Drawing a relaxed Donald Duck on a plastic carrying case (plus fun facts about Donald).
Today is Donald Duck's 86th birthday! There are many ways one could celebrate his special day. I chose to do an art project featuring Donald and learn some fun facts about the birthday duck (shared at the end of this post).
Choosing a Design
I remember watching Donald Duck cartoons as a kid with my cousins. My favorite cartoons featured him, Chip, and Dale. I felt bad for him because a lot of times all he wanted was to have some peace and quiet to relax. His short tempered and fiery behavior made sense to 6-year-old me.
For the design of the case, I wanted to draw Donald having some peace and quiet while relaxing outdoors. After all, June is Great Outdoors Month. I searched for "Donald Duck in a hammock" images because that's how I prefer to enjoy the outdoors. Fortunately, there were many images of Donald in a hammock, including a comic book cover of him relaxing while Huey, Dewey, and Louie are doing their own thing in the background.
Another Carrying Case
I have lots of carrying cases because I don't get rid of anything. I may have a hoarding problem that started when I was a child. Most cases I own are old, including the plastic toy case I chose to draw Donald onto. I don't know what to use the case for, but I'll likely use it to store small art supplies.
The Design Process
I sketched the design, minus Donald's nephews, onto the case. Once I had a rough sketch, I filled in the shapes with color. Most of the Posca paint markers had PC-5M nibs. Multiple coats were needed, so I worked on another art project (one of which you'll see in a couple days) while I waited for layers to dry.
While filling in Donald's stomach a white Posca paint marker, too much paint came out of the nib. I figured it wasn't a big deal and that it'd just take a little longer to dry. Unfortunately, it did cause the paint to crack. The crackling is barely noticeable, but it's there.
It wasn't until I finished filling in all the colors of Donald and his hammock that I realized I forgot to do anything with the grass. I attempted to draw squiggly green lines to represent the grass because I was afraid to fill-in the background. I learned in my middle school art class that you always start with the background first, then move on to the foreground. I assumed it was too late to go back.
I used a black PC-3M nib for outlining Donald and his hammock. Personally, I liked the look of the smaller nib then when I previously outlined my designs with the larger nib. However, I was a little heavy handed with this design, so some lines are thicker than others anyway.
When I thought I finished the design, I hated it. I decided to fill-in the background after all. I did my best to avoid marking over the outlines, but I ended up going over the outline again in the end.
My Donald Duck drawing could use some work, but at least I can tell it's him. I made a few errors, but I'm happy with the design because I made it with my own hands.
I'm grateful I went ahead and filled in the grassy background. Initially, the yellow of his feet, bill, and hammock matched the case color too closely. Filling in the grassy background made Donald seem to stand out more against it.
Did You Know...?
Donald's middle name is Flauntleroy.
He made his onscreen debut in Disney's Silly Symphonies film titled The Wise Little Hen on June 9th, 1934.
While June 9th is officially recognized by the Walt Disney Company as Donald's birthday, the animated short titled Donald's Happy Birthday shows March 13th on a calendar with a note that reads "Unca Donald's Birthday."
He has a twin sister named Della, the mother of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, although she's been referred to as Thelma and Dumbella in different cartoons.
Donald's first starring role was in an animated short titled Don Donald in 1937.
He became the mascot of Florida's Natural Growers agricultural cooperative in 1940 with his own brand of juice drinks.
In the early 1940s, several animated shorts depicted Donald's service in the U.S. Army.
In 1943, the animated short Der Fuehrer’s Face that depicted Donald's time in Nazi Germany.
In 1947, Donald became the University of Oregon's Fighting Duck mascot, also known as The Oregon Duck.
Donald received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 9th, 2004.
What's Next?
This was fun, and I worked on other simple art projects each time I waited for the Posca paint markers to dry. You'll see one of those projects this Thursday.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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