Burnsland Policeman from Steve's Sketchbook

Keeping the Peace

A policeman trying to control traffic is the next in the series of People of Burnsland from Steve’s Sketchbook.

If you remember, the Mayor of Burnsland kicked off the People of Burnsland series last week. This determined policeman is the next in the series. It takes good policemen to keep the peace and enforce the laws, and this guy is working hard to do all of that.

Of course, policemen are important in our society. They do so much more than just act as crossing guards, too. Yes, there are good and otherwise in every position. Just a few not good policemen have given a bad name to the profession. But there are lots and lots of good policemen out there. And we are happy to support those who work hard to serve their communities.

About the Artwork

For these People of Burnsland, I wanted to focus some on shapes. The Mayor had a very pronounced oval shape to him. The policeman here has an L shape. Even though this policeman is as straight as an arrow, and much more trim than the Mayor, I chose this pose to show some motion and action. He is using his whole body to blow his whistle and signal to stop. That his because he puts everything he has into all he does. He shows that here.

You can see that the policeman has the Burnsland “B” on his hat, just like the Mayor had a “B” medal on his coat. Those B’s just serve as a reminder that they are part of the Burnsland family.

Also, this is the second Steve’s Sketchbook post I have created using an Apple Pencil, which was a Christmas gift from Laura. You can go back through the past posts and see a progression.

I started out with Procreate Pocket on my iPad, using a digital pencil, which was good for starting out. Next, I changed to the full version of Procreate on my iPad, still using the same digital pencil. And now I have moved on to the Apple Pencil, which is touch sensitive, unlike the previous digital pencil. That pressure sensitivity has made a big difference for me, and I think it shows in these last two characters, as well as the others that I have already completed but not posted yet.

No matter where you are in what you are doing, there is always room for improvement. And it is fun to be able to look back and see where you have come from, too. Keep progressing!

Here is a look at the original rough sketch of the policeman:

I knew in my mind what I wanted, but it took some sketching, scribbling, and figuring to get the final version to look how I wanted it to look. I like the rough look here almost as much as the final version, so I want you to see it, too.

Bible Verse

Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. - Romans 13:7