About the Drawing
First off, I know she's not ugly. The whole Ugly August Girl series more or less shows beautiful women with something grotesque or quirky about them. In our society, beauty is seen as a flawless face and a fit body with good style and model-looks. Many of the girls I've drawn so far this month would not be picked for the cover of Vogue because of their oddness. Although, I have to say times are changing and people have become much more aware of beauty sales tactics and how they work on our psychology. People have also become much more accepting of different individuals than themselves whether that pertains to style, culture, or physical variations. I look forward to a world where your differences make you exciting and the top choice for a Vogue cover.
My drawing, titled Third Eye Rabbit, depicts a young woman holding a rabbit. The part that makes them quirky or "ugly" is their third eye. Physically, this kind of addition to the face would unnerve most people. Traditionally, the third eye is seen as a symbol of ultimate wisdom in the forehead of a deity, commonly seen on the god, Shiva from Hinduism. It is ironic that people would be so disgusted with a symbol that holds so much truth and positivity.
The third eye is compared to a sixth sense that can be further developed. The third eye involves all of your senses, combined with your mind, to allow you to unravel questions about your life. It is also associated with feeling and manipulating positive and negative energies around you for the better. For example, when you listen intently to someone and are connecting with them, you are said to be using your third eye to see and "feel" them. Although I do not consciously use my third eye, I admire the practice and it looks very beneficial.
A Few References
I was originally inspired by the artwork below by the talented Jennifer Madden, titled A Secret Shared. I really love her technique using watercolor, as well as the dark factor the piece holds. The piece seems sweet but at the same time, something is off putting about it.
Found on Pinterest, these last couple images are really adorable. I love redheads (So of course that image stood out to me) and that bunny's face, come on. I used the image of the bunny, discovered by Dosia on Pinterest, as a reference for the bunny's face and mostly guessed on his body.
I was unable to find the source for the image of the girl with the chicken, which is a shame because the photographer deserves credit for such an amazing piece. I used this image as a gesture reference, although I would have rather had a woman holding a rabbit. However, I had to improvise when no images matched my vision.
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Thank you guys so much for reading, hope you enjoyed!