#thank you procreate for letting me have fun with space brushes and tools

[hellishgayliath]

Astral anglerfish was too cool of a concept to pass up on. I really like anglerfish I think they’re neat and spooky.

Don’t think I’ll get as detailed as you @moonstruckdraws like you did with your space animals but here goes.

This is creature is called Lophiiformes Pōwehi and unlike their earthly counterparts, these beings are enormous. Mainly the females while the males are tiny in comparison just like actual anglerfish. Their bodies are also aligned with constellations and stars.

The bob bait that they have is actually a dwarf star to lure in other prey with its bright luminous glow, and a black hole on the inside of their mouth so that any prey that gets too close gets pulled towards the fish and has no chance of escaping.

So it would be highly suggested to avoid coming into contact with these beasts lest you want to see the light of day :D

[doodleodramablog-blog]

The seven deadly doubts

Let’s begin! 

Firstly, a big welcome to all the warm butts parked here. Welcome to my blog. I am going to be using this space to answer questions, give unnecessary but free gyaan, and to spurt other nonsense from time to time. So sit back and try not to throw up. 

Here are some of the questions that I get asked very frequently. I am going to try and answer them to the best of my ability

1. Who are you?

My name is Mounica Tata. I am a 28 year old woman, self-taught full-time freelance illustrator. I am originally from Hyderabad but based out of Bangalore. My dad was in the army so I moved around quite a bit. I speak Hindi, English, and Telugu (can’t read and write Telugu though). I am married to a fine man, I fondly call hubster and I have a very fluffy son, adopted. He is a 2 and a half year old golden retriever called Sir Leo. 

2. How did Doodleodrama happen? 

I am a B.com Honours graduate who went onto do a masters in Mass Communication. Then went onto work as an editor for a college magazine, then as a client executive and content writer for a small design firm, then as an account executive and copy writer for a digital marketing agency. 

I finally quit my last job last year in May and decided to draw for a living. I had been putting up work online for a couple of years now and I used to get small gigs like wedding invitations, designing menu cards for cafes, customised posters, etc. which I used to work on on weekends. I realised that drawing gives me pure joy and I decided to take the leap of faith and do it full-time. 

3. Why that brand name Doodleodrama?

I definitely didn’t want to make my name my brand name. Honestly, I didn’t think much before I started my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/doodleodrama)  with that name. I was in college, I liked doodling, I liked all things dramatic and have always been a fan of everything round so the O to bring doodle and drama together. I wanted to at some point change the name especially since I’ve been drawing for a living now but the name stuck and it has LEO in it so I let it be :) 

4. How did you pick up drawing, the tools, and all that jazz?

I don’t think I have mastered any of that yet, still a long way to go. I worked as a content writer and client executive with design & marketing firms so I used to stay up after work hours or sit during breaks with the design team and ask them to teach me the basics (opening & saving files on photoshop). Up until then, I used to take pictures of my hand-drawn comics and upload them or use MS Paint. So I used to come back from my day job (at night!) and then practice the software, watch a tonne of online tutorials, read & read some more. See more art, follow crazy number of artists & their work (still do) and practice. My learning curve has been quite steep  (from where I started to where I am today and where I am headed from here) but it taught me a lot! 

5. What are your weapons of choice and what’s your method/process like?

I still predominantly use pencil and paper for my initial rough sketches. Still pretty old school. I then either take a picture or scan my rough sketches and take it to Adobe Photoshop. I then add layers and use the brush tool and ink my rough sketches (to get cleaner, bolder lines). And the subsequent layers are for colouring, detailing, adding shadows, highlights, text, etc. 

I started off with Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet and a 15-inch Dell Inspiron laptop. I used that drawing tablet from 2013-2015. In 2015, I went off to London for a few months and my most priced possession/buy from that trip is my Wacom Intuos Pro Medium drawing tablet. I work on a 27-inch iMac desktop. I recently got the new iPad Pro and I am enjoying drawing digitally (directly) on the screen with Procreate. These are all the hardwares and softwares I use and have used.  

6. What about traditional art?

I am quite rubbish with traditional art but I find paints and paper therapeutic so I continue to experiment, explore, fail, and pick up! Thanks to #Inktober2017 (you can use the #myelliestory on Instagram to see my inktober story this year) I invested in some inks and paints. I currently have a set of Windsor & Newton watercolours (it was a gift), Camlin transparent photo colors, & Daler Rowney’s acrylic inks & Sumi India Ink (black). 

7. How do you get clients & followers?

I believe I am an average artist and a terrible business woman. I’ve not invested a single penny on digital/social media marketing for my work. I’ve only invested time and effort in putting up work. It helps to create a digital portfolio and in turn helps to get recognised. It’s important to find your voice and your style and that helps you to build a niche audience for yourself and to get noticed. My content, my style, and my sense of humour are my brand ambassadors. I draw everyday, I put out content regularly so nothing happens overnight! 

I am sort of tired now. My brain hurts (also soul). Leave me your questions here or on Facebook or on Instagram (if you have any more) or if you have fun topics that you’d like my two cents on, please let me know so we can keep this blog alive. Not bad for a first attempt, no?