On Paper
Character Design - Visual Storytelling - CMD'M POP Comic (2nd semester 2nd year - 2023)
During the second part of my second year of Communication and Multimedia Design I wanted to make a comic, together with a group, and even though my drawing skills weren't great at the start, I still tried to improve by watching YouTube tutorials and using a lot of reference. Here's a small collage of the characters I've drawn during that time.
It's also very noticeable that anime is my comfort genre to draw in and that I'm more comfortable with keeping my characters black and white, rather than coloring them. At this point it's the only genre I really know how to do, but if I ever have time in the future, I'd love to learn different styles and try to combine them in a way.
During Covid Lockdown (2020)
The Storm
I made this painting in a time of my life where I felt like I didn't have any grip on how my life went. A lot of stuff happened in my friend groups and I lost a lot of friends because of this. Since my life was always based on my people-pleasing attitude, it felt like my whole world came crashing down and I wanted to try to portray that in this painting.
I tried to combine different coloring techniques to create an uneven, yet visually pleasing atmosphere.
Painting this art piece has really calmed me down back then and I felt like the full emotion went into the piece and stayed in there.
The Road
In this sketch I tried to portray my search for a better future. I made this after The Storm and it gave me hope again. After going through one of my first ever depressive periods, I realized that life has it's ups and downs; that it's sometimes better not to follow the mass, but go against the stream, in your own flow; that you sometimes need someone to look up to, who is already further on the road than you are. I tried to combine all of that into this art piece with little hidden messages, such as the little man further on the road.
I decided that it was a better idea to leave this in black and white, since it gives off more of a sturdiness in that way, in my opinion, and life isn't easy, but pretty tough from time to time, especially after you felt like your world came crashing down, but you have to keep going
BK
This is the first of the three artworks I made after a long time without brushes in my hands. This was because of the Covid Lockdown and I wanted to do something to feel less bored.
BK is obviously for Bart Koster, written in my favorite color, Cyan. Next to the middle we see something that has to resemble tree branches, behind the colors pink, purple and blue and to top the painting off there are two white stripes, separating the parts from each other and making it look like prison bars.
With this painting I wanted to symbolize the struggle of accepting myself as a bisexual man and breaking free from the principles that I have been raised with. I was very scared to come out as bisexual, especially since I've been raised strictly christian and I wanted to try to show that with this painting. Maybe more of a hidden message than the other two, but just as strong, in my opinion.
