Reading theme

I may have mentioned a few times that I want to do more paintings with a reading theme and then possibly sell the images on various products online, attached to my identity as The Book Adept. Although I have painted a few that I like and am using as Facebook and website art, I haven't done anything specifically towards this goal for a while. So I decided to do a Deb Weier special with that intent. Or I may do two or three!

Some of you may recognize a part of this image, since this person and this particular photo of this person have modeled for me before. This time, however, I took a more colorful and whimsical approach to the subject, and also didn't identify a specific book that he was reading, but allowed it to be a generic "good book." This time I also included his beloved companion, although I'm not sure I did that subject justice. I got carried away with sketchy line work, and at one point considered ditching the whole thing and starting over, but instead I gessoed out large parts and managed to salvage it. I'm not entirely happy with the result, but I went with it.

Here is the first portrait I did of Michael:

And here is the new one, a little exaggerated in DW style, with his furry friend, and some dialogue...

My scanner was clipping the top of his head and the border at top and bottom, so I performed surgery and took off the bottom and right borders. I think it still works..... I'm going to have to remember to either work smaller or buy a bigger scanner!

Mixed media: pencil, Daler Rowney inks, Paul Jackson watercolors, gel pens, Uniball, on Fluid 140-lb. watercolor paper.