I hereby introduce you to the first completed month in quarantine.
My worries have been slightly lessened as the days merged and weeks of the same returning events have become routine. I’d say my mind was struck by catharsis; I don’t fear this whole thing as much as I did last month but I definitely won’t ignore any precautions and safety measures. Yes, I still want this all to be over as son as possible but it doesn’t feel half as bad any more and I’m glad my morale isn’t dwindling.
And this even though I have to mark this month as my least productive in a whole year. That’s right, last time I could only finish one project, it was February last year and that’s when I was right in between learning for my A-Levels.
But that’s not saying I was lazy at all.. in fact, I only had two days that I wasn’t at the drawing board and one of which was when I celebrated Easter.
So why the low productivity? It all started with my very first project. I wanted to get into storyboarding and turn it into an animation instead of picture next to picture to really simulate movement in between panels. I even sketched out a few character designs but then I realized how my software CSP locks animation of more than 24 frames behind a 160€ paywall. And I frankly wasn’t sure if I should spend that money immediately or wait for a spring sale or something. So I put this one on ice and moved onto the next one.
I finished something personal and looked into something new. A new character design perhaps, some pose studies, sketches. Then I checked my list for species I wanted to portray sometime…
Blue Lagoon Basilisk [Creature Design]
… So I picked a few interesting lizard types and really wanted to do a Basilisk. I always loved the shape of their fin-like tails and then I imagined how this lizard could hunt for fish or frogs and it was clear that this should be water-based. Since I am not a basic guy, I need to add some other influences in nature’s creations and do something new. I mixed a basilisk with the lion-fish or fire-fish and really liked the outcome. The most difficult part that has already shown itself in my Burrow Lizard-project was to actually put this creature in perspective and find a good pose and scene for it. First, I wanted to show it chasing an insect, running along a shallow side or jumping out of the water. But then I decided against it since the sprinkling water would probably hide a lot of its physique. A calm, side view with clear focus on the animal turned out to be my pick. That way I could focus less on the environment and water reflections but instead I worked out a division of water on the screen that I have seen in previous artworks I adore.
To spice things up a little bit, I created a couple brushes, mostly vegetation but also a scaly textured brush to really give his skin a good look and not to rely on photo textures.
Now, even though I haven’t enjoyed this project all that much (probably due to a mood), I can’t deny that I like it in the end, even when I see some flaws on it.
Upcoming Stuff & Preplanning
After this project, I had a series of sketches. One of which made it in my scraps too… before I abandoned this project after the third attempt on rendering it… I just couldn’t find colours I like and it wasn’t working out, no matter how much I tweaked it. Could be that I return to it since I usually don’t give up after the lines are done… like ever… but since I already spent so much time trying to render it, I really want to get some time in between so I can start with a fresh point of view.
I assume my ongoing obsession with needing to fill my portfolio with passable content only contributed to the stress I feel. Maybe if I allow myself to do something smaller in between to keep it fresh and exciting… only have to find a way to prevent my inner perfectionist from intervening…
Aside from that, I was doing quite a lot of chiropteran sketches lately so I might be able to introduce a new character in the near future.
And I’d also like to redo my wonderful fruit hat picture depending how this will turn out, it might replace my current profile image yet again ^v^
Artist Shoutout
I don’t have any artists to feature but I think it would be nice to feature the artworks that have inspired me to do the image above. Enjoy!
Same goes to this month… Stay safe and healthy! And don’t be frustrated.
~Souvillaine