Finding Characters from Randomness (Instagram stories)

     I've been doodling a lot on my phone in the middle of the night using Autodesk Sketchbook. It feels like therapy to me sometimes, to turn off my brain and just draw. 

    This time I drew a bunch of random lines and shapes, I did this in several layers, then I just stared at it. I found a couple of characters in the shapes. (you know like when you look at an object and it kinda looks like a cartoon) 

    I called this one scarecrow because it reminds me of the old wizard of oz cartoon, the cool anime one  from the early 90's. I haven't been able to find a clip of it on the internet yet, but I know it's real (or it's the Mandela effect). So far I have found that most of my childhood nightmares turned out to be memories of old scary movies and cartoons I've track down later in life.

    The next night I stared at the random mess again and this octopus type little guy just popped out. The similar hat from the scarecrow was fascinating to me. So I began incorporating the hat into my next drawing (just for fun).

    The next day I found out that an old friend of mine  had recently moved to Florida and got a job as an art teacher, this guy had been a very close friend in college but more importantly a bit of a rival (in my mind). He began sharing some art on Instagram and I began to feel competitive about it. (it happens) so I began drawing almost daily as a way to burn off the fuel of rivalry. It's such a strange phenomenon that happens to me. I have a handful of rivals and they are very successful in their fields. They inspire me to do better. 

    I went to this failing bookstore that had a closing sale going on in the nearby town. I always feel a bit sad when I go to a book store, partially because I barely read and also because books are such a reminder that there are so many possible paths for me to take in any aspect of life, from cooking to traveling, to art, etc. I browsed through a book about Van Gogh's paintings and was enamored once again with his tragic story and intensely delightful art style. Later that night I painted this:

    I have to admit, I have been pushing the "derp" face a little too much on my audience for some time now, and I over did it this time. The Van Derp might be the last "derp" face for a while (until I stop feeling so self-conscience about it I guess).