you, I have many quotes saved and have a general interest in philosophy. Good point! People seek pleasure over pain, or in this case, nightmares! Whatever people believe to be true may be a self fulfilling prophecy.
I guess the panther is up to interpretation, it can be a symbol for death, fear or courage. Thanks for the kind words!
I used to collect quotes in high school. I even had a dedicated notebook for them it but I do not know what happened. I just forgot about it. I guess a striking one hit that I just dropped. 😊
You mentioned that you've been working on this over the past year. What's with this anyway? Of all subjects, why something around death?
Cool! I have many folders full of quotes, I lose track of them.
the artwork was originally for a tattoo apprenticeship I was applying for. I never ended up taking the job. Skulls and panthers are just cool and death is an interesting subject, it's impacted my life, I had also lost a good friend to suicide last year, I guess it had some influence on the artwork.
That's amusing. Other than we keep wondering when our turn will come, what's interesting about death? I'm curious...
I guess existential philosophy and a general inclination towards the unknown and what comes after.
Yes, that makes death interesting. Many people have beliefs that souls still roam around like human beings, others think they either go to heaven or hell. No one came back from death to tell us so now I wonder, can technology do something to explain the unexplainable in this case...
Reincarnation is another theory. Tech certainly may be able to answer it, though I think maybe some questions are better left unanswered.
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Great illiustration! It's always nice to see the initial concept designs, a whole year for one illiutration is a long time, but that's how great pieces like this get created :) I also loved how you added a lot of quotes to this post. Looking at the progress of the illiustration and reading those powerfull quotes set a truly amazing vibe to the whole illiustration for me! ^^
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it! I like to take my time with some projects but more than anything I simply no longer have as much time to work on personal projects.
Really amazing composition and great work!
Thank you : )
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This is freaking awesome! I love the philosophical quotes side by side to the picture.
Also as an artist I can totally appreciate how you worked on this on and off for over a year. Sometimes these things take time to escape us.
Well done and congrats on the curie upvote!
Thanks man, appreciate it! It was lucky to get finished at all!
Hi woooooow very beautiful 💗 thank you dear friend
Thank you!
Hermoso diseño, y las citas que lo acompañan son muy buenas, es cierto que hay que luchar por nuestros sueños, pero nadie quiere que sus pesadillas se hagan realidad, el trabajo terminado,quedo, bellisimo, puedes contarme cual fue tus emoción, con el voto curie, sonrisa, risa, brinco, exclamacion, aplausos, esa es una hermosa y gran recompensa por un buen trabajo, cariños y besos @jeremyrfk.
Gracias, tienes razón en luchar por nuestros sueños, es una lucha enorme pero una gran recompensa. Estaba muy feliz de recibir un voto curie. ¡gracias!
What a beautiful design, dark and gothic. The elements are really working well here, from the subtle flowers in the background to the circular flow design of the skull and panther up to the white coffin <3.
Gorgeous art Jeremy and congratulations for the curie vote :).
Thank you kindly!
Hi jeremyrfk,
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