Put On a Happy Face For the New Year! OR Getting Dressed up for 2014!

     YAY! It's Illustration Friday! and YAY! It's also the New Year!   Though I admit this New Year's was a bit bitter being sick with the flu, I still have much to be thankful for and to look forward to in 2014. So I'm sick, but I'm still Smiling.  It may look like a quasi-just-got-out-of-bed crazy person grimace/smirk.... but trust me, it's a smile. ;0)

     This week's Illustration Topic is Reflect.  I wanted to illustrate what it feels like to try to put on a happy face and be positive even when you may be down and not feeling so positive.  I like the idea of the "stolen image" theme so often used in literature and fairy tales.  That a mirror can take part of what it reflects with it. Normally, in literature, this is a bad omen. You know me, sometimes I like to take those negative subjects and flip them on their heads, this time quite literally, turning the frowns upside down.

    I thought of the idea of the mirror physically going to get something that wore the expression of the emotion it was feeling.  It's almost akin to the way stop-motion animators have to animate their puppets with they speak or show an exaggerated expression.  They have to replace the entire face and sometimes even the entire head to accomplish the illusion.   I TOYED around with what it was that my Mirror Character would hold up to reflect the smile.  In the end I went with a teddy bear, partly because it was quick and easy to draw one and partly because, more than anything, I wanted to feel warm and fuzzy inside instead of icky and flu(ey).

    So, I hope you enjoy the illustration. I promise there are quite a few blog posts ready to be posted within the next week or two. One has been written up since before Christmas, however, I have had the PLAGUE and have not been able to post anything recently before today.  Happy New Year to YOU ALL and I hope the Absolute Very Best for each and Everyone One of YOU out there.

until next time.
Keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing and most important of all, keep making art. 
Cheers,
LEWIS