Apr '21

Recap of recent events for context:
- Worked on my Artwar 5 piece "Midsummer Shieldmaiden"
- Did some freelance work (still am)
- Rough time strikes (depression, relationships etc. - the usual)
- Stops working on personal art for weeks
- Starts over by posting sketches and doodles online daily.
- Gradually regains my art mojo and passion for art, resulting in work quality slowly going up.
- Stayed on track for 10 days now and no intention of stopping.

I'll post all the sketches I've done so far in a separate post

Apr '21

I started this one yesterday.
Drawing my OC Setsuna sit by the window in her spaceship is something I've had on my mind for a while now.

The original idea was for her to have a "lost in thought" and somewhat melancholic expression on her face, but it was changed to a more sad looking one.

Edit:
Just want to mention that I really like working on square canvases. I'm not sure why I like them so much. Paired with how well they fit Instagram, it's just too good. Can't stop.

Apr '21

Did some color keys (I believe that's the term?) to try out a couple of looks for it.
1, 2 & 6 resonates with me the most, as the cold blues give it that space-y feel and also enhances the sad undertones of the drawing.

While the warmer ones aree pretty neat too they looks like the ship just flew past a star or something. That isn't inherently a bad thing, but it does draw so much attention that you'd wonder if it's about her or the aforementioned star.

A comment I got on it mentioned that 1 & 6 had better values than 2. Around her face and hand in particular, that is indeed the case:
In 2, it's just so bright that she essentially has the same value as the wall behind her - resulting in her fading into it. This is an issue 1 & 6 doesn't have, and the light comes off as much softer, which just fits the image so much better.

Since I like 2 the most out of the three I mentioned earlier, I'll be looking to pay close attention to the values as I move forward. First by doing a lot of greyscale work, then going into colors.

Apr '21

Hi! :grinning: I like a lot the melancholy of this image. In my opinion, the first one is the best (that colour light makes me think of northern lights)

Apr '21

Yoo, that is a really interesting point.
I couldn't quite place it before, because I kept calling it "green space light".
With northern lights as the context, it sure does change the way I think of that one.

Some people told me they liked the greens in that version, so I'll take that into consideration.

Apr '21

Getting the light and colors right was more difficult than I thought it'd be,
Still have a lot left to work on here, but progress is progress.
I'm not the best at cell shaded works with complete backgrounds, but it's kind of looking promising. Not sure where I go from here though haha..ha. :sweat_smile:

I thought I had a chance at getting somewhere in this year's ArtWar, but it turns out that wasn't the case.
Not going to lie, I feel a bit lost now. I poured everything I had into it and since whatever I thought was best for the piece wasn't enough - I'm seriously doubting whatever artistic abilities I have. Like, I can't even tell what I'm lacking.
Anyways.... It is what it is.
There's always a next time, provided I live long enough to see that happen.

Apr '21

I watched this anime called "Wonder Egg Priority".
It was very nice and helped me deal with the stress I was feeling.
The ending was a little weird, but overall very enjoyable.

Apr '21


Cooldown shape study.
Posting something everyday really does help me stay on track and keep working.