Well, here it is finally! After 4 days of hard work...

Photo reference: [link]
Stage one line art sketch: [link]
Stage two black n white digital painting: [link]
Stage 3 color digital painting of just Gerard:
[link]
Background Illustration: [link]

I am so tired but so excited that this is finished and I was able to execute the vision I had for it in mind!

Of course this is to represent the beauty of finding peace and solace in a good pair of headphones and incredible music. Obviously inspired by music, many artists I love, and Gerard of course!

Gerard was sketched in pencil, then scanned and composed digitally in Photoshop CS3 with my wacom intuos3 tablet.

The background illustration was drawn today over the course of 10-11 hours while watching MCR's The Black Parade Is Dead! dvd, Muse's HAARP live dvd, and many X-files episodes.

The entire playlist I listened to while digitally painting Gerard:

MCR-Untitled (Hoboken, NJ live), Desert Song, Famous Last Words, Dead!, The End, I Never Told You What I Did For A Living, Heaven Help Us, Sleep,
Muse-Take A Bow, Apocalypse Please, Glorious, Starlight, Shrinking Universe, Map of The Problematique, Soldier's Poem, Invincible (live)
Moby-The Sky is Broken
Coheed & Cambria-The Running Free
Thrice-Stare At the Sun
Lost Prophets-Sway, Last Summer
Alkaline Trio-Time To Waste, Mercy Me
Bjork-Army Of Me (live), Headphones, All is Full Of Love
Kill Hannah-Sleep Tight, Love You To Death
Mew-Special
Faith No More-Midlife Crisis
NIN-The Beginning Of The End, Me I'm Not, My Violent Heart,
Massive Attack-Angel, Anti-Star
The Killers-Smile Like You Mean It, Read My Mind
The Cult-She Sells Sanctuary
The Cure-Why Can't I Be You?, Burn, Pictures of You, LoveSong
Pink Floyd-Empty Spaces, In The Flesh?, Echoes
Sigur Ros-Track 4

So...needless to say, I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this piece of art. I even puked when I took my medicine for my back and forgot to eat :S Now that's dedication...or obsession...lol

DO NOT COPY, REPRODUCE, STEAL, MANIPULATE (even for avatars), OR USE IN ANY WAY!!! This work is copyrighted by myself, the artist.

Okay, I'm done being doing my bitch disclaimer...there you have it!

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:
Obviously you will find in the illustration representing the music that there's a direct nod to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" with its flowers from the animation sequence of the mating flowers (note: to anyone who hasn't witnessed this amazing film, GO BUY IT-don't bother renting it-just buy it. If you want to see just the animation of the flowers mating, you can see it on youtube here: [link]

I'm welcoming all constructive criticism and comments! Enjoy!
Now, I'm going to take a hot bath and do nothing...at least for tonight...