HOME | DD

Description
A male lion, done by me after watching Aaron Blaise's tutorial on drawing lion heads, done in Artrage using oil prush, pen, airbrush, and palette knife. Unlike his lion, which was female, I did mine as a male, and was inspired to draw it after watching "The Ghost and the Darkness", that 1996 movie that focused on the man-eating lions of Tsavo. Of course, unlike the real lions, the film's lions had manes. The male whom I've portrayed here is close in terms of his color to a lion named Ntwadumela (literally meaning "he who greets with fire") from a National Geographic documentary called "Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas". Ntwadumela was unlike a lot of lions because he was a hyena killer; he would attack clans whenever his pride came across them; twice he killed the resident hyena clan's matriarch.
Lions are something of a symbol and enigma. For many, they are a symbol of courage. For others they are evil incarnate, and for others still, they are fascinating creatures to study. Lions are often dangerous and unpredictable, but at the same time, they can be genuinely loyal to those whom have earned their trust, and a lion, just like an elephant, never forgets. People who have rescued young lions and nursed them back to health to watch them grow are proof of this. Perhaps the story of Androcles and the Lion had some truth in it after all. But do not think that lions can ever truly be tamed; they are and always will be wild. And as the sun needs the moon, we need the lions to keep the balance of life.

Description
A male lion, done by me after watching Aaron Blaise's tutorial on drawing lion heads, done in Artrage using oil prush, pen, airbrush, and palette knife. Unlike his lion, which was female, I did mine as a male, and was inspired to draw it after watching "The Ghost and the Darkness", that 1996 movie that focused on the man-eating lions of Tsavo. Of course, unlike the real lions, the film's lions had manes. The male whom I've portrayed here is close in terms of his color to a lion named Ntwadumela (literally meaning "he who greets with fire") from a National Geographic documentary called "Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas". Ntwadumela was unlike a lot of lions because he was a hyena killer; he would attack clans whenever his pride came across them; twice he killed the resident hyena clan's matriarch.
Lions are something of a symbol and enigma. For many, they are a symbol of courage. For others they are evil incarnate, and for others still, they are fascinating creatures to study. Lions are often dangerous and unpredictable, but at the same time, they can be genuinely loyal to those whom have earned their trust, and a lion, just like an elephant, never forgets. People who have rescued young lions and nursed them back to health to watch them grow are proof of this. Perhaps the story of Androcles and the Lion had some truth in it after all. But do not think that lions can ever truly be tamed; they are and always will be wild. And as the sun needs the moon, we need the lions to keep the balance of life.