Short and Sweet

I recently submitted some work into the SOI Student Competition. While the trend in popular illustration right now is focused around a crisp albeit primitive look (Ben Shahn with a computer if I had to put a tag to it), I went against my better judgement and created an oil painting that harkened back to the "Golden Age" of illustration, specifically some of Dean Cornwell's early work in illustration.

After getting some good reference:

Choosing the color palette, and quickly scratching in an acrylic underpainting I was able to bust out the painting in about four or five hours.

Ironically what ended up being a quick and mostly painless piece turned out to be one of the best pieces I had done to date...

Now I just have to do it again,

and again

and again...

Dammit if I ain't trying.