Weekend Sketches #12 - A Tiger Every Day

Hello everyone and welcome back to the return of Weekend Sketches, the first one of the new year!

I’m trying to start this new year with a spring in my step and renewing belief in my abilities, and one way I’m trying to do this is by giving myself a fun little challenge. Inspired by 1coweveryday on Tumblr, who drew a cow every year for 2021 (The Year of the Cow) I decided I wanted to draw a tiger every day for 2022. Some friends in a closed discord server even supported my interest in the project, which helped me go ahead with confidence.

I love tigers and think they are very beautiful animals. I have wanted to get better at drawing them for a while, but I never really took the time to practice. Seeing the dedication the creator of 1coweveryday showed with his blog and the marked improvement in his cow drawing skills, I saw this as a perfect opportunity. I’ve been cataloguing my tiger drawing challenge on Instagram using the site’s new post from desktop feature (long overdue in my opinion).

The unfortunate thing about deciding to draw tigers for 364 days is that unlike cows, which have many different interesting and unique breeds, tigers only have a handful, and they all more or less look like a big orange cat with stripes. I hope that as I draw more of them I will be able to notice the subtle differences between a Malayan Tiger and a Bengal Tiger, but right now my eyes aren’t as trained.

I’m sustaining my interest in this project by messing around with different poses, art styles, and colours. I’m sure I can keep myself occupied despite the lack of tiger biodiversity.

I’ve already made it to the end of January and into the Lunar New Year, which is officially when The Year of the Tiger starts, and I am proud of that. I could stop here, but I want to keep going and see how far and how much better I can get at drawing these beautiful animals.

After completing January I already compiled all the tiger drawings I did into a PDF which I uploaded to Patreon for my patrons. I think this would be a nice thing to do for each month if I can manage it. Fundamentally though, I’m doing this for me. It’s fun! And it’s reminding me again about what making art is all about.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

-William Blake

The Tiger
He destroyed his cage
Yes
YES
The tiger is out.

- Nael, age 6