DAN THE DOODLEBUG ✏️ : New Kidney

It seems as if this is the only series that doesn't feel old and tired since it's a reboot, so I decided I wanted to run with this as I did a little more sketching on my time off work. That's not all that much, <hurray essential workers!>but I wanted to do something that brings a bit of a boredom break to those at home or those just looking to decompress like me.
I'm feeling really nostalgic lately. Maybe it's the fact that adulthood has been hitting me hard and heavy lately or the fact that I just want a little time to myself to do some of the few things I love, but I found myself thinking about one of my favourite childhood films, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Today's blog is a bit of a special one because it's my 666th blog!


One of my favourite scenes in the entire film is when there's a guy collecting funds for Ferris. The scene is filmed in the hallway Ferris' high school, where the guy runs into the angry, bitter and sexy sister of Ferris. He asks her to donate to help save Ferris Bueller. Knowing her brother is full of shit, she asks him what and he replies with, "Well a group of us are collecting money to buy Ferris Bueller a new kidney. They run about 50 g's so, if you wouldn't mind helping out..." And she knocks the fucking can out of his hand. LMAO!! There is just something about that scene that screams perfection and has always kinda reached out to me. Probably because my mother always babied and favoured my cunt brother. Jeanie's hatred for Ferris is a drop in the bucket compared to the hatred that I hold for my brother. And no, I'm not jealous that he's my mother's biological son. Actually, I hate them both. Maybe I'll do another blog on that later.
Back to the original story. When the guy is collecting money, other students are putting coins into a Pepsi can. <As you guys know I am a Diet Coke fiend, so this is a little different for me, but I want to stay true to the film.> What's the best way to commemorate a favourite childhood film/favourite film scene? You got it. A tattoo.

I start by sketching out a Pepsi can. But not just any Pepsi can. It had to be a 1986 can, the year that the film was set/released in. I scoured the internet and I found a can that I liked and was from the mid-80s. Now I'm not sure that it's a can from the exact year, but it's close enough to what I want. I think it will be great. I've drawn it a little bigger than what size I'd actually have tattooed on me, I guess I just wanted to maybe turn it into a print first then re-draw it down-sized later on when I'm ready to have it tattooed. 

And as I sit here drawing this I'm drinking a Diet Coke. What kind of mixed message is that to send? Oh yeah, it's acceptable since I'm bisexual. Diet Coke. Diet Pepsi. Both Colas. Men. Women. Both human. Live it. Love it. Yeah. Anyway, back to the actual drawing, which is why all of you are here. Well, that's not true now, is it? Some of you may be here just to see what the fuck this series is or you're here because you like my smart-mouthed comments. Either way, I thank you for the visit.
You know me and roses. I gotta sneak them in every place that I can. I think they really add depth to a piece. Sure I could have added something else, stars, a kind of colour pop background, something like that, but I'm in love with roses. I don't really like any other type of flower. Maybe its something sentimental, but I knew my nan loved them, she also loved diamonds and carnations. I don't think black carnations would look too good with a soda can. I start to add the shading to the piece because I like the stencils to have somewhat of a finished look to them so when I take photos to send to an artist, they get a full idea of what I'm expecting. Sometimes it's hard to put things into words, so I let the drawing speak for me. I always start building off on the right side and work my way across the paper. I don't know why. Maybe force of habit? Or I just like looking at it that way as I draw across a sheet? How do you guys draw? Do you have little quirks like this when it comes to drawing?
It wouldn't be obvious that the can is for the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off without the text so in a neato little script that captures the spirit of the film and the sex appeal of the car which is kind of the focus of the story <it ties into so many different parts of the film> I added Save Ferris. It's iconic. It unites so many different generations, so many different walks of life. You can say "Save Ferris" and at least half the people you say that to will know what you're talking about instantly. It's nice to have that kind of universal language. It's kind of like swearing. You can swear anywhere in the world and people know exactly what you mean by it. I mean, within reason. Comforting. United by the strangest of things.
I work the roses around the can, framing it. I start to add shading and depth to the roses, making them come to life. I realise that it would be rather humorous if I had some kind of cartoon-like coins at the bottom of the can, tucking into the roses, because in some ways, Ferris is like a cartoon character. The light-heartedness of some of the scenes in the film are something else I wanted to capture. Who doesn't love a feel-good film? Or in this case, a feel-good tattoo? The coins here I don't think are the ones that I want tattooed on me. I think I want to tighten that up a little bit before I turn the drawing into a proper tattoo stencil.

There will be a new Dan the Doodlebug in the near future! I'm not sure when because I'm working 40 or so hours this upcoming week and might be too tired to do a step by step drawing breakdown. I think that I'm going to focus on a few macabre drawings. Some more skulls with flowers. It's been an obsession of mine lately. I might branch out into animal skeletons. I did that before and had great fun with it. Maybe even think about doing some prints. I'm not too sure on that, but it is an idea! Also, my depression is clouding everything now. I don't really know how I managed to get two drawing blogs done within a week while struggling with suicidal thoughts and juggling work. I guess it's true what they say. Practice does make perfect.