A Tiger at Sunset

Something New

A tiger at sunset with palm trees in the background is the latest drawing from Steve’s Sketchbook.

Yes, this is something new and different. Mobius the Goat went on a vacation, and the temp agency sent this tiger as his temporary replacement. And he is thrilled to be here. Mobius might be a little jealous when he sees who they sent to fill in for him. But don’t worry, Mobius will be back. I think.

What’s In a Name?

Yes, this tiger does not have a name, at least not for now. I thought about naming him after another math guy, but Descartes the Tiger does not roll off the tongue. Instead, it falls off the tongue rather awkwardly, so that was out. And the same goes for Euclid. Pythagoras? I am saving that one for something special, whatever that might be.

I also considered something regal, like Edward. If you consider Edward to be a regal name. I do, but maybe you don’t. But anyway, that has not quite stuck yet, either.

So for now, this poor guy does not even have a name. Any suggestions?

Names are important in many cases. Maybe not for cars, but definitely for people. But if anyone has ever pronounced your name wrong or spelled your name wrong, you know how important names can be. You would think it is not difficult to correctly pronounce or spell Steve, but you would be surprised.

I try not to make fun of people’s names. There are two reasons behind that. First, most people did not choose their names. Some people have, but overall you were born with your last name, and your parents gave you your first name. And the second reason is what I typed just above: names are important.

While it is fun to come up with fun names for fictional characters, be mindful of a real person’s name because it is important to them.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7

About the Artwork

In addition to drawing a different character, I drew this with a different style from what you might usually see in Steve’s Sketchbook. As you might notice, I did not use a hard outline for this tiger. There is no black or dark-colored line around him, defining his features. I have done something similar to this before, but just a couple of times. And because of that, this style does not come easily to me. It took me a little more time, concentration, erasing, and trying again than some of the previous drawings. And I like the results, although I don’t know that I can say that this will be my permanent style from here on out. But it was fun to do something different.

Also, those palm trees in the background were actually just a couple of brushes in Procreate. Those brushes are more like stamps. Click with the Apple Pencil, and you have a palm tree. The downside is that the palm tree is all one color. But in silhouette, as you would see at sunset, one color looks just fine. I thought it made a fun and simple background for this guy, whatever his name is.