When I created my caricature of
Danny Trejo as Machete
I wasn't sure from the outset which way I was going to go with it in terms of the
style: traditional inked look or a clean digital blocked look - couldn't
make up my mind. More often than not I pick a style, whichever it may be, and go with it without looking back. But now and then it sometimes goes that I start down one
particular route and there comes a gnawing doubt that perhaps a different
approach would have been better...so I end up putting the image I'm
working on to one side and start a new version with a different
approach. But with a certain inevitability I end up glancing back at the
original version and it's now looking quite good, better in fact than
the second version that, by this time, I'd also put a fair amount of time into. And so a maddening
vacillation between two versions starts and I can't make up my mind which is better; at least, not
without doing lots more work on the image I end up forsaking for
the the one I actually do go on to finish. Therefore, there
are half-formed versions of certain caricatures that never go anywhere
or get finished and it seems to me - even when I'm trapped in the middle
of it - a ridiculous waste of time! As it often happens, some time
later when I've finished the artwork (taken sick leave, received counselling, partially recovered) I go back and look at the version that I
ended up abandoning and, of course, still yet see a worth in it. And the
inevitable thought starts to form: 'perhaps it would have been better
if...'
I don't know why it can often be like this. Some kind of
inability to knuckle-down to one style, married with an easy fatigue,
plus a bit of the 'grass looks greener on the other side' thrown in for
good measure. Agg!
Below are some outtakes of the whole brain-busting process. I like 'em all!
Above: A version with a traditional ink look, where I thought I was going to keep the lines black.
Above: An abandoned digital version with blocked, clean colours - I even had big trouble deciding which type-style to opt for.
Above: Thought about abandoning the line work and keeping just the colour flats. Also tried adding a bit of grit for effect. It all came to nought!
Above is the rough that started it all...
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