I started a version of this piece in 2022 but never ended up finishing. The characters were as far as I got. As someone who’s no expert at making backdrops, I gave up before attempting to draw the ballroom interior. I’m not sure exactly what made me want to redo and finish this scene. Perhaps I simply happened to be in the right mood.

In any case, I keep looking at the 2022 drawing and this one side-by-side, and I’m like, wow. Since taking up art again this year, I feel like I’ve learned a lot more about myself as an artist, despite drawing a lot less than I did back then. Between the new-ish art style for the characters; my experimentation with the lighting and color scheme; and the ballroom design I eventually landed on (partly inspired by the colonial Mission Revival architectural style seen in places like LA Union Station); I think I’m quite pleased with how this one turned out.