Once in a while, specifically when I'm tackling a rather large and consistent workload, I find myself doing shitty doodles in the morning. Last year, while working first as a full time freelancer and then later as the Lead Artist for FACINGS, it was the Bullshit Morning Doodles. these were strange little stream of consciousness ink and watercolor drawings I would do first thing in the morning, while still downing my first cup of coffee for the day. The collected Bullshit Morning Doodles is finally going to the printer today, some four months after it was initially supposed to, and the PDF will be posting on my Patreon later this afternoon. I'll probably post some of those here later this week. This is the cover of that collection, btw.
This year, I am currently making comics full-time for Writer.io; specifically, I am adapting the project @kommienezuspadt and I did for them through FACINGS into a more traditional panel-formatted comic. Simultaneously, @kommienezuspadt and I are also handling illustrative duties for the NFT release of a fairly hairy and monstrous IP. On top of those, and a small list of private commissions, I'm working on my own comic, which still doesn't have a proper name, and tattooing four days a week. So, why bother with another project anyway?
Much like the Bullshit Morning Doodles, or my comic strip Always Kinds Itchy, there is something immensely calming to me about doing a project where part of the focus is the lack of effort put in to the art. Typically drawn directly with ink, with little to no planning, and very little concern with the final result, feels like letting off a little bit of the steam that builds up from the expectations of drawing the more refined work that actually pays bills.
So, a few days ago, when sitting down to get into the work of the day, which involved penciling two full pages of a comic, as well as some creature designs, I grabbed an index card from the top of the stack I keep near my drawing table, and doodled a little possum on it with a calligraphy pen. Then I added a word balloon saying "fuck this".
The next day, I did another shitty ink drawing of a possum. This time, the possum was saying "fuck that". The next day, it was "fuck you", and the this morning, it was "fuck me".
I have a lot of index cards sitting next to my drawing table. And while initially I had plans to just draw random stuff, I think that the possums might be the way to go. So, here are the first four pieces in the "FUCK..." series. They are drawn directly in ink on index cards.
I'm also planning to sell these originals, for more than I probably should. Like maybe $50 each? But each sale comes with a promise: I will use the money specifically to buy stuff strictly for enjoyment. Comics, books, needlessly large breakfasts at shitty diners, oversized comfy clothes, etc. Any money from the "FUCK..." series will go directly to me attempting to find some bits of joy in the world. Because Fuck Bills. I have a regular job for those anyway.
Next you need do one with a possum playing possum and saying FML! :) That would be pretty funny. Nice work on these. I really admire your talent. I don't have a single artistic bone in my body!