What’s good, August? How ya been?
Chapter 8, let’s ride.
Often we don’t celebrate folks while they are here and “give them their flowers.” A few weeks ago, the prominent pioneer, activist, government representative John Lewis passed away (link). I’m so grateful for the work he did, doors he opened, and trails he blazed. He was known for getting in some good trouble.
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Tweet from June 2018 (via @RepJohnLewis)
A woman that gives me the essence of good trouble is Maxine Waters. Really, Mrs. Maxine Waters (I gotta put a handle on it). Mrs. Waters walks into rooms and does not coward at trouble or injustice. Her unshakeable integrity is something I genuinely admire. An astute democratic representative, Mrs. Waters has always used her voice to advocate for women, minorities, and low-income populations.
Often we don’t give people their flowers while they are still with us, not now. Mrs. Maxine Waters is a role model and template for retaining one’s character and calling out malarky when you see it! August 15th is Mrs. Waters’s birthday, so Happy Happy Birthday! May your days be filled with love and joy!
Let’s get into the illustration, shall we? For a seasoned pro (I’ve been in the illustration game for 8 months), the base of the silhouette was easy to do, I’m not sure if I’m satisfied with the chest. I feel like the body does Mrs. Maxine justice. The hair took me longer than expected, I once again found the loose strands tricky to do. You try creating tousled curls and get back to me.
As many of you can see, I illustrate black women. So capturing the essence of their skin tone is crucial to me. I kept doubting myself with the skin tone because I wasn’t trying to wash her out. I selected a mint/sage green for the dress because I wanted her dress to resemble the statue of liberty. Al la – Mrs. Waters, Lady Liberty! I think I did a pretty good job with the lips/smile this time.
In the original photo, Mrs. Waters has red nails, I was unable to replicate that. I hope to be able to add those types of details in the future.
There’s a lot of growing left for me. I don’t want to be ageist, but Mrs. Waters is one of the “most experienced” people I’ve drawn. I think society has a weird relationship with women and aging. I love older women that flourish in their confidence as they age – just like fine wine. I didn’t nail the wrinkles and smile lines. I will work on that.
To conclude, Happy birthday Mrs. Waters and thank you for doing what you do!
