Rejected

I'm not sure that I should be posting this illustra- tion. It is one that I drew nearly a year ago, but the client didn't like it.

If you've read my blog you know that this is not the first time that someone was unsatisfied with what I had drawn. It's never enjoyable when it that happens. For this particular client I pretty much gave up on making a second effort.

You want to hear the story? I figured you would...

This drawing was meant to be an anniversary gift for the client's parents. She requested an illustration of them traveling in their motor home. As, I have said before, I don't like drawing autos, or machinery of any kind. It has to be done just right. I have learned to just trace whatever machine is involved and then add the rest. But, for this concept I wanted to draw it free hand because I wanted to be looking at the motor home from below. Plus I wanted to give it a perspective with the front end looming much large than the rear. (Do you follow me?) It took me a lot of time to get it right—drawing, then erasing, and redrawing again.

On top of that, I ended up having to draw this illustration larger than I normally do. That's because it's difficult to get many details on a face when the subject of the illustration is riding in an auto. Often I have just drawn the subject sticking their head out the window, just so that I can make the face large enough for proper details. I didn't think that would look right for this drawing. So, in order to make the faces large enough I had to draw the whole piece larger—more time involved when I do that.

I was really proud how this one turned out, and looked forward to reading the response from the client. But the response wasn't so positive.

Here were the issues as I remember them...

1. She said that she didn't like the fact that her parents were driving over a cliff (Lover's Leap). When will I learn to stop taking comedic risk like that in these illustration? Not everybody has the same strange sense of humor that I do. I might have guessed that someone wouldn't want to see their parents driving over a cliff. That was my fault, but I still think it's pretty funny.

2. She said that her mother normally does the driving. Not my fault. I wasn't told that little bit of information, and if it is important then by all means tell me.

3. She said that the illustration didn't particularly look like her parents. But she did say that they did look like the photos she had sent me of her parents. What? Again, not my fault. When you send me photos people please send ones that you think look like the person that I am suppose to be illustrating. It's a little impossible to draw a face that I can't see.

4. She didn't like the plate I put on the front:"Honeymoon Wagon." Ok, I'll take the blame for that one, I guess. She suggested an alternative text there. I don't remember what it was, but hey... a bit picky here aren't we?

She asked me to draw another one, but I spent so much time on this one, and there were so many other people on my waiting list, I decided to put a second effort off and, well, I never got back to it.

I actually don't know if this particular client ever even visits my blog anymore. She's probably been done with me months. I don't want to reopen old wounds, but, well I guess I thought this would make an interesting post for you to read.

So that's my story. Now, anyone want to buy a doodle of someone else's parents driving over a cliff?