The Gingers Love this Bear

This one has been in progress for about two months.  Last week I took the plunge and did the watercolor on the Pontiac.  That turned out so well that I got the momentum to finish it.

I finally ended up stuck this last Saturday, with the piece not crisp enough: not enough contrast, not enough edge, and not enough detail.  I, for some dumb reason, was mentally limiting myself to watercolor.  When I allowed myself to use some colored pencil for textures and more intensity and details, I had a blast finishing this.

This image is another one of those images that emerge.  I had started with lines running down the page, all pointing to a "vanishing point" well above the top.  Those became the lines for building edges, lines of windows, smoke stacks, etc.  They give the piece structure.  The bear emerged next, and one cat in a window.  When the bear got a band leader's uniform, the cats got brass instruments (except the cat who is idolizing the big bear, little bear in paws - and the cat giving the big bear some cat kissing in the dormer window in the big bear's hat).  Then I saw a few lines hinting at the car, which led to some fine time on the Internet, shopping for the look I wanted.  Late 50's, for sure - then I narrowed it to Pontiacs for their lines and the grills.  The Chieftain won out for favorite shape and for those five chrome lines running up from the grill to the hood ornament.  Musical scale?