March has certainly been a trial in productivity and I have been trying not to drown in the waves of anxiety. I’ve been trying to keep the depression at bay, but in the last few days I finally realized part of the reason I have been feeling so low… I haven’t kept it at bay.
Not at all.
I’m focusing far too much on the news, and really need to take steps back. More so than I thought. Depression is finding a way to settle in but, thankfully, it rarely stops me from creating. I can work through it, I just need to be careful and take more breaks. Plus, I know why it’s here this time.
This pandemic, and the state of the country, are making a mess of my mental space. I need find some higher ground and remember how to breathe. I’m not drowning. I’ll get through it.
We’ll get through it.
March 04
At the end of February, I went to visit my parents in Toronto, Canada. It was my mom’s birthday, the day after I arrived. I brought my tablet with plans to get a art done but… that didn’t really happen. It was a good trip, but between meeting family and hanging out with their dogs I didn’t have as much time to work on art as I thought I would.
I did manage to finish a bit of colouring for an ongoing project, which I tried to post from my phone while sitting cross-legged on the bed in my old room. The process made me really, really miss my desk and PC, which I normally use for access to Photoshop when it comes to adding finishing touches, or text, to images.
March 20
I started working on a blog post about the issues I had been having, being productive amidst the pandemic and news about the virus. (If you missed it, it’s Trials in Productivity.) I wanted a feature image for the blog, but didn’t have one I could just grab and use that would make sense, in context.
It’s something quick, just a doodle really, and made without using a reference. That’s about all I felt capable of doing at the time: something that didn’t really matter, in the end.
March 23
Leading up to the 23rd, I had been playing with the idea of running a raffle on Twitter. After some research, I finally decided to just go for it. Plus, it would be a decent way for me to get more eyes on my work, and give me an opportunity to draw different characters.
Looks like the most successful raffles have an image to introduce the work, since people tend to like to look at art (who knew?). I needed something…
I used a photo reference to get the hands right, since I still have some difficulty with those. Clasped hands are tricky! To show I am expanding my horizons, I even made her hair not magenta. π
March 26 to 29
On the 26th, while on Twitter, I came across one of Prysma‘s posts (I follow them, so it’s not surprising) about a Draw This In Your Style challenge on Instagram, by another artist I follow. (Yet somehow I missed it!)
Here’s the tweet:
Prysma’s work is on the left, and Meggles‘ is on the right. I had so much fun with my last DTIYS challenge, which you can find here, and was inspired to try another after seeing Prysma’s work. They did such a wonderful job, and I find their work inspiring. π
Here’s my entry:
I’m really enjoying these DTIYS challenges. I didn’t meant to make it a monthly thing, though that’s the trend it’s taking right now. They’re providing me some decent practice for drawing new, and complex, characters and figuring out what my own “style” really is. (Which I will only refine with practice and more practice!)
And that’s it for March! I have a few other projects on the go, which will likely go up in April. I’ll also be trying out the One Week Portrait course that starts on April 6th, that I’m really excited about. Most of my work is stylized, and I have shied away from realism. This will be a great opportunity to really go for it and get some practice and feedback.
Make sure to follow me on Ko-fi, Twitter, or Instagram to keep up-to-date on what I’m working on.
March 2020 Supporter Rewards are up on ko-fi
March’s Supporter rewards are now on Ko-fi! I added a small extra image this month just because, but I’ll leave that as a surprise. Check out the details posted earlier this month, or collect yours, here!
Twitter Art Raffle
Earlier this month I started up a raffle on Twitter! There will be three (3) winners, who will receive coloured digital art from me, similar to the style of the image above. I would love to have at least 50 entries, so even if it’s not your thing please consider retweeting or sharing the post. It would mean a lot to me. π
Draw is on April 25th!
Click here to enter on Twitter, or
Get the details.
Talizmyn's Trinkets 