Leopard Study

This was a recent painting I did that straddled the move into the new house. Sometimes I set out methodically: planning the sketch, transferring the drawing, carefully choosing a color scheme, ect... And then sometimes like with this one, I just start sketching roughly figuring it'll either become something, or get painted over or erased and become nothing. I had drawn in dark pencil a gesture like drawing of this leopard from a photo a friend had made a duplicate of knowing I like big cats.

What struck me was the intensity of this big cat's laziness. That sounds like an oxymoronic sentence, but what I read was that the leopard was looking at the viewer and could either eat his face off, or keep going on about his day. No biggie either way. He could attack you, but then he'd have to haul your carcass up a tree, and isn't it easier to just stare down the viewer and let them know you've been thinking about eating their face?

Maybe you didn't get that from looking at my painting. If you went, "Oooo, pretty kitty," that's ok, too. They are gorgeous creatures. I have in the past painted a leopard pattern on my face and torso for Halloween.

The scan came out a little more yellow than I was expecting. Funny what the scanner will do to things. I try to keep that in mind while I'm trying to get the color paint mixed just right. It's kind of a "Ah well, the scanner'll screw it up anyway" type of attitude at times.