Drawabox.com | Drawing Prompts | In Memoriam
This is where the message goes!

Having trouble coming up with something to draw? No worries - while you'll eventually learn how to start from a tiny seed of a thought and gradually nurture it into a complex concept to explore through design and illustration, it's perfectly fine not to be there just yet.

For now though, here's an idea that might interest you.

In Memoriam

Loss is difficult, and across the countless cultures humanity has devised over the millennia come equally numerous ways to remember those who have passed on. Many of these involve leaving gifts or tributes - be it at a grave, a designated memorial, or in a sticky puddle of wine poured in libation. When passing through a cemetery, it's not uncommon to see some items left behind by a gravestone. Looking at the objects, have you ever been inclined to guess at the kind of person they were left for? Perhaps amongst the objects themselves hides a clue to who they were.

For this prompt, we will be exploring the idea of a person, but in reverse. Where it is the life one leads and the relationships we foster that determines what will be left in our memory, consider it in the opposite direction. You may choose to design a memorial, a gravesite, a tomb, or other such resting place adorned with leavings and tributes, or you may choose to design the ghost of the character themselves based on a selection of objects that might be left, by which to remember the life they'd led.

Aside: I'll admit that I took some liberties with my example illustration - but remember! These prompts are all a starting point. See where your imagination takes you, and don't be afraid of where it leads.

This one isn't doing it for you? How about this one instead: Family Life >>>
The recommendation below is an advertisement. Most of the links here are part of Amazon's affiliate program (unless otherwise stated), which helps support this website. It's also more than that - it's a hand-picked recommendation of something I've used myself. If you're interested, here is a full list.
Sakura Pigma Microns

Sakura Pigma Microns

A lot of my students use these. The last time I used them was when I was in high school, and at the time I felt that they dried out pretty quickly, though I may have simply been mishandling them. As with all pens, make sure you're capping them when they're not in use, and try not to apply too much pressure. You really only need to be touching the page, not mashing your pen into it.

In terms of line weight, the sizes are pretty weird. 08 corresponds to 0.5mm, which is what I recommend for the drawabox lessons, whereas 05 corresponds to 0.45mm, which is pretty close and can also be used.

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