The Masks We Wear

Another challenge from a smiley site. A smiley wearing a mask for a masquerade. What could others come up with.

The original prototype is on the left. I decided pretty much to start from scratch, using my preferred base. I immediately knew I wanted to do a flamboyant Mardi Gras mask. I love masks and used to collect them when I was young--before I had kids. A quick Google search brought THIS up for inspiration. My final take is on the right. Note, I have on a white background since I think some of the detail might be lost on this dark blog background. Editing this post after the fact to add another mask. I wanted to do a male version, but didn't have any idea for another mask. Oddly enough, Jim has a shirt we got from Universal Studios which celebrates Mardi Gras and there was a jester-themed mask. My son wore that shirt today, so I saw it and was inspired. Here's the finished product:

           

Took me a bit of time to put this one together. I have to admit, I have been doing straight smiley art quite a bit lately. It's relaxing to not have the pressure of the deadline of the strip. Plus, I really feel that doing things "outside of the box" is helping me grow as an artist. It's making doing Bitmap World easier, which is a good thing.

That said, I probably need to back off on the extra-curricular stuff now. BMW calls and I need to get back on some other stuff. I'll still be posting here, but probably some different type of stuff. So, check back...or better yet become a watcher!