An attempt at people. This is Holy Week for some of us. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and we watched mass on our church's new YouTube channel. The Gospel reading was very long, so everyone in the frame was standing still for a good while. I was really looking forward to our spring class People in the Park because I haven't done much figure work. It was postponed of course, so your constructive criticism is welcome.
I'm doing an opera drawing each day (MET free daily stream during Covid19 closure). Here's a pencil drawing from yesterday-: Das Rheingold (Wagner's Ring). This is the dwarf Mime in the LaPage production.
Woops forgot to upload it yesterday, so now, everything will be offset. The Hair Rope character are it again, this time, Anka and a mysterious and terrifying dark shape in the wood.
Thought I'd upload a closer look of my pfp lol, basically it's just an odd coloured dog with my favourite colours: pink and brown. With a fallout boy (big fan sksks) earring added to the mix.
"I don't want to be here. I want to go back." *Her hands pressed against the glass tank. Her eyes searched his eyes, a silent plead. But the prince just smiled, not a charming pleasant one. It was one with dark intent. "You will never leave. This is your home. So enjoy the attention as you get it."
I kept my eyes on it the whole time. Now it was moving so slowly that you couldn't really see whether it was coming towards you or not. Occasionally its shape changed just slightly and its black tummy swept over the concrete floor. I could hardly breathe. I knew that I ought to run away and hide bur I just couldn't. Now it moved diagonally again towards the wall and wasn't to be seen any longer. It was in the pile of junk behind the modelling stand, it was somewhere behind the sacks of plaster and might appear again just anywhere.
It was getting dark in the studio. I knew that it was me who had let the creature out and I couldn't capture it and lock it up again.
- Sculptor's Daughter by Tove Jansson
What a wonderful Kirkus review!
(Paired here with my favorite improper contraction.)
"A thoughtful look at life, in all its beauty and strangeness.
...
This delightfully deadpan musing on life urges compassion for others. Howden’s straightforward text is on the philosophical side, though also rooted in the absurd. Hahn’s spare black graphite pencil watercolor, mostly set against a white background, are imbued with humor and empathy for the pickle, with the foodstuff’s expressive eyes conveying many emotions at once. "
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-howden/the-wise-pickle/
THE WISE PICKLE
by Sarah Howden ;
illustrated by Sabina Hahn
RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2026
Revisiting something untouched for a long time. The vibes have not changed, but the design concept did. The paper is very messy, because of many, many, random sketches trying to... find something. Something came to my mind suddenly, to remove nearly all the details and changed the eye design. Suddenly, everything snapped into place and the character came to life, again.
The eyes are indeed the windows to the soul, huh?
I had to re-upload her the last one was so UN-proportional I couldn't stand it. But I know I need to work on hands and fingers. It's an alien that lives in a doll like body. It can manipulate the doll, moving fingers, arms and eyes. So nothing like cutting open your doll just to find an alien creature living inside. No, my aliens will not have any gender. Why don't we reproduce like worms, get split into two.
This is something I'm working on for a project, its part of a template I'm putting together. Its a little off center but I spent most of yesterday morning doodling in my sketch pad until I was happy with the design. I did have to use bat skulls as resource, it was fun.
"You flee my dream come the morning
Your scent - berries tart, lilac sweet
To dream of raven locks entwisted, stormy
Of violet eyes, glistening as you weep"
