SHOP
For the month of March, I’m running a sale on my INPRNT shop! Use code 6ET08G for 15% off!
Look at all the fun art available! Check it out!
COMICS
In case you missed it, here are the comics from February!
ART
If you recall from last month, I decided that this year I want to focus on my comic strip, anime-style and cartoon illustrations... as well as sketching characters and backgrounds… So let’s see how that’s going!
Comics went okay as usual. It’s still such a weird routine — just waiting for inspiration to strike (hopefully before the weekend!) while I work on other stuff. Then taking a day, or two, to draw and finish it. It’s kinda stressful. It feels like procrastinating. But so far, the routine has continued to work so I’m sticking with it!
I have started a new illustration project! …but it’s not ready yet.
I really wanted to take my time and focus on creating an interesting composition, doing thumbnails and really exploring ideas first before just diving in to the drawing. But I realized for this particular idea, the best way to make it work was to split it up, turning it into two illustrations — a diptych of sorts!
To keep the pieces cohesive, I’m working on them at the same time. So first up was the rough layouts for both, now I’m working on the refining pencils, then I’ll be adding some characters… before I start inking and color…
I’m working fully digital this time, in Procreate, which has been interesting. I haven’t been very comfortable sketching in Procreate. Like, usually I only move to digital work for inking (sometimes) and color (always). But it’s just taken some practice and now I quite like it!
It helps too that I signed up for Loish’s Patreon in February. I signed up because I love her use of color (and I struggle with color), but her workflow is largely digital, so I’ve been learning all kinds of neat stuff about Procreate! I thought I knew the software pretty well already, I just didn’t love it compared to traditional drawing. So, it was really cool that there were a few new surprises about working digitally that I hadn’t considered (and she’s one of the best to learn from!). I still don’t love Procreate MORE than traditional drawing, but both definitely have their merits and I enjoy having two solid options now! Yay!
So, all that said…while I don’t have any new illustrations finished for February, in theory I should have TWO new illustrations done in March!
Lastly, I always try to balance sketching and illustration work. But I find it so challenging! I wanted to work on building my sketching habit — focusing on cartoon characters and environments/backgrounds, doing simple sketches and studies. For this, I didn’t do awesome in February.
I think I started out strong doing some practice sketches from the book How to Draw Adorable by Carlianne Tipsey (I picked up a copy just to shake things up). I maybe did some urban sketching too while running errands, but that might have been in January? I know it was a short month, but I really don’t recall doing much sketching. Except for super small thumbnail scribbles for the illustration project. I did A LOT of than to workshop the composition and decide to turn it into two pieces.
So for March!
I think my first goal is to finish the illustration diptych project!
Next is to be more consistent with sketching — cartoons, characters, and backgrounds (so buildings, landscapes, environments). I keep thinking a new daily challenge like Inktober would be helpful to keep me drawing a little bit everyday, besides illustration work. It’s just so dang important! But I haven’t any ideas… But I am certainly open to suggestions!
And finally, gotta keep to my comic schedule! Fingers crossed I’ll get an idea soon, since there should be a new comic, on Instagram, this Sunday!
Thanks for reading!
Summer Child Designs 