These were done on 4 x 6 pieces of watercolor paper i cut up... sorry if this one's a little blurry.
Sometimes the holidays stir feelings of melancholy in some of us, and i'm no different.
So i decided to take a break from the purple dude... and do a few of these.
Some relaxing trees.
All I'm trying to do with this red-ish tree is make it somewhat different than the first. It's not literally based on any known tree i've ever seen.
Here they are together, for contrast.
Some people ask me why i sometimes draw my pages all different sizes? Most assume it's easier to draw an original art smaller sized, but it's actually more difficult, and sometimes drawing smaller has often made me work harder and focus more, and not be as sloppy in the larger size.
I also noticed my work tightens up when i bounce back the normal 11 x 17 page.
So working small can help sometimes.
But trees, have no rules.
Their probably the most intuitive thing i draw, outside of outback critters,
which are also mostly totally made up and pulled randomly out of me ass, so to speak.
This third tree was inspired by a miniature bonsai tree i saw once. I doubt the top leaves were that thick though.
It was years until i'd explore working subtler subject matter into my work, like the trees in the Hollows series, or minimal brush strokes of sumi brush painting. Still love the detailed stuff, but it took a lot of courage to creep out on the branch of organic subject matter, and the 'taboo' of daring to omitting detail, a devotion to detail that i too worshiped while trying to break into comics. Detail i still dig sometimes.
But what's so cool is, you guys get that too. In many ways, you are more open minded than i am, and keep reminding *me* that all of it...
...large and kick-ass stuff, small and delicate, crazy detailed, or bare and minimal, it's all 'sam-a-verse' crap, for lack of a better word.
take care of yourselves and thanks for letting be yammer on.
Sam
