Something I did for illustration class.

So people complain about this. My main objective with this piece was to depict mixed emotions. Maybe that isn't the right choice of words, but I wanted the possibility of different outcomes. The piece is about a quasi-relationship (quasi due to the fact that it was never engaged) and my uncertainty of whatever it might have been at the time. The female is dominant, visual hierarchy is established with her position and footprint on the paper. She holds his neck and rests her hand on his head, but the touch is soft. The male is submissive, vulnerable. His hand gently grasps her wrist.

The female's hands are in a position to do a number of things. She could hold him up. She could force him under. She could show him something. She could just continue scratching his scalp and running her fingers along his jaw. His hand could be an act of resistance. A method of support.

Water could be a few things, maybe the subconscious, a symbol of femininity, or an act of spiritual cleansing. The expressions show no struggle, but the mood and tone could change any second.

Ink and gouache on paper 2006.