Illustration: The Passage of Time ⏳

Good morning, Hive folks.

Have you ever stopped to think about the passage of time?

Time holds great importance and profound significance in many cultures.
In Mesoamerican cultures, it is associated with the inevitable journey toward death, but also with the changing of the seasons and how people themselves change. In Greek mythology, Cronus was not only a deity of death, but also the master and lord of time.

The truth is, there’s no entirely cheerful, picturesque view of time passing.
It is often portrayed with an air of maturity, sobriety, mysticism, and even a somber tone. No culture has a deity that represents both life and time. Instead, the god of time is usually tied to death or destruction.

About the Drawing

Leaving aside my ramblings, this time I bring you an illustration connected to these reflections.
This elderly gentleman is sitting alone in a luxurious room, while time passes more and more slowly.

Maybe he’s waiting for something.
Maybe there’s nothing left to wait for, and he’s just letting time slip away.

Reference Images

I made some changes compared to the references:

• His gray hair is more noticeable to emphasize age.
• The clothing is more classic instead of modern.
• The sofa shape is inspired by the reference but adapted.
• The clock is practically the same, though blurred to enhance atmosphere.

Process

Part 1. The sketch.

Part 2. Base colors.

Part 3. Shadows and background.
Some volume was also added to the clock.

Part 4. Highlights.

Part 5. Final adjustments.
I smoothed the edges to create softer transitions, refined the “lines” to give them a rough yet classic feel, and added texture to the clock’s glass. Some parts were blurred to enhance the mysterious atmosphere.

Final Thoughts

This feels like one of my best-executed illustrations yet. I’m pretty happy with it, even though I know it could always be better. Perhaps the theme resonates more with those two or three times my age, but it’s still something I reflect on often.

Software used: Krita (drawing) + PureRef (references).
Translated from Spanish to English with QuillBot.

Thank you very much for watching