Day 30: A Congrats Banner for Finishing The Challenge

Really? A congratulatory banner?

That’s going to be the last challenge? Drawing a banner? Wow.

Not only is this final challenge highly disappointing, I am also incredibly tired and my computer is being excessively slow and unresponsive as I try to upload this. So I really do feel like this image does my mood justice.

Other than that though, to be fair, this 30 Day Drawing Challenge was actually a lot of fun. I’m probably going to do a new one soon. Also, I’ve got all the hand drawn animation clips I made this week around “equality” so I might try and upload those too!

Day 29: A Place You Want To Go.

Tibet.

I’ve seen so many beautiful places during my travels. This one is probably the highest on my list to see now, and the most difficult one to make happen. One day though I’ll go across the Himalayas. I’m not giving up on this sight.

Day 28: Anything You’d Like.

I’ve been drawing so much related to “assignments” that, tonight, I really didn’t feel like drawing anything. So, seeing as how the challenge today is to draw anything you’d like, I turned off my brain as much as I could and just sort of drew whatever I liked while my pen touched the paper.

Kind of like my doodle only somehow entirely different. And unfinished, because I told myself I wanted to upload this before 11PM which is (as I’m typing this) in about 11 minutes from now.

Day 27: Someone You Love.

I was going to make a scan of a blank page and type “GET IT?!” in the description but I realized that wouldn’t be accurate. I love my friends and my family and animals and whatnot so I shouldn’t lie. However, there’s one person who did come to mind as a good subject for a drawing. I haven’t gotten around to drawing this person before, which is odd, because I’m a bit of a fan.

Lots of people over the years have started sending me links and photos of anything related to David Bowie. This was sort of a wake-up call for me because it made me realize that I had been getting a bit obsessed and people were starting to think “Lorenzo” when they saw Bowie. That’s never a good sign, but in the end I embraced it. What can I say, the guy’s a pretty big inspiration, made some great music, is very intelligent and creative, and despite being an addicted wreck during the ’70s managed to remain 100% classy and polite throughout his career, which is remarkable.

So here you go, my first drawing of David Bowie, as drawn from a photo of his performance on something called the 1980 Floor Show during the ’70s just before he explored soul music and changed his look entirely.

I drew him without eyes because I like to draw people without eyes. Also, I’m still exploring my new found fondness for pencil. Odd.

Day 25: Scenery.

This one’s a bit rough and unfinished, as I was working on this one I was interrupted to go out for dinner someplace unexpectedly with my family (not that that’s a bad thing) and by the time I got back the sun had set over the scene I was drawing so… Anyway, I don’t mind the way it looks, unfinished as it is.

This is the view from my balcony in the suburbs of a small city in Belgium where I’m currently residing.

Day 24: A Couple.

My initial reaction to this assignment was “oh god why” but I soon found a pretty badass couple to draw. I decided on these two amazing characters: Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. I don’t think I have to explain why these two are fantastic.

Style-wise I obviously based this on two photos I found, not drawn from memory. Using pencil to accurately try and mimic the way someone looks on a photo is not something I do often. I’m not entirely convinced I drew them to look as recognizable as I had wanted them to, especially Mulder, but I’m still quite happy with the results. After all, as much as I strongly admire people who can draw to a photorealistic level, I’ve always really liked seeing little flaws, pencil strokes and unfinished areas, because I feel it gives you a closer connection to the person who drew it. So there you go!

Day 22: Something You Miss.

I miss this. Preparing for my 3 month trip across the US and Canada. I actually miss the anxiety, but also the relief and realisation that I was making this happen. I miss the preparations, booking the flight, talking to friends about it. I miss every single person I met along the way, I miss meeting friends that I’ve known for years and making new ones. I miss being on the road and I miss the gracious people who gave a roof over my head. I miss it all. In such a way that every time I think about all of it, I’m happy to have these memories.

I will never ever be able to thank everyone who I met enough. And myself, for being brave enough to head out there on my own.

Anyway. I drew most of this in a tiny little sketchbook on the train today and applied some quick finishing touches at home. Honestly I’m surprised that in the second panel I actually look like a human being, the way the train was shaking about when I was trying to draw it. Because of the format I decided to keep the borders of the notebook on the scan, something I haven’t really done before in any of my other scans but I quite liked the effect here for some reason. A bit more rough maybe but there you go.

Day 21: Something You Want.

I want these logo things!

No, not really. I actually couldn’t think of anything at first (good sign I suppose?) but after a while I realized I’ve always sort of wanted to adopt either a cat or a dog from a shelter, only my housing situation in the past years has been unstable. Where I live currently I can’t adopt one either because the situation isn’t ideal (apartment) and I’m not the only person living here. Curses!

Anyway I started drawing dogs and cats from photos but very quickly gave up on that due to extremely boring, and tried to make some more simplified, personal line drawings. I liked these two and did some cut/paste work to put them next to one another, to make this image.

Also, I have no idea why I didn’t give the cat eyes because it doesn’t make it look very appealing even though I really do like cats. But there you go. I was going to ink them too, but then I didn’t. I’m a rebel.

Day 20: Something Orange.

I’ve grown to associate orange with buddhism. I actually really didn’t like the color when I was younger but I’ve grown more fond now.

What’s it with me and oil pastels lately?

Day 19: Something New.

I got a short-term job for a week doing some animation for a small television and media company in Ghent, the first week of April. So I went to the train station and got me a card to ride the train for cheap during that time period.

I wasn’t really feeling this assignment so I drew this without lifting my pencil. Which was very tiring.