Tied And True
Some photographs are just begging to get "The Alex Treatment", as was
the case with this picture of swimsuit model Michelle Damm. Not a lot of creativity
went into this one, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Basically, all I had to do
was put a gun in her hand, exagerrate her facial expression, and decide on what kind
of outfit to put her in. The tie-top was an early favorite and I initially had her
wearing that and your typical red plaid mini-skirt. Unfortunately, the skirt turned
out to be a complete disaster, and I eventually abandoned it out of frustration. It
then struck me that a sarong would look really good with this pose and I decided to go
with that. Despite the simplicity of the garment, it was surprisingly difficult to draw.
Although I like how the separate pieces came out, I don't think that the top and the
sarong work very well together - the two knots don't complement each other and they
fight for the viewer's attention. I also spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to
come up with a punny title for the image, like "Sarong Of The South",
"Only The Sarong Survive", or "Two Sarongs Don't Make A Right",
but nothing really grabbed me.
(computer colored pencil drawing - January 3, 2002)