Good day to y’all in the Hive DIY community! 🤗✨
I’m really happy to share my most recent traditional artwork inspired by the theme “Youth and Summer.”
It’s a piece that captures that nostalgic feeling of sunlight, freedom, laughter, and the golden days of growing up — those moments when the world feels bright, endless, and full of possibilities. 🌅
Before I dive in, I want to say thank you so much to everyone in the Hive DIY community and to all the amazing creators who keep inspiring others through art, crafts, and creativity. 🙏✨
This is the first time I post here, it feels like being surrounded by people who truly understand the joy and struggle behind making something by hand. I really hope this fan art of mine will be well received, and I’d love to hear your feedback or suggestions in the comments — they always help me grow and improve. 💬💚
🎨 About the Artwork
For this art, I wanted to capture the vibrant energy of youth during summertime — that carefree feeling of sun on your skin, wind in your hair, and the excitement of being alive. ☀️
The piece features a girl with a smile so warm , enjoying gifts of summer and relish in joy and freedom of youth, laughing as the golden light of evening reflects off the her hair and skin. It’s a simple moment, but one that feels timeless a memory anyone can relate to, where the warmth of the season mixes with the thrill of being young.
I decided to make this artwork traditionally instead of digitally because I wanted it to feel raw, personal, and textured like something drawn in a summer notebook while listening to music by the beach. 🎶 If you know what I mean.
Working on this brought back a lot of childhood memories: drawing under a tree, watching clouds drift by, and sketching little pieces of life that I didn’t want to forget.
Even though I still see plenty of areas to improve, I’m proud of the effort and the growth this piece represents. Being an artist isn’t always easy balancing time, patience, and motivation can be challenging but it’s one of those passions that makes all the difference. 💪
✏️ THIS WORK WAS DONE USING THE FOLLOWING STEPS
1️⃣ Sketching the Base Figure
I started with a simple HB pencil to sketch out the characters and background. This step is always crucial because it sets the tone and movement of the piece. I focused on keeping the poses dynamic — one figure smiling and slightly tilting her head to a shoulder to show that spontaneous joy we often feel in our youth.
2️⃣ Outlining the Drawing
Once the rough sketch was complete, I used a black ball pen to outline the figures and background. This step helps make the work cleaner and sharper, especially before coloring. It also brings out the energy and flow in the characters’ expressions and posture.
3️⃣ Choosing and Applying Colors
This was probably my favorite part! I picked warm color combinations —golden Brown, sunny yellows, ocean blues, and soft peach tones to mirror that vibrant summer palette.first I started watching the eyes with brown Then, I began layering colors gently to keep the transitions smooth and soft, like how sunlight fades on skin. 🌞
4️⃣ Shading and Adding Depth
At this stage, I worked on shadows, reflections, and value balance. I wanted the light to feel natural, so I added subtle shading on the clothes in the inner part of the hair, especially around the middle part. It was tricky but fun — this part always brings life to the piece!
5️⃣ Background and Final Touches
For the background, I went for a blue summer cloudy skies with sunrise sparkling like stars gently reflecting on her skin and some cherry blossom with that I decide to play with the concept a little I then add stars and Galaxy in hair hair giving it a more dynamic concept concept it's a very unique color palette in the art. I used lighter pencil tones for the clouds to keep the summer vibe gentle and airy. Once everything felt balanced, I added the final touches some texture on the background , and highlights on the hair to give that breezy, sunlit look. 🌊
6️⃣ Scanning & Editing
The final step was scanning and doing minor adjustments for lighting and clarity. I kept it natural so it still looked hand-drawn.
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🧰 TOOLS USED FOR THE ART
HB Pencil
Plastic eraser
Black ball pen
Sketchbook
Set of colored pencils
Schneider color pen
Highlighter (for soft glow effects)
🌻 Reflections & Thoughts
Working on this art reminded me why I love creating so much — it’s not just about making something beautiful, but also about preserving feelings and memories.
Youth and summer both fade, but through art, we can revisit those days, that warmth, and the sense of wonder that keeps us inspired.
Each piece I create teaches me something new — patience, observation, and appreciation for small progress. Being part of the Hive DIY community motivates me to continue experimenting and improving my skills.
If you’re reading this and have a creative dream, please keep going. Don’t worry if you’re not perfect — just start. Every line you draw, every craft you build, and every project you finish adds up. And who knows, maybe years from now, you’ll look back and see how much your own “summer” has bloomed. 🌼
Thank you all again for the love and encouragement.
Stay inspired, take care of yourselves, and keep creating with heart. 💛
See you all next time! ✌️😊