A Life Replaced

Pinky - I built my life around you baby, what do I do now?

Song~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e4Zv-…

Well here it is folks, the picture that was delayed a whole two weeks, I hope that the finished product was 'worth the weight' not that I expect too many of you to be that eagerly waiting. This is my second 'masterpiece' picture, meaning that it's one of the few that I put my absolute %100 percent into, Pinky just happens to possess the only two I've done so far, the last being the Storytime picture: fav.me/d3iv2jk

As it turns out I was correct, I think I gave one two many blatant hints as to this plot point, it's a shame this didn't come as a surprise to anyone. Though I guess a car's story can only have so many plot points, so it gets easy to guess them.


-It's the morning of Violet's graduation from high school, and before leaving for the school for her ceremony her parent's take her out into the backyard for a surprise graduation present which they'd 'placed' back there earlier that morning. Knowing their girl had been without a vehicle all through most of high school it seemed only right to get her a new one. Some of you may remember seeing her parents buying the car in Pinky's Memories Part 3... it was supposed to be vague but I don't think it actually was. XD Violet of course is shocked and happily surprised to the point of tears as her parents introduce her to her brand-new souped up red 1985 Chevy Camaro Convertible www.zorly.com/images_camaro/ge…

Turning our focus to Pinky, the poor girl is still sitting in the backyard, the same spot she's been sitting in for years now. Deep down she knew this day would come, but all these years the small glow of hope that maybe SOMEday she'd be working again, maybe someday she could be in Violet's life again kept her holding on, even through all the heartache. But this morning, in one instant, all of it is shattered. To add insult to injury she just happens to be right there to see it happen. >< It must be heart-breaking to her to see Violet so happy about as well.

Obviously Violet's reaction is only human, anyone would react that way if suddenly they were given a new car (a top of the line sports-car no-less). But to Pinky, her emotional depressive state could easily twist it into something it's not.

- Is she that happy that I've been replaced? Have I caused her so much hardship not being there for her that she'd be that happy? :' (

This new Camaro looks like quite a character, how will things play out with him around now? Being a "Cutting Edge" vehicle (at the time) coupled with the look he's giving her... I'm afraid he might have that 'superiority complex' that all the newer appliances seem to have.. let's hope that cars aren't like that for Pinky's sake. o.o

-Artist's Notes-

This picture was started SO long ago it seems, in fact it even had it's beginnings BEFORE the Storytime picture if you can believe that, that's how I knew how to shape the background in that picture..having had the Brooks home already drawn out as the background for this. I decided to kind of go for setting mood through lighting and atmosphere, kind of like how in the Harry Potter movies the lighting goes from bright and sunny to dark and grey as the stories get darker and scarier. So in this picture I made the sky a foreboding greyish rainy looking sky.. contrasting the warm summer day of the earlier pictures.

From an environmental standpoint this is a big picture for you guys, you all finally get to see what Violet and Pinky's home looks like at least from the back. But in their case the backyard is the most important place, this is the place where they played together, the tree an bushes Violet would play hide and seek behind, the most attached one though is the driveway. Now you can see where the Storytime picture took place and where it relates in location to the house and all.

The house itself was fun to design, I really haven't drawn that may buildings at all ever. I tried to make it realistic, but still kinda maybe a little oddly proportioned to stick with the BLT style.. I kinda used the cabin from the movie as a loose reference I also used this random painting as inspiration fsbo.fizber.com/files/2008/03/…. Being a Kanson, I was able to use my knowledge of the state to my advantage seeing as how they live in Kansas. While you can't see it behind the Camaro, there's a cellar door (used as shelter during tornadoes). There are also lots of A/C units in the house to deal with the hot summers.. it was only after drawing them all that I remembered the A/C guy from the movie and realized that each of those in the house is alive too. haha

But the biggest thing I wanted to note was the big covers over the tops of the windows. For people who don't know, those aren't to just make the house look cutesy. Those are sun-visors and you see them EVERYWHERE here in Kansas and Missouri.. I'm sure they have them in other hot states I'm sure. They help keep the house cool during the summer by shading the interior of the house from the sun. Just as an example I took a picture of some houses in my OWN neighborhood just to show a real-life example: img4.imageshack.us/img4/523/ds…

As for the Camaro, I specifically chose the car for it's 'face' It's sporty, and the car itself is a STAPLE car of the 1980s.. I mean when you see that car you instantly think 80s. The face on the car, to me, just looks so manish and full of itself, plus the fog-light location which gave me the chance to make them into buck-teeth was just too big of an opportunity to pass up! X3

Oh, and also, I want to point out that the pink/blue in Pinky's eyes aren't tears welling in her eyes. It's the next step toward her appearance in the movie. My only guess is that it's either a mossy or moisture buildup in her headlights.. obviously appearance-wise they look like stress/sleepless bags on her eyes.. img683.imageshack.us/img683/46…

For any of you who want to get some big emotions, I highly suggest looking at the earlier pictures from Pinky's story and them comparing them to this (the beauty of firefox tabs). I'll actually do that myself to inspire and emotionalize myself while drawing Pinky's pictures. Another is to play some of the happier songs from the earlier pictures that works too. For me, seeing the porch and driveway in the background picture really sets it off for me. I instantly see her and Violet back there, years back, when little Violet was barely taller then Pinky's grille.. then you see how things are now. Yeah... it's some good ol' fashion bitterweetness there.

Anyway, again, I hope you guys enjoyed this, I'm happy to hear any feedback you guys might have, good or bad.