Crystalthecc - Blog Posts

It's high time I show you guys my progress over the past month. (I seriously can't believe it's been a month already since this started!) I love how it's turning out so far. I think this is becoming the most colorful page in my sketchbook. 😊 Still got a ways to go before it's done, but it's almost there! I hope you enjoy~⠀ 🔹⠀ #art #draw #sketch #instaart #ArtoftheDay #artsy #instaartist #sketchbook #DailyArt #zentangle #mandalaart #mandala #mandalas #zentangleart #zenart #zendala #mandalala #mandalalove #zentangles #stabilo #mandaladesign #zentanglemandalalove #mandaladrawing #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #artists #100ThemesChallenge #Crystal_100TC #Crystal_100challenge #CrystaltheCC

Happy belated Valentine's Day and happy Singles Awareness Day (which if you didn't know is Feb 15). Here's a throwback to some art I did in 2014 and 2013 for Valentine's Day. Regardless of whether you have a significant other or not, I hope you all have a wonderful day and know that you are loved by the one that matters. The one above. 😊☝🏼 🔹 #throwbackthursday #throwback #valentinesday #webstagram #valentine #tbt #tb #heart #hearts #red #art #arts #arty #artsy #instaart #DailyArt #ArtoftheDay #instaartist #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #artist #CrystaltheCC

Here's another animation (Plotagraph) that I made last semester using my self-portrait illustration. I encourage you to watch this one carefully; the movements are very subtle. Hope you enjoy~ 😊

Yesterday was my birthday and I wanted to draw something special. It's a redraw of something I drew a couple years ago. I raced the clock but couldn't get it done before midnight, so here it is today. Hope you enjoy! 😊

Last semester, I took a Digital Imaging class, which had me experiment with different ways of making moving pictures and art. One of those ways involved taking an artwork and making it into a Plotagraph. Here's the first one I made (I made 3 in total). Hope you enjoy. 😊⠀ 🔹⠀ By the way, if you want to Google what a Plotagraph is, go to Plotaverse.com. That's the new URL for the online resource.

Here's the next sketch for my 100 Themes Challenge. There was a character in the middle, but I think I'm going to draw that part digitally because all the lines were starting to get visually confusing for me.⠀ 🔹⠀ I've been wanting to put more patterns and Zentangle elements in my work. I'm hoping this turns out good. 😊

Sorry for the lack of art guys! Who knew that the beginning of the year would be so busy? 😩 I'm trying to get back into a groove of drawing everyday, starting with yesterday's Cognitive Drawing exercise: draw a flexing man from memory (no references). How do y'all think I did? 🔹 Honestly I feel like I'm looking at one of my high school drawings. Not that bad, but not that great either. Let's see how much I learn with the next exercises yeah? 😁

Theme 7 Memory is done! I'm so glad I finally finished this. In truth, I wanted it done last year, but I was busier (and then sick) than I expected. Oh well. Have a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope yours is off to a great start. 😊

I'm back with my inked Theme 7! Sorry for the unexpected art hiatus. I was finishing up Finals and after that, all I felt like doing was relaxing for two days. 😅 Glad to be back at it though! This will be colored in soon. 😊

Theme 7 is Memory and the sketch is a redrawing of a redrawing. I guess you could say that it's also a memory of a memory. 😆⠀ 🔹⠀ I decided to revisit a drawing in my sketchbook that was done earlier this year. I redrew a drawing of mine for a class project (because I was fond of it) and looking back on it now, I wasn't happy with how the guy's face came out when I first drew it. So I redrew his face, added some more heartwarming elements, and next, I'm going to add more ink to make it pop. 😊🎄⠀

Completed Theme 6 yesterday! I've been busy with school as this semester is wrapping up. 🔹 I haven't drawn this character in a while so she got a bit of a makeover. I'm also experimenting with adding highlights, and using only alcohol-based markers. I like that they give my drawings a nice smooth look. 🙂 I hope you enjoy~

I took a photo of my art and played around with its colors on my phone. I thought it'd be cool to share. 😁 I'm still finishing up coloring the original, so stay tuned.

The inking is done! There's so many lines... 😳 I can't wait to finish it up with color! I hope you enjoy~

Sketch for Theme 6 is done! I'm feelin' pretty good about it. Hope you enjoy~ 😊

Finished up Theme 5! Again, I based it heavily on the previous drawing I did (now over 2 1/2 years ago! 😳 ). I was still aiming for a postcard-like look, but I wasn’t sure what to do with the border in the end. I’m pretty pleased with it overall though. And his smile is endearing as always. 😊 Hope you enjoy~

Finished up the inking yesterday. I experimented with adding hatching! This is something that I’ve been wanting to try, but I wasn’t sure about how it would turn out. I got out of my comfort zone and just did it anyway. Hope you like it!

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d struggle this much to keep up with the drawings…but I’m still going! Here’s the sketch for Theme 5: Welcome.

My artwork got accepted to the ARTX 2017 Holiday Salon! I’m excited! 😄 Opening night for the gallery is on Saturday, November 11th from 8-10pm. Hope to see you guys there!

Sneak peek on the layout of the next theme drawing I've been working on. I'm liking the second one so far.⠀ 🔷⠀ October 25th was International Artist Day and I didn't hear about it until it was too late to celebrate. 😩 I'm kind of disappointed that this event wasn't more widely celebrated as I would've thought. I wonder if any of you celebrated that day?

Theme 4 on Friendship is complete! 😊 I like how this piece has a subliminal yin-yang quality to it; it was unintentional, but it works. 🔹⠀ Feel free to interpret this piece however you like. I have no idea what these two friends were laughing about, but I’d love to hear your take on it. Also, I did color the sky a light blue, but I think it got washed out in this photo… That’s something I’ll keep in mind for next time. I hope you enjoy! There’s more coming~

I just heard of Cognitive Drawing recently and I was so intrigued by the idea that I had to try it for myself. I'm surprised how much I memorized about the eye in step 5! (bottom left) Definitely going to go through the rest of the book over the next 24 days. 😊 Credit goes to @jason_brubaker for the concept and book.

Inked it! Now for the fun part, coloring it in. 😁 🖊

Going for a somewhat abstract background on this one and I’m pleased with the results. 😊 Maybe I should do this more often?

I finished Theme #3 Color! I'm kinda cheating actually... This one was already done, and I didn't want to redo it for the project because I already spent sooo much time on it.⠀ 🔹⠀ First, a little excerpt about this piece. It features my OC named Acid, who is part chameleon and part "giant" Komodo dragon. His name is a direct reference to psychedelia and LSD (aka acid). He changes colors! Here we see he's made friends with an average chameleon, and he's copying the chameleon's color.⠀ 🔹⠀ (3rd image) A year ago, the original drawing from 2015 was my inspiration for this digital painting. (2nd image) After one semester, I spent several hours and got pretty far, but my prof and I both knew I could do better. (1st image) A second semester later, in the same class, I worked several more hours on this painting.⠀ 🔹⠀ I know I could keep working on this, but I'm calling it finished for now and moving on. There's so much art that needs to be done and not enough time! I hope you guys enjoy. 😊 I'm working on the next one as I speak (er type...) Stay tuned! 🐲

Forgot to share this with you guys. 😅 I finished my xerox collage illustration! (Sort of.) I was pressed for time so this is what I got. The goal was to combine collage and drawing in such a way that they look cohesive. I collaged some odd creatures and foliage and then drew in their surroundings. Hope you enjoy!

Finally finished Theme #2 School! Again, I ended up taking more time than I wanted to in order to finish this. I'm going to continue trying to make more time to work on these Themes so schoolwork doesn't eat up my time. 🔹 I don't have much to say about this scene, other than my OC Helyna (pictured here) loves reading books, so I thought this scene would be most fitting for her. One thing that kind of bugs me about this scene is that it's too orange. I would've liked a better color balance, so that's something for me to keep in mind for future Themes. 🔹 I wish school were this peaceful. 😣 Lately, it feels like I've been in a whirlwind of busyness. I'm not sure what else to do other than to keep moving forward and constantly trying to utilize my time better. 🔹 Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! And to my fellow college students, best of luck on your studies! 😊✏️📚

We're a quarter of the way into the Fall semester and October is just around the corner! 😱 I've been busy, working on a few art projects, but I got in some quick sketches here and there. Hope you enjoy! More artwork to come soon. 😊🍁⠀

I started my next school semester recently, and my first assignment for my Illustration class was to make a self-portrait collage. I finished it the other day. I originally thought I would have to shred up the images more, but my prof was satisfied with this layout. I like how it came out. 😊

I've finished inking it in. The amount of times my new micron bled out more ink than I wanted is ridiculous though. At least the line work looks decent overall.⠀ 🔷⠀ I started school again two weeks ago and it's been difficult to find a new groove that works for me. I'm settling into this new schedule slowly but surely, so I hope that I will be able to make more time for drawing in the near future.⠀ 🔷⠀ Enough with my mini vent. I hope you enjoy more details of my OC Helyna at "school." 😊

I spent waaaaay too much time on the background on this one. Who knew that drawing bookcases in perspective was going to be so much work? 😣 Hopefully it'll pay off when I ink it.