Rosie Rhino again

So, I know I've drawn this particular pose countless times, but I wanted to try it on a different surface, that being Bristol vellum. I usually use Bristol smooth and I love Bristol smooth, but I just wanted to give this a try. The fact of the matter is, I have always had a bit of a prejudiced attitude toward Bristol vellum. Some experienced artists were talking about it online one day and were saying that it's worthless. I sort of agreed with them at the time, not having used it much, but then I drew a portrait on Bristol vellum. And despite the fact that it was very smeary, I really liked the portrait. In fact, I have to say it is one of my favorite portraits that I have done. So, I had to rethink Bristol vellum. Or I should say that I should have rethought Bristol vellum as I didn't really rethink it. I just continued to ignore it. But today I thought I'd like to try it again and I have to say that it really is suitable for pachyderms. It has more surface or more tooth than Bristol vellum, so it is easier to render rough wrinkly hide. I am really thinking that this may be the surface that I should use for my rhino illustrations.

So, along with my rough illustration, I am also going to post some rough writing. And i mean rough as it is a first draft that was written quickly, but I will post it because I keep losing the good stuff. I was inspired one day at work and I wrote some rhyme on a long, skinny piece of paper. This writing was really good and I told myself not to lose it. I kept it on my c.d. shelf in my bedroom for the longest time. It kept falling on the floor and I kept picking it up telling myself "you have to get this in the computer because one of these days it is going to disappear for good." Did I run to type it out just then? No, I did not and, in the end, I did lose it for good. And it was good. The one thing I do remember clearly about it is that I rhymed "elocution" and "revolution." I will make sure that I do that again.

Anyway, I will post the rough writing here. I will either try to improve it or scrap it entirely, but at least it is here, in cyberspace, so I will not lose it. Here it is:


When Rosie lost her fourth galosh,
After she had a good cry,
She decided that she would constantly pose
With her forth leg hidden from the eye.

How long did this charade continue?
How long did she live with this lie?
Well, she gave up the practice within minutes,
When Hornelius spied her bare hoof with his bad eye.

From there she fumed and she kicked and she growled.
She tossed her nubbed horn in the air.
With a temper more befitting a black rhino
Than a sweet white rhino with one hoof bare.

Obviously my illustration is her when she is posing with her one leg hidden from the eye, not when she as fuming and kicking and growling.