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Gaming @ the Beach...Again! — Description

This is a first in a series of revisiting old drawings that basically defined my art as a whole, even if style was lacking back then. Expect this to be once in a while, because I still have other plans.
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It came to me on a whim one day, but I wanted to revisit it to show SodaDog's other sides; pretending to live that rich 2000s celebrity lifestyle by wearing a jersey, hi tops and playing on a faux-gold-plated GBA. Yeah this is a tribute to those cartoon-esque urban arts where they put so much detail into the bling and sneakers themselves. It was what actually gave way to the cartoony/cool design balance which is part of my overall mantra.
Prior to doing this, I've gathered a collage of cartoon screencaps consisting of stuff like effects, timecycles and location prompts to help with inspiration and overall style refinement. I also went for a slightly different angle this time around, loosely based on a photo I took.
But I did it mostly from memory up until the final sketch phase, so I could avoid replicating my old style. That also meant putting a different spin on the location. I also expanded the view to 4:3 ratio to make it more wide-open and changed the setting from a "garden thing" to a skatepark at the beach to give it some urban edge. I added more detail to the steps, even including some world-building hints...
In the original drawing, I made the sneakers too detailed, but I didn't want to limit it in any way and can work on cartoon characters (See also: the Hare Jordan commercials). I also had to adjust it to Soda's proportions properly, with a subtle camera effect that delivers the effectiveness. Sure Soda's clothes aren't as "baggy" compared to the original drawing but it still delivers.
This drawing is a definite improvement, no lie. Not only Soda looks more refined in style, the background also looks much more cartoonier. Even though it has a completely different vibe and setting, it still feels more active and cooler.
I also added a cargo ship as a slight nod to an upcoming game I'm excited for...