iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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

Now is the turn of PANIC. In the story, this scene, following immediate panic, unleashes a multiple sequence of events. #inktober #inktober2026 #inktober2026panic #complexcity #luisroding #terrace #inkdrawing #clouds

View of a cloudy horizon, from a terrace

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

"It was obvious then that STAR had a mole deeper than the Trident thought at the time. Those soldiers didn’t know exactly what they were preventing when they fought those rebels in that small room," #inktober #inktober2026 #inktober2026smack #complexcity #luisroding #gunfight

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"It was Captain Valdan’s obsession, you know? The gunship project, and I can’t blame him, really. He helped with its development; he and I, we were a team. However, he was the only one getting all the credit” #inktober #inktober2026 #inktober2026miniature #gunship #complexcity #luisroding

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

If you see this, post something monochromatic 🖤🤍

A treasure hunter stands before two gates at some ancient ruins. Both have a snake's head sculpted on top, but one has the colors of the Crimson King snake and the other one of the mortal Coral. Which is which?

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

I love how jumping spiders look. There must be some cool design that can be done out of this sketch. Any ideas? #inkdrawing #sketchbook #jumpingspider #spider #characterdesign #conceptart

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Here’s the finished design for the Ghost Queen. Character design could be one of the most fun and satisfying drawing experiences, even if not 100% “inspired.” Now, it would be great to have this one on a story-telling composition. #ghostqueen #characterdesign #bonescrown #ghost #wraith

Ghost queen wearing a bones crown, a wicked sword and shield.

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

The robe gives this ghost dark queen body volume (Still exploration sketch). It is missing a cape and some wicked jewelry. Each artist has their favorite technique; since I have a fixation on clear lines, ink still feels like the best to achieve it. #inkdrawing #ghostqueen #characterdesign

Ghost queen, with bone crown and a sword and shield

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Ghostly props in the making! A crown of bones, skeletal hands, and an enchanted boot. What else would you add to complete this spectral character? Let me know! 👻 #InkDrawing #GhostlyProps #BoneCrown #SkeletonHands #Illustration #CharacterDesign

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

THE HEADLESS PRIEST. Preliminary sketch (2nd in my three-phase drawing method) for this Central America folk tale. I still have some adjustments to make in the final piece, which I expect to finish by the end of the week. #folktale #headlesspriest #legends #folklegends #countryside #centralamerica

A peasant stares in disbelief at a headless priest who peeks from behind a church's ruins.

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

This week, tons of artists left X, and most moved here. The reason is X's new policy that states all the content artists publish on the platform will be used to train an AI system, and they (the artists) will not be able to legally claim rights (Check Loish's numbers, it's insane).

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Hello LOISH! Glad to follow you here. I'm an illustrator and storyteller. I mostly do traditional ink drawings but am slowly entering the digital coloring world!

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Sharing previous work on a new platform is also fun. Here's an illustration I made for an original short story, "THE GOLDEN RAGE." luisroding.com/2023/10/06/g... #inkdrawing #goldenrage #golden #zeus #greekpriestess #zeusstatue

Greek priestess kneels before Greek soldiers' shadows, but she holds Zeus' lightning in her hands. The great gold Zeus Statue lies behind her.

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 03/11/2024

The last of my entries for Inktober. "SCARECROW" is a scene I came up with since the first time I read the prompt word. I am happy with how it turned out. More at luisroding.com #inktober #inktober2024 #inktober2024scarecrow #scarecrow #crows #cornfield #cafe

Crows are having a coffee and a chat at a cafe made up from a scarecrow in a corn field.

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 27/10/2024

Happy #SelfPromoSaturday! 👕✨ Check out my Etsy store for printed T-shirts featuring original designs with ominous characters and moody phrases—perfect for adding voice to your wardrobe. www.etsy.com/shop/luisrod...

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