So this picture almost didn't happen! This is my entry for the first ever Trading Post, and I started and completed it all in one day! Some things came up this week so I only had time for commission work, then I realized the deadline for this is tomorrow, so I decided to make this a trial in speed drawing. I really want to be able to draw quickly when it's necessary, and not get too absorbed in details that don't matter to getting the overall message of the picture across. I think the TP entries are a perfect exercise for this.

This piece isn't amazing by any means, but I accomplished what I set out to do. I wanted something that represents how I feel when I experience artist's block. It reminds me of the times I spent mining for diamonds in Minecraft, trying for hours and hours to get even a single diamond block to show up. You're tired, you're covered in coal, and there are probably monsters fucking everywhere; you just feel like giving up. But if you keep digging, you are certain to find one eventually, and it might just be only one block out of sight. It sounds a little cheesy, but it's still true for me.

When you finally strike gems, you never know which one it's going to be that sets you back on the path （・u・）