A Demon Possessed

"A Demon Possessed" is the title of an image that I stumbled upon in my tumblr. My tumblr is NSFW if you're one of those that needs that type of warning.

This is the image:


I have no idea who the original artist is, at least not yet, I've only been able to find out that it's the cover of a very rare Nine Inch Nails album called "A Demon Possessed".
So, yes, I stumbled upon it sometime last year, maybe, and I knew it was good. But my crush on Trent Reznor goes in waves, it recedes and then it comes back like a tsunami and it is currently wreaking havoc. I don't mind. I stumbled upon this image again and now I just can't get over what an absolutely great cartoon/illustration/portrait it is.
I am mesmerized by it, by how it retains his features and facial expression so well, whilst still being a cartoon and accentuating just the perfect things. Trent's nose, his mouth, that PERFECT cupid's bow.
And the facial expression, he is somehow smiling, pouting and relaxed, all at the same time.
The finish of it, I have no idea what medium was used, it could just as well be oils, acrylics or watercolors; but that is a great finish.
The whole image is appropriate and fitting of a demon, the stare.
The thing is that I started drawing it on my art journal with a Bic pen and then decided I wanted to finish it off and I did with acrylic paints.
So here is the end result


I am quite proud of myself, I have to say. I didn't want to exactly reproduce the original, but I did want to feel like I captured the general expression of it. I did also want to make it as similar as possible.

When I muse about things in my head, in this case, I don't want to/refuse to use the word "copy" and I continue to not want to use it; although, by definition, I guess it somehow is.
I guess I disagree with it, because that's not how it feels to me. To me, attempting this specific reproduction feels like admiration and respect for the author of the piece. Some kind of love, maybe even worship, towards the image and the subject in the image.
I also remember in university, we did the exercise of reproducing pieces of the masters as a form of study. I find no shame in being inspired by something, whatever that might be, and I think it was Oscar Wilde: "Imitation is the highest form of flattery".
In tumblr I've also found a lot of other things I've felt compelled to somehow reproduce. I don't know why I seem to be so preoccupied with that this time around, if I've done it before.
I think it's much more important that one gives credit when it's due.