There is something about road trips that I really love. It’s one of my favourite ways to travel. You can stop whenever you want, change course, or turn around completely. There’s nothing but new horizons and the slow change of scenery around you.
According to me, a road trip is at its best when the vehicle is packed with camping gear or provides a sleeping spot inside (yes freedom!). I did three so far. All of them very different. One week in Normandy with an old-timer camper van, two weeks in Iceland with a converted Ford Transit and three months with multiple cars in Southern Africa.
Even one of my favourite movies is a road trip movie (Little Miss Sunshine). I guess I just get really inspired from it. So I wanted to make an ode.
I started making sketches of exotic landscapes with camper trailers/vans. But on the characters, I couldn’t really decide. I kept switching between different options (a reflecting loner or a mysterious animal watching the sunset?) In the end I decided on a toasting boy and girl with different skin tones. I thought it was a nice symbol. Two cultures literally celebrating the crossing of their paths.
For the colors I wanted something warm and tropical. To set a vacation mood and really highlight that feeling of bliss (Also it matches really well with the sunset and bonfire).
It took me a couple of months to finish this illustration. Since it wasn’t commissioned I worked on it, off and on, in between projects. Also, there are quite some elements in the drawing. But it’s one of the reasons why I’m really happy with the result! Creating this illustration was a perfect adventure on its own.
