Weekly Drawing Prompt Thread

Gotta love when inspiration strikes and keeps hitting!

Book 9 - Caverns of the Snow Witch.

IMAGE(https://smackfolio.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/9-caverns-of-the-snow-witch-web.jpg)

My wife and I went to Costa Rica for a few days, but we're back now and I just spent a few minutes sketching with some assorted brush pens. I'm hoping to start my next story soon now that I've had a break to recharge!

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/UEjqiIt.jpg)

I love the elephant!

Glad you like it!

It can't possibly have been a month since I posted a picture—and it isn't! It's 29 days. I need to make more of an effort, I think.

IMAGE(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eikWvoKWSw6pvqEjv7Sy58MXVx8R8Zr3_qBl5R-kBhUpiEdeRw3OJjgSTvAzXY83wGe9jmapuLJYVOOBgqlP8U5_tVFald3in2w262JFJ7uREIQMmN1Z40VQ15fbMUron8zsMhx6jwwJZ7sf4sjHkN53CwBaes29FVtlN3EhdoJMRDJUwBoF1_wNSA/s1600/Gothic%20Fur%20%28Web%29.jpg)

I'm not unhappy with this image, by any means*, but I think I need to be more adventurous.

(*I mean, beyond that standard artist "oh god everything I create is so riddled with flaws I could die", but I mostly tune that out these days.)

Yeah, yeah: WEEKLY drawing thread, hahaha.

The drawing is awesome, though.

Agreed, that is gorgeous.

Here's more "fun with the brushes:"

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/u0TDKaZ.jpg)

@Rav
1- it is a great work
2- this is just a suggestion based on what inspired me when you mentioned it could be more adventurous
3- what I suggest could ruin the balance you already have but it seems the image is bottom heavy
4- some fixes could be: longer/bigger hair, face tattoo, wings or something fanciful worn on the back (perhaps a symbol or instrument/weapon/equipment), or a head dress or earrings that follow the fur/feather motif like in this collage:
IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/jkKIsso.jpg)

fangblackbone wrote:

@Rav
1- it is a great work
2- this is just a suggestion based on what inspired me when you mentioned it could be more adventurous
3- what I suggest could ruin the balance you already have but it seems the image is bottom heavy
4- some fixes could be: longer/bigger hair, face tattoo, wings or something fanciful worn on the back (perhaps a symbol or instrument/weapon/equipment), or a head dress or earrings that follow the fur/feather motif like in this collage:

Hmm… interesting. When I said I could be more “adventurous”, I was actually referring to my subject matter in general (I’ve being doing a lot of the same “fantasy woman in portrait” drawings rather than, you know, literally anything else) — but actually, you could be on to something. Generally I avoid substantially tweaking an image once “finished”, but I could easily add wings (for example) without having to redraw anything, and it would fit the aforementioned “fur/feather” motif…

As per Fang's suggestion, a bonus variant! (This counts as two drawings this week, right?)

IMAGE(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnCud8HNzuENZ__I0yzXJKkla75obCb7AvELG5huDt6wv5vqH9z32G6sulmyOLcCnsomy7IEc0j3RA53TddNY5x7sZYJTY0WApaMBPvEbChTddlMpu5B58P6wzFyQs0CwW5oZOQ2CbpTarBL_aqjnmwx0XYEIpNchwoXjb-q7llyFYuahdFskmoinCw/s1600/Gothic%20Wings%20%28Web%29.jpg)

Ravanon wrote:

Hmm… interesting. When I said I could be more “adventurous”, I was actually referring to my subject matter in general (I’ve being doing a lot of the same “fantasy woman in portrait” drawings rather than, you know, literally anything else)

I know what you mean. A lot of the time I feel like I'm always drawing the same stuff or the same animals or the same poses, so I try to mix it up by using different media or styles or level of finish/detail.

(On that note, I think I used to draw better than I do now because I was more patient and wouldn't mind spending several days on a piece. Now, I lose interest pretty fast, so I try to draw as quickly as possible. Also, I think I draw better if I use pencil and technical pens, but I tend to have more fun with the brush, even though I don't have nearly as much control of the lines that way. Not even close!)

Going back to variety and adventuresomeness, sometimes when I want to go for something completely different or unexpected I will ask my wife to just suggest something out of the blue... which tends to be an animal, haha. Or I'll try to do something inspired by whatever I am reading, whether it is a scene from a book or the style of an artist I'm enjoying at that moment. Right now, for instance, I've been "reading" the latest sketchbook by the incredible Kim Jung Gi, and that's motivated me to try some brush sketches without drawing them in pencil first, like I did with the toucan and elephant and demon above, or the two lame ones below from yesterday:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/hhKHTdC.jpg)

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/Sfm2EPl.jpg)

(I read a ton of Batman on my trip to Costa Rica.)

So, I would suggest you try to do a group drawing (maybe a party of heroes), or some monster with shapes/proportions different from a human body, or that you try drawing something with a different tool/in a different media (gray ink washes, perhaps?). And, of course, there's always animals, my usual go-to, haha. Or, if you don't feel like doing figure work, what about some landscape? Maybe a cool, old street in Edinburgh where you can see some buildings and signs? Maybe that old cemetery I loved when I visited a few years ago whose name escapes me right now? Yeah, that one. In any case, there you have some ideas you didn't ask for, hahaha.

Those are some pretty good suggestions, thanks Mario. Though the key problem (such that it even is a problem) is simply that I've been distracted by other things in the last two months. When I find I haven't drawn in a while and want to get back into it, it's generally easier to go for something familiar and appealing rather than 'force' myself to go out of my comfort zone. Of course the drawing prompts we've followed in past years were good for making me draw things I'd never have explicitly chosen to draw.

(That's not an invitation to find another prompt list—I really am a bit busy with other things right now! But maybe near October...)

I feel obliged to point out that Edinburgh is about one-quarter cool old cemetery by surface area.

No problem.

Ravanon wrote:

When I find I haven't drawn in a while and want to get back into it, it's generally easier to go for something familiar and appealing rather than 'force' myself to go out of my comfort zone.

That is SO true for me as well. So, so true!

Ravanon wrote:

Of course the drawing prompts we've followed in past years were good for making me draw things I'd never have explicitly chosen to draw.

(That's not an invitation to find another prompt list—I really am a bit busy with other things right now! But maybe near October...)

Suggesting another list did cross my mind, but I don't want to do it (either) until I am done with my anthology. The goal is to have it finished by the end of September so that I can do something daily for October, but we'll see what happens...

Ravanon wrote:

I feel obliged to point out that Edinburgh is about one-quarter cool old cemetery by surface area.

Hahaha. Love this comment. I'm talking about the one near the "main" train station downtown, if I remember correctly. The one near the monument to Sir Walter Scott? (I think? It's been a few years.) In any case, "a cool old cemetery" would suffice as a prompt.

As per Fang's suggestion, a bonus variant! (This counts as two drawings this week, right?)

Mario, are you have the same problem with the like button that I am? ;P
I am not going to take any credit but the contrast introduced by the wings has the side effect of making the tied corset and necklace pop more.

Also, I love Mario's suggestion about monster proportions. In fact, you might enjoy making mirror or "evil spock" versions of some of the pieces you've already done. Yes, I totally mean giving them all goatees and calling it a day ;P

P.S. - old cemeteries are always cool!

fangblackbone wrote:

Mario, are you have the same problem with the like button that I am? ;P

Yeah --it only works once!

fangblackbone wrote:

Also, I love Mario's suggestion about monster proportions. In fact, you might enjoy making mirror or "evil spock" versions of some of the pieces you've already done.

Now this gives ME an idea, mwahahaha. But I need to do other drawings as well... Maybe I can be super productive today, we'll see...

Yeah --it only works once!

Glad its not just me ;P

Now this gives ME an idea, mwahahaha. But I need to do other drawings as well... Maybe I can be super productive today, we'll see...

I think the reason I liked it so much is that we all know how much time research and finding source takes. And then there is the pretty much equal time given to "what am I going to draw?" In fact, it often takes less time to draw than to figure out what you are going to draw.

Now resource and reference gathering can be very fun. You often come across things that are so inspiring because it is so far from your frame of mind. But when you are frustrated or blocked, it can be paralyzing.
----------------
One technique I like is to think of three random nouns/things, and then google image search each one. Once you've collected enough, start looking at relationships between them and generating concepts. It works well for me for vehicles but I'd bet it works for characters as well.

It also helps that I am a 3d modeler so I can find inspiration in other's 2d work. Many times I will see some things and kit bash and expand upon others work. (the root of my "wing" comments above)

I've never done the random noun thing, but it sounds like a fun thing to do. I should try it at some point!

What I did do yesterday was a couple of drawings:

A dog portrait as a thank you for someone:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/DngueT8.jpg)

And one of those "toon yourself" things, but instead of me (which I did a while back), it is my wife:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/4PDOO5y.jpg)

More stuff coming later... provided I draw it! I have four things in my mind that need to be put on paper. Let's see how many of those get done today.

Since it is now later, here's more of the stuff I promised earlier. I just finished these tiny portraits for the two newest members of our family: a bearded dragon and a Pac-Man frog we got on Saturday. We're still working on choosing names, but we're almost there.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/4ux35XA.jpg)

Now I'll cook lunch, and then I'll tackle another of my ideas. Ah, summer break is so nice!

About 24 hours later than expected, but here's my evil monstress version of Ravanon's Winged Lady:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/GbVWIbw.jpg)

So sorry, my friend.

Brilliant!
Totally makes me want to take a stab at it
At the risk of pissing off Rav. (sorry Rav)

Hahaha! You totally should! He won't mind.

Oh wow. I'm... not entirely sure how to feel about that!

Spoiler:

Of course it's fine. Does this count as fanart?

Hahaha! Of course it does!

I took July off, but now I have a pretty good roadmap for the next three stories in the anthology! Go, me!

The seventh story will be Duncan's Adventure, and it will star my Old English Sheepdog. Here's the lame thumbnail for page 1:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/HXOXRoA.jpg)

Originally I conceived this idea as a fun game I could make with Dreams, but I never got Dreams and this never went anywhere. Well, that's about to change! The story will be five pages, and I'll do it with brushes and black and white ink on brown paper to keep things varied and interesting.

Also, the other day I said:

Mario_Alba wrote:

Suggesting another list did cross my mind, but I don't want to do it (either) until I am done with my anthology. The goal is to have it finished by the end of September so that I can do something daily for October, but we'll see what happens...

I am going to disabuse myself of that notion right here and now, because it is highly unlikely I will have drawn the remaining four stories (and colored The Foxhunt) by the end of September. So far this year, I've done what averages to one story a month, which means the more realistic goal of having everything finished by the end of December. We'll see what happens in October and whether or not I try to do something daily that month, but let's say "Stories by Mario" will (hopefully) be done for the holiday. Preorder your copy now!

Page 1 progress!

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/i4sGbM6.jpg)

up to my neck in my commission backlog, but needed a break so finished off the next FF map - No 10. House of Hell.

IMAGE(https://smackfolio.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/10-house-of-hell.jpg)

This was a PAIN IN THE BACKSIDE to parse from the text. There's not a lot of locations but it's very compact and occasionally confusing, but this gets *pretty close* I think.

On to Talisman of Death next - a book i literally did not remember playing, minus recognising a few of the internal art pieces.

Can't imagine being able to put all those devils on one floor in the same house...

Great work as usual, pyxistyx!

As for me, here's page 1 of Duncan's Adventure:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/1hhJ87y.jpg)