I’ve recently gotten back into drawing new RefToons with real materials rather than digital. More specifically I’ve picked up watercolors as part of my toolkit.
Maybe it’s the constant stream of A.I. and digital art that has been popular in recent months, or maybe it’s something else. All I can say is that I’ve been drawn to the tactile nature of pencil and paper.
It’s not that I’ve abandoned all things digital. I have just been feeling the importance of grounding myself in real things. I miss the process of getting a blank page from a pad of paper, or sharpening a wood pencil and smelling those fresh shavings, or the fell of dipping that brush in the inkwell.
This Quote was begging for a companion illustration featuring a swimming Spurgeon. The water and reflection was the perfect opportunity to test out my watercoloring techniques. Was it successful? I’m not sure. I think I need some more practice at it, but I’m happy with what came out at this point in my watercolor journey.
I realize as I make this without digital companions, that I need to improve on my writing and lettering skills. It’s not easy keeping the text straight and the letters consistent sizes.
Finally, regarding the text. Let us get saturated with the gospel. Sure, it’s important for pastors as they prepare to preach to be saturated in God’s Word. However, as believers, all of us should be saturated in the word whether we are pastors or not. We should be ready in season and out of season to give a reason for the hope that is in us (2 Tim 4:2).
So grab your Bible and let’s go swimming!
Your cartoonist in Christ,
Paul Cox
P.S.
Below is also the final version of the illustration. I ended up replacing my handwritten text with something digital with a watercolor texture.
Click here to purchase the art print!
