Sketchbook share: Lore

So I wasn’t as productive as I hoped Wednesday, after posting in here T_T. I felt exhausted around 6:30pm and could just not get moving. So alas, no dance practice. I did manage much later in the evening to work out for like 20 minutes on the simple aerobic step we have (listening to Gundam Wing music ^_^), and that helped cheer me up a little. I think I’m just like a little worn out from the last month or so. But hey! More original character sketches to share from the end of November!

I get so frustrated with the wonky way I draw faces – I can feel how I haven’t studied consistently enough over the years to overcome habits in the way I render things (like how eyelashes are still just a mystery to me when rotating the head in 3d space).

For this set of quick sketches, I referenced the photo pack “Fairy Diana” by Jessica Truscott on Art Station. I’m still figuring out Lore as an OC (along with Ianthenna), since they exist in the same dream-like world. I want her wardrobe to be very feminine and flowing, but also have a few aspects of more masculine clothing items, like doublets or pauldrons, but with extra lace and gemstones, and such.

[Edit to add in Jan 2024 – Ah, I am going to figure out a new name for this OC, as I just stumbled upon the upcoming book Lore of the Wilds. I haven’t read that book (it’s out this February), but I did preorder it, as it sounds intriguing. But given the character on the cover looks similar and her story deals with Fae and libraries, something I had in mind with this character…I’ll marinate on a different name.]

Similar to the Reiellasara, Ariennha, and Ianthana sketchbook spreads, the page above was first quickly sketched out with a fineliner marker, this time light purple. Then I inked with a black Copic fineliner, and went in and colored just the hair. These were meant to be much quicker gesture studies, rather than trying to render light and shadow with the markers. Below was the opposite page, where I did focus on blending, trying to render her face with a light source off to the left.

I’m trying to move quickly enough to fix mistakes as I see them, but not so long that I procrastinate by over working. Or rather, working so slowly on something because I’m really watching something on Hulu ^_^**.

Being more intentional and focused is how I filled 5 character spreads from Nov 17 – Nov 21st (which means I have one more OC to post ^_^). I mean, I still watched YouTube while working on these, but I tried finding more podcast-y type videos where I could mostly just listen along. I don’t know why pure music doesn’t seem to appeal to me when I sit down to draw — I have a ton of playlists on Spotify. Maybe because I listen to music during my work day and while driving, and I just want something different while drawing? Meh. I feel like I do concentrate noticeably better when drawing to instrumental music compared to music with lyrics, podcasts, or audio books. Something to aim for during future drawing sessions. I should make an instrumental drawing Spotify playlist…

One show I’ve resisted watching while drawing is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. This show is so sweetly poignant. I watched the first two episodes on Wednesday to cheer myself up…and I guess it worked? It made me cry but in a good way? Hah. A new top 10 favorite anime, perhaps? <3.

Now for a few days off, and hopefully some more sketchbook and maybe even Procreate practice.

‘Til next time.