iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

For this Inktober, I matched a selected group of prompt words to a scene from an original story: Complex City. A science fiction novel in which individuals are treated as disposable assets by groups of power, but will someone rebel? #inktober2026 #inktober2026relic #inktober #complexcity #luisroding

1102

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

You can do the Final Artwork after successfully nailing the middle sketch. Now we have our chicken walking in on a demon; he's ready to take action. #chicken #demon #demonhunting #drawingmethod #middlesketch #sketching #traditionalart #heavylaserrifle

A chicken armed with a heavy laser rifle walks in on a demon who is eaten a cooked chicken.

011

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

You can draw anything you want. After you make your thumbnail, you can do a middle sketch where you explore and validate your idea. #conceptart #chicken #demon #demonhunting #drawingmethod #middlesketch #sketching #traditionalart

Armed chicken with a rifle walking in on a demon who is devouring a cooked chicken.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Final version of this alien bounty hunter. Remember, you can draw anything you want. #originalcharacter #characterdesign #bountyhunter #aliencreature #gunslinger

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

You can draw anything you want. You just need to grow your thumbnail sketch into a middle sketch for refinement and trial and error. #triaddrawingmethod #inkdrawing #characterdesign #conceptart #bountyhunter #alienroach #gunslinger

Alien mutant roach holding several weapons

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

You can draw anything you want. You just need to make your insect mutant alien gunslinger bounty hunter at a small scale, a thumbnail sketch. #characterdesign #triaddrawingmethod #thumbnailsketch #sketching #bountyhunter #gunslinger #inkeddrawing

Thumbnail sketch of a bounty hunter alien roach mutant holding several weapons

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

We should really think about stopping the pollution of nature with plastic. What do you think? #inkedrawing #characterdesign #wingedmonster #rubberchicken #mustard Check the whole process here: luisroding.com/2026/06/19/s...

Winged monsterball holding a rubber chicken and a mustard bottle

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

You can draw anything you like. You only need your previous thumbnail sketch; scale it, trace it, and do your middle sketch with more details and some storytelling. #inkeddrawing #drawingmethod #originalcharacter #wingedfurball Learn more about middle sketches: open.substack.com/pub/roding/p...

Batwinged furball monster carrying a rubber chicken and a mustard bottle

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

"The Mermaid Reigns", this is an illustration five years in the making. Check its origin story in my blog: luisroding.com/2026/04/11/t... #mermaid #underwater #seacreatures #inkdrawing #queen #scepter #crab #octopus #scallop #seahorse #dolphin #starfish #fish #seaturtle

A mermaid with a crown and a vertebra-made scepter holding a pearl. She has her eyes closed with long hair and she's surrounded by sea creatures.

130

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

This is the illustration for a short story I wrote titled “Old Man’s Creek”. It is very special, it is inspired by an actual place from my father’s childhood town, about a creek where all the kids were afraid to walk by, especially at night. #inkeddrawing #illustration #shortstory #creek #drawing

Boy running on a rural trail, while a narrow creek runs to his left, another boy expects him at a distance and a spider in a spiderweb can be seen in the foreground.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

This jumping spider was originally conceived back in 2022, but I never managed to finish it until now. And yes, you're seeing correctly, it's a boxer's boot, on his head. #jumpingspider #originalcharacter #characterdesign #conceptart #spiders #boxer #boxing

A jumping spider with boxing gloves, a boxing helmet and a boxing boot on his head.

080

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

I drew this in July, guided by something deeper than thought or fanservice. Strength. Nurturing. Blood. Still not sure where it came from, but it had to be drawn. #greek #goddess #nursing #nurturing #breastfeeding #monsters #slayer

An ancient Greek-like goddess beheading a demon with a sword while nursing two babies. The bodies of slain monsters lay behind.

050

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

In my first short story ever, "Little Paper Man," one of the characters, a mysterious one, had a wooden vault with the following drawing engraved on its lid. The main protagonists of that story barely saw what was inside. #siren #seacreatures #underseaillustration #crownedsiren #mermaid

A crowned siren holding a rod, is surrounded by sea creatures who swim around her (a turtle, a fish, an octopus, a star fish, a fiddler crab, a dolphin, a scallop and a seahorse)

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Here's the full illustration for that short story I shared earlier. Check the intial sketches and evvolution of it in my blog: luisroding.com/2025/05/14/g... #shortstory #fantasy #floatingcastle #groundedthings #conceptart #inkdrawing

030

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Ever looked back in your life just to discover that most of the great things you've achieved felt impossible at first? I invite you to read this SHORT STORY to navigate this idea. #shortstory #floatingcastle #groundedthings #fantasy open.substack.com/pub/roding/p...

open.substack.com

GROUNDED THINGS

A SHORT STORY & A DRAWING

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

And the #IrresistiblePromptWord of the weekend has been TREASURE GOBLIN! My daughter convinced me we both should do a quick doodle for the word. Come on! Can you share your own for #TreasureGoblin in this thread? #conceptart #drawingpractice #drawing #drawing

A small yellow gobling holding a treasure chest

A gobling lord with a fancy robe standing before a giant treasure chest

130

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

This illustration is very special. It depicts how I feel when reading one of Veronika Bond's newsletter essays (Substack), where she combines deep knowledge about language, the origin of the words, and their meaning throughout life. #knowledge #ancientstone #traveller #restingplace #conceptart

A traveller rests before an ancient stone with rune inscriptions while being surrounded by plants and insects.

040

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Don’t take feedback as a personal attack. Instead, try to understand where the feedback is pointing at and find a solution yourself. A rule applies here: always listen when someone says something isn’t working, but don’t expect them to fix it for you—that’s your job. #artisticmethod #creativelife

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Original character designs made back in 2022 for #Inktober. That year, I picked just a few of the 31 prompt words and decided to create a group of original characters for a hypothetical fighting video game. Would you like to see them in a real game? #characterdesign #fightingvideogame #conceptart

Seven original creature characters for a hypothetical video game

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Why is practice not good advice for drawing? It's as helpful as telling a poor person that the best way to escape poverty is to obtain wealth. See where I’m going? roding.substack.com/p/why-practi... #deliberatepractice #artisticgoals #artprojects #creativehacks #atomichabits #compoundeffect

Why 'Practice' might be Terrible Advice for Your Drawing Skills

And my Personal Alternatives to It

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

You don't need inspiration, you just need to doodle your drawing idea in a thumbnail. You can make it grow from there into a polished drawing. Unblock yourself now with these three simple steps: roding.substack.com/p/draw-anyth... #drawingmethod #artisticmethod #drawinghack #artistblock

Three drawings depicting the evolution of an illustration. The illustration is about four misfits defending their hotdogs

040

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

If you struggle to draw what you imagine, this could be what you’ve been needing. I’ve revised my three-phase drawing method and updated it in my latest post. You don’t need inspiration after all. roding.substack.com/p/draw-anyth... #artmethod #artisticmethod #drawingmethod #drawing #hotdog

Draw anything you imagine (Without AI)

Successfully achieving any illustration regardless of inspiration

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

When designing a character, don't hesitate to repeat. Start sketching with the idea that you will redraw it as many times as necessary to reach your goal. More on: wordpress.com/view/luisrod... #artisticmethod #drawingmethod #drawing #characterdesign #inkdrawing #armadillo

Multiple versions of the same character design, as it evolves from the first sketch and reaches its final form.

140

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

From a basic doodle to a full illustration. My iterative drawing method allows me to tackle any drawing, regardless of complexity or lack of inspiration: Explore -> Add & Fix -> Polish. #inkdrawing #artisticmethod #creativemethod #triaddrawingmethod #villager #bonfire

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

When I was younger, I hated repeating a drawing cause I felt I had failed. Now, repetition is the key of my creative method. More at luisroding.com #drawingmethod #inkdrawing #creativemethod #roses #rosebouquet #monster #characterdesign

A sequence of multiple sketches depicting the character design evolution of a rose bouquet monster.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

This is the illustration I made for my book review of Tom Cox's "VILLAGER." You can check the initial sketches and process here in my blog: luisroding.com/2025/03/09/g... #inkdrawing #artwork #lineart #bonfire #guitar #hippies #tomcox #villager #conceptart

A group of people gathered around a bonfire at night in the outdoors, listening to a man play his guitar.

030

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Finished reading "VILLAGER" by British author Tom Cox. Never has a phrase so beautifully described how I feel about those moments from my younger years—things that left a mark, that can’t be relived or found again, yet remain in our memories. roding.substack.com/p/until-next... #tomcox #villager

'Until next time' to my old buddy, VILLAGER

A HOMAGE REVIEW OF TOM COX'S BOOK

052

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

"The Destruction of the False Hero" Process and more at luisroding.com/2025/03/03/t... #greektemple #fallenhero #demons #greekheroes #ruins #inkdrawing #concepart

A group of unknown heroes destroy the ancient statue of a false hero, while some demons lurk in a corner, angry, and the sky clears on the horizon.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Article where I express my perspective on the current state of "Fallen Heroes," specifically about Neil Gaiman's dark side, my great disappointment, and how we should reevaluate who we elevate to the status of idols in our society. #neilgaiman #falsehero #fallen roding.substack.com/p/the-destru...

The Destruction of The False Hero

A REFLECTION AND A DRAWING

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

I think this could be the last piece from the archive I share before posting new work. My own take on a faun/satyr, but without the goat horns. #satyr #faun #flute #forest #forestmyths #myths More on luisroding.com

A satyr (mythic character half goat, half human) with tree branches instead of horns. He's playing a flute.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Alright, this is beautiful. It would look amazing in a frame.

150

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Still digging in the archives. This is a very special one, when my brother was a little kid, he had an overall with a tiger badge (which was torn out when I inherited it). I loved tigers since then, it was my favorite animal. More on luisroding.com #tiger #child #overall #childrensbook #conceptart

A toddler wearing an overall with a tiger badge stands next to a tiger, which seems to be protecting him.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Sharing another ink sketch from the archive. I like frogs as a symbol; there’s something mysterious about them. More on luisroding.com #swamp #frog #buda #rosary #beads #peace

A frog meditating over a rock in a swamp.

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

My #grandmother used to tell a story to my siblings and me when we were children about a #mysterious event that happened when she was young. I took that premise and wrote this #shortstory, the first one I ever wrote. I hope you enjoy it. roding.substack.com/p/the-tiny-p...

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

The Tiny Paper Man

AN OLD TOWN'S MYSTERY

000

Searching through my archive, I found one of the most hilarious pieces I made back in 2020. I think it deserves a remake with color. What do you think? luisroding.com/2020/10/11/i... #sketchbook #cafe #coffeeshop #breakfast #animals #blacksheep #coffee

000

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

The year is ending, and looking back, It seems I opted for monochromatic pieces, but I am particularly glad I tackled the more challenging work I wanted to do and had been avoiding. #artvsartist #ArtVsArtist2024 #ArtCommunity #InkDrawing #MeetTheArtist #MyArtMyStyle #SupportArtists #DiscoverArt

A collage made of eight different illustrations artist Luis Roding made in 2024, and, in the center, a picture of him.

070

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

From the archives, 2022. What a whole squash means for the tiny people wandering our gardens. More on luisroding.com #conceptart #squash #tinypeople #garden #stealthily

Two tiny people, a boy, and a girl, walking stealthily towards a squash in a garden.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Here's another from the archive. This is way back from 2020. What would Dhalsim do if he wore shoes (or if he had his own line of shoes)? #streetfighter #dhalsim #fire #yogafire #shoes #inkdrawing #fanart

Street fighter's Dhalsim, doing a swept foot wearing sport shoes and leaving a trace of a fire.

072

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

I'm revisiting my old sketches archive. This idea started as a joke in one of my previous jobs. In the end, I translated it into this cartoon. Enjoy your coffee today! More on luisroding.com #sketcharchive #cats #coffee #fishcoffee #starbucks #cartoon #sketchbook

A lady cat buys a coffee with a fish in it at the nearest Fish Coffee shop.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

This is a short but fun post, recalling the times when I drew with pancake mix for my 3-year-old daughter. substack.com/home/post/p-... #drawingmaterials #drawingmethod #pancakes #pancakemix #foodart #pancakesunday

substack.com

Using your drawing skills outside the box

A PANCAKE DRAWING STORY

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

How my latest illustration showed me to avoid perfectionism while keeping true to my artistic goals. A lesson you can use in other creative diciplines. It's OK to iterate over a drawing, just know when to stop. READ FULL STORY roding.substack.com/p/why-search... #perfectionism #artisticprocess

Why Searching for Tone Is Better Than Chasing Perfection

STORY OF A DRAWING

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Here’s my final illustration for my original short story, “The Bravery of Joe Ice.” This illustration had more explorations and work sketches than I expected, but sometimes, it is important to iterate to find the right tone for the scene. luisroding.com #graveyard #tombstone #gravedigger #folktale

A man with a hat and cape is profaning a tomb in a graveyard, while a father and son hide behind a tombstone nearby at night.