Have a lot on my mind lately decided to share 😅 we are a community in a way, aren’t we?) How do you spend your weekends? doesnt it feel great to be able just to .. create, I guess. Practice the craft [as always: thanks to all teachers and mentors who are so far away, never met in life, but still so close and so supportive, inspiring… empowering?🤔 I always dreamed to be able to draw hands and here we are.. for those who wonder It’s a shameless plug of approaches by @Aaron Blaise & @Ryan Benjamin even though I still struggle, specially with foreshortening) may be sharing the progress will help to track it)] whats on your mind?) and a great day to all who reads it!)

This is the most difficult part.. Making choices. Which one? How to find your own style and sacrifice others when you can make anything and everything.

I chose Dracula !) And then moved on to choose a chapter by picking a number that I liked - 7 And a page that made sense in that regard- 107) Unfortunately, there was quite a lot packed into a few lines so I moved on to fixate on one of the lines that resembled a scene - Dracula’s arrival to England. [for those who are willing to read my posts: I will move on to my point and idea closer to the end😂] Since I’ve never read the book itself After posting my initial sketches I read the chapter and went on to google the main plot and what led to that moment - therefore research faze started) I found out from a chapter and googling: where are we? [luckily the place used - is an actual port that is still there and is quite documented so I found maps, old photos, and even old drawings of that port that lead up to the time period in question. Our time frame - late 1800, early 1900 - This lands us neatly at about the Victorian era, which means: Victorian-era newspapers! [Back then they already figured out newspapers with quite detailed illustrations!] Why is that important? You may ask Well it is important because I happened to study pen&ink + brush pen styles lately, so I can promote this newspaper/simplified gravure style [with some modern twist] to a client as a style for the book/this chapter [it just so happens that it is also significantly cheaper to print b&w + one/few additional colors than going full color, so one more potential vote for my artistic vision))] Why else is it important? Cos they also already had steam-powered ships, and I just like them, and who doesn't?!) At about that point in research, I started taking notes and just sketching out ships from that time period, studying the location and some props that could make it into the frame. From the book: I knew the type of ship and from the size of the crew I figured out - how big she should be. It is quite a small sailing boat, though, in my imagination, it is a mixture between a sailing boat and a steamboat [they did already have those at a time - I’ve checked a hundred of times, though for me it is only important cos it makes my initial sketches with a bloody wheel works 😅] and that leads me to a question - how bad of a practice is it? To make something up, fall in love with the idea, and then, successfully, find proof that it is plausible - in order to just make it work.. 😅 @Sterling Hundley ?) IDEA FAZE: After research and icons, I moved on to.. Think) Turned out that Dracula is quite a complex read and raises quite a lot of conflicts and questions! And also I've noticed how different it can get BECAUSE of the illustrations involved! And that is such a nice feeling indeed. I narrowed my point of view to two conflicts: superstition vs science and “classic” good versus evil [so dark vs light by definition] And wanted to convey the contrast Drawing faze!) 1. Sails are seen approaching the port and seems to be a hopeful miracle that they survived the storm. [they almost radiate lite] But in truth, it is a searchlight from land, land that is yet protected from a storm - with calmer water… but darkness approaches. Ironically that small beacon of light is, actually, death and pain, darkness is coming. [I wanted to double down on that point by making a creepy silhouette of a figure in a shadow that the ship casts] Hopefully, the sketch translates the worry, and something unsettling. 2. We see the ship crashed into the sand in Whitby port, the searchlight shining on it and darkness running away [again a silhouette of something violent running from light… like superstition would from technology heh.] And even though it is running away, it is there to stay. Will people win? [spoiler: yes, they will.] 3. And here came back my initial sketch of a wheel covered in blood with a crucifix tied to spokes - where a dead man was tied up sometime earlier. Light is shining through the window onto otherwise a very grim scene - That sketch is the only one here that is not scripted in the book! In the book, they don’t have that particular moment, they do have a dead man tied to a wheel and they do have the funeral of that said man. So I kinda slipped it in between the lines - first of all: I don’t like violence and wouldn’t want my viewers to embrace it. My research on publisher shows that they are focused on children, schools, and scholars - I would rather all of those had my illustrations!) with that said 😂 I also have a position for those who think that I’m wrong) I really feel that horror books are scary because our mind can start playing tricks on us - so no matter how I will draw the dead man, if I show only blood on the wheel + book description - I think the reader will piece two and two together with quite a chilling result!) I stayed as loose as I could and used a 2mm pencil in a 5.25/8 cm box [so it would be easily blown up later to the same aspect ratio but in inches] I attached actual thumbnails [boxes - i do like how that word sounds, is it ok to call them that?😂] + tried to make a kinda fancy one page montage, like was shown in a lesson before, of sketches and studies 😅 and my reference and ideas view 😁 p.s. I had to give up few really beautiful shots in order to make 3 😭 well.. I guess it is part of fun, anyway if I did a whole book I would stick them in a beginning of a chapter 😁

Ok, I’ve picked Dracula, mostly because I’ve never read it, and even though it fascinates me, in an odd way, I actually don’t like horror as a genre - [my favorite vampire movie is What We Do in the Shadows] so wanted to put myself [in a controlled environment] in a situation where client approaches me with an interesting project, that I would like to work at, but the theme is not what I would have picked otherwise) and I started with choosing chapter 7, page 107 [I just fancy number 7 today] luckily it is not a bloodbath, but close enough 😂 right at the edge - perfect ) So I copied the text to my art board, where eventually I’m planning to throw in references and my sketches, but for now - sticking with a trusty pencil (2b) - the first photo (with text) is just the first thing I’ve pictured while reading. - second - moved to kinda elaborate. Process of thought: -the only experience I’ve had with boats lately: is playing “dredge” - awesome game, recommend to everyone, somewhat naturally I’ve picked a boat similar to one you get there So I’ve decided to make a few icons and sketches without any research what so ever, to see how that will work out *mysterious voice* “blood on beads, wheel and instrument panel, ship approaching the docks of some unknown land .. “ But later it accrued to me - to find a description of the location somewhere in previous chapters… aaaand it’s a sailing boat 🎉😂 Which renders all of these sketches to be.. a mood board I guess) So until Friday, I will dive back in, to do some research, look at ships, find a description of the port that they are approaching, and of course - make a lot more icons, contextualized icons and boxes😁 and we will see)

HAHAH that was a lot of fun, obviously a sense of scale abandoned me when time started to press and a person quickly changed to a completely different individual, but still, it is a cool task to work on) I've decided to change materials from time to time to find something ) it didn’t quite work out, but brought a lot of smiles) As far as interesting goes though - curiously my 8 minute drawing is more accurate than 15 or 30, at some point, I’ve changed his chin and carried the wrong one with me till the end on the bright side - right eye stays consistent!!👀😂 Though I chose 4min one to add values and form back a bit via the use of calque) - I like the feel of brush and if I wasn’t in a hurry - pretty sure I wouldn’t butcher negative spaces as bad) Good day and smiles to anyone who reads it.. if someone does 😅

Ok, so on a screenshot is my initial small value study and I’ve marked the order of where my eye went when looking at a photo and then I’ve added a kinda simple but very bright window, that, I hope drags attention first and then keeps the same order 🤔 Did it work?) [at first, I just lit up the frame - then I realized that broke … physics 😂 and changed it to a glow from the inside of a flat, thought decided to post the first idea anyway, this way: I picture in that huuuuuge light source on a sky-lift just of the frame to the left👀😂] [also a moment of admiration: the composition and placement of original values are just awesome, that bright alleyway is just on the right height - where the eye goes naturally and it even drags attention from a darker spot - the door]

Experimenting with not zooming in ‘while working on thumbnail type of drawing 🤔 [to not overdetail]

I’ve tried to push highlights to drag attention to the guy In the original idea, I wanted highlights on horses and lady to be kinda arrows that pointed toward him but not sure if I’ve accomplished it well enough) Most of the canvas is covered in values above 5 and high lights are 4 and 3 according to the scale Also a question!) At some point I've decided that leaving sketchy legs on horses - is a good idea, so eye would only be carried towards the subject.. how wrong was I? And have you noticed it straight away?👀 Edit: the difference in styles started bothering me [even though it's a thumbnail] and I went back in, but tried to keep contrast down - so there wouldn't be much reason to look that way anyway + killed contrast on the closest horse

Truth be told: that was a little confusing occasionally) Will need to try it a few more times!) The hardest part, probably - was not going after details, kept forgetting about it, and dragging other problems with it) But I really enjoyed the exercise! Thanks! As far as questions&thoughts go: 1. Changed shadows to mid-tones (thumbnail on the right) (I think) it kept the dramatic aspect of the photo but added a surreal feel, kept me thinking about that death cartoon [tale of 3 brothers] from Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows) the person is, clearly, going out of this world in one way or another) And the closer guy is watching 2. Jumping to the high key with inverted shadows and highlights (thumbnail on the left) (I think) upsets the balance and even though the meaning might be similar to a first experiment, now they go out with a bang👀😂 It is clearly the end, for both dudes, I think they both are about to be wiped out and the closest to us is more of a bystander now, rather then watcher/follower Anyway, hope everyone is having a nice day and see you all tomorrow!) p.s. finally tried Affinity Designer on an iPad, I loved: working with references and artboards + all possible effects and adjustments from Photo World but brushes and the act of digital painting seemed to be nicer in Procreate. Anyway, I think thumbnailing and working with the first stages of ideas - is way easier

I’ve been studying illustration and fine arts for quite awhile now, so my living room has two configurations: PC related tusks [from work to games] - pc screen in “main” position And studying/drawing/hopefully, also, working - one day… and ideating, I guess😋 [studio configuration if you will)] but the only difference usually: screen, keyboard and mouse along with my tea pot and cup move around the table to a stand where I usually have canvas/sketchbook/ipad as simple and as convenient as it got so far)