Discolored

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Two hours after our spontaneous encounter, Jude texted me saying he wanted to show me some of his pieces, and I quickly replied I would be happy to see what he's worked on. I also wanted to see a bit of his personal life, and by him inviting me over, I knew I would be able to focus on drawing him more often. I knew he was impressed by my previous sketch and if I put enough time and effort, I could practically have a winning piece in my hands, and Jude was the reason for it all. My previous drawing was nothing compared to those I dedicate time to instead of sketching quickly.

He was quick to invite me over, and I was surprised at how put together his apartment was. It had two rooms, with a nice open layout that allowed you to see the kitchen from the small living room. The rooms were right across from one another, and the entire house was painted a nice faint grey with darker grey accents. It was decorated really nicely, and I was on the verge of asking him to come over just to help me refurbish and remodel my own home.

Regarding Jude's paintings, to say the least, I was definitely impressed. Jude, surprisingly, was extremely talented, and definitely did not give himself enough credit. He focused mainly on human characteristics, such as hands and noses, while my focus was usually on the entire human or landscapes. He had a keen eye for details though, and I was sure to let him know how fascinated I was by one of his drawings of his grandmother, in which he later informed me it was a tribute piece they had displayed at her funeral, since she had passed earlier this year.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I spoke, "I bet she was a wonderful woman."

"She definitely was." He seemed deep-in-thought, probably remembering the precious times him and his grandmother would share. "I wish she was still here. She would've loved you. She was the only person who truly understood my love for art, and she always supported me. I'm sure she would've appreciated someone who enjoyed the same things as I do."

I smiled at the comment, loving how fondly he was speaking of his late grandmother.

Trying to change up the solemn tone, I asked about his most recent pieces, which were made up of a toddler looking into a fountain, and a baby sitting on a high-chair. These were usually odd pieces, considering an artist is usually always trying to hide everyday tasks or items into a much more abstract painting. Jude just portrayed the literal action.

"I enjoy painting ordinary things. Art critics spend their entire lives trying to figure out the significance of Van Gogh and his constant use of the color blue, without realizing that Van Gogh most likely chose blue because he liked how it looked." I laughed at his statement while he shrugged in his boyish way.

Continuing to glance around, I decided to offer my advice to truly help improve the appearance of these two paintings.

"Next time you decide to shade, I suggest you buy charcoal instead of using a normal pencil. It's definitely going to help the strokes and the creases would look much more natural," I spoke, my fingers tracing the areas that needed better shading.

"I've been trying to invest in those but you know they're not exactly inexpensive," he shrugged while he said this and wore a thin grin, resembling a young boy trying to reason with his parents about buying him a new toy. My fingers itched to sketch his features out again.

"Yeah I totally understa-" I started to say, but remembered I had an extra box full of them. "Actually, I could give you a brand new box tomorrow?"

He looked up quickly, with his mouth open cutely. "Wait, for real? That'll be great! I can pass by tomorrow if you'd like?" He was eager to get his hands on those, and as an artist, I completely understood.