I have also been meaning to make something out of the pressed flowers aside from putting them in letters and I am really excited about it! Have a visit on this page to see what I am up to lately.
Have a peaceful Christmas, everyone! May love and warmth embrace you in all your days. Cheers! Here's a little illustration of the family -- there must have been such an immense kind of love between them. I hope your holidays are well and are filled with love. Cheers and love to all of you, wherever you may be.
Hello everyone!
I am delighted to let you know that some of my latest artwork has been featured on iLeGaLit, a non-profit online magazine focusing on art and culture, and founded by Lucia Bihuncová from Slovakia. I am humbled by this opportunity and thank Lucia for this exciting venture.
I am delighted to let you know that some of my latest artwork has been featured on iLeGaLit, a non-profit online magazine focusing on art and culture, and founded by Lucia Bihuncová from Slovakia. I am humbled by this opportunity and thank Lucia for this exciting venture.
Here is the English translation of my artist biography:
Mariel Ypil is an illustrator living in a humble village in Las Piñas, Philippines. Growing up flipping through storybooks and encyclopedias, she has developed a love for storytelling, writing stories for her illustrations, each piece having a story to tell. Her style is a mixture of whimsical themes with a touch of florals brought about by her love of nature and, sometimes, dark themes show up despite being hidden behind her character's big eyes and intricate design. She has worked in a global advertising agency for almost two years before deciding to do illustration and writing full-time. In her spare time, she reads tons of books, tends to her small garden, writes random short stories and spends time with her family and their two affectionate dogs. Mariel loves writing content about art and her journey as an artist on her blog, http://marielypil.blogspot.com.
It is my first time to be featured, and boy, I am overwhelmed with giddiness! I strongly encourage you to take a look at the artists and creatives featured in iLeGaLit -- there's just so much talent in one place!
The fourth week. It seemed like I did those first ink sketches just days ago and not weeks. Here are the sketches I did for the last part of Inktober 2016.
Day 22
Nymph
She inhabits the gardens and meadows, her being floating in the air as the wind takes her to other flower fields, meandering in the simple beauty of floras. The sun, she adores. And, it is in the moonlight that she takes comfort with, lulling her to deep slumber until the sun would embrace her with her warmth. Her song you'd hear as the wind blows, singing in the duet with its airy spirit. So, each time a gentle breeze would touch your skin by the meadows, know that she is with you, loving every simple being that nature has brought for all of us to revel and love.
Day 23
Salima
Belonging to no land, Salima conjures magic for nomads, making sure that their lives are comfortable and full of magic. She looks up to her older brother Baldouin, studies spells and tries to learn Magical Philosophy and Diplomatic relations like him. He dotes on her and makes sure she is always safe in her travels. She, in turn, is fond of Margaret and wishes her brother would forget his studies for a while and follow his spirit for once. One only falls in love once for a person like Baldouin, she thinks. She travels to distant lands with her brother's friend Daario whom she has taken quite a liking to. Oh, and her Flaming skies enchantment is a work of art and is rather a bit of a terror to see but is still a wonder to behold.
Day 24
Jo March
Jo March “Late at night my mind would come alive with voices and stories and friends as dear to me as any in the real world. I gave myself up to it, longing for transformation.” Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (film, 1994)
I have been in love with Jo's person --there is something about Jo that I see in myself. I am tempestuous, full of restlessness and full of stories filling my mind and heart to the brim, often times occupying my days and long into the night. I love our home so much but I long for adventures, to see the world and all its simple beauty. Like her, I am a little bit on the boyish side who prefers anything than that which confines me to one place, always seeking the dirt and sweat.
Day 25
Wednesday Addams
I meant to draw her for tomorrow, you know, Wednesday? Ha, really now. If I were to become trapped in a desaturated world, I'd be Wednesday. Or maybe anyone from Tim Burton's world. Anyway, quick inktober for today though. I've got some things to do within the day but of course before sleeping, I shall read. If not, I shall definitely become young Ms. Addams here.
Day 26
Dorian Lockwood
Dorian loves to make all kinds of potions. His expertise in herbs, fungi and river water makes him a favorite candidate for a membership for the elite order of naturalists. He doesn't like authority though, and often gets into trouble with Geeta. He's fond of waking up early in the morning to walk around the forest and after that he'd prefer to take his tea in the greenhouse with his friends.
Day 27
Naturelle
Naturelle loves impromptu magic duels...she's a natural at it. Oh and she's good with puns too. Anyway, she inherited her abilities from her father who happens to be a cousin of Baldouin. Well, she does like being related to Salima, but that solitary wizard who can't even talk to her good friend Margaret without making mistakes in his spells? Why, magic casting expertise runs in the family, why can't he keep his calm like the rest of them? In her spare time she loves to explore the school's impressive architecture and hopes to create the next best library filled with sunlight and an indoor river. One can dream, she says.
Day 28
Coraline
She's brave, highly imaginative and has lots of spunk. Coraline is one of my favorite films, though I have yet to read the book. Neil Gaiman's books have always been so whimsical with a touch of innate intimacy and familiarity. I believe I shall love Coraline the way I do with his other books.
Day 29
Fairuza
She's a witch of wisdom, with knowledge that goes far back to the early settlers of the land, heart as strong as the desert. She prefers to stay in one place despite her nomadic upbringing, believing that her spirit is always travelling with the wind even though she is still as a rock. Like an oasis, her appearance changes like the passing of day. She is actually Baldouin and Salima's mother, but it is rumoured that their father is the spirit of the desert himself, and hoping to keep Fairuza forever, gave her the ability to live her life like a moon -- in cycles. Baldouin thinks she is like a phoenix, young then old then begins again like the rising of the sun and moon. Of course, the bit about Fairuza's husband is all myth, since he is as human as her children. So, is she the one who is a magical being, or is her husband truly a spirit of the desert?
Day 30
Rouen
Rouen fights rebels from using magic for selfish reasons, mostly against those who raid villages and spread terror across the land. She is also a strong advocate for the right to do magic for uses other than scholarly studies.
Day 31
Jane Longfellow
Jane is the daughter of two adventuring professors of the village school. Having been to many strange places, they told all of their journeys to Jane. Her imagination would run wild but what she loves the most is using her magic to conjure amazing images of her daydreams and her parents' stories out of thin air to the amazement and admiration of all those around her.
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This year's Inktober was both such a thrill and a challenge. It was filled with so much thought and whimsy, technical difficulties and headaches as well. But with all these, I am happy.
Cheers to all of us who did this lovely dance with ink.
This year's Inktober was both such a thrill and a challenge. It was filled with so much thought and whimsy, technical difficulties and headaches as well. But with all these, I am happy.
It's the third week of Inktober and I can't help but flip back on my sketchbook to look at my sketches -- has it really been three weeks? I haven't been drawing daily for so long a time. I feel like the avid sketcher in my younger years (I'm not as old as it implies, mind you, but I love the extra years!). This week has brought so many challenges, mostly confusion and a little bit of frustration. I have realized I have yet to learn so many techniques but I calmed myself, remembering that good things take time. I must be patient not just with others, but with myself -- impatience has always been my offense against myself. There is a time for every thing, yet it is within us to use time wisely.
With lessons also come pleasant surprises. I get to know many artists and individuals, all very kind and amazing. I didn't think I'd meet them through inktober but I suppose that's the magic of it.
Hello, new and old friends!
Day 15
Herbs and Florals
There is always the wonderful feeling of growing your own flora and the best method to ensure they stay healthy is through dedication and a sprinkling of magic...well maybe a dash or two says Gwyneth. She is the honorary overseer for the Care for Forests and All Things Living and she takes great pride in conjuring new potions to take care of the forest and its inhabitants. Plus, she gets to grow her own tea.
Day 16
Book Lover
Margaret is the librarian of a humble library in the village. She loves the rare books that are in the upper section of the cottage library and she absolutely dotes on books about herbs and bodies of water. Despite the rather tiny size of the library, the amount of work a librarian must do around there is quite immense but Margaret, the ever dedicated book lover, will always whip up her wand to get the books in their rightful places no matter how long it takes her. Well, at least she gets to read a lot of books, and one would be surprised as to what items are tucked between the pages. The nicest thing she saw was a thistle pressed between the volume of Valorous Kings of Old and a rather peculiar letter from a wizard named Baldouin...strangely addressed to Margaret herself!
Day 17
Geeta
As chief herbologist and naturalist of the village school for witches and wizards, Geeta oversees all matters pertaining to nature. With a wave of her hand, floras of different kinds bloom about her, allowing her to choose which flowers she'd like in the room or what herbs to give an ailing student. Her students are Gwyneth, Seraphine, Saoirse and Claudia who all adore her like a sister. She is also friends with a solitary wizard named Baldouin, who, at Geeta's behest, is encouraged to show his feelings to Geeta's peculiar younger good friend Margaret. Blooming her own batch of lavender in her office, she is wondering if she has done the right thing.
Day 18
Chatter
After receiving a rather peculiar letter a few days ago, Margaret finds a newcomer at the village library who happens to be looking for rare herbology books. She and the wizard (of strange garments and language) began a lengthy conversation about herbs and their uses. The talk turned to trees then of books, after which she describes the oddities that one might see tucked between the pages of volumes. She showed the wizard the envelope that encloses the letter she received from a certain fellow named Baldouin. The content of the letter, which merely contains a passage from a volume of poetry and a small stalk of daisies, she kept secret. Laughing along with her they talked of the odds of receiving letters hidden inside books and finally bid her farewell. Putting the books back on their shelves with her wand, a bloom of lavender falls down on the floor. Margaret picks it up and found it still as freshly picked from the fields. And within another book was another letter. She also recalled, for shame, that she did not know his name.
Day 19
Gather
Taryn loves to gather mushrooms for just about anything -- food, potions, models for her illustrated guide to fungi and even gifts for her fellow witches and wizards. She spends a lot of time in the forest and in her wanderings she has met many friends, particularly birds of different kinds. I've also realized that I named her Taryn, a name she shares with one of my favorite illustrators, Taryn Knight! My, I hope she likes her.
Day 20
Saoirse
Saoirse was brought up by her strict but well-meaning and loving family. Being a rather spirited witch, she often gets into trouble with her parents. Despite her adventurous nature though, Saoirse manages to keep her cool and hide her emotions which could be rather misleading to others who don't know her too well. She is good friends with most of her fellow students, but it is Gwyneth who holds her utmost trust. She loves being out of doors, preferring the wildness of the forest than the comfort of rooms. Yes, even with a very cozy fireplace and a spot of tea, she believes she can be comfortable out in the wild with the a bonfire and a portable tea set. Knowing of Saoirse's discomfort, Geeta has created a class room out of a greenhouse, filled with different kinds of flora and small fauna, with a door leading out to the woods by the falls. This tremendous and thoughtful effort has made Geeta a particularly likeable woman to Saoirse.
Day 21
Confused
So this inktober day just got a little bit crazy. I didn't know just how stubborn walnut ink could be but maybe it's just my inexperience with using it. I sketched Margaux earlier in the afternoon. She's a particularly solitary witch who prefers the quiet of her study room. But despite her isolation, she likes the company of her trusted companions and has a soft spot for Seraphine who happens to remind her of her sister.
On the right side is Daario who happens to be Baldouin's good friend. He lives in many places but not staying too long in one dwelling for weeks though he comes back every once in a while. Birds are loyal to him and trust his person -- he once saved a family of endangered desert eagles from poachers with his confusion hex. He built them their own nest high above the mountains where no one could reach, safe and able to live as freely as they should.
Challenges abound, inktober is teaching me so much. I must be persistent with my goal of making thirty-one illustrations. As daunting as it may seem, it's all good fun that brings so much magic and learnings to all who participate.
Inktober week two was a challenge I didn't expect. There were lots of ideas of what each piece should be, but sometimes spontaneity is also key and what to make do when an idea pops in your head even in the middle of the illustration process.
Day 8
Queen Elizabeth I
I watched the film Elizabeth : The Golden Age with my mother and brother and found myself in awe of Cate Blanchett's portrayal of this independent queen. Her presence was so strong I immediately found myself staring in admiration. I have been watching documentaries about her for some time now and I can't seem to get enough of knowing more about her life. Creating this ink illustration took a lot of patience and focus. Her hair was a challenge. I have always loved creating intricate patterns for so long but I haven't done a lot of it recently, so making one right now was a wonderful stretch.
Day 9
Nancy & Charley
Nancy, a young lady from the countryside, travels to London to find her missing uncle. While lost and confused in the busy streets, she bumps into Charley Wellman, a self-established chimney sweep who is the sole guardian of two young orphans Tobey and Thomas. He expresses his interest in helping Nancy find her uncle in exchange for the education of the two boys. Having agreed on each of their terms, they scour the streets of London both day and night. What they find is the mysterious hidden trade of corpses, eerily snatched from fresh graves or, horrifyingly enough, were warm as if they have been alive a few moments ago. What Nancy could not understand, is her uncle's role in the new trade brought about by the dawn of medicine and human anatomy. Surely he wouldn't be involved, wouldn't he?
Inking her hair was another challenge that I thought I needed and to be truly honest, it was very much therapeutic for me.
Day 10
Brewing
Wouldn't it be such a marvelous thing to brew potions all day and all night, only to brew tons of tea as well? Claudia thinks so too. Spending time in her kitchen she tries to find the perfect potion for her Potions class under Miss Clovis...due the next day! Well, it is in my honor to say that she has been successful both with her Glow-Inflicting potion and the perfect brew of lavender tea.
Day 11
Magic Studies
She had always loved to study spells and potions so she spends the time reading books and doing field studies by the forest and rivers. Her friend, a dirty white ferret named Ferrars, looks on in curiosity and mischief on all her adventures. This lovely witch, at the start of my illustrating until posting, didn't have a name. It is fortunate that a cousin of mine had a lovely idea for her name. Now, this studious witch is named Seraphine. Thanks Louisse! I tip my hat to you, and send you golden fairy dust collected by Seraphine from the Greenwood.
Day 12
Shield Maiden
Sitting on an English throne in all its golden radiance and glory, Lagertha watches over her people wonder in awe of riches beyond their imagination. She is a strong and cunning woman. Her love for her family knows no bounds, and her fearlessness is admirable. I am very much excited to watch Vikings again and the anticipation for the next few episodes coming this November is getting stronger and stronger. I would love to see what has happened to this shield maiden turned Earl.
I must say I dove head-first in making this without much hesitation. It was in the middle of it all, when everything went into place, that I realized I bit more than what I could chew at that moment, 12am and still illustrating, tired yet pretty much restless. I was planning to make the details of the throne a bit more elaborate than what has been the final piece, but in the quiet of the night, I decided that focusing only on Lagertha would be wise. Additionally, I was thinking of stopping and putting my pens down so I could sleep, which was a rather horrifying thought -- I wouldn't let a piece of Inktober go unfinished, it is more like sleeping without resolving an argument. Unacceptable. It is in here that I realized how much perseverance could take anyone. I didn't give up though I made compromises that still made me happy as a result. There is wisdom in perseverance and in knowing when to do things in your own time, with your own capability. I am happy that even as I drew this strong woman, she happens to teach me something more than I could ever think of learning while doing an inktober piece. Thanks, Lagertha.
Day 13
Foliage
Her mind wanders through the forest, hearing leaves crushing beneath her feet as she walked, the moonlight shining down on her cold skin, pale and radiant against the darkness of the deep majesty of the trees.
Day 14
Spirit of the Wind
The wind sings day and night, of songs and lullabies of days old. Her cries echo for the birds and the beings of flight and green, for the death of trees bring forth the death of her friends.
I love trees, the mountains. Nature is not just scenery, it is our home. We live in it among other living beings of equal status -- none of us are higher and all of us deserve the beauty and comfort of this world. For every unworthy and thoughtless destruction comes the end of rights and dignity to live. Claiming the land for own's own is not only wrong, it is also unfair. Progress does not mean destruction, for progress could be made with others' lives in mind and heart. Have respect not just for trees, but for everything.
The wind gets chillier by the day yet the sun still shines golden on every little thing besides the gray filter that hangs in the air. It's October, finally.
Well, we don't have real autumn in our land, but the feeling of it is always welcome. I crave the coziness of bonnets and cardigans, pumpkin pie and the fantastical cup of butterbeer along with "new" second-hand books. And along these things I fancy is the wonderful practice of Inktober. Every October of each year, anyone is welcome to create illustrations with the ever lovely ink. Of course it is welcome any time of the year but in this month there is a particular "specialness" about it that I love. I see so many artists uploading their artwork in Instagram and Twitter and with every post I delight in their whimsy and dark undertones.
And so I begin my own once again. 31 days of ink -- I am utterly delighted.
Day 1
I was feeling rather folksy. I was merely doodling around and she came by so I thought, why not?
Day 2
Nightmare & Ginny
Nightmare and Ginny are the characters I made up in our character design class in college. Nightmare stuck with me for so long a time I consider him a sort of friend. But of course, the thought of having him in every dark corner of the room, every crevice, scares me more than he should -- I shan't give him that credit, he feels too proud of himself. Oh and it was also my best friend Phoebe's birthday today.
Day 3
Kokoshnik
I am rather obsessed with kokoshniks, to say the least. To dive in to the details brings in such a wonderful feeling of calm.
Day 4
Edith Cushing
I devoured every bit of the film "Crimson Peak" with its Victorian Gothic essence. The heroine, Edith Cushing, is a marvelous woman whose courage is undeniably admirable.
Day 5
Mrs. Lovett
Ah, dear Mrs. Lovett. She is the reason why I have a rather slight aversion to questionable-looking meat pies. It has been years since I have watched Tim Burton's version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and listened to various renditions of Stephen Sondheim's original musical and I daresay they have both influenced me greatly and continues to do so until now. There is nothing more beautifully terrifying than that of this mad woman and the man they call Todd, Sweeney Todd.
Day 6
Forest Dweller
She lives deep within the depths of the mysterious forest, sleeping high amongst the tallest trees and walking among the humblest of creatures. She feels every sigh of the wind and hears every word from every living being. Her touch lets her see into the lives of others, making them a part of her soul, their memories becoming hers as if their lives were hers as well. The remains of those who had lived with her she incorporates into her clothing as a way to let them live on, that even in death their lives will continue to be remembered and still be part of the forest.
Day 7
Jon "Black Wolf" and Pepper
There is a strange affection between these two. I have been trying to figure out what it is for some time now. I would rather say, Jon is indeed a Black Wolf, always making it hard for me to draw him. It has happened so many times now and not only did it take me many confusing turns with his inktober but also resulted in a massive headache on my part. Well, I suppose he has not finished his rebellion. He and Pepper are the characters in this story I have been making for a couple of years now. I would love to say we are friends at the very least. Haha!
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I do hope I could make one for each day as with every dip of my brush in the inkwell, or every stroke of the pen fills me with such peace and giddiness.
