#every time I colour a piece it’s a new shading style

[buff-muffin]

Totem time! It was about time I draw these freaks of nature.

[bookshelfdreams]

Very true, Niko! And you would know all about that, wouldn't you.

Niko's wardrobe (just like her entire character) is very - strange. Usually, you want your characters to be recognizable, especially early in a story. Characters will have their colour palettes and silhouettes, their statement pieces, their individual style that fist their role in the narrative and who they are as a person. For the most part, the costume design in dbd adheres to this standard; almost every character has a very cohesive wardrobe.

Except for Niko. There's nothing that unifies her costumes, that allows us to get a sense of her style. Even her hair is constantly changing, despite the hair&make-up department clearly struggling to do anything with that horrible wig.

The most recognizable thing about Niko is her monochromatic outfits, but even those are so inconsistent, the colours vary so widely, that they don't tell us anything about her as a person - but they do reflect the stories she finds herself in and that unfold around her.

So let's look at the associations of the colours, because I don't actually know anything about fashion, but I do love colour theory.

03

Green is for emotional stability, thinks Niko, but that's not quite true. Green is more commonly associated with growth, life, new beginnings, rebirth, hope.

This episode, Niko comes out of her shell for the first time. She makes friends. She leaves her room to go on an adventure, even though she gets scared by her own courage, at first, and retreats (she will not make that mistake again).

A home is not always a safe space, is it? Sometimes it is a trap that you're caught in. Niko leaves hers at the end, running out into the streets to save her friends: growth. New beginnings. And her friends, meanwhile, freed those poor Devlin girls and their mother from their horrible prison. An end, but also, rebirth in death: they finally get to move on to the next step, leave the stasis they have been for almost three decades. And the older girl's name is Hope, which is probably a coincidence, but nonetheless extremely satisfying to my conspiracy-prone brain.

04

Red. Courage, as she herself says: Niko is quite literally leaving her comfort zone, going on her first case, and needs all the courage she can get. It is a bold, decisive colour, fearless, strong. The colour of firefighters and ambulances, a colour that tells you you're about to be rescued, and she does save Crystal's life in this one.

But, of course, that easily tips over. Red is a colour of aggression, of anger and pain and violence. We have the Night Nurse, who goes around dredging up trauma, making people relive their worst moments. We have our monster of the week, we have raw meat and blood to bait it. We have, of course, the washer woman. And we have an outbreak of violence at the end.

(And also, red light is the most affected by absorbance. It is hardly visible underwater and disappears completely after about 10m. Maybe that is why Niko wasn't affected at all by Angie; maybe she just couldn't see her.)

05

What does the pink mean then? Romance, of course, the central theme of this episode, but her outfit is uncharacteristically mismatched, even for her, and so are the romances in this episode. Nothing works out as it's supposed to, does it? Maxine and Jenny, the jocks and their girlfriends, even Edwin and Monty: everything shoved haphazardly together, held together by force of will alone, no harmony at all.

Well. It's not Niko's fault nothing works out in the end. But man, she really did need to take off the rose-tinted glasses (metaphorically, not literally. The literal glasses are great.)

06

Oh, feeling blue, are we? A colour of melancholy and regrets. Niko is trying so hard to leave behind the whimsy, to be mature and disillusioned, but even at her lowest, this bright, powdery shade doesn't really bring the mood down. Niko is too much herself to give up on the things she loves that easily.

Blue is also the colour of dreams. Hidden things, the subconscious. And this is what this episode is all about, not for Niko, but for Crystal. She unlocks that which sleeps within her. And it is Niko (unwillingly, through her own special kind of luck) who hands her the key.

07

Bright orange! That is an - unusual colour choice for symbolism. Orange has few strong associations. Most often, I think, orange is a signal. Not quite a warning, but close - watch out, it says, pay attention. And Niko does, and saves the day.

(And what else does orange remind you of? A highly visible sign, something that shows you the right way? The warm glow of a flame, contained in a lantern or spreading uncontrollably in an explosion? Yes, this is an orange episode.)

08

White.

Death.

Obviously. White is the colour of the dead and dying: bones, and bloodless skin, and flowers on a grave. Of course Niko would know to dress in a shroud for her last day on earth. You cannot wear an all-white outfit and expect it to not be bloodstained at the end of the day, and Niko knows it's scary and the odds are bad and we might die horrifically.

But she has found bravery, and will not run away, will face the danger head on. Dressed like an offering, pure and untouched, off to sacrifice herself she goes.

It's not the end though. Death is not the end, not in this story, and white is the colour of purity, of a blank slate, of transformation. Death is only here to guide you on your way forward. Niko's story does not end here. It is her kindness and pure heart that saves her; and although she dies, she is not gone. She changes.

Into what remains to be seen.

[dragon-spaghetti]

Hey! I hope its alright im asking anonymous, you're kinda my idol so im a little shy sorry :,)

Anyways my question would be a kinda commonly asked one but i would like to hear your advice on "How to find your artstyle?" Your artsyle is truly AMAZING and unique to me and inspired me a lot so i thought i would ask you this. I'll stop writting now cause its getting long 😅

(One last thing: You're the best and keep doing the amazing work you do cause im obsessed with it and its truly amazing and have a pawsome day/night!!)

It's absolutely ok!! That's why I have anon on after all ;v; (and thank you omg that's flattering 🥹💖)

Okok so here's the things with artstyles; it's literally just doing what ya want!! You don't need to have a specific one!!

So for mines, it's literally just been me picking things up over the years. I got my start through drawing my little pony, and that still shows through how I draw eyes tbh ;^^ and as you can imagine, over the past few years the hellaverse has had a massive impact on how I draw!!

If you like how an artist does something?? Try and analyse how/why they do that; I grew up watching speedpaints on youtube and taking into account just how people did things, for example if they colour picked for their rendering or if they used layer settings etc!!

Having one artstyle can honestly be really restrictive though, which is why I honestly don't believe you should focus on having one specific style if that makes sense??

These pieces are all by me, but all have different rendering styles!! The first one is significantly more recognisable imo as my style since cell shading is generally what I do, however when I'm feeling particularly art blocked I'll sometimes go for a more paint-like style ✨

A really close friend of mine (who gets referred to as my husband lol) can do so many different styles, yet his art is extremely recognisable on sight to me every time somehow and I'm forever in awe lmao 😭 his art account is @/draconicdeityarts if you want to check out his stuff, cool af

Genuinely my greatest piece of advice? Just have fun and don't be afraid to try new things ;v; trying to put yourself in a box of "it needs to be in this style" will stunt your growth in my experience!! And over time you'll find the things that make your style yours because, generally, they're the part you enjoy doing the most, which can only be found out by experimenting!! My favourite part is rendering and I feel that shows, but the reason I love it so much is because I'm regularly experimenting still with how I do it rather than sticking to one way!!

I hope this helped at all, just remember that art is for fun, and trust me when I say that your art will always have its ways of being recognisable as yours regardless of if you have one style or 20 different ones 💖

For fun, have some of my older art to see The Development lmao; I believe the years in order here would roughly be 2014, 2016 & 2015 (forgive the quality the photo won't properly load), 2019, 2020, 2022, and finally 2023 ✨

[indignantlemur]

Hello lovelies! Who wants a nice, cozy kitchen scene? I'm not back up to snuff, but as part of my physiotherapy I've been encouraged to draw and write and generally give my arm and hand a good work out with all kinds of horrible contortions and exercises. I'm far from at my previous level, and I can't tolerate the kind of shading I preferred before my injury, so for this piece I experimented with a more cell-shading like style this time. I think it turned out alright! A bit rough, sure, but not bad for a first attempt!

I still can't draw a smooth lines without leaning pretty heavily on stabilizers, but I am improving a little more every day. While I'm not completely happy with parts of the overall piece, I think I managed to more or less hit the target!

Detail shot and rambling below the cut, as per usual!

So the main idea behind all of this was a series of slice of life snapshots that felt cozy and comfortable, focusing heavily on the interactions between characters over drama and big scenes. I didn't have a particular location in mind with this one, but I have always thought that Dagmar's Andoria apartment would be conspicuously corporate-bland, the way a lot of common spaces are in Star Trek - and probably the most common examples Andorian architects would draw from without knowing any better.

In the background, we have Dagmar's little notes and reminders, as she's always struck me as the sort of person who uses her fridge like a personal calendar and organizer rather than a showcase for sentimental things.

Transcribed, they read:

[To Do: - Groceries!!! - New books ] [Language Lessons - High Vulcan!!! (<-Email Comm Lorik @ embassy again) - Coridanese - Refresh Klingon - Aenar dialect?] [DRINK WATER - NOT coffee] [Appointment w/ Miraal @ [indecipherable]]

Food in all its varieties has been a big part of Emigre from the very beginning, and I thought in particular that it would be nice to capture a scene with Dagmar and Thelen focused around that point. After all, if Thelen can teach Dagmar the ins and outs of Andorian cooking, why can't Dagmar return the favour?

So, working off of that, I wanted to try for a scene that feels mostly familiar. As much as I wanted to feature familiar objects and tools, owing to Dagmar's past origins and preferences, I also wanted to add little things that are just a tiny bit alien, too. We have the half-drunk drinks of familiar blue ale; the datapad, forgotten, going into screen-saver mode; the cream tarts in unusual shades; and even some odd little fruits that look like cherry tomatoes and come in dull Skittle colours, for example. Then, there's the ulu-style knife just at the edge of the frame. It's an unusual choice over a standard santoku knife or any other perfectly serviceable kitchen knife, but given its resemblance to a ushaan-tor it feels oddly appropriate. Providing my recovery continues to go well, I'm hoping to do a few more cozy scenes, but I can't promise anything just yet!

[slaingelo]

@indigoartistqueen i will not STAND for these allegations XD

but seriously, I'll put a detailed explanation below on how I draw so fast because it is a genuine thing that can be explained... like, I mean, beyond the autism and monster drinks

FIRST OF ALL I DON'T RECOMMEND DRAWING AT THE SAME PACE AS I DO AT LEAST NOT WITHOUT TAKING MORE BREAKS. do as I preach not as I do I am constantly straining myself and I tend to draw through the pain anyways because I love art and drawing so much and I'm probably going to get carpal tunnel before my brother despite drawing being his full time job. <- if you were ever curious on what got me into art, that would be it lol, I'm from a family of artists. that same brother is also the one who bought me the four swords manga when I was a wee lass along with the other akira himekawa manga that were out at the time. he's so epic.

ANYWAYS;

simplify your art style.

the art style i mostly use on this blog isn't my full effort or most detailed one, by any means. here's my detailed style vs the one i tend to use vvv

there's a lot more detail in the hair, and especially in the clothes. it's also actually rendered, while most of the other art I post isn't. on top of that if I do any shading for my simple style, it's always cell shading.

if you have a detailed style and you want to stick with it, you're not going to be putting out finished pieces every hour.

quick touchups for extra prettiness

so you got the lineart and flat colours of your simplified art. but you want more oomph

I went over my process before of how I colour lines and go about shading, and stuff like this is important in the sense of; YOU WANT TO FIND QUICK AND SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ART LOOK NICE. here's another effect I do often;

THIS ^ can add to soften the colours a lot. I usually do all my flat colours on the same layer in my simple style EXCEPT for the hair and eyes. this is why I do the hair separate!

of course I cut both the lineart/shading and the hair thingie out of the comic because it would take me a while lol.

HAVE FUN

if there's something you don't like drawing find out why and change it. otherwise you're going to get burnt out or take a lot longer to draw than you'd like because you're struggling with that one thing. or both.

it's the reason my lineart is thick. I dislike doing thin lineart, so it takes me a very long time to do it. solution is to simply do thick lineart.

PEN DOODLE !!!!!!!

the way I found my simple style to begin with was through pen doodling. by not being able to erase your mistakes, and continuously drawing like that anyways, your sketching process will be sped up significantly. it will help you cut out steps that aren't necessary and let you find new ways to styalise things quickly and simply.

here's actually a pen doodle I did of force gem!shadow a few days ago with no pencil sketch in I think about 10 minutes if not less. I think that out of all of these pieces of advice, this is the BIGGEST one to help you learn how to draw fast.

being able to do this translates to very fast sketches that you don't need to touch up much to do lineart over. here's my sketches for the art I had at the start of this, for big example

generally though I do a sketch like this one here for the pose in a similar way to how I pen doodle with minimum erasing, and then a second one over top of it to adjust the pose and add clothes/hair/ect

I HOPE THIS IS INTERESTING AND HELPFUL MAYBE ?! THANKS FOR READING AND THE SUPPORT

[foxs0x]

Ask game!

🥦 Can you share an old piece of work next to a newer piece and say what you've learned?

I just love seeing how people’s styles develop over time.

Ok I had this question from a couple of people so I’ve held onto this until I drew something new!

I have a comparison from 2015 to now, plus one from 2019 to show how much my style has actually changed over the years!

2015

2015 I bought some comic markers but I couldn’t get the hang of them. It was around this time I was phasing out of only drawing manga and trying to find my own style. I remember being quite proud of this. I’ve since put a lot of focus on drawing portraits and now I’m working on anatomy.

2018

In 2018 I was learning to shade and add texture but I stuck to black and white. I was really inspired by Greek mythology and heavy metal album covers. It was also the same year I got an iPad and started trying to learn digital art.

2024

I’m still learning and growing every day. I’m trying to learn colouring and shading 😂

I struggle with bodies and anatomy and I struggle with clothes and costuming, but I’ll get there!

I’ve learned to loosen up my sketches. I have a habit of obsessing over minute details that only slows me down. Now, I SCRIBBLE! Then I build something out of that. Below is something I’m trying to to work on. I literally just grabbed a pen and sketched. I usually skip the pencilling because I find it freeing to just commit lines to paper and work from there without having the power to erase it.

Under that is Astarion, which is an example of how I’m trying to learn to use colour palettes and drawing costumes. My BIGGEST challenge at the moment is trying to keep a movement or flow in my drawings because they usually look pretty stiff.

[stuffedsand]

5, 9, 10, 18 and 19 for artist ask game! you don't have to answer all of them if you don't want to

Hii thankyou for the ask!! Dw I like answering these haha

5. How would you describe your artstyle?

Hmm difficult to say... Best I got is that I try to make things glowy ? Soft, maybe

9. What's something you always come back to when drawing?

Referring to what I keep drawing: my ocs or the Blorbo of the Year

Referring to a part of a large piece I will not be finished with until the end no matter what order I draw things in: the skin. Just in general. Especially the larger expanses of skin (arms, legs etc) because they tend to look off to me haha

Alternatively the background/lighting. Not because I struggle but because when I get frustrated doing small, detailed, tedious shading is always a fun way to like. Reset the brain

10. How do you deal with artblock?

Arguably I've been in a constant state of artblock since. What. Last December? (Stares at the muu and shidou trial song pieces) But honestly I just try to push through!! Usually I try doing studies of images or paintings, but the expressions thing I did over on my art blog helped a lot with getting back into the drawing mood (even if it took. 2 rounds of different ask memes to actually get back into it)

It really is just a "be patient and do what you can" thing I think

18. Something you feel like you need to improve on?

COLOURING

My main issue with the first pass of most of my art is that the colours are too dull or too bright or they don't go together

Similarly, values and shading. I have a slight issue with making things muddy...

Also, while a bit more silly... I need to stop going back and tweaking "finished" pieces. I've changed the shidou trial songs piece like 3 times after posting the "finished" one on like 3 servers

19. Where do you find inspiration?

Honestly usually from other people's art!!

In terms of style and technique I tend to find new ways through watching people's speedpaints or other similar videos, and character design through things like redesign videos.

And in terms of style, I . I actually don't know where mine came from. Weird mix of every artist I've seen ever I guess?

In terms of subject... It depends. Usually it just Comes To Me (see: everything I've drawn with kazui) or based on an art piece . Considering I draw fanart mostly it usually comes from interpreting something or grabbing the symbolism and feeling of the source and slapping it on a paper. I'm not very articulate but yk

[yellowvixen]

Hi um so I have a small question you don't need to answer but do you have any advice for new artist

hello!! first of all thank you for asking me, it means a lot!! sorry for leaving this for a few days too, i wrote this all up and then forgot to post is djgjfhsg

so, this is probably annoying advice you've heard before but genuinely? practice!!! try to draw every day, even if it's just for a little bit. also, draw from life! even if your own style is more cartoony (or you want to start drawing cartoons), drawing from life helps develop your hand eye coordination and will help you actually draw what you see in your mind. if you have any art galleries or museums nearby, take a pad of paper and a pencil along and draw the paintings and statues. if you can't do that, hell even get a bowl of fruit and draw that! if you're really set on drawing people then take a selfie! a pic with your friends! it's not cheating to draw from photos, real people move around too much to draw sometimes lol. if you want to develop your own style, look around and see what you like about others! for use of practice, copying art can be fine as long as you don't claim it as your own and if you want to post is then ask permission

another useful thing is to watch process videos! that way you get to see exactly how other artists do what they do. eg how is the line art done- one quick stroke or many short strokes? pay attention to colours too, lighting and shading is weird! shadows aren't just black, one colour can look completely different depending on its surrounding colours and stuff like that.

if btw, i completely misunderstood and you're a new artist to tumblr, not a new artist in general (although if you're asking here, you might be both), my advice for that is to tag your art properly! timings don't really matter (if you're really pressed you can schedule your posts- i do that lol) but tags allow other people to find your art! make sure your tags are relevant: the piece of media, the characters, the ship name if applicable. don't tag characters that aren't in the drawing! other good tags to include are stuff like "art", "artists on tumblr", "fanart" etc. it's also a good idea to have your own art tag, this can be as simple as "my art" (it won't get mixed up with other people using that tag, as searching on your own blog won't include posts on other's blogs) or something more specific like mine which is "vixenart" lol

i hope this will be even a little bit helpful for you :] but remember i am just one person with my opinions! you don't need to follow my advice at all, it's just from my own experience and what has helped me over the years, everyone's different!

[abaya-fashion]

Comfort with a Brown Textured Lightweight Open Abaya

Hey there, trendsetters!

Are you ready to take your modest fashion game to the next level? Allow me to introduce you to the ultimate wardrobe essential: the brown textured lightweight open abaya! This stunning piece is not only incredibly stylish but also versatile enough to pair with any colour in your wardrobe.

Let's talk about texture. There's something undeniably luxurious about a textured fabric, don't you think? It adds depth and dimension to your look, instantly elevating your style game. And when it comes to the brown textured lightweight open abaya, trust me, you're in for a treat!

What I love most about this abaya is its lightweight feel. It's perfect for those warmer days when you still want to look chic without feeling weighed down. Plus, the open design adds an extra element of breeziness, making it the ideal layering piece for any season.

Now, let's talk versatility. The beauty of a brown abaya is its ability to complement any color palette. Whether you're rocking bold hues, soft pastels, or classic neutrals, this piece effortlessly ties your look together. Talk about a wardrobe MVP!

Whether you're headed to brunch with the girls, running errands around town, or attending a casual dinner date, the brown textured lightweight open abaya has got you covered. It's the epitome of effortless elegance, and it's sure to become your new go-to piece for every occasion.

So, if you're ready to add a touch of sophistication to your wardrobe, why not give the brown textured lightweight open abaya a try? Trust me, you'll be turning heads wherever you go!

Until next time, stay fabulous!

XOXO,

[kaijukat-art]

Hello! I was wondering if you could a small tutorial on how you render your pieces?? They’re all super pretty btw!! I love your art :D!!

Ahh thank you sm!! <3 0: i’m not very good at explaining my process, and it changes depending on what I’m drawing as well, but I’ll try my best to explain it!

imma use the choso panel redraw since it’s a pretty simple portrait (done in Procreate, but most of this can be applied to CSP too)

once i’ve got a decently refined sketch, i fill in a basic starting skin colour for the character. i start some shading once i have a basic idea of where i want lighting. colour-wise, i usually go a bit darker & warmer for the first pass. (i use a brush that’s a basic airbrush settings but i replace the shape source with a reuleaux triangle) besides where shadows will fall, ill also focus on making the colour more dense on the ears, fingers, around the eyes, and sometimes the blush area. (also let it be known i use Liquify a lot, and constantly flip my canvas. as you render you’ll often start noticing lil adjustments that need to be done)

ill build up passes of colour, going darker & more saturated as i do. as the colours darken, they’ll be in the more receded/hidden areas of the face (like under brows, under chin, inner ear, unless the lighting calls for otherwise) in this case though, he’s also kinda beat up, so i added more colour under the eyes/on the cheekbones to add to the bruise vibes

for the nose/brow/shoulder highlights, i made a new layer & set it to Add. it’s a handy way to get a highlight colour and brighten your hot spots for lighting. this is usually when ill mess with the sketch/linework, sometimes i switch the layer mode to Multiply if i know i want to fully paint over it. in this case i think i just Alpha Locked the layer and painted in the hair/eyeliner since i wanted them darker. once the linework is thoroughly fukt with, i make a new layer and start painting over. usually involves a lot of colour picking & making some adjustments, playing around with levels of colour. I also swap between the reuleaux and a funky dense rectangle thing for rendering, sometimes little sketch pens for smaller details too.

(technically the blue-tinge reflective lighting wasn’t very accurate for the bg/scene colour i chose, but i got carried away and didn’t wanna change it lol)

hair rendering is fun sometimesssss. i make a new layer, choose a slightly brighter colour, and messily block in where i want the highlights. idk how else to explain it besides like, think about using H-adjacent shapes when you’re erasing/refining the highlights. for the last step, i make a new layer, set it to Add, and paint inside the highlights for the sharper look.

When it’s getting to a place i kinda like, (added some blood/cuts on this one before moving on) ill usually start messing with some overlay effects. this usually involves picking a random colour, filling in a new layer, and seeing how it lays over the piece. depending on the vibe im going for it can change a lot, but i find myself usually liking Exclusion & Subtract a lot. (sometimes ill throw a Noise + Overlay layer on top as well, but didn’t for this piece)

i hope that makes some sense??😭 im sorry if anything isn’t clear, i can try my best to answer specifics if needed.

it’s not my most thoroughly rendered portrait but it’s one i got a decent amount of wip screenshots for.. my style in general is still a wip, and i change it up a bit every time. i encourage experimentation always!!! it’s helped me a lot. i’ll see about making a more thorough tutorial for a properly rendered piece soon too!

[corpsoir]

hello! so I don’t really know how to word this in a non word vomit kind of way so my apologies ahead of time! One of my further questions about art especially digital art is finding a nice in between style of realism & “cartoony.” I personally struggle with the realism kind of art somethin about drawing real people is extremely difficult for me, I don’t want to draw them like fully real like but I do think my art could improve if I figured it out. Do you have any tips or recommendations to help with finding this? My other question is a bit more into coloring, i think I’m getting a little better at it but I’m still a tad confused on things like shading how to do lighting all that extra stuff people add when it’s not just flat color. Hopefully I make sense? I’ve been watching videos on digital painting & it’s helping but sometimes the ones I watch kinda go over my head & I was wondering you had any other tips/tricks or could dumb it down for me. Please & thank you sm again I really appreciate your help 💘

yeah sure i have lots of tips and thoughts im sure other people might find useful or fun to read as well!

i just wanna preface this by saying this is how just i do things and by no means am i saying im doing it "right" or that there even is a right way to do art. have fun! art is just a by-product of being human, nobody can do art more correctly or better than anyone else, its just art, its like breathing!

the best tip i can give to anyone looking to improve their art, especially when it comes to drawing people and light and shade, is taking a real life figure drawing class!

i know it can be expensive depending on where you live etc but if you ever get the opportunity, DO IT! its seriously so valuable especially if you have a teacher who is good at explaining 1) how to think when youre drawing and 2) can point you in the right direction and give you tips personally according to your abilities

when it comes to balancing realism and a more stylised cartoony style the best thing here is also to learn how the real human body works and looks. and again a figure drawing class can help here but so does looking at pictures, looking at your own body and how it moves and how light plays on your skin etc! i think in order to stylise something its always helpful to have that background knowledge of how something looks like in real life, that way you can sort of abstract the thing youre drawing and simplify it with simple shapes. i think one of my favourite examples for this that a lot of people struggle with is hands. people tend to want to draw every single finger in detail, and sometimes that can look a little bit stiff. heres a bunch of hands ive scribbled lately, notice how theyre all just. idk. shapes? especially the little negative spaces that trick you into seeing a finger when in reality its just a blob with a hole through it.

you read them as hands but theyre really just. blobs mostly.

there are tons of books on anatomy for artists as well and those might help! i dont have any tips there though, most of my knowledge on the human form is from figure drawing and looking at my own body and stuff :))

and COLOURS! so i always work with a limited palette for my art. instead of going in and picking new colours all the time and ending up with an inconsistent muddy mess like i used to, i have made a nice palette with colours i enjoy and that go together well.

lots of reds and browns and purples here, but thats just my personal preference for how i work with colours lol

and im gonna be really annoying with this but when it comes to shading things "right" this is something you gotta practice practice and practice, by looking at real world examples and trying to replicate it on paper (or digitally i guess). i still have a lot to learn, i struggle with light and shade still too and its fine, its a learning process!

but anyways this is how i usually do the light in my art, and i think this piece is the best example because its a very bright light source and stuff

excuse my handwriting lol my thinking when it comes to light is just. im trying to think about what im drawing as a 3d object, so in my head i try to visualise for example how the light will fall on their weird hair shapes and their skin and clothes.

oh and also i just found a compilation of a bunch of videos by an artist who is really good at explaining a lot of stuff i do too! its REALLY long but she's got so many good tips on how to think about art and its really helped me a lot since i stumbled upon them. shes also really great at explaining colour theory in a way that made it so much easier for me!

hope this helps at least a little bit lol im not a good teacher sorry!!

[seagull-scribbles]

Hello! 21, 25 and 27 for the ask

21. Do you like to challenge yourself?

Yes!…. and no

I like to try new things out but I do it in small doses so I don’t beat myself up. Even doing the same thing every time is still progress so I just tip my toe into new things or challenges when I feel it’s time to push myself in some way or mix things up! It tends to be when I start getting bored with my usually process.

Recent challenges have been style and trying to draw people and non sonic things

25. Do you like to draw in silence or with music?

I have done both tbh but I prefer music. But it’s got to be 1-3 songs that just loop for the entire day so it’s not distracting but I can sing along and maybe use the vibes to help with the piece I’m working on. Irritating for those near me for sure aha

I used to link the songs quite a bit but I’m self conscious about my music taste because a lot of people have told me it’s shite ahaha

27. How many layers does a typical piece require?

Erm for me around 30…..

But like I have a little slick man sketch then a proper sketch then the outline and the shading layers and then every colour/shade I use I give it’s own layer. I’m very messy and it’s the only way I can do colouring without messing the whole piece up (even if my style is still messy with this technique lmao)

[racingliners]

Life In The Fast Lane Chapter 1 - Meeting

Rating: Teen & Up

Warnings: None apply

Pairings: Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s); OFCs & OMCs

Work Tags: Re-write of a previous work; Mentions of IRL current and past F1 figures; Eventual romance; friends to lovers; found family/work family; actual family; racing drivers and their various shenanigans; how to handle pressure (and how not to); with a sprinkling of the power of friendship; tags will be updated as work progresses

Chapter 1/57

Word count: 3.2k

Summary: New faces, and first meetings

Monday 9th January 2023 – Woking

The hotel room was exquisite – or at least was styled to be. The walls and floor were a similar shade of chocolate brown, with a cream coloured double bed sat in the middle pressed up against a quilted headrest that reached right up to the ceiling. Sophie was sat in a caramel coloured armchair, her back firmly pressed against the small cushion as she stared out of the window. All she could really see was trees and the occasional house, not that the view really mattered because she was far too nervous to appreciate it anyway.

Arguably, today was about to be one of the biggest days of her whole life. Her first visit to the McLaren Technology Centre, the home of her brand new team.

She sighed and stood up from the chair and glanced at her silver watch (a sponsor requirement, courtesy of Tag Heuer). Apparently Sophie needed to be driven to the factory for her first day, and someone from the team would be waiting for her in the lobby at exactly 9am, and that was fifteen long, long minutes away.

She had known back in December just what a big deal her Formula 1 debut was going to be, it wasn’t going to matter that she was a British driver driving for a British team, or how long it had been since a woman last raced in F1. She was the first woman to finish on a podium, win a race and championship in just about every feeder series she had raced in. So when McLaren came calling after Nathan Watkins announced he was going to pastures new, Sophie said yes without any hesitation, not even thinking about the mass of media attention she was going to get. Maybe that was why McLaren had paid for such a nice hotel room.

She decided to walk into the bathroom, that in complete contrast to the rest of the room was stark white with marble style panelling on the walls, and every fixture finished in silver chrome. Sophie looked at her outfit again for the third time and sighed, burying her hands into her wavy hair. In the email the team had sent her she was told to dress smart-casual, and considering that it was the middle of Winter she didn’t fancy wearing a dress. So she’d picked a hunter green blouse with a pleated collar and flowy sleeves that met in a satin cuff around her wrists, paired with black skinny jeans and dark brown brogues. Sensible footwear to hopefully help her walk through the slush without falling flat on her face.

Sophie felt comfortable in her decision to not wear anything more on her face than tinted moisturiser and lip balm as she checked her phone again, re-reading the messages from her family, personal trainer Vanessa and a few of her close friends. All of them wishing her well on her first day. Just as she was about to slide her phone into her pocket it rang, her manager’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hey Becks” Sophie sighed as she let herself fall backwards into the bed. “I hope you’re not calling to tell me that McLaren have changed their mind”

“Thankfully, no” Becks, or Rebecca to everyone else, replied with a small sigh. She had been Sophie’s manager for just over three years, and was one of the reasons why Sophie had been able to rise through the motorsport feeder series, as well as arranging the elusive McLaren deal. “I’m just checking that you’re still in one piece”

“Just about” Sophie replied quietly, looking up at the ceiling. “I’m leaving in a few minutes”

“You’ll be fine. Trust me. And if it all goes to pot you can win over the mechanics today at least” Sophie just hummed in response, she was already dreading just how she was going to be perceived. Female racing drivers were apparently like unicorns, and successful female racing drivers were supposedly like blue moons. “I know it sounds stupid and I know you’re coming off the back of you-know-what, but you’re going to be okay. I’m sure of it”

“Thanks Becks” Sophie sighed, standing up from the bed as the time on her watch was now approaching five to nine.

“And try to kick a little bit of arse today”

“I will, bye!” Sophie let out a small chuckle, and hung up. Allowing her manager to have her much needed morning espresso.

Refusing to let her nerves get the better of her, and the fact it was almost nine o’clock, Sophie put her phone into her handbag, pulled on her long black coat, picked up her small leather handbag and left the safety of her hotel room. She opted to use the stairs instead of the lift and huffed when she walked into the large reception area, looking around for whoever was supposed to be meeting her. All she had to go on was a name – Richard Wilson – and that he worked in the team’s PR department, having spoken with him on the phone yesterday to confirm the day’s schedule.

She made her way across the room, past the reception desk and towards an area to the side scattered with armchairs and coffee tables, all yet again in varying shades of brown. Sophie spotted an empty one to sit at and wait for the mysterious Richard to appear, when he ended up finding her first.

“Excuse me” Sophie turned round and put on a polite smile. “Richard Wilson, from McLaren” Richard was tall, probably just brushing six foot, but then again anyone looked tall next to Sophie’s five-foot four frame. He had jet black hair and small warm brown eyes; and appeared to be smiling at her genuinely as he held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you”

“Lovely to meet you too Richard” Sophie allowed herself to smile a little more as she shook Richard’s hand, she suddenly felt a bit foolish to not have her manager Becks by her side. Even though they both knew that Sophie had to get through today by herself.

“We should probably get going, the factory is only a couple of miles away, but you know what traffic is like when there’s even a hint of snow”

Sophie gave a puff of air and a chuckle in response, she knew that problem all too well. She followed Richard out of the hotel entrance and towards the car park, stopping when they reached a black Mercedes. “I wish this was mine, but I’ve just been leant it for the day, hop in”

“The team just let you have a brand new off the line Merc?” Sophie asked as she got in the front passenger seat, admiring the grey interior. Richard just sighed as he leaned back in his seat before starting the car and fastening his seatbelt.

“Pretty sure it’s the team trying to give you a good first impression” Richard whispered with a shrug as he slowly drove out of the hotel car park, heading straight for the McLaren Technology Centre.

  James sighed as he polished off his latte, sat in the canteen looking out over the lake that hugged the factory building. It was an awfully cold grey day in Woking, considering that James was British he really should have been used to it, but maybe living in Monaco for as long as he’d had was having a greater effect on him than he thought.

He was supposed to be meeting his new team mate today, he didn’t know anything about her other than a name, the picture that had been used in the team’s press release, and that she was the first female F1 driver since 1992. Sophie Knightsbridge was all who anyone in F1 could be talking about all Winter Break.

As James pondered whether or not that was a good thing, Katie from PR appeared and made a bee line for him.

“Richard just texted, he’s a few minutes away. You should probably head upstairs” James nodded, and picked up his empty coffee cup to take it back over to the serving counter. “You don’t need to be part of the welcome brigade, but I take it you know where you’re going?”

“My days of getting lost around here are far behind me” James chuckled as he left the canteen and headed towards one of the spiral stairs that sat in the middle of the promenade. He paused as he climbed the stairs to briefly check his phone, before walking with his hands in his pockets towards the meeting room.

  It turned out that Richard was incredibly chatty, though Sophie did wonder if he was compensating for her near silence. It was nice however for someone to take interest in who she was, rather than what she did.

“So, how big of an entourage should we be expecting at testing?” Richard joked as they passed through another set of traffic lights.

“No one really, not until the final test anyway. But it’ll just be my parents since my brother’s going back to uni soon”

“Ah, no boyfriend then?” Sophie didn’t expect to be so taken aback by that question, she took in a sharp breath before answering quietly.

“No, no boyfriend” Richard hummed and stayed quiet for a moment, half realising he had hit a sore spot. The car stayed quiet for a couple of minutes before Richard started speaking again, pretending as if nothing had happened.

“Have you been to the factory before then?”

“No” Sophie sighed leaning back in her seat. “My deal was done in a bit of a hurry, since the team wanted all the paperwork done before Christmas, so I signed the contract in some London hotel” She had to admit though, Sophie would never be forgetting that day in a hurry.

“Yeah that sounds like Andrew” Richard hummed as he turned off a roundabout, and quickly slowed as he approached a security checkpoint. “Morning Jamie” The press officer pulled an ID Card out of his pocket and showed it to the man on duty.

“What on earth did you do to let them give you that?” The security guard huffed in disbelief, eyeing up the black Mercedes.

“It’s just for today sadly, pretty sure it’s just to show off” Richard leaned back and gestured to Sophie, who had already pulled out her passport. The guard’s eyes widened as he stared at her for a few silent moments.

“Lovely to meet you Miss, considering I saw your face in every paper last month I’ll let you off just this once” Jamie wagged a finger has he pressed a button to raise the security arm. “Have a nice day now” Richard waved goodbye to the guard as he slowly drove away.

“Well then, welcome to the factory”

The McLaren Technology Centre was a flat, semi-circular four-story high building sat next to a huge lake that from above helped from a full circle. Panes of glass completely covered the front of the building, it was difficult to see from the road that ran parallel to the edge of the lake, but Sophie could just make out a row of Formula 1 cars inside. It was surprisingly grand for a building that wasn’t even twenty years old, but it really did make a statement. Sophie let out a long slow whistle as Richard pulled the car to a stop right by the front door.

“On a normal day you’ll have to use the car park at the back, but like I said the bosses are really laying it on thick today” Richard sighed as he switched off the car and held the keys in his hands. “One day I’ll be able to afford this, come on” Richard got out first and handed the keys to another member of McLaren staff, who Richard instructed to be very careful when driving the Merc back to the showroom.

Sophie took in a deep breath before getting out of the car, and slowly walked round to meet Richard. She walked by his side as they approached the large glass doors with her shoulders back and her head held high, if she wasn’t feeling completely confident Sophie was at least going to try and look it.

The glass doors slid open automatically and standing on the other side was Team Principle Martin Hawkins alongside Team CEO Andrew White. Sophie smiled brightly as Martin greeted her.

“Good morning Sophie, nice to see you” She just smiled as Martin shook her hand before making way for Andrew.

“Welcome to the team at last, we can give you a your of the factory later but we should probably head upstairs” Richard happily lead the way while Martin and Andrew walked with Sophie, asking her menial things about the weather, how the drive over was, if her hotel was adequate enough, and how they were planning on her running in the simulator the next day (that was the only thing that got a genuinely excited response). And before Sophie knew it Richard was holding the door to a meeting room wide open, and Martin and Andrew were leading her inside.

  James wasn’t entirely sure why he stood up when Richard opened the door, but he did. He smoothed down the front of his shirt and adjusted his cufflinks, looking up right as his new team mate entered the room. The first thing he thought upon seeing her was that she was shorter than pictures suggested, and that her smile was almost blinding.

“Hi I’m James. It’s nice to meet you” He stepped forward with a hand outstretched, he almost smiled with relief when she shook it straight away.

“Sophie, nice to meet you too” As she spoke James was reminded that his team mate was another Brit, from Northampton… or was it Northamptonshire? He couldn’t quite remember, and made a mental note to ask at the earliest opportunity. She took the empty seat next to him none the less, after taking off her coat and hanging it on the back of the chair.

The meeting didn’t last long, fifteen to twenty minutes at most, and it wasn’t really a proper meeting as such. More the higher up management and a few of the more important board members getting acquainted with their new driver, plus five minutes at the end roughly going over the schedule for testing and the first half of the season.

When everything was done everyone around the table stood up, with the suits and other important people going to leave after shaking Sophie’s hand.

“Oh one more thing Sophie-” Martin said, once it was just him, Richard and the two drivers left. “I just want to be clear, if anyone within the team makes you feel unwelcome, or is in any way disrespectful towards you. I want you to tell me straight away, so we can nip any of that behaviour in the bud” Johnathan carefully watched Sophie’s reaction. She looked taken aback before a grateful smile washed over her face.

“Thank you Martin, I really appreciate it” Sophie nodded before hanging her handbag and coat off the crook of her arm.

“I can take Sophie to get her ID pass and locker key before we go ahead with the tour” Richard smiled, clapping his hands together eagerly. James stayed stood on the spot, knowing that his presence wasn’t really required but also that it would be very rude of him to just leave.

“Yes good idea, then the hard work starts tomorrow” Martin’s remark did get a small laugh and smile out of James’ new team mate. Just as Richard and Sophie were about to leave he took a step forward, wanting to be as polite as possible.

“Enjoy the tour, hopefully you won’t get lost”

“Thanks James” Sophie smiled a bright, confident smile. “See you later” And with a sparkle in her hazel eyes and a swish of dark auburn waves, she was gone.

“I hope you won’t have any problems with this” Martin looked at his driver sternly, he’d deliberately waited a few moments after the door had closed before speaking.

“Of course not. Sophie seems qualified enough to be here, why shouldn’t she be given a chance?” James bounced up on his toes with his hands in his pockets while Martin tapped his foot and looked out of the window.

“I can only hope that everyone else in the paddock will be just as welcoming”

  Almost an hour and a half and a full tour of the factory later, Sophie found herself in the canteen with Richard as Martin had left to go back to his office. Her day was almost over, all that was left was for her to meet her mechanics and race engineer before she was free to go back to her hotel and prepare from her run in the team’s simulator the next day.

The canteen was filled with light thanks to the floor to ceiling windows that gave everyone a view of the lake and the vast areas of greenery outside the factory, which could be seen now that the grey clouds were starting to split and let through the odd ray of sunshine.

“So what’ll it be?” Richard asked as he led the way towards the bar.

“Tea. Earl Grey with milk and sugar… no. Better make it sweetener, or my personal trainer will kill me” Seanagh sighed, not wanting to change her preferred mug of tea, or upset Vanessa. Richard happily ordered and paid for their drinks and led Sophie over to a free table. Each one of them was the same, a stark white square with matching chairs that contrasted the dark grey floor. “The team has a very distinct colour scheme” Sophie observed as she took in her surroundings.

“That’s Andrew’s input, everything has to be just so with him. He refused to change a cracked tile on the boulevard once because the replacement wasn’t the exact same colour”

“You’re joking” Sophie scoffed, her eyes wide open. Andrew White had quite the reputation in F1, but she didn’t expect his want for perfection to be so militant.

“But you, hopefully, shouldn’t have to worry about him too much. He’s surprisingly understanding about rookies needing time to settle in” Richard shrugged and sipped away at his latte. “You’ll be fine”

“I’ve got enough people to impress as it is” Sophie chewed on her bottom lip and glanced out of the window.

“It’s the same for everyone” She knew Richard was just trying to be reassuring, but it did nothing. Ever since she had first sat in a go-kart Sophie had always felt a weight of expectation on her shoulders; she’d been taunted at as a child, many of her competitors and their Dads laughed wondering what a girl was doing there. That had followed her though her entire racing career, even last year when she won her third single seater title, it was never enough for some people. They’d say that she had been lucky, or simply had too good of a car. She knew that she wasn’t going to get a completely warm welcome from the entire F1 paddock at testing.

And if she had to constantly beat James Hewitt to get everyone else’s respect, then so be it.

[tessmontyart]

🎉2022 Art Summary time! 🎉 This year I tried simplifying my colours and shading - but after a year of colouring like this I kinda want to change it up again haha, especially hair, so next year might be a little more experimental! 💕

Last year my goals were: 🌸"Owl City Inktober took a backseat in 2021, but I’d like to bring it back this year to get myself closer to the goal of drawing every Owl City song 😀" Unfortunately my full time job took priority this year, so I didn't get time 😢 But the new Owl City album will be releasing 2023 so I'm hoping to do lots more Owl City Fanart then!

🌸"Animate something for myself! The animations I did last year were all of other peoples characters, it’s time I animate my own characters for once haha! 😆" YESS I finally did this! I made a cute little looping animation of my characters making a gingerbread house, I'm so happy it turned out cute and got a good reception 💖

🌸"Draw at least the first 3 chapters of my webcomic! Or maybe even the first 5? ^^" This was a little ambitious, I didn't realise I was gonna be swamped with full time work :( The sketch for the 1st chapter is done, I just have to line and colour it ❤️

🌸"Not quite drawing-related, but still an art-form - I want to get back into making music, and compose at least 1 piece in 2022 😊" -I accomplished this too! I recorded a fun random little piano piece and had fun adding bits and pieces to it 🎶 . ⭐️WHAT ARE MY GOALS FOR 2023? ⭐️ . 🍓Definitely make more cute little looping animations, that was really fun! Can I aim for ... 3? :D

🍓Surely this will be the year I finish the first chapter to my webcomic. If I don't get another job see how I go with finishing at least the 2nd chapter too? 👼

🍓 I'll reuse one of last years goals. More Owl City art! Especially of the new songs :)

🍓 Try experimenting more with my colouring style, maybe study my favourite artists 💖

Here's to 2023! the previous art summaries on the previous slides, they go right back to 2013! 😳

Previous art summaries below: [2021] [2020] [2019][2018][2017][2016][2015] [2014][2013]

[ronaldanthony4]

I created another digital artwork once again. This time, it’s a fan art that captures my passion for one of my favourite cartoons "Sofia the First". You may wonder why I chose this character again, especially since I’ve already portrayed her in a recent work. Well, I became a fan of this cartoon. Not just because of her charm and the lessons she learns as a princess of Enchancia, but because her character represents many ideals I appreciate—courage, kindness, and the determination to do what's right. This time, however, I’ve portrayed her differently, showing her in a way that reflects her growth and maturity.

In my previous artwork, I illustrated Sofia as she appeared in most of the series—a sweet, curious, and brave 8-year-old girl, adjusting to life as a princess after her mother’s marriage to King Roland II. But this new artwork, well, it’s different. Here, Princess Sofia is depicted in her early adolescent years, slightly older, and a bit more refined, yet still holding onto the youthful spirit that made her such a beloved character. The artwork showcases Sofia's journey as she navigates the challenges of growing up while staying true to her kindness and determination core values.

The inspiration for this comes from another cartoon "Elena of Avalor". The final episode of that series struck a chord with me. Elena, the brave princess whom Sofia once rescued from the Amulet of Avalor, finally becomes Queen. The episode takes place four years after Sofia’s adventure in Avalor, meaning Sofia herself has grown up, and this is where I wanted to take her in my artwork. I loved how the writers depicted her as a teenager, standing gracefully alongside her siblings, James and Amber, during Elena’s coronation. Sofia had aged, but her character was just as captivating, if not more so.

For this new piece, I focused on portraying Sofia in her early teens, perhaps around 13 or 15 years old. As I sat at my tablet, I spent time reflecting on her facial features—how to age her in a way that stayed true to the original design but reflected the maturity she gained over the years. Her skin remains soft and fair, still with that delicate hint of pink that gives her a youthful glow. Her sea-blue eyes remain slightly almond-shaped, but now they carry a sense of wisdom and experience.

Her hair, too, needed to reflect this change. In "Sofia the First", she has short, wavy auburn hair that frames her round face perfectly. But in this new fan art, her hair is a bit longer, with soft, flowing waves cascading past her shoulders, a sign of her growing older. The auburn shade still gleams under the soft palace lights in the background, symbolising her vibrancy. Overall, the updated portrayal captures Sofia's transition from a young princess to a more mature and confident queen.

And now for the gown—ah, the gown! That was both the most exciting and challenging part of this artwork. I wanted to keep the essence of her classic lavender dress, but with some changes that would make it feel more suited to a young teenager. Sofia’s iconic dress from the series is simple yet elegant, adorned with intricate patterns and symbols of her royal status. The dress is still lavender, of course—it had to be. That’s Sofia’s signature colour, after all. However, I included more detailed embroidery and flourishes along the bodice and skirt, using darker purples and delicate gold accents to highlight her growth.

I’ll admit, the gown was probably the trickiest part to create. My tablet, though it’s been a trusty tool for years, doesn’t exactly handle fine, freehand drawing as smoothly as I’d like. Creating those intricate floral patterns, especially along the hem of the dress, took a lot of patience and several adjustments. I spent hours zooming in on tiny sections of the design, trying to get every swirl and leaf just right. But in the end, I’m proud of how it turned out. The patterns give the gown a regal feel while still keeping it true to Sofia’s style.

What was also important for me in this artwork was to show Sofia in motion, capturing that moment of joy and excitement. I wanted her to appear as though she was walking gracefully down a grand staircase, much like she did during Elena’s coronation. The background in the piece reflects that—a grand palace setting with soft, glowing lights and elegant architecture. But it’s not just any palace; it’s the one where she’s spent her entire royal life, a symbol of both her beginnings and her future.

The coronation scene from "Elena of Avalor" holds a special place in my heart. As I watched it unfold, I remember feeling a swell of emotion seeing Sofia and her family return to Avalor, now more grown-up and refined, standing proudly beside Elena as she becomes Queen. Sofia’s journey with the Amulet of Avalor had come full circle, and seeing her there, older, and more confident, made me realise how far she had come, both in terms of her adventures and her personal growth. It was a bittersweet moment, watching them sing “Guiding Light” together, and I wanted to capture some of that in my artwork.

I also wanted to include the tiara in my piece—a small but significant detail. Sofia’s first tiara in "Sofia the First" was crystal-encrusted with amethyst and pearls, a perfect match for her lavender dress. In this new piece, I kept the basic design but added a few personal touches, making it slightly larger and more ornate, to reflect her royal maturity. The amethyst glistens under the soft lighting, symbolising her connection to both Enchancia and Avalor, a reminder of the adventures that have shaped her into the princess she is now.

Sofia’s expression in this artwork was crucial. I wanted to capture her inner beauty—her kindness, determination, and sense of responsibility—but also the joy she feels in this moment of celebration. Her smile is soft, her eyes bright, showing the happiness she feels to be back in Avalor for such a special occasion. But there’s something else, too—a quiet confidence that wasn’t as prominent in her younger years. It’s as if she knows who she is now, fully aware of her role as both a princess and a leader, and she embraces it with grace.

As I finished the piece, I sat back and admired the work. It wasn’t just another fan art of a beloved character—it was a reflection of growth, both Sofia’s and mine. Every detail, from the patterns in her gown to the expression on her face, felt like a culmination of everything I’ve loved about her character throughout the years. In many ways, this artwork wasn’t just about Sofia—it was about the journey she’s been on, the lessons she’s learned, and how those lessons have resonated with me.

In conclusion, this artwork was more than just an illustration; it was a celebration of Sofia’s growth from a young princess to a poised, confident teenager. It was an opportunity for me to reflect on how much I’ve grown as an artist and how much Sofia’s character has influenced me throughout the years. While my tablet might not be the most advanced tool for detailed work, it has been my companion through many artistic journeys, and this piece is a testament to the power of perseverance and the love I have for creating. I look forward to continuing this artistic adventure.

[the-tzarina-alexandra-paracosm]

Some of my favourite art - a timeline

Part 3: 2013

Final Fantasy X/X-2 and FFVII fanart. June or July 2013. The first pic shows remnants of my previous style, while the latter is fully anime. Late 2012-early 2013 was a transitional period in this sense. I really like the concept of the first pic, which is Yuna's past and future self looking at each other. The second pic shows an attempt at perspective and composition.

First row: July. Second row: late 2013. Not only was I growing more and more into my style, but I was trying my hand at original character design. (1st pic: Cherille and the others from the dragon story. 2nd pic: Ivy from the vampire story. 3rd pic: Thea, alien princess. 4th pic: Chleo, wanted criminal).

It's funny to me how clear it is that this is the first time I learned to do a gradient, then proceeded to use it everywhere.

And now for some of my most iconic 2013 pieces:

September (can't make the date out but it's somewhere between the 6th and 9th). I still love this picture. I like the colours even though I ended up changing the character designs to something more cohesive eventually. The concept of this drawing was combining my two stories taking place in Japan, the one on the left being a samurai one, and the one on the right being a modern time one (fun fact! These are the characters from what eventually became my first novel, The Image through the Thick Glass, but the very original ideas as illustrated here was a sort of whodunit/ revenge story, wherein Kaito's brother had been killed etc. It's crazy how different it ended up being from the initial concept!). I also have very pleasant memories of the drawing process, as I was in vacation with my family and we were chilling on a bench in the salt mines and having a snack (and I took my notebook with me everywhere).

In terms of art progress, the most noticeable improvements compared to just months prior are: 1. Side profiles have actual chins 2. Attempts to draw clothing folds 3. Attempts to do shading 4. Still anime influenced but slowly growing into my own style 5. Growing into my character design style

September 2nd. think this is single-handedly my favourite picture of all 2013. This is one of the first very serious attempts to combine composition, perspective, colour and mood. What I like the most is how the wind blows thriugh Onix' hair and clothes, and how the city lights reflect into the river, and how the cars are a mash of random colours to suggest the speed they travel at. This is definitely the highest effort and highest execution drawing I did in that year. And I still love the character designs (and concepts) today.

October or November. I like this because it is very experimental, and if there's a year that has been characterised by its sheer leaps and bounds in art, it's been 2013.

I had to check because I thought this was 2014, but it's actually dated as November 28, 2013. This is also one of my favourites, and perhaps objectively the best of that year. Compared to the Xavier and Onix pic, this had the added benefit of better contrast with the background and a more readable composition. I really like the mood of the drawing, too, it's very emotional. Also re: my gradient comments above, this is one of my first successful sunsets.

-----

The main characteristics of this year are: 1. Trying to adopt an anime artstyle 2. Experimenting with character design, as well as scene composition, perspective, gradients, shading, poses and so on. I didn't realise just how much I've improved over the course of just one year, it really seems like every new month brought a new skill with it, and the style at the beginning of 2013 and that at the end of 2013 can almost not be recognised as being from the same year.