My Nephew – aka Spiderman

I’m generally not fond of painting people. Mainly because it’s a struggle and I like to relax and enjoy the process of painting. But every so often I can be coerced inspired to attempt painting a human figure.

Especially if it’s my nephew. Especially if it’s my nephew in a football uniform. (Football helmet = no worries about head and face. That, and I love my nephew.)

When one of Thomas’ cousins told me she had an “idea” for a painting and asked if I would do it, I couldn’t refuse. a) because she’s an absolute sweetie and b) because it’s my nephew.

Have I mentioned that I love my nephew?

I won’t turn this into a list of all of his attributes. I’ll save that for another day, ha ha. But I will tell you this. Yes, he plays in the NFL. No, he is not arrogant or conceited.

Yes, he works very, very hard at his job. No, he doesn’t forget to play and have fun.

Which leads me to this painting. Thomas has a few obsessions interests, one of them being comic books. Talking to his cousin, she listed a few superheroes but when she mentioned Spiderman, it was a done deal.

Spidey has been Santino’s favorite for over three of his five years.

Thanks to Santino, I even knew who “Venom” was/is. I think this impressed Tailyr, although I can’t be sure. I mean, hey, how many aunties want to paint Spiderman and know who Venom is too?

Ok, so, any auntie who has a nephew. I know.

I’m resisting the whole ‘getting older’ thing so I take any opportunity to think of myself as cool, or in, or hot, or whatever it is they say nowadays.

Well, I just blew it there, didn’t I?

Swag, baby, swag! (Hey,I pay attention.)

Ok, so, I don’t know if you’re a football fan or not, but I am. I grew up watching college ball with my dad, watching my brothers in high school and then I met Marlon. Marlon’s dad played pro for 11 years so he grew up in a football family. Marlon played too, natch. But as incredible as his athletic talents were, they were no match for his coaching prowess.

And that’s another story, or two, for another day.

But, being married to a football coach, you pick up a thing, or two, or three, about football. Thomas plays defense, meaning they try to stop the other team from scoring. At his position, if he can snatch the ball from the intended receiver, well, that’s a big, big deal. Interceptions. We call them “picks”.

So I googled Thomas and interceptions and found the above pic when they played the Tampa Bay Bucs.

I took a little artistic license and made some ‘slight’ changes.

This was my prelim sketch.

Notice how I had Spidey in the helmet, not Thomas? Yeah. Clever, huh?

The concept – Thomas is actually Venom disguised as a football player and as he jumps up to intercept the ball his ‘spidey’ senses bust out.

Think Incredible Hulk and you get where I was heading.

Um, so, yeah, I kinda made it look like he jumped higher over Kellen Winslow than he actually did.

And the whole Spiderman under the helmet? Out the window, courtesy of Marlon. Thanks, Hon.

I kept telling myself, “No one will notice, no one will notice. They won’t look at his face.” Think it stopped me from obsessing?

Not.one.little.bit.

Any of you who has a little superhero of your own flying around the house, then you understand the hands here.

Pffttt!

This was my attempt at smoke.

And once again I battle with borders. It’s a sickness, I tell ya.

I wound up just blending some orange into the gold. Mainly because I was too chicken to paint actual flames.

Finally, a little black outlining for a more cartoonish effect.

But it still needed . . . . something. Enter PhotoShop.

Option 1? Nope.

Option 2? winner-winner-chicken-dinner.

Done.

p.s. My father-in-law is John Thomas, played for San Francisco 49ers, 1957-68, #78.

p.p.s Nephew is Thomas Decoud, free safety for Atlanta Falcons, #28.

p.p.p.s. Santino thought my painting was “okay” but he loved the prelim sketch and now has it posted on his wall.