(I had gotten some new fine-point pens last week, and I figured this was a good way to test them out.) Two very different things have been on my mind lately, maybe there's a connection? I think it's interesting how it's taken me 4 years to figure something out, become comfortable enough to open up to others about it, and then embrace it. Yet it's like living a double life, being authentic to some and keeping secrets from others. On the other hand, to the person receiving this drawing, I know I can't do anything to change the situation even though I wish I could. All I can say is I'm forever grateful for all you do, and I truly hope you decide to take advantage of all the opportunities coming your way.
April has truly started off on a high note: 3 days of warm weather (a rare occurrence in an early Chicago spring), I finally did double-backs to the floor at gymnastics, found out I won a few art contests, and I got my first COVID vaccine! It's nice to have things starting to work out, even if it is just temporarily.
I first bought some cheap soft pastels back in 2018 and did a couple of sketches. I bought a nice set of Rembrandt pastels a few months later — didn't use them. I bought some pastel pads, none if which seemed right. September 2020, I bought a couple more sets of bargain pastels and tried a couple of pieces — no good, still couldn't bring myself to use them. Jess bought me pastel pencils for Christmas — I was too scared to use them. I even bought a pad of Pastelmat which is supposed to be THE paper to use for pastel paintings in January. I was too scared to use that as well!
FINALLY, after a few unsuccessful attempts at working with watercolour (brush issues), I cast aside my fear and thought I'd mess around with pastels. Some time later, and this was the result. I've finally broken through my pastel fear-barrier.
I've got to say, I love soft pastels and I'm excited about doing more pieces in this medium.
At the top of Pentregwenlais near Llandybie is Gwenlais Quarry. In itself, the quarry is quite beautiful with its sheer rock faces and the way that nature has started to reclaim it. This scene is one of the paths that leads down from the top of the quarry back towards Pentregwenlais. I was going to do it as a pen & wash but by the time I'd finished with the watercolour I thought it was too complex to start putting ink in there. Watercolours on watercolour paper (6x8")
Gwenffrwd-Dinas is an RSPB nature reserve out in the wilds of mid-Wales. You could easily miss it driving past, but if you do park up, you're treated to some gorgeous scenery. Here the river Tywi (the longest in Wales) flows past the wooded riverbank then through a rocky gorge on its way down to Carmarthen. Pen and watercolour on watercolour paper (6x8").
In an ambiguous relationship, people's minds are always guessing. Pull a rose petal. Yes, he likes me. Pull another petal. Oh no, he doesn't like me. Even after tearing a bunch of flowers, the answer remains unclear.
based in the METABARON series by Moebius n J.Jimenes, A.Jororowsky script,,,,,i didnt copy i did my own caracter but the style its very similar to taht graphic nobel,,,,,,well Hope you like!!!!
I shall not tell you than two woods.
Só vôs dirêi ôu lhê dirêi dúas palavras.
"English as She is Spoke" by Jose da Fonseca and Pedro Carolina.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6NOMVBnS_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I named it "fictional dinosaur" to cover that I'm not able to manage proportions and perspective of a real T-Rex. Naming can be as powerful as a pen :-)
Neal has found another Labrador – her name is Bella. He has also met Peter. Peter is worried about Neal. He thinks the boy might be a runaway. He is also about to patiently explain to Neal that when a dog is wearing a nametag with their owner’s info on it, then that dog is not an unwanted stray, as Neal seems to believe, but just a missing dog.
“Whirlwind 6”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 6th in a series of drawings that were posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 6, 2020.
“Whirlwind 1”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 1st in a series of drawings that were posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 1, 2020.
Meet Dr. Lorna Breen. She was in the trenches of the front line inside the New York hot zone during the first wave of the pandemic. She saw the massive influx of patients she knew she could not save (29,000 deaths reported in April, 2020). She contracted the virus and after recuperating, went straight back to work. A week and a half later, the hospital sent her home. Her family intervened to bring her back home to Charlottesville, Virginia. During her visit with her family, she seemed “detached.” She passed away April 26, 2020 at the UVA University Hospital in Charlottesville from self-inflicted wounds.
"She tried to do her job, and it killed her… Make sure she’s praised as a hero. Because she was, she’s a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died."
—Dr. Philip C. Breen, Father
Playgrounds were opened in October then closed again the first weekend of December, and then re-opened yesterday! So grateful. This is one of the renovations by SF Rec and Park while they were closed: Alice Chalmers Playground. It's a pretty crazy climb inside (my five year old needed me to help him down the slide). The Q-bert type iceberg things are super cool, too.
Tell that do you will do.
"English as She is Spoke" is a delightful example of incompetence and bad judgement. Jose da Fonseca and Pedro Carolina set out to write a Portuguese-English phrasebook. The only problem was that they didn't speak any English. They did know some French and armed with French-English phrasebook, dictionaries and enthusiasm they brought forth this phrasebook. Mark Twain was an early admirer of this book. "Nobody can add to the absurdity of this book, nobody can imitate it successfully, nobody can hope to produce its fellow; it is perfect, it must and will stand alone: its immortality is secure." https://www.instagram.com/p/CIipkwDB0AG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This little illustration was motivated by recent changes I have experienced at work. We've been asked not to eat lunch together- even when socially distanced, due to recent outbreak of Covid 19 in our area. This captures the feel of isolation at work for me. Hope you like it!
Inktober 2020, Day 24: "Dig". Just a front-end loader based on a photo on Wikimedia commons. I have to say this one brought weird flashbacks from very early childhood. I haven’t really been drawing construction machines since I was a 5 or something like that :D Brushpens and posca on brown A4
Inktober, day 2: "Wisp". Brush pens and posca markers on coloured A4. This is inspired by the wisps in Ultima rpgs that I used to play as a wee bairn. That’s where I learned the word "wisp". In fact, it’s pretty much the only association I still have. ;)
This is part of a sequence inspired by @moonchildillustrations and her #moontoberweekends prompts (this one is apple!). This was fun, I want to start incorporating more animation/ sequences on what I create. I got inspired by my mother, when she was little she was scared of eating seeds because she thought they would grow out of her ears. With that in mind, have a great October!
Superstitions: Nipples
According to a strange middle-european superstition, it is possible to tell from a man's nipples whether or not he has fathered children. If they are pink in colour, then he has not - while if they are brown, then he has!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE9eRXBBeRQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
My first attempt at digitally drawing two people from a reference and experimenting with various watercolor and ink splatter techniques. Comments and critique always welcome. ♡♡♡
