I really should draw more

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[melodramaticmelon]

need to draw more

[melodramaticmelon]

I was invited as a contributing illustrator for Singapore’s National Day art competition held by the local museum. The prompt was to draw something reminding me of Singapore with the little red dot in the centre integrated into the illustration. A lot of people usually go with food or big landmarks / the skyscape, which I felt were very human things (ew @ the Anthropocene lol) and i was going through a bird phase and dealing with c*vid so i ended up focusing on birds.

I was also going thru a small riso print obsession bc of that one tutorial floating around tumblr in July 2022 and really really really wanted to emulate the CMYK riso print process digitally, it was a super fun challenge and i think one of the few times i had felt excited about art in a long time.

The pandemic offered a chance for everyone to slow down, and I’ve observed more of my friends exploring the natural side of Singapore. In the last few years, I’ve found myself trying to pay attention to the different birds in my neighbourhood. My hope for Singapore and Singaporeans is to develop a greater appreciation for the little natural spaces we have, and to increase our collective respect and protection for the other residents of the island that were here before and alongside us. 

For my artwork, I've chosen to cast a spotlight on the Asian Koel, with its bright red eyes and signature calls—the bird that you either love or hate to hear in the early mornings. While many (including myself) have never seen it in person before, it’s a bird I strongly associate with our local soundscape.

[melodramaticmelon]

Process + Final of a book cover I was commissioned to do last year (2022). 

The Strength of Water (2022) by Karin K Jansen, chronicle’s Jansen’s mother’s journey as a young immigrant to San Francisco from China. Was super honoured that my friend had thought of me for the cover, I`ve only done book covers for myself so this was something that really made me feel like “oh... i made it (somewhat)” haha

[melodramaticmelon]

2021 - I did a series of page banners for a local LGBTQ+ resource website aimed at older adults (55 and up). I had posted the main banners 2 years back and forgot to follow up with these. I had a ton of fun drawing what I would imagine queer joy would look like in Singapore for older adults, we dont see very much of it i think in favour better optics with the youth.

[melodramaticmelon]

forgot to post these, some portraits of sisters from 2021

[melodramaticmelon]

The complete set of DnD commissions! Took a long long long time because day job things 🥴

[melodramaticmelon]

Hi! I love your art! Are you doing any commissions currently?

Hello! i`ll be opeing up slots for character deisgns and portraits in mid July! sorry for the late reply, moved + new job over the last 4 months

[melodramaticmelon]

hi! i love ur aridante art so much!

do u have any fancasts/faceclaims for ari and dante?? i’ve been struggling to find the perfect ones for them

Tumblr deleted this 3 TIMES I AM SO MAD I HAD TO RETYPE THIS SO MANY TIMES and this took like 30 mins to answer

Sorry for the late reply I’ve been thinking about this here and there and tbh I haven’t had any face or fancasts for them, especially when it comes to younger sources I 2021 because I don’t watch a lot of tv with casts of their age demographic

EARLIER FACECASTS/FANCASTS (2015-ISH)

Older version of the same qn

Ari: younger Gael Garica Bernal (ACTUALLY MEXICAN!!!!!), Brennan Mejia (Honduran)(older adult now), Luca Pasqualino (Italian [Sicilian] but he’s got the face), Rosario Dawson (who has since been cancelled for transphobia so I don’t want to associated with her).

Dante: Brandon Arreaga (Mexican, Caucasian) was a suggestion sent in before, and Noah Centineo (FORGIVE ME PLEASE) when he was in The Fosters (playing a Latino character, not much info on him back then) before he got annoying and I found out he was white. In some drawings I referenced Gina Rodriguez (before she started talking mad shit). I also looked to Filipino actors since the PH is sorta cousins with Mexico in some weird shared colonizer way.

Admittedly I haven’t given it much thought in recent years nor have I seen any faces that have stood out to me for these characters, plus I’m in southeast Asia so I don’t see many Latinos anywhere except mainstream TV

NEWER FACECASTS

So I don’t think any of these people should actually be cast, but for the sake of visualization, bear with me (because they’re mostly if not all in their 20s so like just going for the look)(please imagine them YOUNGER because when I draw they are base refs I don’t actually think they look this way)

Ari: I don’t have any current face/fancasts though I do interpret Ari as possibly Indigenous or Afro-Latino, with skin darker than my own complexion (like Rosario or darker). I know Xolo Mariduena (Mexican, Cuban, Ecuadorian) is a contender but I personally feel he’s quite fair skinned and is more suitable for Dante’s complexion. Conor Husting (half mexican), and Herizen Guardiola (Cuban and Jamaican) (Actress but has the features), maybe for Ari’s sisters lol. Well they’re all kinda fair skinned except Herizen which is closer to what I imagine.

Dante: Brandon Perea (Filipino, Puerto Rican), young Benjamin Bratt (Quechuan, Peruvian), Johnathan Nieves (vaguely Latin, no actual info). Let the make up artists go heavy on freckles because that’s how I imagined it. Also glasses.

(in glasses)

So given the limited availablity to resources where I can verify 1. Age, 2. Actually mexican / greater latino lineage 3. Exposure to media these are the face ~vibes~ I would go with when I would draw them in the future.

Above: Complexions that I imagine.

Shoutout to @latinxfancast for some of these face reccs!

I`m also open to suggestions so send them my way (preferably replies to this so its all in one place)

[melodramaticmelon]

Its been a busy few months! These are 2 (more detailed) illustrations I did for a local LGBTQ+ non-profit organization in Singapore. Their new website is oriented towards older LGBTQ+ adults, 50 years and up. I`m not too well practiced with drawing older adults but this was a super fun commission to do

[melodramaticmelon]

A commission for a friend for another's birthday! This friend is a fan of fernando botero's art and wanted to me to paint a set of 4 women in a beach setting

[melodramaticmelon]

some commissions from the last few months

[melodramaticmelon]

Hello everyone! So I'm likely going to be on some kind of hiatus for a bit (undetermined). My relationship with art has been pretty bleh since 2017 and I've felt this pressure to draw things specifically for the purpose of posting rather than enjoying myself and I think declaring a hiatus for a bit might alleviate some of that self-imposed expectation.

That being said, I'll still post commissions when I have them (and if I'm allowed to), and I'm still online and will reply to ppl if anyone sends anything. Commissions are also still open, though my rates have been revised as I'm a student again and definitely would need to earn some money until I enter the workforce properly.

If anyone feels like unfollowing, for housekeeping purposes, I completely understand, and no hard feelings. Happy new year everyone, and I hope we can slowly reclaim the spaces that were lost in the last year and prior, whatever those spaces may be.

[melodramaticmelon]

i completely forgot to upload 2 rlly fun DnD commissions i did in Sept! These 2 are the antagonist and hero for the commissioners’ current campaign. Pencilled traditionally and coloured digitally. DM me for commissions! 

[melodramaticmelon]

do you have an art instagram?? I just discovered your ari and dante art and I love it so much 😭❤️❤️ but I don’t use tumblr much :/

Hello!! Yes i do, ayforandre on insta. However i don't post much at the moment as im in uni, and i typically post my aridante stuff here bc i have family following me on insta 😂😅

Tumblr is where all of my art goes, insta is stuff that's a little more public

[theinformationdump]

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers

As described by Selnick’s article:

Author and doctor of clinical psychology Carolyn Kaufman has released a one-page body language cheat sheet of psychological “tells” (PDF link) fiction writers can use to dress their characters.

[lunarmoment]

Because I realize all my characters do is look at each other and have their eyebrows shoot up. Sometimes they even lower their eyebrows too!

[melodramaticmelon]

Someone pay me to do an aridante animated trailer hurry up

[melodramaticmelon]

some commissions from the last few months! top was a gift, bottom 2 for the BLM donation commissions!