My entry to the challenge of the month.

When I was pondering on what to draw for the challenge, I used the time to mostly figure out what type of fear that I wanted my artwork to depict. There were a few candidates, like the fear of the unknown, and I even pondered on the fear of nuclear war. But in the end, I chose a fear that I myself have more relation to.

Death.

The fear of death in my mind is both understandable, yet in a way unreasonable. Death is something that will come to you, no matter who you are, or when it happends. It can't be prevented in the end, even if we can hold it back, and fight it off. And the faster one accepts that, the better.

Yet, the worries of what it'll bring is what give me that fear. Will I be able to do everything that I've wanted to before that time? Will I have been able to create and complete my ideas and plans? Not to mention the death of family or friends, will I have words unsaid after they've passed away?

It isn't a constant fear, but sometimes, I just sit back and sigh at my own mortality. Which sounds rather heavy, especially if you take into note that I'm just turning 18 next month. Pretty heavy thinking for someone my age, huh?

Still... I'm happy. I see no reason to make a fuss over it, and instead, make the best of the time I'm given here. Because in the end, the Grim Reaper comes for us all. And I sure as hell will meet him with a big smile on my face!

Oooother than that, I have a few things to add as to what I had in midn when creating this:

Since I decided to go for the fear of death, I found that the Grim Reaper would be the best way to depict it, standing over an unmarked and newly dug grave. Which in this case, is meant to be the viewer's - your - grave. The hammer and chisel is there to add to that he has yet to carve the dead one's name in, because as the hourglass tells, the owner of the grave is not dead yet.

As for the hourglass, you should have already noticed that it's the only thing with color. This I decided to do to illustrate life, or atleast, what little you have left, evrything else being greyscale and colorless because death is not colorful. But to also draw your eye to it, which counts for the skull and rib cage too, being in high contrast with the rest of the reaper's body. I also kept the sketch because I liked the roughness it gave to it.
The wings merging with the ground in pitch darkness is to illustrate the fear of the dark, too, and the hidden knowledge of what lies beyond death.
And as seen by the background, there is a light beyond death. Wether this means heaven, reincarnation, or any life after death?

Well, I guess we really don't know the answer for that, do we?