The Lion Color Pencil Cartoon

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The lion is a color pencil and marker cartoon created for a friend.  Keep reading for a story about the lion, the materials I used and some backstory on the piece!

Story

One morning the lion formally known as Leonardo was walking around the wide open savanna looking for some shade to have a nice long lazy nap in.

After what seemed like a fortnight the sleepy lion found himself a nice big tree that was throwing a giant shadowy spot on the ground.

The lion walked in two circles, plopped himself down in the middle of the shadow spot, then promptly fell fast asleep.

The sun slowly crept across the sky, moving the shadowy spot until it was no longer covering the lion and he began to bake in the hot African sun.

Waking up hot and flustered, the lion was annoyed.  He walked to the center of the now smaller shadowy spot and walked in two circles, then laid down and quickly fell back to sleep.

The sun continued to slowly creep across the sky until it was underneath the tree completely.  The lion awoke hot and bothered that his shade spot had mysteriously moved again.

“This tree keeps on moving” the lion thought to itself.  He decided to solve the problem once and for all.

He got up, yawned and walked to the tree.  He crouched down and sprung straight up into the highest branches.

Curling up on the branch awkwardly, and somehow with the utmost comfort – as cats do, the lion fell asleep again.

Surrounded by the leafy green canopy of the tree, the shade around the lion was perfect and he did not have to worry about the pesky tree moving without him any longer.

This is the story of why lions sleep in trees.

Materials

Process

This color pencil cartoon was first drawn using the fade resistant Sharpies.  The color was layered on using orange and yellow Prismacolor pencils.

Inspiration

This piece was inspired by a friend I had just started hanging out with again at the time I created it.

The lion is an interesting creature.

Most of the time they just laze around enjoying life; sleeping and cleaning themselves like most cats.

Then they turn into brutal beasts, wreaking havoc on weaker species.

This piece shows the more lackadaisical side of the lion.

Closing Thoughts

I like drawing cartoons because they are completely unprofessional.  Anyone who holds me to high standards for my cartoon making is talking nonsense.

This is actually a step up from my crayon loving days!  Not that there is anything wrong with crayons, however they are not considered fine art by most people.

If I were to redo this piece I would probably use oil pastels and build it up a bit more.

I do enjoy the line effects of the colored pencils but I have recently become obsessed with the how much color and depth you can get using oil pastels.

I wish I had made this on a canvas or something more sturdy then a 5 by 7 inch piece of paper.  It probably will not hold up well over time, which is why I am glad I have this digitized copy.

All the best to you and yours!

♡ Bekkerz

PS: Check out another art post here.

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