Instead of drawing a typical tombstone, I opted to draw a mausoleum with tombstones. It would also serve as the backdrop for the story of the queen.

The first step was deciding how the mausoleum would look. I knew I wanted a big window to show an outside scene and to allow the eyes of the characters to glow. So I sketched out the scene on a cardstock paper that was the size of the light box.

I then decided to have the floor be a black and white checkered pattern. I drew the checkered pieces on a separate piece of paper, I cut them out and used the separate pieces to trace the black and white squares on cardstock paper. I then cut out the pieces and placed them on the main cardstock paper that would serve as the base. They fit in perfectly, like a puzzle.

After that, I cut out the window shape and simply added two pieces of yellow semi-transparent paper to the back.

The next step was creating the tombstones. I decided I would use brown semi-transparent paper to go over top the cardstock paper – it’s the first time I used this technique. I wanted the mausoleum to have a sheen to it. I began by creating the separate tombstone pieces out of cardstock, gluing on the semi-transparent paper, then gluing those to the base cardstock paper. I did that because I wanted them to have a bit more dimensionality.

The final steps involved cutting out a hole on the base paper to allow light to shine onto the devil’s eyes and nose, and adding color, with marker, to the tombstones.

Although the piece was simple, it required a lot of work, especially when it came to determining the correct angles for the floor and the tombstones. I have a hard time with angles. But after a bit of trial and error, I was pleased with the look of the piece.

I still have a lot to do to get this piece how I want it to look, but it will be done in a matter of days, which I am really excited about.

What do you struggle with the most when creating art?

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