My first sketchbook video.
​ I had a lot of trouble recording my voice. It is funny cause i have no problem singing all the time, doesn't matter how much it annoys people, cause i think my singing is just amazing lol. But once recorded, something horrible happens to my voice! O.O i really don't think its me talking. Maybe i just have to get used to it... I can only imagine how much trouble it is going to be for me to record a video with my face in it LOL =D Anyways, i hope, you guys enjoy it. 
Im working hard in putting more content on my channel, so if you have any suggestions - don't be shy and share! 

So inktober 2017 has come and gone and let me tell you - it was one hell of an experience. The kind of experience that influenced not only my art but also my life in general. 

Art perspective 

1. It was truly great to practice drawing things i have never tried before, to challenge myself in some way. I was always into drawing people and faces, so thats where i can say i shine the most. But i assumed that i would really suck at drawing everything else. Turned out - not true. So it was pretty cool to get out of my comfort zone. And once i stepped out of it - it felt really good, like i broke some kind of barrier inside of me (which takes us to "in general" section below).

2. I was delighted to discover new art supplies to use! In particular - pentel brush pens. OMG, let me tell you what a joy it is to use those things! I felt like a little kid with a new toy! Once i got them i couldn't let them go till the end of the day and just kept doodling faces. Especially old peoples' faces, as they have more defined lines. It was magic. 

​3. Inktober does a great job helping to discipline yourself. Of course, most of it will have to be your own effort, but sometimes we just need that extra push that makes us put a pen (or pencil, or brush) in our hand and make the first line. 

4. It was so great to be part of the art community! And i can not stress it enough. I discovered so many amazing artists during this month, and so many people have found me. It was just awesome to go through my instagram feed every day and see so many amazing drawing and sketches and feel engaged with people all over the world, even though i have never met them. Kind of like we all were playing the same huge game. And for that particular reason i want to say - THANK YOU, JAKE PARKER!

In General

I always had a problem with finishing things. As long as i can remember myself i would start something and then, half way through, just let it go. Let me tell you - that is a really shitty philosophy of living. When you accomplish something it gives you the feeling of satisfaction, the feeling of being proud of yourself, the feeling of being confident and prepares you for the next challenge. Those feelings where never there for me. Yes, i did a lot of things well, mb even too well. But i never actually had enough self control to pull through and get to that finish line. So completing this inktober was a HUGE step for me. And the amount of joy i felt while making my first inktober sketchbook video was overwhelming.
So all in all i decided not to sit around all sloppy and float passively through my life. I made new plans, new goals for myself. Which i can't wait to start, to experience and then  ...to finish.  

Please, share your experience of inktober if you were a part of it in any way, or just your general thoughts on the subject! Ill be glad to hear what you think. 

And, finally, here is my sketchbook of this month. I hope, you will enjoy it. 
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As you know i still can't settle with the illustration style. That makes my search for new media so very vast. I love trying new things. Not that long ago i stumble upon this amazing artist - Stephanie Law http://www.shadowscapes.com. And her techniques just amazed me. I always looked for some medium that would give my illustrations texture. And it looked like my search was over. The answer to it was watercolor base. I rushed to the closest art store, cause idk about you, but when i want to try something, there is just no time for it come into the mail. 
So there i was sitting behind my desk with a quick sketch in from of me, and watercolor base drying on it. Honestly, i couldn't wait to put a splash of watercolor on that surface. 
The result was every little bit satisfying i have to tell you. The paint was flowing in the creeks of watercolor base, creating the most beautiful patterns. Sometimes the base would absorb it, sometimes would take more time and stay on surface. I haven't figure it out completely with the timing, but it seems like it depends on how quickly you would apply the watercolor and also, on how many layers you would use. 
I ended up with 4 miniature painting, which started as just a try-out, but turned out to be just charming in my opinion. 

I am definitely going to make a video of me using it, because the process is nothing, but satisfying. And also these babes originals are available in my fresh-looking store, that was just set up - http://ayadevinart.storenvy.com
The prints are going to be available shortly as well. 
There is not a lot of products out there right now, but I'm slowly moving all my stuff from Society6 to the Storenvy. 

i have been having tough times with inspiration lately. And even harder time deciding which style i like to draw and paint the most. That why it is so hard for me to get better - as i see it, one has to repeatedly work in one direction, and, with time, one will improve. 
But i do like the style this sketchbook piece. There was no pressure, as i never intended it to be a finished work on separate sheet of paper, there was no set idea when i started it. i just went with what i felt and I'm happy with what came most of it. 

Please, feel free to share which style you like the most and why. Wether it is your work, or others. 

Here is my contribution to the #MerMay challenge. Im not gonna draw mermaids every day, but I'm so satisfied with how this one turned out that i think one is more then enough =D 
Almost all the mermaids i have seen out there are very happy looking, so i went the other way. Kind of to show the coldness and the depth of the ocean. And looks like the color pallet worked out perfectly good. 

Im always trying to use different media in my paintings, and in this case i think it turned out to look pretty damn good. 
Inking. Prolly my favorite part to watch and do. A little scary since it can't be fixed. Sometimes i found my hand shaking a little bit during inking, but i feel like that made the mermaid more stylized. At the end of the day, we are humans and we r never perfect, out beauty is in being imperfect. And only those little imperfections are made handmade things and original paintings so valuable. 

The hands are the parts i was the most nervous about. When i was sketching them i couldn't get them to look how i wanted to, so i decided to just wing it. You can see that i stopped and switched to a different area when i came close to them. But I'm very happy how they turned out to be. And, honestly, on the video, they are my favorite part to watch. 

Gouache. You can probably notice that i fucked it up a little bit over there. I didn't mix up enough paint to cover the necessary area =/ i tried to fix it, but you can still see. Altho all the white details and the mermaid herself takes eyes of that fuck up. 

Acrylics. I have this heavy body silver acrylic paint. I do believe the liquid version would look better and shinier then this one, but since i didn't have it, i used this one. What i like about it - that it gave her fins a little texture. 

P.S. The original is currently for sale ;) And the prints are gonna be on Society^ soon!

Here is a video of the process. And happy May!