come look at nauma’s drawings

hello everyone :3 oops left more than a week since the last post... *beginning to lose track of time and space*

i thought id upload sth from earlier in the year, while id change some things in the execution i still really like these pieces for the concept. (i would probably make canther taller, i was worried about him being too tall to kiss di but i think that’s cooler than tiny horse legs) i really like doing quick coloured sketches like in the 1st one, it’s a low-pressure way for me to try different lighting/palettes/environments, but the downside is they’re not really planned so they tend to suffer from poor composition.

here's a set of art trades i completed last month. each one took me about 1.5 hrs. i first made an account here more than 2 years ago, but i've started being active in the last few weeks because i just seriously love drawing people's ocs lol!! (so you can often catch me drawing freebies or doing trades or playing forum games when im free) i guess i feel like i love mine so much and i go absolutely bonkers when i get art, so i like to try to do that for other people, it's fun for me. i like getting to draw ideas i'd never think of myself or doing a bit of a different style to suit each character, it's like trying on a different hat for a bit. these lovely characters belong to swampgoblin and la_wonder btw!

hi hi :3 been ages since my last post but im not sure if i want this thread to die just yet... here’s me trying a cartoon style! i really like cartoonists like stephen silver and barry reynolds, i think their drawings are really fun and dynamic. 

stumbled upon this thread and WOW everything here is so amazing!! i love how open you are about your process and studies, and the stuff you said on background composition/thumbnails is def something im going to try and take into note in the future!! your usage of colour is so lovely and i love how you keep experimenting aaaa!!

if it's not an inconvenience, can i ask how you like.. keep motivated to do studies, experiments etc? i tend not to do as well with those because im scared of messing up most of the time;;

that cartoony style is soo good and cute i love it ;__; so much movement and personality in the characters! i am Looking

nyainou wallstaples thank u both!! <3 its really fun and a nice change of pace to draw in this style ill def be doing it moreee

nebulynn aw no problem i love answering questions! and thank u for your kind words <3 im glad to hear u like the colours cuz i feel i have a very shaky grasp on them LOL but its a process! so for studies i think its about building a habit, like do them once a week or for 30 minutes before you draw or whatever as long as its semi-regular. it will probably take a very long time to make them really stick. i find studies really meditative and invigorating to do cuz i dont have to really invent anything (unlike an original composition) and i know im spending my time wisely and learning something, so i recommend you model your way of studying on an artist/teacher that you like. ive mentioned some of my favourite artists in this thread and many of them are instructors, you can also find exercises in books, on twitter, youtube, etc. everywhere!
i know many people are afraid of experimenting... to me the only way you can mess up is by not doing them because then your work will suffer for it. my thinking is that finished is better than perfect... i definitely produce some stuff i think is sinfully ugly from time to time but its important to also have an objective viewpoint and identify what is and isn’t working and what you can use and what you cant, and you can only see that once youve tried it. imo being able to push through the uncomfortable feelings of inferiority, uncertainty, self-doubt, and fear is what separates a great artist from a mediocre one who would rather play it safe. drawing outside your comfort zone is the fastest way to improve. it can be kinda painful though so go at your own pace with it!

I love that you do different styles~ They all look amazing! Especially the use of colors paired with either cartoon or anime style. I hope to see more haha.

Kalie_Uno thanks so much for your kind words!<3

another long time no post :—D *forgetting what it feels like to post here* ive been online a bit less and drawing a bit less bc of my job picking up. i just focus on filling a small bit of the canvas or i work on something over several sittings. it’s nice to slow down from time to time tbh, i feel like i can be so impatient and rush things. for why...

the year is ending, i think i improved a huge amount this year. beginning to grasp the surface of some very dense skills, just need to keep at it for however long it takes. i do wonder when will i reach a consistently solid skill level- probably when im 40 judging by most of my heroes. so im really looking forward to that tbh. maybe next time i will share my end of year summary here !

I’m happy you posted again!

Boyfriend aww thank you for reading <3 always happy to know someone’s out there!! (hope you dont mind the late reply.. time flying in all directions again..)

hope everybody is well :D i am finding a good day job-drawing balance i think! in my free time ive been at the sisyphean task of redrawing ref sheets. i dont like to make them too fancy bc theyll need changing sooner or later, but i also aim to clear up some confusion from things that might have been drawn poorly in the past lol. my philosophy is gotta keep my designs simple enough to draw from memory so these mostly exist for other ppl to reference. my most complicated design is probably charyclis (cuz she’s a goddess)

here’s her old ref from march 2019 when id just finished her design:

it’s interesting to see what changes over time. i see mistakes other ppl make when drawing my charas as opportunities to communicate those aspects better. tho it can be kinda mind-boggling. i found a lot of ppl were leaving out her halo. the floaty cloth is commonly an element of chinese fairy paintings and gives an ethereal and divine effect i really like. chary is the goddess of war in huran enki, i want ppl to hear bells in their ears and feel the ground shake when she pops up! hopefully she looks more like herself now lol 🐕

*slams my hand down on the simp button*

i adore your character designs!! i've always wanted to hit a similar sweet spot of easy to remember but also distinct enough to soothe my peanut brain HAHA
i'm a big sucker for incorporating various mythos aespects and chinese deities are ones i dont see around often, so big heart eyes <33

soupbao aweee tysm!! im a big fan of the 'keep removing things until it falls apart' design philosophy- i think i register my charas mostly by colour distribution (like when i see the little thumbnail in the layers window of the flats im like thats them :)) and ikr! i think chinese designs r getting more popular now w recent media titles. i like to see more chinese creators unashamed to explore our heritage O_O