This week in the art dungeon

Some weeks the work pulls you in two completely different directions, and that's when things get interesting. This week I split time between a personal piece for an art show and a commission that kept surprising me as it developed. Different moods, different challenges, but both reminded me why I love making things by hand.

The Route 66 Centennial show piece started without a clear plan. I fell back on my usual: just draw a skull. After blocking in the shadows and adding a simple blue wash, the flaws became obvious. I'd added "918" on a whim (trying to tie in local Tulsa flavor) but it felt meaningless and looked worse.

Did it fit the theme? Sort of. Did it look good? Not really.

I almost covered the whole thing with white and started over. One day from deadline, I grabbed some wall plaster instead and smeared it over the top half, keeping only the teeth (spent too much time on those to lose them).

The plaster changed everything. It gave the painting a rough, crumbling quality that pushed the horror tone exactly where it needed to go. Working on a surface with personality means the paint settles into valleys, catches light on peaks, you begin to collaborate with the texture instead of directing it. My favorite moment is where the highlight catches that raised surface. Subtle, but it gives the whole thing an uneasy, almost theatrical feeling.

Whether it fit the show became irrelevant. I was happy with what I'd made.

The D&D commission was a different challenge (character work always is.) When someone hands you their character, there's real weight to that. You're not just making an illustration; you're translating someone's imagination back to them. I worked through concept, sketch, linework, and shading this week. Somewhere in the shading phase, the piece started to breathe. Capturing the character's attitude was my primary goal, and the client was thrilled.

Two very different pieces, same core satisfaction: the moment when a technique does exactly what you hoped. That's what keeps me at the desk.

If you are interested in a commissioned piece for yourself or a loved one,
reach out on my socials, or send me an email: skothu23@gmail.com

If you dont quite have the funds for art right now, maybe consider a donation to through our kofi: Support Skoth ❤️