I’ve been thinking about Ludwig getting earrings recently. After I drew him with his hair coming past his ears a couple of times and people mistook it for yellow earrings, the thought got into my head. I wondered who he’d go to get them pierced with and I think it could be really interesting if it was with Mitzi.
Gold and sun themes and yellow really suit him. I collaged a couple of yellow earrings to riff on the theme.
This spread was going to be about Drake and Antonia, still based on the French Scales and Arpeggios, but I found an endearing reference of two people at a piano. I used ink to do some tiny blind drawings, and then some mini studies, and then put the reference away and used the shapes stored in my hand to recreate them with character.
You’ve got this lovely old man, eyes closed, looking up at the young man – clearly knows what he’s doing, piano is an old game. The young man is concentrating, he’s got smoother, more polished and shiny shapes. The old man has lines and life in his face.
You can see the first versions of the young man had a lot of smugness in them, but I wanted the scene to be sweet.
Also, we like a little song about practice and seeing improvement. I need it for my creative practice right now.
Later edit!
SEASIDE ILLUSTRATION 