Hey everyone,
I hope everyone is having a good day and week so far.
I decided I would tell a story and share an older illustration from 2019.
It’s a different time than now.
The illustration was of a Seraphim Angel character who was going to appear as a background influence in a comic I was creating for my major project at university.
The comic was called In the Shadow of Ankou. It was inspired by mythology, New Age spiritual worldviews, and 90s grunge. The story was set in 1990s Western Sydney, where a year 12 student would be torn between both the spirit world and the physical world and would become the apprentice of the grim reaper.
This story had been cooking in my imagination back in 2015 when I was studying criminology before I decided to pursue the path of a creative. coming from places like Bloodborne and Assassin’s Creed Unity’s Dead Kings DLC.
I remember back at university; I was very stubborn about going digital with my art. I simply preferred to draw in traditional media and then use Illustrator or Photoshop to enhance the results. It wasn’t until I did a mural for my work experience at the Rabbit Hole at WSU that I was inspired to do it digitally. I found myself actively moving my major project to digital as well.
All seems well, right? Well, this story has exploded over the course of years into a series of seven graphic novels. The first one was my major, with a plan to create the others moving forward.
The first book was 10 chapters long. and had several scenes cut out of the manuscript for time.
So, did I finish it? The novel eventually became too long, and I couldn't figure out how to end it effectively. Because of factors beyond one's control, weariness, and late nights. By the due date, I had turned in a prototype that had six chapters and ended on a cliffhanger. Another, more polished, version would be published and printed for the graduation show.
I had reached the point of creative exhaustion. When I consider it, all I can think about is how exhausted it makes me feel and how much more I could get out of it. If I hadn't been so ambitious, I think I would have done better.
At that point, I had burned myself out creatively. Looking at it, I only see exhaustion and want more out of it. I know I could’ve done better if it weren’t for my being overly ambitious.
I had created the world before I started introducing people to it.
This a meme I made back then
In saying that, I never finished it. From the moment I emerged from Ankou's shadow, I never looked back. Someday, I hope to be able to go back. If I were to do this again, though, it might not be in the form of a comic. I occasionally miss the Duat and the village of Styx.
My goal in creating In the Shadow of Ankou was to practice my digital art skills in preparation for a career as a concept artist. It showed me how vital mental stability is to successful artistic endeavours. Another thing I figured out about myself is that I tend to become distracted by the grandiosity of the things I want to make and end up not getting around to doing the things that are most pressing. Now that I know better, I can limit distractions and zero in on my goals.
I believe this describes the artist's journey. Even so, I continued to do art throughout my life.
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