Oh, Boys

So every now and again, I feel burned out on painting gorgeous, wide-eyed girls and feel like I need to switch gears. I've only painted one boy so far; this fellow:



And now... the boy urge has struck for the second time! I find that it's a refreshing feeling to use a different part of my brain (it feels like I'm doing that, anyway) to conjure up a perfect guy to fit the mood of my piece. It's no longer long eyelashes, puffy lips, pointed chins... it's intense eyes, not-so-puffy lips, wide jaws, and facial hair! Here are some inspiring boy images I've found lately.






However I think my boy this time will be a younger, less warrior-like dude. I love the attire that they wore in ancient Japan for archery (see the last photo above) so I think I'll incorporate that somehow into the piece. Since Valentine's Day is coming up, this could be a perfect "different sort of cupid." A cheeky little smiling arrow boy who won't give up until he hits his target in the bullseye. Fun fun!