Self-portrait

"It's like a mix between Jonatan and Tintin," my friend said.

Five Color Animals

Yes I suppose there COULD be more than five colors in these!

Christmas gifts I made for my family this year.

The Knockers

A bunch of dudes I made for a children's story early this year. They are a race of dwarf/gnome-like people called "The Knockers".

Passwords

Finally another one of life's mysteries has been solved! This is also something I made earlier this year but forgot to post here.

Punkins

Happy Halloween, everybody!

I made a little exercise with pumpkin shapes and then gave them all horrific faces. Truly I am a master carver. Look at those exquisite lines and terrifying expressions!

Dragon & Basilisk

I drew these last Christmas but then I forgot to post them. I was trying out something a bit different color-wise. Not sure if I'll ever repeat it but it was pretty fun.

I won an art contest!

Yes, turns out I did. Webhallen was looking for artwork to adorn the walls of their new store on Fridhemsplan in Stockholm and picked out my Mega Man-poster along with other seemingly amazing stuff. Check them out while you're there buying your Commodores and Call of Duties!

Board Game Characters

I'm working on ideas for a board game! It takes place in a sort of otherworldly market, where different creatures and weird folk try to finish their shopping lists and score the best deals on odd items before sunrise. These are sketches of some of the playable characters.

It's a big project with all the possible characters and item cards that need to be done, and I don't really have much time for it. But it feels really good to work on. Sort of like I ought to have started doing something like this a long time ago. We'll see how it turns out!

So I keep forgetting I've got this blog

But today I remembered, and decided that I was going to write in it as well.

I've been having trouble creating personal work for quite some time, and I suppose even drawing in general. I constantly feel that I need to top myself, or make a really grand project, or really try to fine-tune my style. Everything has to be planned just so. Of course, this always backfires and I more often than not end up creating nothing at all.

And that's really stupid.

So this week I have been letting myself sketch a couple of characters before my ordinary work, without caring too much of how they turned out. This is, aside from an exercise in character design, a way to allow myself some spontaneity. I used to be better at it, and I need to learn once again that it's not the end of the world if the finished product isn't the best thing I've ever created. So far it has felt really good.

I'll keep doing this as well as other exercises here on the blog, and write down more of my thoughts along the way. I believe it will be of help to me, and hopefully even to other stupid illustrators who are thinking too much.

(The regal looking guy is supposed to be Christian II of Denmark (generally known as Kristian Tyrann in Sweden) - I asked my friend what to draw, and she told me to draw the old king without looking up what he actually looked like.)

The Birthday Fox

Like the Easter Bunny. Except, you know, way better.

Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the Game Boy reimagined as a new game in the same style!

Made for Swedish gaming magazine LEVEL.

Mega Man

A tribute poster to Mega Man, one of my favorite games on the NES. Hopefully the first of several video game posters.

I'll see if I can't make this a print eventually.

The Roslath Clan

Earlier this year, while likely playing too much Fire Emblem and watching too much Game of Thrones, I decided it would be fun to make concept art of a couple of clans with RPG-elements.

I obviously didn't get very far, but here is a sketch of one of the families; the unscrupulous Roslath Clan. Who knows, maybe I'll pick this up again one day.

Animal of the Day: Rat

This will be the last one for a while, though, as it takes up too much of my time. But I feel like I will revisit it again and do another week's worth, perhaps with a theme.

Animal of the Day: Pelican