nataliadrawing

[nataliadrawing]

I was thinking about making some picture book illustrations for my portfolio. Despite really liking this cover I quickly abandoned the project though.

#artists on tumblr #illustration #kidlit #art

[nataliadrawing]

Doggos!

#artists on tumblr #illustration #dogs

[nataliadrawing]

I liked the One Piece Live Action so much, I started to reread the manga. Last time I did a proper reread of One Piece was around 2008 and it took me forever then, so I'm already sweating, thinking about how long it will take me now...

#fanart #one piece #art

[nataliadrawing]

Every time I improve at drawing something, I get confused because where did the hours of aimlessly trying to fix something I don't know how to fix go?? How am I already finished??

#artists on tumblr #illustration #art #art struggles

[nataliadrawing]

This one was my first drawing of 2022 and it was one of my early attempts at focusing more on architecture in this particular style. There is so much I would do differently today but I also like to aknowledge where I'm coming from and it's still a nice drawing in its own way!

#artists on tumblr #illustration #architecture #fantasy #art

[nataliadrawing]

Of course he's going to buy the doll, just give him a moment.

#artists on tumblr #fantasy art #orcs #dnd art #d&d #art

[nataliadrawing]

I've been playing Baldurs Gate 3 for a few months now and finally finished my first playthrough. I messed up quite a bit but I liked my character so much that I'm going to just play him again with better decisions, now that I know the story.

He's a Mephistopheles Tiefling and a Cleric/Fighter who tries to keep everyone safe. He and Karlach were both my tanks at the very front of each fight and I love how their friendship developed throughout the story!

#fanart #my art #baldur's gate 3

[nataliadrawing]

My 2023 ink sketchbook PDFs are now available!

KO-FI SHOP

My 2023 ink sketchbook PDFs are now available! There's one main ink sketchbook with all kinds of doodles and studies and a small architecture book I drew from Street View screenshots. This time it's Barcelona!

#artists on tumblr #sketchbook #illustration #ink drawing #art

[nataliadrawing]

This one is from late 2021. I remember learning a lot from making this drawing and while I'd draw it differently today, the sense of accomplishment I felt back then is still very real

#artists on tumblr #architecture #environment #art #illustration

[nataliadrawing]

I don’t really regret the sacrifices I made for art but there are times when things just aren't great and I start wondering if it’s been worth it. Especially considering the sad state of the creative industry in recent years.

Sometimes it’s stuff like not hanging out with friends more before all of us moved away or not spending time with my grandparents while I still could. Or not travelling with friends while we were still unburdened by responsibilities. Sometimes it’s stuff like sacrificing financial stability and giving up the chance to ever buy my own home and have a decent retirement plan. Which is getting scarier the older I get. I was always hoping that if I try hard enough, one day my art skills would make up for all the sacrifices. I’m not terribly unhappy with where I am now and I know that I still have time to achieve some things but when life gets tough, it’s easy to get frustrated.

#artists on tumblr #art struggles #comic #illustration #art

[nataliadrawing]

They're having a well earned dinner after guard duty! Yes, the bear is a guard too 🐻

#artists on tumblr #fantasy art #dnd #art #illustration

[nataliadrawing]

#artists on tumblr #fantasy #fantasy art #illustration #art

[nataliadrawing]

This one is based on memories of me and my mom going mushroom hunting back when I was a kid

#mushrooms #childhood #artists on tumblr #illustration #art

[nataliadrawing]

2023 has been another tough year and some really devastating things happened in my personal life but there were also exceptionally great moments. So with this review I decided to focus mainly on the good things.

It was my first full year back at my parents’ house and I finally had a reason to redecorate my old bedroom. Giving up my apartment was tough but it really helped with my financial situation. I also got to travel abroad for the fist time in almost 10 years. We always planned to visit Paris and London as a family and I’m excited that we finally did! Plus, we had our first real life meet up with the entire friend group that formed during the pandemic. We constantly hang out online, so it was very special to finally bring everyone together in real life. Since we met up in Belgium, we also got to visit beautiful Bruges. Art-wise I’ve made some very satisfying progress, mainly thanks to online classes. Actually, those classes helped me cope during my worst moments this year as they kept my mind occupied and gave me a sense of purpose. Finally, I very randomly got back into reading manga. I picked up Dragon Ball rather by accident and all the nostalgia pulled me right back in. Then, after watching the One Piece live action, I’ve decided to reread the manga which will probably keep me busy for a long time. I’m very grateful for all the positive experiences this year and all the memories I’ve made. As for the negative stuff, I hope next year will be kinder to me while I’m doing my best to keep going.

#year in review #artists on tumblr #art #illustration

[nataliadrawing]

In 2023 I finally reached a new level of being comfortable with my art! I managed to break through some art-related issues I've been dealing with for years and I'm just so releaved that personal art doesn't feel as much of a struggle anymore. I'm a very slow learner and my art journey has never been straight-forward. So to give myself a little pat on the back for sticking with it despite all the difficulties, earlier this year I compiled art from as far back as 2011.

Seeing the art compiled like that made me realise that part of my growth only happened after I finished uni. I'm grateful for the way uni made me learn new things and embrace new styles but I'm also happy I got to focus more on what felt right to me personally after graduation.

2011 has been an important year for me art-wise because that's when I decided to get back into art after almost giving up on it. At first I was happy to just draw fanart in my free time but by the end of 2012 I decided I wanted to make it my career. I'm glad I did!

#art summary #art summary 2023 #artists on tumblr #art #illustration

[nataliadrawing]

Planning the next heist

#artists on tumblr #fantasy #fantasy art #dnd art #dnd #art

[nataliadrawing]

They're guarding the ruin

#artists on tumblr #illustration #fantasy #dungeons and dragons #dnd art