When I saw a movie called The Dead Girl (2006), there was a scene where the character Rosetta shows a polaroid of her daughter who had been murdered. The photo showed Krista—before she died—looking up in the photo as if it were a selfie. The photo made Krista look particularly prettier than she did in the movie and Rosetta says, “She said it made her look how she wanted to feel.” It was such a beautiful quote that always stuck with me.
So, when I drew myself, I made it how I felt. I wish I looked a little more like my drawing. Whenever I draw myself, I alter things just a little bit to my liking. When I was in my local community college, one of my professors mentioned that old classic paintings made the subject seem more glamours or beautiful because it was similar to photoshop. You just want to look your best.
Anyhow, this is just a shot post and I wanted to share my self portrait I did last year.
I created this peace on a whim. Does it show? I saw this cool edit where a bunch of UFO and Heaven’s Gate controversy was mashed up over a cool song. It just made me want to draw something out of this world. Literally.
The goal is to see if my alien pictures will eventually end up on some video or meme. That would be really cool. For the piece, the dimensions are the default 1:1 square image and I used basic brushes. I ended up focusing on the eyes more than anything and I’m kind of happy because I like that part the most out of the entire piece.
On a deeper note, I always wonder about aliens. People automatically believe they’re real and assume they’re either here or eventually going to come. I’m leaning more on the aliens are demons theory and that is the most controversial idea I’ve seen in recent years.
Medium: Alcohol Markers, Markers, Colored Pencils, Micron Pens, Gel Pens
This one took quite a while.
When I first began to pick up drawing, I never thought I would put so much time into it. It gets to the point I have to compromise with myself that sometimes my drawings may never be seen. Yet I’ll spend countless hours on an art piece. It’s interesting when I tell myself that.
For this piece, it started out with me wanting to draw crystals and vaccines. I thought nothing of it at first, but as time went on, the subject of vaccines became more and more common. Every day I’d heard about on the TV—even though I don’t have cable—or I heard it at college, then I’d hear it at the store, and it got to a point it was almost in ever conversation. It was hard and I know I’d be talking about it too, but I tried to talk about it as if it wasn’t a big deal. It’s crazy how things get like this, huh?
Over time, the subject of vaccines became its own thing, where it was like you were talking about a religion, or a niche college major you’re working on. I feel it turned into a “You’re either with us or you’re against us,” kind of topic.
And on both sides.
People who didn’t like the vaccine thought you were crazy and low key wished death on those who have gotten the vaccine. On the other hand, there were people who loved the vaccines, posted photos when they got it, and would eventually post how everyone who died of covid low key deserved it.
Same vibe form both sides. It was really hard to listen to.
So, I saw the shots as a new age religion, much like crystals and candles, but the vaccines seemed to be part of a newer age—the transhuman age—where you’re not seen the same with or without them. It’s so odd, so, so, odd.
Maybe I’m thinking too much into it, but just like everyone else, the subject was unavoidable. Perhaps in time this will all just be a painful memory. A memory where we will all wonder why we were acting this way. Either way, as some certain people say: It is what it is.
This is what my first drawing was for October! I scanned in black and white so there would be no distraction in the hair. Speaking of hair, I always love to draw hair whenever I get the chance, but I definitely get scared or overwhelmed the longer I work on hair. I am going to post the other examples of scanning in different ways, but in the end I simply wanted Black & White.
Whenever I work on an art piece, I try to do something that I have never done before and in this case it was the line background. (I am pretty sure I never did it!) I think so deeply into what is going to be around the person/object/animal and I think it causes me to stop working in a piece. Then from time to time, I look at my favorite manga or manga panels and many times the characters are in a white or gray background. I want to try that now. I want my characters to be looked at and nothing else.
Of course, I say that and I may change my mind tomorrow!
Anyhow, I have been saving up a lot and getting a bunch of new art supplies. I am definitely going to have fun working on them!
Note: this is going to be part of a 32 block of ink drawings. Can’t wait to see if I actually finish this.
Look at the other examples of my scans.
Scanned in Gray ScaleScanned in Color
Observe my scans in grayscale vs color. In the color version you can almost see odd tones that are not actually black. At least in my computer screen. The grayscale loses that and you see literally shades of gray, mostly black actually. My top example is scanned in black and white. No variation in tones. If the scan picked up something dark, it was changed to black.
I love making posters of my art like I’m about to have an art show. I know the dream is far from reach, but its ok. Thats why I just post my stuff anywhere and maybe someone will enjoy it.
On a side note, I had the most pleasant dream last night. Well, not the entire thing, but I seem to have noticed that dreams with turtles are so nice. I was on a turtle made of mosaic stone and we were riding in the sky. Such an odd dream.
There was a scary part of the dream, but once I got past that event, the turtle segment took over and made things nice a happy. I even remember the soft blue sky, the green color of the stones on the turtle, and the square pieces that covered the entire thing. I dont know where it was taking me, but I even remember a docking area. Like I let me off and I was able to get back on so long as I made the short distance jump to the turtle.
It was a massive thing too.
Aren’t dreams so odd?
Anyway, the drawing I am working on is one of me the way I wish I looked all the time.
I used prismacolor colored pencils on strathmore mixed media 140 lb paper. Good stuff.
Update on some artwork I worked on the last few days. I did all this on Procreate! I can’t believe I used to think Procreate was some simple little app that could do nothing. I know you need an iPad to have it, but maybe they will branch out to iOS soon? Who knows.
I am trying to fill in an entire canvas when I’m doing trying to create a piece. Sometimes it can get overwhelming, but it’s just a way to push myself to fill something up. It’s like a little challenge I have for myself.
Keep Drawing. I’m starting to think the past is creeping up on the future.
Sometimes I wonder how life can be so interesting. I always hear that us little people are just “ants” but gosh. There is a huge show going on for little ants. Sometimes I wonder if things are meant to be like this or if things are meant to be much better. I really hope things can be better, but you know… hard times are ahead.
The lockdown is still going on, however, no one I know is staying home and there have been parties non-stope. Haha.
Drawing during the Covid19 Pandemic is not really something I am surprised in doing, since I draw all the time. What I find interesting is that at all the stores I went to, the art section would be nearly cleaned out because so many people got the supplies when everyone was sent home. I really think people need to have some sort of creative side so they can have something to look forward to other than school or work. Just my opinion.
What I am surprised about is how much these Prismacolor pencils last. Like they really, really, last long and I have been using them nearly every day. Granted I use other medium in my drawings like markers of even gel pens, but still, I am shocked how long a pencil can last.
I am so happy with the amount of usage I got from this set so far. To be honest, the yellow you see behind the green is actually a third replacement I had gotten not too long ago. Turns out I gravitated to that color a lot, mostly for highlights and to give a glowing effect in some of my drawings. I always find if nice when an artist has something they are attracted to more than others when it comes to their art supplies. I think there was a red I used up twice as well, but I ended up waiting until I am completely done with this set to move onto my huge set of pencils. I personally like the challenge of having a limited color palette.
Still got a long way to go, but I plan on trying to post everything on here rather than social media. Hope this stupid pandemic comes to an end, because I miss lurking around Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
Author Priscilla 