Characters From the Ether

There is nothing wild going on with this drawing. I just saw a reference photo by Ita-Its-art and the character just kind of introduced herself. She seems like some sort of authoritarian character out of a near-future, dystopian state. But her motives are pure. She is an Inspector or Detective for some sort of police force. Perhaps her investigation will start with a dead body, but it will end with the uncovering of a far-reaching conspiracy. Or I watch and read too much detective fiction. Either way, I drew Inspector 1331.

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This started as a pencil and ink drawing in a large Moleskine sketchbook. But I ended up coating the hell out of it with a clear coat spray and started adding watercolor layers. Finished up in Photoshop.

Solitude/Gratitude

Covid-19 has brought on a lot of solitude for some people. Many of them have a problem with that, which is pretty understandable. I love solitude. It’s liberating and makes time for productivity, study and introspection. But solitude is like anything in that too much of it can get pretty damaging. When people spend too much time alone, I think they start to lose touch with others who don’t always share the same life experiences, lifestyles or backgrounds. In short, people who spend too much time alone lose their connection to people as a whole.

Psychology is proving what I think most people already know on some level. Gratitude is healthy in times of good and bad. So, while I love solitude, I also recognize the benefits of contact with the one person who is always there to break that solitude. In this era of economic and political uncertainty, I am particularly grateful for my wife.

Pencils, Pens and Baseball

I’ve been waiting for a while to post this one, but the client and I didn’t want to run the risk of spoiling someone’s Christmas gift.

While I am hoping to get more representational in style and use other media for future client projects, it always feels pretty good to go with pencil and ink.

The client supplied a great photo to use for reference. Having grown up playing baseball I especially appreciated the client’s son wanting to be photographed with some of his catcher’s gear on while still looking like he could go to bat.

It isn’t exactly the fitness niche I am hoping to get into, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to relive my playing days. Plus, the client was a long-time friend who wanted to give his son a Christmas present that he will hopefully appreciate for a long time to come.