iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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

Thanks so much for the repost!

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

You can see me drawing the whole process: thumbnail sketch, middle sketch, and final artwork of INKTOBER 2026, RELIC. #inktober #inktober2026 #inktober2026relic #relic #inkdrawing #complexcity #luisroding youtu.be/NS1sgNtAxas?...

youtu.be

From Sketch to INK: RELIC - Inktober 2026

YouTube video by Luis Roding

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

Reminds me of the Samorost games, specially the 3rd game!

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.

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

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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

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

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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.

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)

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Thanks so much! Nature is amazing, and it can be seen quickly when looking at these little fellows.

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

So impressive! A few questions: Where did you find it? And it looks a bit like those blood-sucking bugs. Is this one of them? Or is it just the size that makes it look like one?

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 · 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

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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 · 08/04/2025

I suppose that is what some people call... niche marketing? 🫠

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

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

roding.substack.com

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

And my Personal Alternatives to It

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

I love the idea of an ongoing cartoon series that keeps things simple: three panels, one funny scene, and the ever-growing adventure of characters with unique personalities!

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 · 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

roding.substack.com

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.

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Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Thanks to you for your book! 😀

Luis Roding @luisroding.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Must be the old classic trick that it works only when you are not actually seeking it. Impressive, btw.

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

Love the boldness a drawing gains when using ink!

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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

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.