war

I'm trying to improve my character design skills, so I asked twitter mutuals to let me dress their ocs. This is Dust and she belongs to @bb_schwarz - https://twitter.com/bb_schwarz/status/1074741896616894464

Found this quote a few days back, and it really resonated with me. The message is clear that we really shouldn't wait for the "perfect moment" or spend too much time looking for the "easy way" as neither of these options truly exist, they are in effect excuses for not getting on and doing what needs to be done. in order to achieve our goals. If we are honest with ourselves "now" is always the best time, and doing rather than thinking about doing is the way forward. This is a mixed media artwork as the drawing of the girl has been reworked in Photoshop along with the wording and torn paper effect all being digital. Many thanks for looking !

Been a busy couple of weeks, school holidays are always a bit tricky to find time. I have been working on some illustrations for a software product that my husband and I are building so I can't share those at this stage but I was back at the gallery today sketching with my new drawing group, I spent most of my time with a bunch of Mesoamerican statues. I am starting to not get so freaked out by people watching me draw :)

We continue the #inktober environmental issues series with the #day19 word: #scorched and for this word I tried to illustrate the Urban Heat Island effect. This takes place in metropolitan areas that are warmer than the rural areas surrounding them. The main cause of the UHI effect is the alteration of land surfaces (concrete and asphalt). Heat waste produced by people and their tools (like vehicles and industry) is another cause and also the decreased amount of vegetation. UHIs often have lower air and water quality that have a negative effect on the environment of these areas. It is also considered to be a possible contribution to global warming. © Maria!Bălan, 2018

Sticky-note warmup doodle ft: a burger, and octopus, a moth and its lover, an upset skateboarding pikachu, Patrick Swayze from Roadhouse, self-care, a grape loving internet duck, a soul, a kitty-rex, a misplaced turtle, and others.

Here I am, standing in front of the future. What are his plans for me?..

Beware of the Jellies - magic roundabouts ../

My favorite author Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Sunday morning, more than a decade ago. Music, fellowship, and reports about what God was doing here and there. Some things are worth remembering. We learn from looking back— but we must live forward.

bright, hand drawn flowers in warm colors

bright, warm colored floral pattern

Lords of War - otep With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us, God More wars on foreign shores More names for us to mourn To misguide the misinformed To ignore the sick and poor Thus, we praise the lords of war On our knees and beg for more A fresh poison for the weak Filthy little beasts Bred to conform It's the dwarfed souls of greedy men Feculent, arrogant That shackles our young to the cold concrete And empty their guns into bodies They scream "I'm not guilty" They scream "I'm not guilty" But cowards here are only what they fear Shoot until the threat stops I'd rather be in battle than at peace I'd rather be a wolf than a sheep I'd rather be in battle than slaughtered like cattle The weak can sleep while You were born to be led That's what religion says With a bifurcated tongue America eats its young Bullet-toothed, empty gods Paralyze the minds and contest the thoughts With devils everywhere Bombs bursting in the air Drones flown over thrones Of bone and brimstone Sabers rattle in the homes Of the cowards and the crones As they shackle our young Blood stains the streets Pigs empty their guns in their bodies Bow down to the lords of war On your knees for the lords of war Bow down to the lords of war On your knees for the lords of war We rise in defiance We won't remain silent To triumph over tyrants And police violence Shoot until the threat stop We're not guilty Help us God The lords of war On your knees for the lords of war Bow down to the lords of war What is so terrible about a child screaming? Why should it disturb us? Just because we happen to be there to hear it? What about the child who comes from an inadequate home, where he gets no encouragement from his parents Where he doesn't have enough to wear, he doesn't have enough to eat, he comes to school hungry... This beautiful, breathtaking #embracingnightmares

Who hasn't, at least once in their lifetime, fly towards something that seemed reachable?

A captivating exploration of form, this work features an imaginative flower with a distinctive, almost sculptural head. The smooth, folded petals suggest a soft resilience, like a fleshy, protective helmet, while delicate antennae reach tentatively toward the light. The long, winding stem and minimal leaves anchor the drawing, creating a strong vertical movement. Rendered in a mix of colored pencil and graphite, the piece uses subtle shading to give the subject a remarkable three-dimensional quality, making it pop against the neutral background.

St. WIlgefortis. Patron Saint of facial hair and of people seeing a refuge from abusive husbands (and fathers). When I was doing my research into existing Patron Saints, I stumbled onto St. Wilgefortis. I thought that was a fun combination - until I read to the end. From Wikipedia: "According to the legend of her life, set in Portugal and Galicia, she was a teenage noblewoman who had been promised in marriage by her father to a Moorish king. To thwart the unwanted wedding, she had taken a vow of virginity, and prayed that she would be made repulsive. In answer to her prayers she sprouted a beard, which ended the engagement. In anger, Wilgefortis' father had her crucified." I considered giving her a knife, to fight off the unwanted husbands and vile fathers, but that would not be true to her suffering. So I included her blood instead. #dailydrawing #patronSaint

A woman with flowing red hair rides a bright red heart shaped rocket surrounded by fluffy clouds in a clear blue sky. The text reads: Beware of the love bombing!

Erik Satie (1866–1925) In 1898, Satie moved from Paris’s Montmartre district to the working-class suburb of Arcueil, where he would live for the rest of his life. Most mornings, however, the composer returned to the city on foot, walking a distance of about six miles to his former neighborhood, stopping at his favorite cafés along the way. According to one observer, Satie “walked slowly, taking small steps, his umbrella held tight under his arm. When talking he would stop, bend one knee a little, adjust his pince-nez and place his fist on his hip. Then he would take off once more, with small deliberate steps.” His dress was also distinctive: the same year that he moved to Arcueil, Satie received a small inheritance, which he used to purchase a dozen identical chestnut-colored velvet suits, with the same number of matching bowler hats. Locals who saw him pass by each day soon began calling him the Velvet Gentleman. The last train back to Arcueil left at 1:00 A.M., but Satie frequently missed it. Then he would walk the several miles home, sometimes not arriving until the sun was about to rise. Nevertheless, as soon as the next morning dawned, he would set off to Paris once more. The scholar Roger Shattuck once proposed that Satie’s unique sense of musical beat, and his appreciation of “the possibility of variation within repetition,” could be traced to this “endless walking back and forth across the same landscape day after day.” Indeed, Satie was observed stopping to jot down ideas during his walks, pausing under a streetlamp if it was dark. During the war the streetlamps were often extinguished, and rumor had it that Satie’s productivity dropped as a result. - From Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

Benjamin Franklin (Part 2) The plan worked, up to a point. After following the course several times in a row, he found it necessary to go through just one course in a year, and then one every few years. But the virtue of order—“Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time”—appears to have eluded his grasp. Franklin was not naturally inclined to keep his papers and other possessions organized, and he found the effort so vexing that he almost quit in frustration. This timetable was formulated before Franklin adopted a favorite habit of his later years—his daily “air bath.” At the time, baths in cold water were considered a tonic, but Franklin believed the cold was too much of a shock to the system. He wrote in a letter: I have found it much more agreeable to my constitution to bathe in another element, I mean cold air. With this view I rise early almost every morning, and sit in my chamber without any clothes whatever, half an hour or an hour, according to the season, either reading or writing. This practice is not in the least painful, but on the contrary, agreeable; and if I return to bed afterwards, before I dress myself, as sometimes happens, I make a supplement to my night’s rest, of one or two hours of the most pleasing sleep that can be imagined. From Daily rituals by Mason Currey #daulyrituals #inktober #benjaminfranklin @masoncurrey

A scenic landscape with colourful sunset and mountains, complimented by silhouettes

(gel fineliner pen on 115mm x 87mm paper) I did this piece to test out those cheap fineliner pens that you can buy for £1 for 3 from TheWorks stores. They're pretty good for what they are, as you can see. They're 0.38 in line width and the gel ink is quite opaque.

A fun little drawing iv been working on for a few days on and off. I wasn't sure what to fill so much negative space with but eventually decided on spider webs. lol Big thank you to Miss Betsi and her awesome Youtube tutorials on how to make these fun designs and more! Originally drawn in ink on plain paper and filtered and enhanced digitally afterward~

07 SEP 2023

This pen-and-ink illustration was done for the cover of a church statement of faith. I named this illustration Foundation of America because I believe this country was founded by Christians who had strong faith in the God of the Bible, and through faith, prayer, and sacrifice, the patriots overcame the mighty British military. By the hand of God, a new nation was born: the United States of America. When the United States was filled with God-fearing people, God raised the country to be a super power, and the world envied the United States and flocked to her shores, the land of freedom and opportunity. Now this country has forgotten the God who gave birth to her and now is setting up new idols to worship: idols of wood, stone, metals that do not hear or see or care. Because the United States has forgotten God, it has been plagued with storms, tornadoes, floods, droughts and her enemies are waging war with her, waiting to celebrate her fall. It is my hope and prayer that people who love this country will return to honoring God and return to giving Him thanks for all the great works He has done for this nation and turn from our sins and follow God by obeying His Word: the Holy Bible. That God will remove His hand of judgment and His blessing may return to our country. This church was fist built in 1890 and is still being used as a church. It is in Norristown, Pennsylvania. This was the first Bible-believing church I attended when I became a Christian. (October 28, 2017)

I designed this house. It has a really pretty blue exterior, and it has a slight curve to it that gives it a more warm and inviting feel. I like how the walkway kind of curves into the stairs and transitions back into the walkway before arriving at the front door. I like that there’s plenty of yard space with some really nice landscaping. The birds can even come and get a birdbath. I thought that was really cute. I used the multicolored stones to add detail for a more distinguished look. The hedges are neatly cut in a square and follows along side of the house. Looking through those gorgeous windows you can see the house is fully furnished. There are some really pretty chandeliers in there that adds character. There’s a stairway that leads to another level of the house as well. I love how there’s a touch of yellow that highlights the points on the rooftop. Furthermore, the swing in the backyard adds an inviting feel to the scenery. Also, it’s a nice place to sit and enjoy the view.