This was a \'just for fun\' painting, using a photo taken during a recent zoo visit as reference. This is one of the few times I\'ve worked on a painting \'traditionally\' before making it digitally. I worked it in watercolour and ink first, and was rather happy with the results, though not so happy with the process. I hate messy media, and any traditional media is messy in MY hands

I kept having this nagging feeling that this reminded me of something, and while I was inking the first work I realised...this pose reminds me so much of Chuck Close in his Big Self Portrait That thought kept me laughing while I finished the digital painting...I\'d pull back to check progress and just crack up