spentimental

[spentimental]

once again noticing the difference between wanting a drawing to exist and actually wanting to do the act of drawing

[spentimental]

H is for Hammerhead Shark, specifically the scalloped bonnethead, sphyrna corona, or crown shark. This shark is critically endangered and all hammerhead species are threatened.

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #vector art #character design #robot oc #playing cards #endangered species #hammerhead shark #shark #greaser aesthetic

[spentimental]

G is for Giraffe

I almost completely rearranged my alphabet because I wanted to make a lava lamp character. I might still make more lava lamps, but at least I found a way to get it out of my system. I was originally thinking about doing some sort of broken glass to imitate the spots on the giraffe, and I’m glad I didn’t. I’m not ready for something that complicated and my motivation for this project has really tanked. You can see it in my… avant garde description last week, where I was so tired I forgot to tease this week’s illustration. I didn’t have a strong 60s reference this time. It was really just, “make a lava lamp giraffe.” According to the internet, lava lamps were invented in 1963, so at least I’ve got that going for me.

I’m finding it hard to come up with designs for this project lately. I don’t want the characters to resemble their animals too much, but it’s so much easier to put a turtleneck on a frog and call it good. I like the sea slugs because they don’t have a face that humans will recognize, so I can make them humanoid and put in hints to their biology through the clothing and accessory shapes. One thing I wish I could change about this project is having all of the characters cut off at the chest in order to imitate the face cards of a typical deck. For example, I would have loved to have given Lottie a full translucent dress with a solid shift underneath. She would have been so cute! If I do cards again (which I probably will), I’ll do full body illustrations instead.

On an unrelated note, I’ve been thinking about making a webcomic lately. I saw an artist I love (Ver) post about the online-only ShortBox Comics Fair, where a ton of artists are selling their comics during October (ending in 3 days! Get them while you can!) and I thought it was so exciting. It’s like running a table at a comic con without having to travel and you get to see work from artists all around the world. I wanted to sign up right away (the deadline is November 9th), but I don’t have anything to prove that I could finish a quality comic in time. I’ve never done it before. Heck, I’ve arguably only finished as many pieces as I’ve posted here, which is… seven. I would absolutely not be approved. I can’t create a working portfolio in two weeks, but what this means is that I have an entire year to build up a portfolio before the 2025 deadline. I haven’t decided what I’ll work on yet, but expect a variety of character designs and worldbuilding as I sort through my endless well of story ideas.

Next Week’s Sneak Peek:

Hammerhead shark

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #vector art #character design #robot oc #playing cards #giraffe #lava lamp

[spentimental]

F is for Flying Fish With those vacant eyes and that gaping maw, he is perpetually dissatisfied and somehow always a little taken aback. He adorns himself with an ostentatious collar rivaled only by the ruff of 16th century European aristocracy in spite of the casual yet stylish 1960s cabana shirt meant for frolicking on the beach. If he deigns to enjoy the waves, his perfectly combed hair will lose its shape instantly. He has no right to dress this way while being blasted by the sea’s salty spray. There is no better word to describe a flying fish than hubris. I hate this man. This man is me.

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #vector art #character design #robot oc #playing cards #fish

[spentimental]

E is for Elysia Chlorotica, the solar-powered sea slug 

Just as eating shrimp turns flamingos pink and eating too many carrots will turn you orange (a process called carotenosis), the eastern emerald elysia get their green color from algae. But they also take the Kirby approach of absorbing the algae’s power of photosynthesis. To do this, they slurp the algae up and digest all but the chloroplasts. They then keep the chloroplasts alive and incorporate them into their own cells. The chloroplasts continue operating as usual, photosynthesizing for their new host. This is called kleptoplasty.

Much like with Cadlina Laevis, I hope to return to Elysia one day to better represent her indescribable beauty. Designing her dress took far longer than it should have and really brought to light the limitations of vector art and my lack of experience as an artist. I didn’t end up using either of these vintage dresses for Queen Elysia, but I wanted to share them anyway as I may not use them for future Alphabet Superset cards. This beaded gown looked perfect due to the similarities to the sparkles of elysia chlorotica, but I wanted to pay homage to the 1960s trend of the ruffled collar. I don’t have any other animals planned that I think the ruffled collar would fit except elysia. I tried to replicate this dress but it actually broke my brain. Then my document overwhelmed Inkscape to the point of crashing multiple times and I lost some progress that I didn’t feel like redoing. She ended up with a scalloped collar instead.

Last time, I talked about struggling with motivation. I’ve been trying to curb my avoidance by coming up with another long-term project like the Alphabet Superset challenge that I can turn to when I lose steam. I know it sounds like a ticket to burnout, but I think having permission to procrastinate with a specific project will help keep me invested in the things that I have committed to. The blessing of having a miniscule following is that I can post without worrying that I’ll upset anyone by breaking my established pattern. For those of you with creative blogs like art or writing, what do you wish you could experiment with but are afraid to do so?

Next Week’s Sneak Peek:

Flying fish, and finally our first spade!

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #vector art #character design #robot oc #playing cards #sea slug #elysia chlorotica #photosynthesis #mollusc #sacoglossa #Solar power #shrek #60s

[spentimental]

D is for Dendrobates Auratus, the green and black poison dart frog

I put a frog in a turtleneck sweater and that’s as far as I got with this idea, to be honest.

This is our second ace, the Ace of Clubs (or as I like to call it in my brain but not out loud, Clovers).  I didn’t want to be too repetitive with my designs, so I tried a semi-transparent plastic look. I’m really proud of the circuit pattern in his face and the camera lens eye. I made it following tutorials by Ardent Designs and Logos By Nick.

Off canvas is a whole arm with froggy fingers that I didn’t finish in time. I imagine him as some sort of super spy or detective. He’s subconsciously inspired by Nicky Flippers from Hoodwinked.

This is the fourth week of working consistently on the Alphabet Superset challenge and it was a struggle. The hardest part wasn't using Inkscape or learning new techniques, but just working on it at all. The first day or two was fine. But after that, opening the file made me want to close it immediately. When I work on creative projects, I tend to jump into new ones quickly, pursue them with a burning passion, and then burn out really hard and swap to something different as soon as I lose interest. Sticking to one project for six months is almost unthinkable. This week and last, I kept swapping to other projects to avoid working on this one. I wonder how many people doing this challenge are feeling the same way right now.

No, this frog is not as finished as I would like. But I still like him and I’m proud of what I’ve done so far. I genuinely love seeing each card when I go to share them. I look forward to coming back to all of these designs when I have more experience. Luckily for me, this next week is a break in the challenge. I’m going to take this opportunity to sketch the next few characters and make a plan to curb my avoidance. I’m determined to get through this and prove that I can see a project through from beginning to end.

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #vector art #character design #robot oc #playing cards #dendrobates #frog #frog art #poison dart frog #circuit #60s

[spentimental]

C is for Cadlina Laevis, Queen of Diamonds

Sea slugs are gorgeous, and cadlina laevis is no exception. I did not do them justice here and will probably continue to attempt to convey their beauty forever. Also known as the white Atlantic cadlina, this sea slug lives along coasts in the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. A unique feature of many sea slugs are their “bunny ears” and feather-like “tails.” The ears are actually rhinophores, chemosensory organs that work a lot like noses. The tails are gills.

While I have claimed that sea slugs are not a special interest of mine, I can’t deny the roughly 450 images I collected of them as references for character creation. In high school, I started a very ambitious worldbuilding project. Each person in my Zelda-inspired fantasy world would be modeled after a different species of animal. The first culture I designed drew more and more inspiration from mollusks until they became close to my heart despite having never had an interest in them beforehand. If you love sea slugs, please tell me which ones are your favorites. I’m quite fond of the felimida genus, but they are all incredibly gorgeous.

While I didn’t quite capture the gooey bunny cuteness of cadlina laevis, I hope I could convey their otherworldly beauty in this artwork. The garb of Her Majesty Queen Laevis is inspired by this lovely vintage evening gown. It perfectly encapsulates the elegance I was looking for with the glittery chiffon and ostrich feather trim. Laevis’ hair is based on an image of Brigitte Bardot, one of the most iconic models and actors of the 50s and 60s. For the diamond suit, I picked animals that I found particularly pretty (and also particularly intimidating). I look forward to showing you more of them.

Next Week Sneak Peek:

Dendrobates Auratus, the green and black poison dart frog and Ace of Clubs

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #vector art #character design #robot oc #playing cards #cadlina laevis #sea slug

[spentimental]

B is for Babirusa, 4 of Hearts

The babirusa is a genus of pigs on the islands of Indonesia. While killing them is illegal, babirusa are currently threatened by poaching and deforestation. These piggies are notable for their unique tusks, one pair protruding upward from the bottom jaw and another pair growing upward through the skin of their snout and curving back toward their head. Just imagine if a wolf’s upper canines pointed up instead of down. These tusks can sometimes grow long enough to curve back and penetrate the head a second time, which can be deadly. The tusks also sometimes cross each other as they grow, hence the X shape on this character’s face.

I had a hard time finding 1960s style references for this character that could easily incorporate the iconic tusks. I knew I wanted an X on the face, but what about the bottom tusks? I finally settled on making him a chef holding boning knives. This Babi is based on René Verdon, who was the chef for the White House from 1961 to 1965. When I started this illustration, I really struggled to get into it. I think I was having a mild depressive episode. Hoping for advice, I went to show my progress to my sibling. I looked at my work thinking about what she might think and laughed out loud. There’s something so charming about a robot with knives for hands and a deadpan expression being surrounded by hearts. If you’re struggling with your art, have patience for your mental wellbeing and try to look at your art from another perspective. I finally understand the idiom, “you can’t see the forest for the trees.”

Next Week Sneak Peek:

Cadlina Laevis, Queen of Diamonds AAAAHHHH, I’m so excited!

#alphabetsuperset #1960s fashion #frutiger aero #inkscape #babirusa #sulawesi #vector art #character design #robot oc #chef #playing cards

[spentimental]

I told my sibling about the Alphabet Superset challenge by Struthless and that my theme was “animalia.” She said, “I hope you’re not doing Axolotl for A. They’re super basic.” Anyway, here’s an axolotl-inspired robot person. Axolotl is the Ace of Hearts because they are critically endangered. All the animals I chose for the heart suit are endangered. It hurt to go through my list to see which of these beautiful creatures would be a heart.

A robot doesn’t really fit the “I’m endangered, please take care of me!” vibe. Still, I hope some of you find her cute. This was my first time using Inkscape, so every step was a learning experience. It’s really hard to say your art is done or good enough to share with other people, especially strangers who could say whatever they want. I never really considered myself an “artist” until adulthood. My older sibling was always drawing and improving. I liked to doodle, but found practicing painful and frustrating. I tend to quit projects as soon as they get tough. I quit band in middle school after a month because I had to practice my instrument in order to be good at it.

Miss Axolotl (I’ll call her Lottie) was a challenge, but the Alphabet Superset framework kept me going. When I started to lose steam, I said, “This is only the letter A. Just imagine how good these will be when you get further in the alphabet.” It was also important to remember that breaks are a thing. Whether you take an hour to watch Youtube or leave the project for tomorrow to look at it with fresh eyes, sometimes walking away is half the work. Self care babyyy~ Despite Lottie being the first, I’m proud of her. I hope you like her too.

Next week’s sneak peek:

Babirusa

#alphabet superset #axolotl #frutiger aero #1960s fashion #inkscape #beginner artist #robot oc #character design #vector art #playing cards #60s

[spentimental]

I’m doing the Alphabet Superset challenge by Struthless on Youtube. It’s roughly 30 weeks long, with a week dedicated to each letter of the alphabet. The point is to share your art for other people to see. The challenge involves setting parameters and restrictions for yourself so you end up with a cohesive group of works. I really like the way Struthless designed the challenge. It’s actually a lot easier to make art when you put yourself in a stylish box instead of saying, “Just make something! Anything!” Plus it gives you room to try out a medium or style for a while with a clear end date so you can say, “I tried it and it’s not for me, but it was fun” or “I want to do this forever! I’m so glad I tried it!” I found the style constraint section of the worksheet to be the easiest part. I love clear rules and expectations and have some aesthetics I’ve been wanting to try out. As for the theme (this is where you get your words for each letter of the alphabet)… In high school, I scoured wikipedia for every species of animal that had an article with a picture. I collected roughly 3000 images to use as references for a world building project I was ravenous about at the time. I also considered doing plants (desert plants in particular) because I’ve “collected” a bunch of those as well. Really, I just wanted an excuse to reference sea slugs. Picking the medium was a whole other matter. It took me nearly the whole week to decide what the heck I was going to make. The challenge is very flexible on the definition of art. It’s not just drawing or painting. There will be people baking, making podcasts… Yesterday I saw a wooden automaton/kinetic sculpture! So cool! I’m what is known as a “hobby hopper,” although I’d like to stick to one long enough to master it or at least finish something. I whittled my options down to “something I am comfortable doing/know how to do-” enough to know that I could do one a week. Basically, digital illustration or 3D modeling. I almost chose to do 3D modeling to make renders of collectible figurines. Thing is, I don’t know jack about lighting or textures in Blender. I went to the bookstore to find my mom a birthday present and saw a pack of Alice in Wonderland playing cards. Thank goodness! Turns out I like putting myself into smaller and smaller boxes until I can fit into a pack of cards. So that’s what I’m doing. Each week, I’m going to illustrate a character based on an animal. The format will resemble a playing card. They will be rendered in a frutiger aero style, wearing 1960s inspired fashion. The guide I’m using to pick my palette is actually for home decor. I’m so excited about this challenge! I’m looking forward to April so I can start all over again with something completely different.

~If you see what I make and like it, I will be posting on Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and the Struthless Discord under Spentimental. Follow me wherever you like to spend time.

#alphabet superset #frutiger aero #1960s fashion #robots #inkscape #art challenge