Hard to believe that I’ve been working on my World’s Sexiest Dictionary for several years now. So long in fact, that a pandemic has come and gone and yet, I’m still working on this project, which was a radical idea at the time and even now, still motivates me to pour energy into on a daily basis.
Computer Paper & Watercolor Crayons
My humble beginnings started off with regular computer paper and watercolor crayons. My logic was since the crayons was a new medium, I’d start practicing with the cheapest paper possible. If I could make that look decent, then I’d spend money on the better materials.
When I was at a social event, I told an art teacher about the illustration project I was working on. Without knowing what assbackwards method I had been using, she asked if I using a digital illustration app. Of course not, but I took her advice.
Rough Draft Digital
A month before the 2020 COVID pandemic shutdown, I bought a tablet and the digital app and started my journey to learn another new medium. Not only was it an easier process, but it was portable and involved no clean up.
One of the many lessons that I learned in having to complete 156 illustrations was that my inner critic had to be OK with leaving an illustration looking “good enough,” whatever that meant at the time. I had faith that my technique would improve over time. All I had to do was keep moving forward.
Final Draft Digital
I’ve called this third rendition of the 156 illustrations the “FINAL” set. I’m not going to stop digital illustrating, but I’ve finally hit a level with this project where I could complete them, publish them, and then move on.
Time will tell how many more years that’ll take.