May 2022 Newsletter

ART

I think I’m struggling a little bit with art block. Part II.

Part I, I couldn’t even sketch. Now I can’t seem to do anything but sketch…I’d really like to start working on illustration projects again. But it seems impossible.

I’m still focusing on cartoons, and making my comic. Interestingly, this last comic was a single panel illustration. And I had no problem working on it. Same work flow. Just easier to come up with an idea I guess. It was a lot of fun!

I think part of my problem is coming up with project ideas that sound fun or interesting. And also a lot a bit of lacking confidence to start making new illustrations with this cartoony approach. If I can think of an idea, I usually can’t figure out how to make it an interesting composition or narrative. I don’t think my illustrations need both, but at least one seems necessary…

It’s so frustrating.

So, I’ve been spending a lot of my time not-sketching watching courses. It makes me feel like I’ve been productive, without having done anything. (Oops). So I’ve been re-visiting architectural drawing, since I really enjoy drawing buildings and I haven’t in years, and I really like the idea of drawing cartoony buildings too. And I’m learning more about paint markers, which I really like as a colorful drawing medium. And revisiting gouache too! I’ve always been intrigued with the medium, and actually started using it last year, or the year before? But now I’m learning how to use gouache with ink for outlining, which I hadn’t considered before but sounds so fun and perfect for how I like to work!

So yeah…now I really really need to figure out what to work on specifically…

I’ve got a style of work that I’m really enjoying, and a selection of media to work in that I’m excited about… I just need to find ideas I’m excited about too…

Uuuuuhhh….

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Well, here’s hoping I start working on illustrations again this month.

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BOOKS

I finished the book about running. But I think that’s it. Yikes. That’s not much… I did read a chapter in The Wheel of Time series. Meh.

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THE REST

I decided that since I’m focusing so much on comics and cartoony styles for my art, that I should start watching more cartoons. Its like basically research, right?

Fun fact: Gravity Falls is the best cartoon I’d never heard of.

I missed it when it came out. I was in college, or just out of college, and was watching Adventure Time (so RaNdOm) and Family Guy (just yikes), certainly not anything on Disney XD? What is that??

Anyway, I tried Gravity Falls on a whim. And while I love cartoons I’m kinda picky about them. So I went into it knowing nothing, and being pretty skeptical. But it’s delightful! It genuinely cracks me up, and the art is so good!

I keep trying to watch Adventure Time again too, since I like the art style, but it feels very busy and hyper, which makes me feel so old. Gravity Falls is fun, but at least a bit more chill about it.

Also it’s officially basically summer because I watched The Field of Dreams, then sat outside to watch the sunset and it was warm and a little humid, and the sunset was gorgeous, and it felt like summer, and it was awesome. Yay!

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Thanks for reading!