Getting Started with That Weird Concept
Okay, so I had this strange idea buzzing around in my head for a while. Just a weird creature concept, kind of a fishy thing, maybe a bit goofy. Let’s just say I internally nicknamed the project ‘dickfish’ for lack of a better term during the early sketches, you know how it is when you’re just messing around.

Anyway, I decided to actually sit down and try to get it out of my head and onto the screen. Fired up my usual drawing software, grabbed my tablet. The first step was just roughing out the basic shape. Didn’t worry too much about details, just wanted to get the general form down. Think blobby fish with awkward fins.
Adding Some Details and Facing Hurdles
Once I had the basic shape I was kinda okay with, I started refining it. This is where things got a bit tricky. I spent a good chunk of time trying to figure out the texture. Was it scaly? Slimy? Smooth? I tried a few different brushes:
- Tried a standard scale brush, looked too normal.
- Tried some noise textures, made it look dirty.
- Ended up hand-drawing some weird, uneven scale patterns. Took longer but felt more unique.
Then came the face. Oh boy. Trying to get that specific weird expression I had in mind was tough. Redrew the eyes like, ten times. Moved the mouth around constantly. It needed to look slightly dumb but also maybe a little bit sad? Yeah, it was a process.
Finishing Up (Sort Of)
After wrestling with the details, I blocked in some basic colors. Didn’t go crazy with shading or anything super fancy. It was more about exploring the concept than creating a finished masterpiece. Added some simple highlights just to give it a bit more form.
Honestly, the end result isn’t gonna win any awards. It still looks pretty rough. But that wasn’t really the point. The goal was just to practice getting a weird idea out, work through some drawing problems, especially with texture and expression. I learned a few things about the brushes I used and got a better feel for drawing odd shapes. So yeah, decent practice session overall, even if the creature itself is destined for the digital bottom drawer.
