Alright, let’s talk about this “pirates and cubs” thing I’ve been messing around with. It’s a goofy title, I know, but bear with me. It kinda represents the two main things I was trying to smash together in this little project. Think swashbuckling adventure meets adorable, cuddly animals. Sounds crazy, right? Well, that’s kinda the point.
So, where did I even start? Honestly, it was just a random thought I had while watching a nature doc after binging a pirate movie marathon. I was like, “What if pirates weren’t always these grizzled, scary dudes? What if some were… raising baby animals?” The idea just stuck.
First thing I did was hop on my computer and started sketching some rough ideas. I’m no artist, trust me, but I needed to get the visuals out of my head. Imagine a pirate captain with a parrot on one shoulder and a tiny baby bear clinging to his leg. Or a whole crew of pirates trying to figure out how to bottle-feed a baby tiger. Pure chaos!
Next, I had to figure out what this even was. Was it a game? A comic? A series of illustrations? I decided to start small and just focus on creating a few key images that captured the vibe. I messed around with different art styles, from cartoonish to slightly more realistic. Ultimately, I settled on something in between – cute but with a bit of grit.
I spent days just playing around with character designs. What kind of pirates would these be? Were they good pirates? Bad pirates? I ended up leaning towards the “misunderstood” pirate trope. Maybe they started out as ruthless plunderers, but finding these baby animals softened them up. Gave them something to care about besides gold and rum.
Then came the technical part. I’m not gonna bore you with the details, but there was a lot of trial and error involved. I used [Software Name Redacted] for the digital painting. I spent hours watching tutorials and experimenting with different brushes and techniques. Let me tell you, drawing fur is a pain in the butt!
One of the biggest challenges was balancing the “pirate” aesthetic with the “cute animal” aesthetic. I didn’t want the pirates to look too menacing, or the animals to look out of place. It was a delicate balancing act. I tried adding small details that hinted at their backstories. Scars on the pirates’ faces, but also gentle smiles when they interacted with the cubs. Tattered pirate clothes, but also hand-stitched blankets for the animals.
Once I had a few finished images, I started sharing them online. I was nervous, to be honest. I didn’t know how people would react to such a weird concept. But the response was surprisingly positive! People seemed to love the idea of these gruff pirates caring for these helpless creatures. I even got a few requests for prints!
So, what’s next? I’m not sure yet. Maybe I’ll turn it into a short comic. Or maybe I’ll just keep creating more illustrations. The possibilities are endless. The important thing is, I had fun with it. It was a chance to explore my creativity and try something completely different. And who knows, maybe it’ll inspire someone else to create something equally crazy and wonderful.
That’s the whole “pirates and cubs” story so far. It was a wild ride, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.
