Dealing

Chris is an aspiring doctor, but this dream becomes more a case for frustration than happiness when he realizes how difficult and expensive  is to become  a doctor. Cathy tries to be understanding to Chris's frustration but at the same time she realizes that her intution urges her to leave Foxworth Hall before is too late.

A Love Post

The world may be an attic that we are all trying to escape, some philosophies teach that if you don't find real love in this life, you will be trapped  in the world . I don't know if it's true, but finding true love may mean different things to every person.  Things get better when love guides your life, although in doing that you choose a more difficult path, it will be worth it and you will find true happiness. This is a drawing trying to show the complexity of making sense of what sometimes doesn't make sense. Also an attempt to see FITA more as an allegorical novel.

Flowers in The Attic by ~crobl005 on deviantART

The Road to Riches

The Road to Riches

"It was totally dark when we stepped from the train, and as the conductor had warned, there was not a house in sight. Alone in the night, far from any sign of civilization, we stood and waved good-bye to the conductor on the train steps..." ( page 37, Flowers in the Attic, August 2005)

Drawing a Portrait: Catherine L. Dollanganger

Catherine is the protagonist of Flowers in the Attic and she is a the second born of Christopher Dollanganger Sr. and Corrine Dollanganger (nee Foxworth). She  describes herself as someone who loves to dance ballet since an early age, with wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and a very athletic body. She owned a sterling-silver music box with a pink ballerina inside which she left behind when she moved to Foxworth Hall (a present from her diseased father).  Due to the traumatic experiences at Foxworth Hall, Cathy become skeptic to people but also becomes wise because of the knowledge she gains through her painful stay in Foxworth hall. The lines below pretty much reflect the  mental state of this character .

“Where was that fragile, golden-fair Dresden doll I used to be? Gone. Gone like porcelain turned into steel- made into someone who would always get what she wanted, no matter who or what stood in her way.”  (Page 379, Flowers in the Attic, pocket books, August 2005)

She is forced to mature fast because of her mother’s abandonment, so now has to learn to take care of herself and also of  her sister Carrie with the help of  her older brother Chris. This is a strong force  of stress in their lives now

“Now that our time to depart was so near, I felt frightened. It was big out there. We’d be on our own. What would the world think of us now? We weren’t beautiful like we used to be, only pale and sickly attic mice with long flaxen hair, wearing expensive but ill-fitting clothes and sneakers on our feet. Chris and I had educated ourselves from reading so many books, and television had taught us much about violence, about greed, about imagination, but it had taught us hardly anything that was practical and useful in preparing us to face reality.

Survival, That’s what TV should teahk innocent children. How to live in a world that really doesn’t give a damn about anyone but their own- and sometimes, not even their own.” (Page 354, Flowers in the Attic, pocket books, August 2005)

Flowers In the Attic  is above anything a survival story,  Cathy is now experiencing a very harsh reality as they need to provide for themselves in an outside world that may be as hostile  and cruel as her own world at Foxworth Hall.

 I wanted to do a portrait that shows  Cathy’s  personality and strong character, but also her vulnerability and sweetness,  regardless of how the real Cathy looked, or how you imagine her, you are looking for someone that besides having blond hair, blue ice, and pretty features, also shows character, vulnerability and wisdom, and a very classy look. There is also an incipient sensuality to her looks, although malnourished which I tried to show in the darkness down her eyes, and her slim body.  

The process for drawing this portrait, first i tried to set up her face, I drew Cathy in her teenage years yes is about fifteen at the end of the novel, so I was targeting approximately about this time. Some people like to use mechanical pencils, but I just use a normal pencil for this part.

Step. 1

Step 2.

I start defining the features that I want to get, a pretty girl, I pay attention to her eyes to show more her personality

Step 3. At this step I'm working on adding value or shading the portrait, Cathy has long, beautiful long hair which may take me more time, that is what I'm doing now,but here you can idea of what I'm trying to accomplish with a teenager Cathy. I'll be showing more pics of the lips and eyes, as well as the finished portrait very soon.