"Swish~" the brush slides gently on the drawing board.
Charles, sitting in the harbor area, painted the rows of ships docked at the pier.
Cargo transportation to Hope Island has stopped, and all output from the agricultural areas is being rapidly stockpiled in warehouses in preparation for the arrival of the Cult of Light fleet.
"My fellow painter, who did you learn your painting style from? Why haven't I seen this style on other islands?" An old voice came from behind him.
When Charles turned around, he saw the old man with a missing front tooth looking at him.
"It's you! You asked me to draw a picture of you and your wife before. I didn't expect that you are also a painter?" The toothless old man said very familiarly.
Looking at the old man in front of him, Charles immediately remembered that he was the one who drew pictures for himself and Lily before. He forced a smile on his face. "I didn't learn much, I just drew it casually."
"Oh? Really? Then let me teach you. Although your painting style is unique, there are still many flaws in your painting. Don't worry, I used to be a professor at the British Academy of Art."
Looking at the familiar old man in front of him, Charles thought about it and did not refuse. Although he painted only to relieve stress, it is always good to have more skills and it is certainly good to be able to improve.
As soon as the toothless old man entered the teaching state, he immediately became like a different person and his tone became much more stern.
"The colors here are too hot, and the overall relationship here is not clear. Why are there only a few more blocks? No, no, there is no need to change this painting. I have to tear it up and redraw it!"
Although it was very harsh, Charles clearly felt that the other party had the qualifications to say this.
Through one scrap after another, Charles' painting ability has been significantly improved. Combined with his extraordinary finger control, his painting skills have surpassed most ordinary painters who make a living by painting.
"Well, this one looks much more comfortable." The toothless old man looked at the new painting on the drawing board and nodded with satisfaction.
Then, he looked at Charles in surprise and said, "My friend, you have a great talent for painting."
But before Charles could say a few polite words, the other person's face suddenly darkened.
"Alas, no matter how talented you are, it's getting harder and harder for those of us who hold paintbrushes."
Charles was a little surprised. "Why? Old man, you draw very well."
The old man shook his head with a sad face. "It's useless. The photo studios have snatched away too many of our people. Before, the photos were in black and white, so we were still a bit competitive. But since some research institute in the Governor's Office developed a new light-sensitive material, the camera can take color photos, and we have no way to survive."
This news surprised Charles himself. How come he had never heard of such a thing
"Just think about it, in the time it takes us to draw one picture, a photo studio can take a hundred pictures. Just think about how we can compare with them." said the toothless old man.
Charles saw the blue ticket in his chest pocket and said in surprise: "Are you leaving the island soon?"
"Yeah, this island is developing so fast that I can't keep up. Look over there."
Charles looked in the direction of his finger and found a factory in the distance. Inside the factory with yellow walls and black tiles, a towering chimney pierced through the shed and went straight outside.
"I have seen this kind of thing once in the British Isles. Soon all kinds of new things will emerge from it, and people's lives will be completely changed."
"Has the Industrial Revolution started again..." Charles thought to himself as he looked at the factory in the distance.
"Isn't it good that life has changed?" Charles asked back.
"Okay, of course it's good. New things are always better than old things, just like cameras are better than painters. But I'm old and I can't change it. I would rather die with the old things." The old man touched the drawing board on his back with a melancholy look on his face.
"It will take some time for the new things from Hope Island to spread to other islands. At least in other places, I can still make a living with this craft."
Charles looked at the old painter's untied cuffs and patched trousers, "Old man, weren't you a professor at the Art Academy?"
"That was a long time ago, but Governor Swan felt that he preferred powerful steam and gears to improving people's love and understanding of beauty, so he occupied the Art Academy and transformed it into the Steam Mechanical University. I still remember that I took the students to the Governor's Mansion to protest."
At this point, the toothless old man smiled bitterly, "But now everything is gone, the entire island is gone, the governor is gone, and it won't be long before I am gone too."
After the painter finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the pier. For some reason, Charles felt that his back looked a little desolate.
"I heard that the academy in Hope Island is expanding recently, and they need a teacher with rich experience in painting. I think you can give it a try." Charles said suddenly.
The toothless old man turned around in confusion. "No way? I've been there before, and there's no such major."
"You can go and have a look again. Maybe it's there now."
The old painter had a look of doubt on his face. He had already bought the tickets, but then this happened. However, seeing the other party's confident look, it didn't seem like he was lying.
"Ding ding ding~!" A crisp car bell sounded next to Charles.
An old man and a young boy looked over when they heard the noise and saw a postman in a green uniform, riding a bicycle with one foot and looking at them.
Charles recognized the postman in front of him, that was his first officer.
"What are you doing?" Charles asked hesitantly.
"Mother wants me to... deliver a letter... so I will deliver... the letter..." Bandage said slowly.
While listening to Bandage talking, Charles noticed something different. He took a step forward and wiped Bandage's face with his hand and found that there was no foundation on his face.
"Those tattoos are gone? How did you do that?" Charles asked in surprise.
"It's simple... I peeled off the whole face..."
Charles nodded approvingly. "You have a strong healing ability, this is indeed a good idea. By the way, have you memorized the information on the tattoo?"
"I... found someone... who made saltpeter out of it... and kept it..." Bandage said, taking out his previous face from his arms and handing it to Charles.
Charles touched the human leather face in his hand and said with some surprise: "The workmanship is very good."
"He was a... good leatherworker... very good at tanning sharkskin..."
(End of this chapter)