Welcome to the Mythical Type newsletter, where I share projects I’m working on, things I’ve been reading, and sources of inspiration.
Hi there! I hope the beginning of the year is going well for you. I tend to feel blah in January, but it usually passes after we get through the coldest part of winter and daylight lingers for a little more each day.
This issue is mostly commentary, which is a little different for me. I think I like it.
Pocket Thoughts Annual #5
Pocket Thoughts Annual #5 is out! This year’s issue includes work from 16 people all around the world. I made a collage with a dreamy sort of vibe.
Copies are available in the Pocket Thoughts Etsy shop.
Posca illustrations
Last month, I mentioned an online course I was taking on illustrating with Posca pens. Here are two sketches I’ve done so far. The theme I’m following is places in books, movies, and TV shows.
Marty McFly walking to Hill Valley (Back to the Future)
The assignment was to use two shades of the same color as the main colors in the piece. Since a lot of this image is grassy fields, I chose two shades of green. I kept Marty's outfit realistic (orange vest and blue jeans) to signify that he's out of place...or, more accurately, out of time.
Metropolis at night
Here’s the Metropolis skyline at night. I focused on three colors—black, gray, and slate gray—for most of the illustration. Yellow for the windows gives the image great contrast.
I really enjoy creating images in this style, and…oh boy it takes me a long time! I work slowly when it comes to art. So while I enjoy the process, it takes me several hours to finish one page. Slow going, but I’ll share more illustrations as I finish them.
What I’ve been watching
A new section in this newsletter! Here’s what I’ve been watching in the past month. A couple thoughts on each thing, but no spoilers.
Bullet Train (movie, currently on Netflix) - An action movie that’s a lot of fun to watch. I love that the whole movie takes place on a train, so it feels really focused the whole time. One warning that there’s a lot of gun violence, and sometimes it’s gory. But the moments pass quickly. A lot like the John Wick movies, if you’ve seen those.
DC League of Super-Pets (movie, currently on HBO Max) - A fun animated movie. It side-steps the typical superhero movie since it’s from the perspective of the pets. One pet peeve (haha) I have about animated movies is when actors with recognizable voices are the main characters and don’t change their voice for the character. Here it’s Dwayne Johnson voicing Krypto. I like Dwayne Johnson as an actor, but he totally sounds like himself the whole time in this movie. I find it distracting.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (movie, currently on HBO Max) - This was the second time I watched this. All around fun spy movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This movie made me realize Henry Cavill was perfectly cast as Superman, but the Man of Steel script was the issue. He’s more than capable of playing a charming hero.
Quantum Leap (TV show on NBC/Peacock) - You might know Quantum Leap from the early 1990s. This new series is a sequel to the original (not a reboot). It’s about halfway through season 1. The show does have its rough patches with some of the dialogue, and the writers are sloowwwww to reveal info about the larger story arc. But overall, I’m enjoying it.
The Magicians (TV show, currently on Netflix) - This is the third…maybe fourth? time I’m re-watching The Magicians. The show originally aired on Syfy from 2015-2020. What I loved about the series from the beginning is its portrayal of magic. Magic is difficult to do and it often causes more problems than it solves. One caveat though, is that each season is better than the one before it. So if you start watching season 1 and feel like…eh…keep going for a bit. I promise it’s worth it.
Thank you for reading!
As always, thank you for following this newsletter and supporting my work.
If you want to see more from me, you can follow me on Instagram, check out my blog, or browse my zines on Etsy or Big Cartel.
Until next time!