Sketch Diary: Unimpressed flower girl

Didn't intend for her to look so sassy but that must have been what I was feeling at the time. I've actually lost track of the amount of creative stuffs I've done so far this month (sketch, ink, marker, etc) and.... I don't remember the last time that's happened.

I'm feeling rather pumped about starting some new projects... bigger things than I've ever done before with my drawings. I hope you're feeling some fire, too. If not, don't worry too much about it. The last few years were super dim for me (for drawing stuff). Sometimes other things have to take priority.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Pearl practice

Fan art of Pearl from Steven Universe! Not my character so please go check out the show if you like it! Such a great show - no matter how old you are. I hope I did Pearl some kind of justice. I was trying to do her character in my own style. The hair was fun. I keep flip flopping about liking the pose. Something is wrong with the arms. Back one is too short and front one is angled weird.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Iterative face practice

I get stuck drawing the same kinds of faces sometimes, especially when I have so little time to draw. So I do these iterative practice pages to help get used to changing details, small and large, to change the look of a face. Check out Sycra's video - Iterative Drawing - The Fastest Way to Improve.

It's funny because I see several old styles that I used to do - different stages of drawing. The top right  was definitely a phase I had in 2004. But the middle right is definitely my current mood.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Relaxed mohawk lady

I might have not drawn anything for a month... let's not talk about that. Let's talk about how SWEET this pose is?!

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Warrior concept

This is what happens when you watch too much Viking and Ancient Rome related movies and shows. Love those braids, though.

with love - M

Sketch Diary - Warm up collection

I hadn't drawn in a while and needed a page to just scribble on for a bit to get my wrist loosened up... also to get my brain loosened up. I definitely recommend doing warm ups before you sit down to draw that super cool idea you have. Get the junk out on a junk page. If that junk page ends up being super cool, great! But if not, you don't waste too much brain power just scribbling around and instead you get nice and warmed up for that super cool idea.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Hannibal fanart - Seduction via empathy overload

Oh my goodness, I love this show so much. But I butchered this fan art so hard hahahaha... ha. Better luck next time I guess. So many good scenes and expressions to pull from in this show. I'm watching the second season for the second time and it's just as glorious as the first. Actually, I think I like the repeat viewings better because I can't really pay attention to everyone's faces more. All the emotions, real or projected or whatever. It's a smorgasbord. 

If you haven't seen this show, I highly recommend it. But before sitting down with that bowl of popcorn and binging the first season, please oh please be prepared. There is gore, there is horror (both physical and psychological), there is cannabalism, there is darkness. But for me, the most awesome part of this show is the real empathy that I felt between Will and Hannibal, our hero/villians. I have a hard time with my empathy, as I'm sure other folks in the world do, because I tend to feel too much under very specific circumstances. Blood, guts, gore, all that is fascinating, not as horrifying for me. But real, perceivable, connections and bonds between people (or people and animals, etc), that stuff kicks my empathy into overdrive. I've watched certain movies where I almost couldn't handle it, the feeling was so overwhelming. This show, for me, has given me a chance to have great insight in my own emotions and some wonderful conversations with friends on the nature of empathy. 

I also really like connections that are beyond sexualization. Not that sex isn't or shouldn't be involved but I just like it when it doesn't even factor in. When race, gender, sex, background, all of that is fluff and all that remains is the connection we're watching occur in front of us, on screen or otherwise. For example, this 'seduction' of Hannibal by Will, for me it's nothing to do with a sexual attraction and everything to do with empathy. Will has used his ability to truly empathize with another person to his advantage and Hannibal appreciates this empathy, the fact that someone else could truly understand him has probably never happened before, right? And though Will does this seduction with the intention of trapping Hannibal, he also appears to be, himself, seduced by Hannibal in turn. I'm sure others have discussed this better than me but I wanted to put this idea out there anyway. It means a lot to me. People do good, people do evil. As no person is 100% good, no person is 100% evil. I just think that a little more empathy in the world would go a long way.

with love - M

P.S.
I want to clarify that I don't condone any of the fictitious actions that Hannibal or any other pyscho or sociopathic person makes. 

Sketch Diary: Hug against the chill

Quick character study sketch. Not enough room around those ribs for those arms...

with love - M