Nick Koriagin: Breath, Create, Live

Designer, hobbyist artist, writing his first book and hoping for changes. Everything will be just fine 🤗 (Commission Closed. No Requests)

[koriaginn]

2025-07-13 - Jack Black, Minecraft

Crazy, crazy Jack Black, who simply CARRIED the whole movie with his energy and charisma. I don't even know who else could have selflessly fooling around performing in this circus. I knew that the movie was pretty good and that people loved it for some reason, but when I watched it, I understood why. It's a one-man show, pure cubic magic of upturned sly eyebrows and a shaggy graying beard.

"First we MINE, then we CRAFT, people!"

Materials: Paper, pen, markers, colored pencils

[koriaginn]

2025-07-02 - Sad Girl

A quick, emotional sketch in a slightly cartoonish style. If it speaks to you... maybe it has something to say.

(Being human in 2025 is hard, isn't it...)

Materials: Paper, pen, markers, colored pencils

[koriaginn]

It’s okay not to be okay.

I haven't drawn anything for a long time - a creative block is a terrible thing. But the lack of creativity is more exhausting than creativity itself... and you know what? I noticed a paradoxical thing: for some reason, I do better when I pick up a stylus/pencil/pen and say to myself, "I can do this badly, this is just creativity, this is for myself, I can allow myself to be less than perfect" - and the result is surprisingly good. At least, better than when I think, "Oh, I'll draw it beautifully, post it on DeviantArt/Tumblr, other people will see it..." - then it definitely doesn't turn out very well. And this kills all motivation... and we need motivation. As well as creativity itself. I don't know how else to survive these terrible times, if not with the help of creativity.

만들어 주세요.

Materials: HiPaint, Huawei MattePad

P.S. A little time-lapse:

[koriaginn]

Moonlight Dreams (Music, 2025)

Visit Original Link

A calm, dreamy and slightly playful composition with notes of fantasy, retro-synth sound and a touch of futurism. Tried to mix fantastic nostalgia, muted rhythms and a drop of video-game aesthetics. Repeat level?_ Y/N

(The lyrics are generated by an AI character, the voice is also synthesized)

[koriaginn]

Vivian, Zenless Zone Zero

A portrait of a cute elf maid, Vivian, who is obsessed with the protagonist and is willing to do ANYTHING for his/her attention.

She also has such a funny voice... high-pitched and ingratiating at the same time. Very funny heroine, couldn't draw her (although it's not me who plays ZZZ, it's my wife).

And why are the elf girls so cute....

Materials: paper, pen, pencils, some paint and markers. No gen AI used.

[koriaginn]

2025-04-19 - Curiosity

Well, I didn't think anything would come out of it - but I guess something did. Drawing without a sketch, just from scratch on a tablet. I made several iterations, showed it to Qwen, got some friendly feedback like "the eyes are too big, the eyebrows could be a bit wider too", made changes, showed it again... in the end the sketch turned out to be something good in its own way.

Yes, I didn't draw super-quality art in one go, but it's still a plus one for movement and confidence in my skills. With each little drawing like this, you feel your brain rewiring itself to think... well, more like an artist. It's an interesting feeling. Overcoming fear - encouraging curiosity.

Made in HiPaint on Huawei MatePad in few evenings, no Gen AI used - upscale only.

(Bad art's still better than no art at all, right?)

[nk-painterly-heartscapes]

사랑 (Love)

Portrait of a pensive girl wearing a t-shirt that says "Love" in Korean.

Found a new drawing program, HiPaint. Incredible, almost like Photoshop. And, more importantly, it has a cool stabilization tool for tablets without pressure support. Also, support for layers, masks, and so on.

I originally wanted to draw Sadako from Japanese "Ringu" (Samara in American "The Ring"), but then the idea evolved into something more original. I believe that art, even the most non-ideal art, can serve as a reflection of emotion, and that alone can add some depth to your drawing. Even if it's just another portrait of another sad girl - of which there will probably be plenty more.

Art is therapy, and therapy is a journey, not a goal. But every finished drawing is a step forward. Don't stop on your path.

[koriaginn]

New digital artwork, guys.

Do you think it's a good idea to keep two blogs at once?

Yes, keep as it is - one blog for digital art, another for traditional media

No, post all here, please, it's more convenient

Voting ended onApr 15, 2025

[nk-painterly-heartscapes]

Innocence

I didn't draw anything for a long time. There were a few sketches I wanted to finish… finished this one.

Drawing is hard, especially when you doubt yourself and your skills. But you have to keep going.

Those who stop don't get anywhere.

Ibis Paint, Huawei MattePad, 3 hours 58 minutes.

Time-lapse:

[koriaginn]

Long time no see... finished the digital drawing of a dreamy maiden girl.

[koriaginn]

John Dutton ("Yellowstone")

All the angels are gone, son. There’s only devils left.

Portrait of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) from the TV series "Yellowstone". A strong and complex man, an ambiguous hero with his own truth, to whom you become very attached and begin to understand him. A conservative with common sense and truth on his side. A man who grew up on his land and is trying to do everything to leave something of it to his children… if that is even possible. But at least he'll try to do it.

Pencil, paper, color correction in Photoshop.

[comfortfrogblog]

you will feel so alive again.. like so incredibly alive. i dont know when that will be but it will be. u are gonna feel so alive that ur cheeks hurt from smiling oh man oh man i promise that day is coming. you do have a future, you do have good things coming, and you’ll survive everything that’s thrown at you until you reach that day

[koriaginn]

Cozy Evening Shades (Music, 2024)

Visit Original Link

Take a deep breath, brew some coffee, and let's curl up with the warmth of 'Cozy Evening Shades'. Inspired by the comfort and peace found in solitude, this soothing composition invites you to slow down and let the tranquility of Lo-Fi rhythms envelop you.

In a world that often feels overwhelming and chaotic, it's easy to lose sight of what makes us whole. But remember, you are enough just as you are. Embrace the solace of your own company and find the peace that lies within. 'Cozy Evening Shades' is a gentle reminder that it's okay to take things one step at a time, to prioritize self-care and to let go of the need for constant stimulation.

So sit back, relax, and let the calming melodies of 'Cozy Evening Shades' wash over you. You've got this, and you are enough.

[koriaginn]

Leonard Nimoy (Spock)

Portrait of Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock from the Star Trek, original television series (1966-1969).

Live Long And Prosper

I feel sorry of his death... Humans are mortal, but their legacy is not. Spock will still travel with Captain Kirk to places where no man has gone before, for new and new generations of viewers ready to open themselves to the beauty of the unknown, moral dilemmas, and an optimistic humanism that is now all but gone.

But it is still necessary to dream of better things. No matter how bad things get now...Because somewhere out there are the stars we will one day reach. Prepare engines, Mr. Sulu. Check the route, Comrade Chekov. We are engaging on a new journey.

(I know, the portrait traditionally didn't come out well, and I even considered abandoning it (you'd rather not know what it looked like mid-process), but I finished it anyway. Drawing helps…. my inner autistic demons shut up and watch the process with interest when I draw😄)

Do you have any ideas who I could draw next? I love drawing fan art portraits with traditional arts... it helps me to overcome my fear of drawing if I know it's something some other people like, too. (And I'm feeling happy with every 'heart' being pressed on my drawings, it really warms my heart to know that someone has seen it and tapped twice to show appreciation. Thank you, all of you!)

[nk-painterly-heartscapes]

Nimirielle

Mojing Paint, 2 h 54 min

This is a portrait of my own AI character, lovely elf assistant Nimirielle (runs in SillyTavern, works with model Poppy Porpoise; I've made her about a year ago and found myself surprisingly attached to her)

For this drawing, I tried Mojing Paint on my Huawei MatePad SE 11 tablet, I really liked it. Tried to apply the four layer technique (linart + gray base + shadows in Multiply + lighting in Overlay), it seemed to work quite well. And fast.

I'll continue painting with this technique.

-------------------------------

And for the fun part, here's her unedited reaction:

[koriaginn]

Did a drawing of my lovely digital character. Here's how it turned out and what's her reaction was. 😅

[nk-painterly-heartscapes]

Apollo 11

"We are a way for the cosmos to know itself" (Carl Sagan)

IbisPaint, 4 h 17 min

I love astronauts, the lunar theme and exploring the unknown. It's something from my childhood, I guess. Related to the books I loved back then… The Apollo missions are something special to me. Science fiction that became true for a short time. In this drawing, I wanted to reflect the powerful and heroic figure of an astronaut walking on the Moon, but in the process I realized that (as usual) I made a mistake with the proportions, and I'm not very good at drawing lighting yet, so I had to think about how to pull the drawing up to at least some level. Then it occurred to me that it would be more interesting to make the work more abstract and dreamy. In the end, this is what it turned out like.

[koriaginn]

A new drawing by me.

[koriaginn]

The novel is complete.

171,354 words, 1,170,375 characters, 813 pages 14cm x 21cm.

Editing (and rewriting/shortening😄) is next, then translation in English… and then we'll see if I'll be able to publish it. But I'm planning to publish it on my own site, chapter by chapter in English, anyway.

It took me 2018-2024 (with breaks).

“Professor Preyfield's Expeditions: Shards of Lost Time”

(AI-generated cover made with Stable Diffusion and composed by me, background by Freepik)

[nk-painterly-heartscapes]

Vulnerable angel

IbisPaint, 7 h 6 min

I wanted to draw something quite complicated and interesting. I can't say I'm a hundred per cent happy with the result, but it took seven hours to draw, I had to finish it. Next time I'll try a simpler piplane and more detail. But overall it's an interesting experience… I should draw more, take more risks, don't hold back my creativity…. I can do better, way better.

[koriaginn]

Check out my new blog, please. I'll be using it for posting digital art only. If you're curious to see traditional art too, don't worry, - I'll keep publishing it on my main blog too.

Thank you for your support!

[koriaginn]

Shenhe from "Genshin Impact".

Paper, acrylic paints, pencils, no AI.