Art Post: Lone Warrior

You walk through your lair, shuffling the mail that was just delivered. "Bill, bill, car insurance ad, penny saver, bill...OH YEAH, She responded!" You tear into the letter and out pops your valentine you sent to Miracle Woman. She kissed it and signed, "Sorry, already have a date. Maybe next year." With a swift toss into the air and then a flick of a knife, you pin that letter to the wall. Under your breath you mutter, "Same excuse for the past five years."

Oh, well. Solitary heroism is much more rewarding. Or so you keep telling yourself.


Meet the Lone Warrior. This card was the third in a series of art pieces I did for Valentines day this year. I really didn't know where to go with the third piece. I had a power couple and then a seductive kiss. It was all so sweet, so gooey, so....Valentines. I thought, perhaps not everyone wants to celebrate Valentines. Maybe some people would rather play Heroes Rising than have a candlelight dinner with someone. So, instead of making the third offering for the seasonal card another sweet, pink, gooey fluff piece, I went with a touch of humor. This hero really is NOT into the whole love thing. He will save the day, but...don't expect a cheery disposition about it. In the words of Buddy Sorrel, "You know what they say about the love of a good woman? Keeps you from bowling on Thursdays."

About the art. How do I make a grim hero? There is a short list of cliches for grim, brooding heroes. I didn't want to just rely on those too much. I also wanted him to look, perhaps, a touch disgruntled. I first thought of doing a solo piece of just a hero perched on a building, watching for crime. But, that wouldn't deliver the whole non-Valentine attitude, just the dark knight...and someone already has that patent I believe. Then I had a flash of inspiration. What if he's showing his disdain for the holiday in a small, comical way. This gave me the idea of a hero slouched over a chair, glaring at the viewer with a dismissive attitude, and throwing darts at a Valentine card. I changed the darts to knives, as it felt more...superhero. The color scheme was easy, I needed something that simply felt "meh". He isn't flashy, so grays and blues worked. No mask, I needed all of that face for this. Finally, the letter itself. Of course the heart sells it as a love note. I also made it look damaged, as if he has thrown several daggers at it and retrieved them for round two. My biggest challenge was to prevent him from looking too much like he was posing for the camera. All in all, I believe I was able to balance this well enough.

So, whether or not your Valentine said yes this year, I hope you enjoy this art and card.