Original Plan For The Day Was A Star Wars Wallpaper But Guess That Will Have To Wait. Right After Waking

A perfect companion to my latest Max-piece.

The Choice

The Choice. The important choice. For some, the final choice. The one needed to be made every single day. Choose if you can find the search for strength to fight just another day. Weak legs, fake smile, empty heart. The thoughts, the bullies, the oppressors, the search for the light in the end of the tunnel. The quiet fight. The unseen fight. The one bypassers won’t know about it until it’s too late.

The maths’ not perfect, I didn’t keep it in a journal or anything but 10 years ago now, I made a choice. I stared down into the abyss and said No and I have been saying No everyday since. Some days have been easier than others. And I’m grateful I did what I did. 10 years later, I have strengthened my bond with my family, I went to the most amazing high school and made friends. Once a childhood bully is today the best of them. I’ve travelled, I’ve made memories, I’ve gotten awards, met idols. I got to hold my nephews, hear them speak and walk and laugh with pure unfiltered joy. I got jobs and earned colleagues’ respect and proved myself and my oppressors that they were wrong. I’ve been a rock, I have inspired others to follow their dreams. I do matter, I should breathe this air too.

10 years and this topic is still as important to be as ever. 4 days ago was Suicide Prevention Day. I really wanted to make something about it but couldn’t come up with anything worth presenting until now.

So a friendly reminder, keep in touch with the people around you, check up on them, be there for them. Be a rock. Or ask for one. Turn to your contacts, you might be surprised how much they care if you let them.

Keep fighting, it will be worth it in the end.

Have absolutely loved Spidey Blue, DD Yellow and Hulk Gray, hope I will love Captain America White as much whenever I come around to read that as well

God, it feels wrong to upload stuff like this, being vulnerable and things. But, kind of a thing I only can acknowledge once in a lifetime.

It’s not like I kept a diary or anything so can’t say with 100% certainty but quite positive 2024 has been my tenth bonus-year.

And, damn. It’s been hard. The demons have gone up and down and there was this 2-year period where I thought they would be gone for good before the pandemic just NOPE.

But, a major thank you to all my friends, family, colleagues for always being there and supporting me and lended me a hand whenever needed and yeah, bullies and obstacles that have challenged me and forced me to grow. And a major thanks to my nephews and nieces for bringing a new light in the end of the tunnel.

Every second with you is more heartwarming than I could ever have imagined 10 years ago.

Spider-Man WIP

Hi!

Feels like ages since I did a superhero. I don’t really read many comics these days, not that many that managed to keep my interest. So I haven't gotten that many new ideas either. Kinda feels like I’m losing touch with a big part of my childhood, wondering a little what will take its place.

But I have started on a Spider-Man/Captain America Team-Up and felt I wanted to share my step-by-step drawing ol’ Webhead!

First of all, open up your friendly neighbourhood JustSketchMe. Really helpful when you can’t really see the full canvas when you draw. And start with lineart. Spidey’s suit is tight and thin to allow him to use his powers and to hide under his clothes. So, abs, ribcage, toes should even be slightly visible while adding wringage or stretching in groin, elbows and knees. If I make a younger Ditko-era Spidey, the mask would have more wrinkles and the ears more prominent but for an adult Spidey, the head is smoother and the neck tighter.

Spider-Man’s eyes are one-way-glass and in my render, not that flexible so I imagine them being this round shape and the mask form around that and are held by two shiny plastic frames, them being separate from the thin fabric as well.

Most times I have to adjust the ratio of red/blue in the torso to make space for the webbing but managed to pull it off this time without any major readjustments. Webs are drawn on an individual layer.

As the lineart is done, the next step is the coloring. I actually make Spidey’s eyes quite dark here as a dark base will make it easier for me to make it shine afterwards as I try to catch a glass-effect. I always make sure to keep an extra layer for each color in a hidden folder so I can mark the specific colors when needed.

Next step is my highlighter. Simply strengthen the lineart and first step to add a little depth in it. Where I chose to highlight and not has changed over the years, like the space between the head and the further arm lacks highlight as it’s further away, same with the closer arm and the torso as well as left leg/thigh. Areas where one piece of clothing goes to another gets a subtle highlight like shirt, gloves and boots.

Next step is a 3-parter where I depthen the figure more. First layer’s functions the same as the last step but in a larger area and wider brush. Second layer goes more along the edges of the line art and makes the body rounder. Last is just focusing on areas with more depth like collarbone, ribs, some wrinkles, maybe if I missed a spot on the wrist.

So now is the basic “pillar” of the character done, the steps I undergo for all my figures, so now are the personal details like eye colors or hair coloring. This is where the spare layers are mostly welcomed. I give my Spider-Man a halftone effect on the red areas, making the suit look more breathable and giving the thing a comic-effect while the blue parts get darkened. I then eliminate the already shadowed areas, kinda reversing the work so wrinkles get lighter and smoother parts get darker. Inspired by how the suit can be portrayed black with blue detailing in classic comics as well as the fabric in Tom Holland’s second homemade suit.

Speaking of films, I also brighten some spots. I add a light grey spot on the eyes and I brighten the webs, inspired by Tobey Maguire’s suit but more subtle.

Last steps are brightening the black areas like the frames and logo. A lesser layer along the edges to showcase the shape and bulge of things and a brighter one that can be splashed across, reflecting light. I add more black and white on the eyes for that glass-effect.

AND… That’s basically it! Things might change and get added when I put in a real light source but for a basic 3-Dimensional Spider-Man in a pure white world, the process is done!

"Max, it's time"

Oops, forgot to post this yesterday

No clue why I have written “don’t touch” on my schedule. The episode aired sometime in March, the show started in Oct, ended in March, what made me put this post just this date and tell myself not to move it?

Kenobiiii