Recently, my son and I have been watching cartroon shows together. Before Nathanael, this was an activity I used to do all the time with my younger brothers. The last cartoon I had watched with my brother, Ryan, was Avatar The last Airbender. We would see the aired show on Nickelodeon and then talk on the phone about the current episode. These memories of watching ATLA became very near and dear to me, so I wanted to now share this experience with my son.
As we watched the show, I started to catch Nathanael performing element-bending moves around the house. He would sometimes bow to me in appreciation of a dinner well done. Nathanael would even conduct Airbending classes he would hold on the school playground for all his friends to learn. This kid was becoming an Avatar before my very eyes!
Avatar The Last Airbender’s fun-loving kid that saves the world, Aang!
With Nathanael’s birthday approaching, I thought to draw a picture for him, so I asked what he would like and my son said, “I want to be Aang, mom.”
Hmm, my first “commissioned” art piece (cracking knuckles). Here we go! I knew he really liked the episodes with Aang as the under-cover Firebender island boy, named Kuzon, so I started to sketch Nathanael and added the Aang/Kuzon characteristics over him.
I then went into inking. I drew the finished lines with Avatar the Last Airbender as my inspiration! When I got to the eyes in my art piece, I started to see a ninja emerge. I wrote before that there is something so emotional when you draw someones eyes, I feel…
In addition to drawing the merge between my son and Aang/Kuzon, I studied up and applied the Japanese symbol of the letter “N” on his headband. I also researched how a Japanese boy’s school uniform looks and drew it in.
Once the inking was done, I went right into coloring (again, with the inspiration of the ATLA style approach). When I got to my son’s freckles, I felt a charge in the air. Like, something so right was happening — something, I should have been doing for quite some time...
I sped through the rest of the coloring and before long, I was done. Ninja Nate was looking back up at me!
I was nervous the day I was going to give my gift to Nathanael. I thought he would glance at it and toss it aside, but when the present was opened my son’s eyes lit up.
“My mom made me into Aang! I’m a cartoon! My mom drew this...” he yelled, as he jumped up and down and showed his nearest seated friend. I was so happy and relieved at the same time. Nathanael then put down the framed art and went to play. Ninja Nate had it’s little spotlight and I was totally good with that.
The next morning I went into Nathanael’s room to put away his clothes. When I reached the dresser, I paused for a moment.
There, in between his Green Lantern lamp and Mr. Warrior Pig (a Nathanael ceramic original) sat Ninja Nate. My son told me later that he and his friends placed it there, because they thought it was a perfect spot for it. How nice it was to see my first “fan art” sitting on display by someone I admire so much.
Thanks buddy.