It’s that time of year again. Everyone’s getting swept up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, getting ready for the new year, and everyone I talk to can’t wait for it to be over (myself included).

Unlike last year, it’s been snowing pretty consistently from week to week. It’s possible we could even see snow on or around Christmas day! We’re currently in the middle of an arctic vortex, so that’s always fun. Basement is flooding, the ground isn’t frozen yet, you know, the usual.

I really meant to do more for holiday themed drawing this year but it kind of slipped out of my fingers. I do have a silly animation though, but of course!

While the month is not yet over, I’d like to look back on some of my progress and projects from this year and talk about how I think I’ve done, plus my goals for 2020.

How well did I do on my goals for 2019?

1. Hone in on some face anatomy issues.

How I did: Still working on those noses! But I think I’m improving. I definitely see an improvement in myself in realizing when I’m making facial anatomy mistakes that can make a character look weird.

2. Oh, art so white.

I did about as well as I did on this goal in 2019. Again, I didn’t double down on anything (In fact I might’ve gone a bit in the opposite direction, exploring Azra with bleach blonde hair…), but I did introduce a couple of new characters of color into my storylines, including an extremely dark skinned sun-dwelling vampire surgeon named Dr. Belvedere.

In addition to that, I’ve also introduced a ballet dancer named Tabitha, which I’m hoping to draw together with Azra, contrasting his stark paleness with her not-so-pale loveliness. I’m planning it… We’ll see if it comes to fruition.

Unexpectedness in 2019

One thing that happened this year was that I actually revisited some traditional artworks. These were old paintings that I renewed. In addition to that, I actually started going all in on some traditional paintings, including oil paint. I’ve always loved traditional painting, but have always suffered with a lack of space to complete them, and then where to put them when they’re done. I just found some canvas floating around, decided to finally stretch it, and do something with them…

In 2019, I completed and started 5 traditional paintings, which is a lot compared to my usual zero.

In 2020, I’m going to continue to work on my long-term goals as outlined above. Cross your fingers I can continue to make progress! What kind of goals do you have, if you’re an artist? How do you plan to reach them? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.

And, of course, I wanted to end this post by wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season. It will be over soon! 😉