Rescuers Digital Painting Commission
A digital commission featuring characters from The Rescuers
The customer bought this commission for a couple expecting their first child. They were doing the nursery in a "Rescuers" motif, including framed animation cels from the film. She asked me to create a new piece to add to the collection. They also wanted their last names (Zagel) incorporated into it somehow. 

So I decided I wanted to make something that looked as if it couldn't been taken from the movie itself. I drew out the Bianca and Bernard characters using my usual inking method and flat colors. And the background is a more detailed digital painting. I used a lot of movie still photos as reference to try to get the look and feel right. I also thought it'd be cute to show the two characters with their own little mouse baby.
Here's just the background:
And the original sketch:
I've played around with Photoshop brushes off and on, but this was my first real attempt at a full painting. It's got some real issues and I have a long way to go, but I'm so proud of the outcome. I think it feels exactly the way I'd envisioned it, which doesn't happen often.
 
Also, I'm super excited that I finally bit the bullet and enrolled in the Oatley Academy of Concept Art and Illustration. It's an 18-month, go-at-your-own-pace course taught by a former disney concept artist. I only was able to watch the first lesson on lighting prior to trying this piece, but it helped tremendously. Can't wait to get better at this. 
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