SPECTREGRAPH inspo: acrylic ghoulie

I recently read SPECTREGRAPH by James Tynion IV and Christian Ward (lettering by Aditya Bidkar), and GOOD GAWD is it gorgeous!

Since I was nursing a cold the last few days, I finally cozied up and devoured it in one sitting. If you dig horror comics or haunted house stories, please check it out. I was struck by Ward's compositions and use of color, so I pulled out my M. Graham watercolors and acrylic inks and had fun. <3

Began with a wash of Phthalocyanine Blue watercolor with Reflex Rose acrylic ink. For fun, I mixed Reflex Yellow with Turquoise for a lovely green hue. Inks are Amsterdam and Daler-Rowney FW.

I've had my M. Graham watercolors since college. Their binder is honey; you can leave these paints on a palette for years and they will easily re-wet! This was a good reminder to USE THEM MORE OFTEN. They're challenging, but I need to challenge myself artistically. I feel like I hit a plateau ages ago. Life Happens and all that jazz, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't explore or experiment!

UV reactive colors are a BLAST. I'd like to invest in a UV flashlight down the road for artwork and rockhounding. :D

I touched up my painting with Fluorescent Pink and Yellow Posca paint pens. Super easy way to break up shapes and add visual contrast!

Honestly, I'd loved how this gradation turned out—but those chompers were screaming for more contrast. XD Voila!

11" x 15" watercolor and acrylic inks on watercolor paper

*inhales* THIS WAS FUN TO MAKE AND I MISS HAVING FUN MAKING ART!!

I've struggled to connect with my art since dropping it as a career path. Turns out that monetizing creative outlets is a good way to potentially kill them. It's a self-perpetuating rollercoaster. In 2021, I drew / wrote / scribbled 1,057 sketchbook pages across multiple sketchbooks; mostly Brainsick-related scenes, journal entries, and AU shenanigans. I thought I was enjoying myself, but I was terrified of 'losing' my skills! 

(I did enjoy much of it, and writing things down is one of the easiest ways to un-jumble my brain, but it did little to nothing to ease my anxiety.)

In recognizing my mental trifecta of ADHD, autism, and OCD, I've had to teach myself that it's okay if it takes me longer to create / feel UP TO creating than what I was force-fed during college. "DRAW EVERY DAY OR YOU'RE NOT A REAL ARTIST!!" is bullshit. My head worlds grow with me; they're living, breathing entities, and I don't have to publish them to feel like I've accomplished something. I may not fully understand my own characters until I hear a certain song, read a particular book, or even experience something in life that mirrors their fictional lives. 

Inktober 2017, Day 4!

Inktober 2017, Day 4: Invertaur

9x12 pen and ink on bristol paper

2015 sketchbook drawing and re-sketched version.

The Invertaur is a biomechanical vanguard unit hailing from my fledgling scifi story, Paradigm Chimera. I haven't written much for it at all, save for one creative writing prompt during college. I've slowly populated this world with more characters, however, and I enjoy returning to it!

Invertaurs likely come in different classes or 'models,' but they're all MASSIVE and share a hive mind.

INKvember 2016, #3: Imprisonment

INKvember 2016, #3: BRAINSICK : Imprisonment

Trussed in ropes that span the night

and threads that cover day,

We each hang victim to delight

in seeing others fray.

Initial rough sketch of Paranoid; adjusted proportions. 

Decay's markings penciled in.

Marking's filled with tightly-spaced scribbles. 

Drawing board setup!

Nothing triggers my astigmatism like inking fine lines...

Working at my aunt and uncle's Rockaway Beach home.

At 22.5" high and 15" wide, this is my largest ink drawing to date!

Goofy self-portrait for reference. 

I wasn't happy with how I'd inked Lily's face; I removed the line with an X-Acto knife and redrew it.

First-pass outlines on Paranoid.

I worked at the kitchen table for a few hours. Good to change it up sometimes!

Diluted FW Acrylic ink.

First-pass ink wash on Lily.

Tying the comp together... almost literally.

Lily's markings brushed in with diluted acrylic.

Due to its size, I can't scan this from home. I made nineteen scans earlier this week and they still won't piece together properly in Photoshop. If I want to scan this, I'm going to have to take it in!