Finished with my colors and made up the stickers. It was fun doing a post-mortem with my daughter. We talked about the differences between the actual plant and the final sticker. She was there for most of the process so she saw how I changed things and the choices I made. The final drawing is quite a bit different from the plant but I think alot of those changes made for a better sticker.
The biggest difference is obviously the petals. The thing I like about this plant is the contrast between the stem and petals. I pushed that contrast. I made the petals even lighter and I made the variegated patches less prominent. I mentioned in the drawing that I wanted to focus on the shapes so by pushing the contrast between the stem and petals, while downplaying the petal detail, I kept the focus on those shapes. I also like how the stems change color going from a dark reddish-brown to a more vibrant green at the tips. I was able to really play with that contrast without the final piece getting to busy or losing focus.
And I had to do something different with the pot. I tried to contrast the cactus pot in color and design. I want to do more succulents and cacti but I want them to all have the same general feel. I want them to play off each other. I chose this plant because it was so much different from the first cactus. I’ve already started doing some sketches of another cactus. I’m trying to figure it out. Figure out how to make it look different and have a different feel while still working with these two.
I seemed to have rehabbed my foot so maybe I’ll be able to work through some of these ideas while running. It is really interesting how a change in the weather can effect my mood. The weather is beautiful and I have been really optimistic and motivated. Maybe I’ll be able to ride this for a little while.