Ad Astra Gif

A look into my thought process as soon as this piece is finished.

So, to begin, this was originally sketched back around 05/16/2022 with this original sketch- https://imgur.com/a/H0r28tz

Yet I had stopped from a mix of personal IRL, and I simply was not satisfied with the initial composition. While I used a variety of techniques at the time, I was pushing too quickly out of my comfort zone without understanding what was wrong. Even when I wanted to go back to ink it, it still did not read well for me, so I placed it on the back burner for a time.

- The second, more current wip showcases a new sketch, redone lighting, and a color experiment.

Overall differences being shown in this wip as opposed to the original are as follows-

-Massive perspective corrections: This whole piece ended up being redrawn as the whole of the face just did not have the dynamic feeling I wanted to achieve in congruence with my current ability.

- I widened the overall image and included a wing thumb claw to add more dynamism to the overall image despite the relatively static pose. (By static, I mean relatively little to no movement.)

- Experimenting with colors with a newer technique I have been working on with my recent pieces.

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However, I was not entirely satisfied again, so I put it down for around a month to avoid overworking the piece. There is a quote from one of my favorite philosophers that I think back on when I was the most frustrated.

“What then is to be Done? To make the best of what is in our power and to take the rest as it occurs.”

Now, while not the whole quote, there is some food for thought as to why I put down the pencil, so to speak, for a time.


It is to give myself time, much like I do when I get frustrated with anything, to thoroughly examine it, digest it, think about it, study if necessary, or think and look at it differently.

I feel a lot of artists, even myself, sometimes forget that art is not exactly meant to be rushed, but it should be enjoyed; it should be something in which you take pride and give your best to cultivate. You, after all, cannot expect seeds to grow in a day, so I feel art in many ways to reach the best iteration will take time and some breaks to cultivate this vision.

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With the third wip, it is finally coming along in the right direction I desired; I was able to correct the colors, bring out the more metallic sheens of their plated armor, and enrich the blues of their gems and markings. With this piece nearly done, I am glad I took my time with this as I feel absolutely excited to finish it, and to share it all with you~