Blue Calm

Hi there, friends of the YAF community, how are you today? I hope you're doing great! This is my first time posting in this community. I only discovered it a few weeks ago, and I’m so happy to have found a new space centered around creativity. I love that it gives visibility to art. I knew this community was the perfect place to share this drawing of mine, which, I must confess, is the first time I’ve drawn something entirely from my imagination. Normally, I try to draw portraits to improve my drawing skills, but this time I wanted to let my imagination run free and allow my personality to shine through the entire piece. I’m not an expert illustrator—far from it. I don’t consider myself an artist, because I feel that title belongs to those who know more than I do. Still, I’m trying to give my best every day in this field, and I continue to draw whenever I have the time. Apologies for the long introduction—this is just a one-time thing, since I wanted to introduce myself to this community of great artists. Below, I’m sharing the process of my drawing, and at the end, I’ll talk a bit about my impressions.  | -|-| I started with a sketch, beginning with a circle divided by a cross, and then drew oval and circular shapes to outline the eyes, nose, and lips. Next, I began tracing the base of the drawing, using the sketch as a guide. A calm face. I wasn’t too happy with the lips, but that’s something I’ll fix later on. | -|-| Next, I drew the hair, neck, and a subtle suggestion of the shoulders. Then, using random circles, I began to mark where the flowers would go. At first, I liked how those little dots looked on their own—they seemed like tiny floating lights, like fireflies under a spell.  Using the circles as guides, I started drawing petals until the flowers were complete. Then, following the shape of the flowers, I added long, flowing, curving lines that came together into a main branch. I also drew a few leaves. I really enjoyed sketching branches that almost formed spirals—my idea was to make them look as though they were just about to unfurl and keep growing. In fact, my main idea was to have them wrap around the woman, but I wasn’t quite sure how to pull it off. | -|-| The next step was erasing the excess graphite so it wouldn’t interfere with the coloring. Then, using a dark blue, I began drawing strokes with subtle shading. That’s when I finally adjusted the lips to how I wanted them—a bit thinner. It’s very soothing to draw with colored pencils, making soft, circular strokes. | -|-|  And that’s how I began outlining this woman. Once the contour of the head and hair was complete, I started adding more layers of shading wherever needed, to bring out even more depth. Following the natural direction of hair growth, I gradually added color—using soft strokes, some straight, some circular, depending on the area. By the way, what she’s wearing on her head is meant to be a hair clip, though I wasn’t too happy with how it turned out. I don’t really know how to draw clips, haha—or rather, I didn’t have a clear reference at the time, so I just imagined it.  I then erased the flower sketch once again, so the graphite wouldn’t smudge the color I would later apply over it. | -|-| First, I softly outlined the branches and leaves, emphasizing the curves to give them a more interesting style. Then, I started adding small, straight strokes to shade the centers of the flowers and the leaves—something light, but still crisp and eye-catching. I wanted the flowers to resemble cherry blossoms in Japanese illustrations, although the ones I drew aren’t based on any flower in particular—they’re more of my own invention.    Finally, I lightly drew the petals of the flowers. Then, I added another gentle layer of color over the entire drawing to give it more depth, and I also went over the outlines. And that was it. What I loved the most wasn’t even about the drawing itself. It was my first time using a sketchbook, and I absolutely loved the texture of the pages—it gave the coloring a textured finish that I’ve always liked. I loved the result. On another note, this drawing was incredibly calming to work on, so I think I really nailed the concept of wanting to portray something peaceful and serene. In my mind, this flowering bush keeps stretching and curling gently, like seaweed. I’m not sure where the idea came from, but creating something like this made me happy. With this drawing, I simply wanted to disconnect. And I think it shows. I often get caught up worrying about the final result, about whether it looks like the reference photo I’m using, and I forget the most important part—feeling the art. This piece clearly shows how much I love flowers, and that’s why I used them to represent a state of calm and disconnection. That’s how I feel when I enter my creative zone, so to speak—where it’s just you and your art. That’s also why I tried to use a calming color like blue. I wanted the flowers to seem as if they were flowing toward the woman, because that’s what it feels like when ideas move freely and allow me to catch them on paper. Thank you so much for giving me space in this lovely community.  #### Hope you liked my post! Without anything else to add… Take care, drink water, and don't forget to smile. Love you! See you in the next post, bye!   ###Credits - English translation [Microsoft Copilot](https://copilot.microsoft.com/) (sorry for any mistakes, English is my second language) --- - Dividers, and banners made in [Canva](https://www.canva.com/) --- - Photos used in the post were taken by me, using a Samsung Galaxy J6.