Random sketches from the last few days

Drawing is a top activity. It's an unique human mind skill we should use and enjoy.

Children Of Time

Sci-fi is great again. I enjoyed a lot the book Children Of Time.

Rapid and out of control evolution is a rich field to explore. I hope the sequels are just as good.

Hong Kong and Maggie Cheung

As always, finishing all the notes during a trip is almost impossible, I don’t like completing the pending notes at home but even when I set it as a priority, it never happens.

It was a great trip. I’d highlight Hong Kong, where I spent a few days only, but the feelings and vibes of the city were huge. Missing Asia already.

HK 3 control towers in HK

When I was leaving HK, these 3 control towers came to say bye bye. They promised me next time I came they will be waiting to say welcome.

I often complained about this Muji new paper. Actually it’s good for pencil sketches. Anyways I will remove the reaming pages and put the former laid paper as soon as I back home. I don’t enjoy writing on it much.

The lobster

Mixes notes. Movie The Lobster is great. Somehow after watching it, it mixed up with my memories in Da Nang. 

Maybe it’s a different way of journaling: Just adding experiences, imagination and interpretations all together and seeing how fun the result is.

Drawing from Da Nang beach

During the morning walks along Da Nang beach I find peak creativity moments. Actually nothing extraordinary happens. Just the opposite: very daily things. And those normal scenes are full of magnificent details.

Also it’s a powerful moment to bring ideas to mind. They come so fast, like a river of inspiration. I often see other (Western) people walking with headphones and sunglasses, somehow jailed inside instead of absorbing the rich feelings received by the senses from the outside, but that’s another story.

Coffee shops in Da Nang

I did a list of the coffee shops I’ve visiting these weeks. A lot, usually one or two per day.

Da Nang is a great place for writing in cafes. However there is a culture of smoke while taking coffee. Terraces are not usable for that, which is sad. Also many open cafes (no walls) suffer from the same issue. Some of them were great, excellent decoration, atmosphere, tables, etc., but smoke comes in continuously so I had to lower the rating of some of them to 0.5.

I try to not be very picky while writing in cafes, otherwise I will never be confortable. But I really can’t stand aircon or smoke.

HK is magnetic

Hong Kong is so rich in details and keeps many layers of information I’d like to unveil with time. Fascinating place. 

I didn’t plan to stay for many days. In my dreams I would like to spend months there, writing high above in a quiet studio in one of those skyscrapers, but in the higher floors, not in a second floor or so (How inelegant that would be!). But that's is a task for my future self.

In The Mood For Love and Hong Kong

This detail from In The Mood For Love (2000) represents the essence of HK as I imagine it. The realty is slightly different but somehow it keeps the feeling.

So many layers to learn about Hong Kong.

Primate coding

Primates use high tech in many ways. Sometimes enjoying devices music because it makes them tickling in their ears.

Homemade rubber stamps

Today I made a few new rubber stamps.

 I love how imperfectly aesthetic they are. Usually I need 2 o 3 tries to have something acceptable. Charm +10 points! Useful, unique and feel alive.

The diamond one is an older piece. I’m amazed at the patience (and eyesight!) my past self had when he made it.

The gouge I used is quite big and not too sharp. I’ve discovered the tip of a mechanical pencil does lines great, and then polishing it a little bit with a knife.

Little mystery in the first try is exciting and the whole process is super fun.

My current mechanical pencils

These are the tools I'm using these days for drawings with pencil. 

I don't think softer than 4B is needed in this paper. And for the hardest, 2H in 0.3 size is great. It needs time to control but I love the feeling in its lines.

Recently I'm adding more mechanical pencils to my collection. Did I say collection? It was not my intention, but it's happening.

Vans

Vans gives you joviality +5 and aesthetic +10.

Emerald Pool in Krabi

As usual, these kind of places are great but the experience is a test of patience. A reminder to avoid tours in tourist places 100% with no exception.

At least everything is a pleasure in Thailand. Good (and tropical) atmosphere and nice feeling is a constant layer which brings happiness.

Starship launch and other notes

I’m often surprised how much information can be compacted in a couple of pages. Most of the notes are irrelevant anyways. However Starship launches these days are not. Huge thing in every sense.

3I/Atlas

I drew this sketch a few weeks before the arrival of 3I/Atlas. I’ve tried to use Pulsomagic to predict its looking and here is the result. Let’s see.

Mixed notes from Ao Nang, Krabi

I like these tiny drawings with watercolor background as a visual summary of my days in Ao Nang. 

Faster and more fun than writing a long text. Adding an extra page is always an aesthetic element. If I keep adding pages I will never finish the notebook.

Koh Hong, Thailand

Koh Hong, in Krabi, is a paradise-category place. Definitely one fo the best islands I've visited. Staying there is not possible and booking a one day tour by boat is mandatory, but that is always a pleasure in Thailand. Full tropical feeling.

I will finish this page one day soon I hope. At the moment it’s good to have a paper which can stand watercolours. However I miss the texture and cream color of my previous paper.

Kim Wan-sun

Sketch from today. Kim Wan-sun is hypnotic.

Space Molly and other notes

Having fun today with mixed notes in no particular order hoping randomness somehow brings aesthetic.