Love Gun
Here's a line that I never thought I'd cross, and I'm still rather torn about it.
I've always disliked "gun porn" and the intent of all my work has been to downplay
the prevalent gun-penis metaphor and approach the genre from a female empowerment
angle. And here I am, with a blatant piece of sexual imagery. I'd originally
intended for this to be a much softer and more romantic piece, with her gun hand
relaxed at her side and sunlight streaming over a loose and comfortable sun dress,
but she always ended up looking dead. Putting her hand on her pelvis looked more
natural and added tension to the piece, so I continued adding tension by arching
her back and putting her in sexy lingerie (pervert). I really like how the upper body and
face came out, and I spent an unprecedented amount of time detailing the lace in
her bra (which you can't really see at this size). Ironically, many of my friends
thought this was the best thing I'd ever drawn, and that perhaps I should continue
exploring this avenue, even though it goes against everything I've strived for.
You never know where this journey will end up...
(pencil - September 16, 2003)