An illustration of King David I did, inspired by listening to the Yale Bible Study video series on the books of Samuel. A complex character who feels very much like one of those Prestige TV kind of men who cause a lot of chaos in their path (and especially disrupting the lives of women around them) and who remain attractive to us as a dramatic character despite it all. Here I drew him more as his iconic shepherd boy look, but hopefully with a feel of cleverness about him.
I found it hard to find reference on clothing in this particular era also because it’s so tied up with Biblical legend, so his clothes are kind of generic; I focused more on having a recognizable figure overall more than anything. I did give him a lion skin, more to reference his role and boast before killing Goliath as a defender and fighter.
I’ve been interested in the past in doing a comic or works centered around the drama of King David and of Saul; he was my favorite chapter in The Picture Bible that I grew up with as a kid after all, since his story contained a lot of historical-political intrigue and complexities of personalities that is very interesting. David’s interpretation as queer figure in Jewish and Christian LGBTQ+ circles for his deep and unique relationship to Jonathan, and the complicated legacy and outcome of that relationship is interesting to me as well. There’s definitely a lot going on with the figure of this man, and the art and literature and legacy that he holds both within Biblical texts themselves, and outside of them.
I don’t think I’ll be doing any projects about him any time soon, but it’s still a definite interest of mine and I do want to explore more Biblical characters again! It’s been a while but always satisfying to find a personal spin on these familiar topics.
Tomatobird Art 