Well, folks, we've made it! We're here at the finish line, so I think it's good to look back and see how far we've come before we step into the new year. We've all loved, lost, gained, and hopefully grown stronger over the course of 2023. I've turned 23, gotten to know more friends, gotten to know old friends better, started watching and actually enjoying some anime shows, and listened to Radiohead's Ok Computer an unhealthy amount of times.

This was a year where I didn't have nearly as much time to work on personal art as I would've hoped, and that's probably going to continue to for a while into 2024. I learned more than ever how much I value my time and effort, which came from a course that wasted both. Without getting into it too much, it culminated with me transferring out of it for next semester(as it's normally a two-semester long course) and taking the professor out in the hallway to tell him to his face that he was a complete failure of an instructor and his class was an embarrassment to take. I didn't feel as anxious about it, walking away, nor did I feel like some reddit "and then everybody clapped" badass. I shouldn't have had to do it in the first place, but when it got to that point I stood my ground and spoke my mind. I hope that this professor was able to understand what I said and take the lesson, but I don't have to worry about that. It's not something I have to concern myself with anymore, and that's the most satisfying part of it all.

As is now tradition, I'd like to look back on art from this year I've made and have things to say about. It's not a list that's curated in a particular order, or meant to be a ranking that assigns some sort of value that compares and contrasts each piece with the others. More like a highlight reel going over what I enjoyed most, or am most satisfied with, in each one than anything else. Let's kick it off!

#1 - Spooky Scary Spawn

This is one I'd been in the mood to make for a long time. Like I mention in its description, I was looking to capture the mood and visual style of the Spawn animated series. That show was a very impactful artistic influence on me when I first watched it, and continues to be today. My course on perspective this semester also had a hand in this one, with a more considered composition and placement of shadows. I took a lot of care to place Spawn in an environment that would enhance the moody darkness of the character. It was also made as something of a tribute to @KnightLineArt, whose dynamic, comic-booky style always leaves me floored, especially when he draws Spawn.

#2 - Vodka and Magic

Atmosphere and mood were at the forefront of this one, too. Like the playlist that it accompanies, it was my attempt to really push a tone. As with the other two entries in this series, my intention is to give the viewer a clear sense of what my OCs and their stories are like. A juxtaposition of their past and present lives, hinting at what their future could bring. Max taking much longer ends up feeling ironic and yet fitting to me; with him being less action-heavy than the others, but just as moody the others(if not more!).

#3 - Pearl and the Infinite Sadness

I'll be the first to admit that this one was both very self-indulgent and set up to fail. While I do still think it's one of my best works yet—with how far I pushed myself on the soft shading and details—it's a piece that's too specific. I remember being disheartened when it was met with lukewarm, middling response, but I can't say I was really that surprised then or now. Posting it on Valentine's Day certainly didn't help its case. This is all to say that I went too niche and made it more for myself than anything, and that isn't a bad thing; nor is the fact that it didn't connect with a lot of people! I hold no ill will or regret about any of it, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I met with some very good friends from high school a few months after I dropped this piece, and one of them was instantly taken with it—recognizing it as both Steven Universe and the Smashing Pumpkins. It was both very funny and very validating to me, to have someone recognize and appreciate it on the same wavelength as I did when I first made it. I remember saying to her that I was very happy with it, but that it was a venn diagram of two different circles of loserdom. People seemed to have grown to like it over time, and I got to meet someone who 'gets' it face-to-face. It was an experience I'll hold in my heart forever!

#4 - Ultraverse Amalgam Poster

For someone who loves and draws comic book superheroes so much, I've been severely lacking in the posing department. I'm very guilty of tending to only draw poses that are static rather than dynamic, which both the genre and medium place heavy emphasis on. The 'Amalgam' designs I made are still something I'm very satisfied with and many people connected with, but this helped to really bring them to life. Hivemind barely changed from the first drawing, but people still latched onto him the most. Something as small and simple as a head tilt brought so much personality!

#5 - Calaverita Reborn and June the Jazz Singer

I'm having these two share a spot because they already share the same creative intent. They're both remakes of previous drawings of mine—I hesitate to call them 'remasters'; they're such a radical glowup from the pieces that they're based off of that they feel almost completely removed to me. The posing is much more natural and makes the characters feel so much more alive, without sacrificing the stylization. The coloring, lighting, and shading is also a really drastic contrast to the point that, to me, the old art almost feels like a different artist made it. The way I render muscles and smooth metal now is so different from how I used to. Plus, the art June is something that means a lot to me, being a tribute to my family and friends.

#6 - OC Character Sheet: The Mistress

I enjoy and value this art not just for what I put into it, but for what my friends put into it. I already said it, but @Palindronev2 helped me take a spread of ideas I had and put them together in a way that I never would've thought to. @Kyo85 is the one who gave her the name Contessa Scarlatta, which is a name so good that I'm never going to not use it for this character. And massive shoutout to @metalsonic655 for this absolute show-stopper of fanart. The understanding of her character going hand-in-hand with the homage to the Hammer Dracula films. It's a hall-of-famer for me, and I can't thank him enough times for such a gift.

#7 - 9 by 9 and 3 x 3 - 9 (more) OCs

I know I said that this list isn't in a particular order, and it isn't... but these are still towards the top of my list for this year. Last, but certainly not least, the pair of 3 x 3 grids starring various artists' OCs. Of course, I didn't realize that a 3 x 3 grid adds up to 9 total when titling the first one, so I called it "9 by 9" like a complete buffoon. I expect a false advertising suit to darken my doorway any day now.

Jokes aside, I love my friends, I love their OCs, and I love to make fanart for people. I hope to give people gifts in the form of encouragement, to show that their creations are being seen and appreciated by others. Each character has such a cool design, all of which I like for so many different reasons, and they were a pleasure to draw both individually and collectively. This year in particular, I really felt a whole new appreciation and love for those who take the time to make art for others in this manner. Whether out of close friendship, to show appreciation, or even just to be nice, it's a really cool thing to do in my book.

If you've made it this far, thank you. Thank you for following me, thank you for listening and responding to me, thank you for accompanying me on my journey. There's a list of people in particular that I want to highlight and give special thanks to:

@BeastKing05

@Kyo85

@Qwuazzi

@Palindronev2

@citalopram-overdose

@Silverdays

@JoshSketch

@KnightLineArt

@Digitax25

@Ecko-AI

@MercKaiju

There are things in particular that I want to say to each of you, which you'll be hearing from me in this coming year. But I say this to all of you and to all who read this: thank you for being who you are, and may you continue to be so. You are the most incredible creators and friends that somebody like me could ask for, and so much more.

To 2024 and many, many more!