Burle

This sketch was inspired by the work of the great, Brazilian, landscape architect, Roberto Burle Marx. It seems to me he was treating the earth's surface as a huge canvas, where he would start drawing and coloring and creating magical places.

Done using ink and, as always, dry pastels and color pencils for the background. 

Menhir and Dolmen

I had never realized how beautiful these rocks look, until I came to study them while I was designing a large garden pavilion. They give me a sense of stability and durability and strength and they look like they've been standing there forever. I love their monumental size and their curved and smooth forms. The people who built these tombs would be very proud if they knew that the memories of their dead ones are still alive, after thousands of years.

Thanks for passing by, and don't forget to share and join if you like!

Concept houses

These are some ideas for houses, that at times walk through my head. Or maybe I should call them nests. Because that's what I think it's about. A house is a nest, where someone can feel safe and warm and protected and free.

I think there is more to come out of the third piece. I really like this idea and I'm planning to make some more complete illustrations on it.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

What a scream says

The enormous, exotic creature, that once, full of life and health was traveling among the galaxies, now, wounded and sick, stands still within the void, waiting for the death its sickness will bring. It just struggles to protect itself from the predators that will soon appear, thirsty for its life. The predators are quickly getting closer, filling the void with their cold howls. They are smelling the fear in their prey's heart. The creature is trembling. It tries to move, to escape, but its sick, young body can't follow its mind's order. The predators are encircling it, they trap it, and one by one, with a lighting fast move, they drive their fast and sharp tentacles into the creature's body. The creature howls and screams with horror. It hurts. It hurts with deep and sharp pain. But it is helpless. Inside its screams, it tries to say something, but the predators won't listen. With no mercy, slowly and painfully they are sucking its guts. Drop by drop, piece by piece, they are sucking life out of it. The creature is shaking, it screams in anguish and tries to save the last pieces of its life. But the predators are too many and too fast, and their prey's fear is turning their howls bigger and bigger. And they carry on sucking and eating the matter of life. The creature knows the end is close. It sends a last, painful scream, so painful, it makes the galaxy bleed. It whispers something. And then it dies. The predators, pleased with their meal, leave the empty carcass into the black void to get lost in space and time, helpless to escape from neither of them.

What they don't know, is that by sucking the matter of life out of the creature, they got infected by its sickness. By sucking its life, the were sucking its death too. Drop by drop. And what they also don't know, is that inside its screams, the creature was saying exactly this: "Stop! You will die with me!"

(for some reason, I think this piece of music is following the story)

Neanderthal Elf

This was the second time I took my chances with clay modeling (the first one turned really bad). It's up to you to decide what he is. Some think he looks like Gollum. Others say he is a homo neanderthal or an elf (because of the ears). I like to say he is a neanderthal elf. That would do it! I know he looks sad and tired and ready to fall apart, but believe me he had a terrible journey back home. Inside my suitcase with all my clothes and books. And, of course, he is a sensitive clay guy. So there you go...

I wanted to add more detail but I preferred a more abstract look. No, I'm joking. It was difficult and I was lazy. But I like him that way.

Archigram studies

"For my world is the the world of science-fiction... Conceived in my mind and placed upon paper with pencil and ink and brush and sweat and a great deal of love for my world. For I am a science-fiction artist. My name is WOOD."

This is a series of ink sketches I made while I was working on a project about Archigram, the avant-garde architectural group, based in London and active during the 60s. I find their unconventional idea of architecture really amusing and inspiring.

Clay architecture

A study of Joachim Haider's organic architecture.

The Crystal Palace

Everybody has a castle inside their soul. A castle where they hide and no one has access into. It's just that some people have the opportunity to make that castle real and hide their body too. Lord Coldlaw is one of those painfully trapped people who seemingly have a perfect life, a perfect financial situation, who are adored by millions of people and who can literally have anything they ask for. And what he chose to have is this giant concrete castle, which everyone admires but nobody dares to touch, because it can pierce them. He built that castle to escape everything and disappear and to be alone with the voices in his head. He likes to walk barefoot for hours through the long, dark corridors with the cold, stone floors. On the rainy days, he sits in front of one of the few windows with the dark glasses and watches the raindrops crash on the rocks. During these days, the voices in his head are so loud, that he can't hear the rain. But his eyes, they see clearer than ever. However, his favorite place is the small balcony in the west. He sits there every evening and watches the sunset, that marvelous dance of soft colors. But the sunset is not beautiful nor peaceful. For he is alone. And in the center of his soul, there is a huge hiatus. He watches the sunset without two hands touching him, nor two eyes looking at him, without having anything to wait for, nor anything to hope for.

One day, while he was watching the sunset, he heard a knock at the backdoor of his castle.

The Gate of Temptation

I wanted to write a short story for this sketch but I didn't have the words to do it, plus I was too lazy. So, instead of the story, I would like to ask you to listen to this piece of music. Maybe it will say more than I would.

(Initial inspiration for this sketch was found in the work of an Iranian architect, named Heydar Ghiai, in the Tehran Senate House.)

Animal sketches

Just some small and quick animal sketches that have been hiding in my sketchbook for a long time. I know I'm not the only one who finds jellyfish mysteriously beautiful.

Thanks for passing by!

The Carrot

This is a tree inspired by a carrot. I know it doesn't make sense but if you look at the interior of a carrot you'll find something pretty much like this.

Cocoon

I don't know what that is. Maybe a strange creature, a robotic cocoon that sucks light. I mainly did this just to experiment with this wool texture. At first, the cocoon had no arms. But then I looked at it and thought, "you should be free to go wherever you desire, buddy..". So, I gave him these mechanical arms.

Archibook #2

I haven't drawn anything special lately. So, I'm just posting some random pages from my sketchbook. And since I've moved to a new sketchbook, I thought I should post the last page of my previous one just to celebrate and honor it! You know, that last page we all use for testing our pens and markers and brushes and all that stuff that always stop working when we desperately need them!

Thank you guys for stopping by!

The moving rocks

There are these peculiar, brown and soft rocks in the middle of the ocean. By saying "in the middle of the ocean", I don't mean that they really stand in the middle of some ocean, but that they stand nowhere and at the same time they stand everywhere. No map shows these rocks, because no one knows where they are or where they were or where they will be. And that's because they move always and forever. They stand in no place of the ocean for more than a few minutes. And that's why nobody has ever seen them but a very few people, whom nobody believes. But these and only these are the people to whom the rocks want to show themselves. And the rocks show themselves only to the ones that believe they exist. For these rocks are magic, not only because they move, but also because they have the power to change the life of the ones who see them. I don't know in what way but they change it for sure. A moment of belief in the rocks is enough for someone to see them and then see their life change.

Guys, if you think my little story is too stupid just skip it and look at the sketch.

Anyway, thanks for passing by..

Rocky places

Some strange, rocky places, somewhere in this world or another. Places where someone can hide forever.

Flux

I can't tell exactly what I had in mind while I was doing these sketches. Maybe something organic, something liquid and free and flowing. Maybe, even some peculiar creatures in Hayao Miyazaki films. If you're not familiar with his films I suggest you check them out. You may love them or hate them, but either way it's worth the time. Anyway, I was telling I'm not sure what was in my head. Sure thing is I love this kind of forms and the dynamics, the motion and flux in them.

A sweet face

You know, they say that drawing is a combination of happy little accidents. I believe that's true, and it also applies to all forms of art. I mean look at a musician. They sit there at their piano playing with the notes and suddenly... boom! Magic happens!

Anyway, I was in that cafe and as always, sugar was thrown all over the table. And then I thought, "ok, let's try something". So here is my little accident.

Portraits #2

More quick portraits. Here, I tried to work with different media and techniques.

And some news! I've added to the blog some people whose works inspire my a lot and who generally make me draw more. I think you should check them out. You won't regret it. You'll find the links in the right sidebar.

Thank you guys! Don't forget to join and share if you like my work!

Industrial Landscapes

This all started while I was having a walk at the harbour and I started watching all these machinery and cranes and ropes and warehouses and metal and, you get the picture. After a while, of course, it all got out of realism and I started creating this labyrinthine and nightmarish atmosphere. I don't know why, but I find these industrial environments mysteriously and creepily charming.

I think you should also check this awesome photo exhibition of Bernd and Hilla Becher. These images were a great inspiration.

I mainly used ink for these, but also pencil, markers and pastels.

(p.s. If you're seeing giraffes in this first sketch you're not the only one and you're not having a problem. But I assure you, these are not giraffes.)

Conceptual Architecture Sketches

Here is a series of sketches I made while I was working on different projects. The main idea that was traveling throughout my head was to create utopian places that can transfer us to a fairy tale. I really love creating places that, I know, will never become reality. That makes them magic..

I hope you like them!

(Please don't forget to share and join if you like.)