Zooctober 2024, Day 12: “Tiger”
"Smile for the picture, they said. You'll look majestic, they said."
I'm doing Inktober again this year. Sorta. The official prompts were not all awesome, and I wanted to draw animals other than birds, so no Birdtober this year. I just picked 31 animals to draw during this month. All of them in black ink, with subtle (or not) accents in red watercolour.
These pieces are special because they are very direct and raw. Sure, I know what I will draw, but then I just sit down and go at it. I draw a minimal sketch and then go to town! There's no erasing, and there are very few chances to correct things. It's just me and the paper, hoping I'll be able to put down what I see in my head. Sometimes, I succeed; sometimes, I have to be creative and find ways to incorporate into the piece the surprises ink throws at me. And then sometimes I have to bow my head and let the thing be what the thing wants to be. It's quite fun and humbling and exciting, and every day I find myself all giddy, wanting to share with you what I made. I hope you'll like them!
Now, since you're looking at this piece, let me give you some technical/practical details:
Hand-drawn in ink and watercolour on 270gsm smooth Fabriano paper.
5x7 inches. It's a standard size, so it'll be easy to frame.
Signed on the back. And the front. Yeah, I just went signature-crazy!
FREE SHIPPING (tracked and insured). Let's get all these pretty critters home safe and sound.
And that's pretty much it. I hope you like this piece, and I hope you'll give it a home, and I hope it'll bring something special to your wall. Put it in the cart and start a new love story with this lovely animal. No, wait...
How is it made?
Here's some extra info about this piece, in case you're into that kind of thing. I don't judge!
- Hand-drawn in ink and watercolour on 270gsm smooth Fabriano paper.
- 5x7 inches. It's a standard size, so it'll be easy to frame.
- Signed on the back. And the front. Yeah, I just went signature-crazy!
How/When Will You Get it?
I lovingly pack all my originals protected by a glassine sheet inside a cellophane bag. Then I put them in a rigid mailer to ensure they arrive at their new homes in tip-top shape.
Then, after a chant and a good sage, I ship them using tracked and insured services. I really don't want them to get lost in a dark corner in a post office somewhere. The time it takes them to get home depends on where in the world you are, but it's usually less than a week (unless you live in Australia. Man, shipping to you guys can be sloooow! I bet it's all the wildlife eating postal workers, or something.)
How to Care for It?
For my originals, I strive to use materials that will last a lifetime with just a bit of care. The inks I use are lightfast and waterproof, so they won't fade or run (but hey, don't go spilling soda on them to test this, ok?)
Just find a nice frame for it, keep it somewhere it won't be blasted by a blinding sun 10 hours a day (global warming is real), and it should be ok. If you want to be extra sure, you can pick a frame with glass so it's protected from dust, and if you really really love the piece (as you should. After all it's one of a kind and quite pretty, if I say so myself), go with museum glass (yeah, it's a thing) so it'll be protected from the UV rays coming from our local star.
Above all, look at it at least once a day, and from time to time, tell it that it's beautiful and it makes your life a tiny bit better. Art pieces are little divas, and they bask in the glow of appreciation. It's also good for you. Try it and you might be surprised to find it helps you feel a bit happier!