girlfringe diaries #13 ★ october art diary, day 13: Happy Halloween <3
TODAY’S MIXTAPE:
TODAY’S PROMPT: HALLOWEEN TREAT
FIRST SKETCHES
The first idea I had for this prompt was two besties heading to a Halloween party, dressed in stunningly spooky outfits, maybe even turning it into another one-page comic. But as I mentioned in one of my earlier prompts, I’ve been wanting to explore illustrations with a closer focus on a single object instead of a cluttered arrangement, so the last illustration of my October Art Diary felt like the perfect opportunity to challenge myself with a different type of composition.
After sketching out both ideas, the winner was clear: a close-up of a girl sipping from a spooky drink. The piece packed with Halloween details, like a fancy glass with an eyeball-shaped olive, spiders and spider web motifs, statement hoops, sparks & of course, celestial elements.
MOODBOARD
I didn’t start with a clear visual moodboard for this piece, but I did gather some inspiration pics to help me shape the mood in my mind. My goal was to capture a subtle spooky festive vibe, using elements, colors and motifs to hint at the theme rather than going all out with a loud, obvious Halloween imagery. These references helped me build a visual concept that blends a touch of spookiness with an ethereal, dreamy nighttime atmosphere.
Kinda like a mix that feels balanced yet intriguing xx
DIFFERENT COLOR PALETTES
This was the first illustration where I didn’t really experiment much with color palettes. Initially, I was leaning toward a green-and-pink Halloween vibe, inspired by one of the reference pics I included above. Then I stumbled upon this mix of crimson red, turquoise and a purplish-blue sky with golden accents scattered throughout, and I just knew: this was it.
At first, the overall tint leaned more toward cool tones with a pinkish hue, but as I worked on it, I decided to shift it to a warmer palette. I think that small adjustment brought everything together, and kinda gave it an anime-like look?
HALLOWEEN ELEMENTS
For the first time in my illustrations, I resisted the urge to add a ton of objects or create an overly intricate piece. Instead, I focused on a few statement elements that could set a simple yet mysterious mood all on their own.
My favorite details? Definitely the glass with eyeball-shaped olives (such a fun touch), the little spider you’re not sure is real or just a silly decoration, the mix of the spider web pattern on the girl’s blouse with her adorable freckles and glossy lips, and, of course, the subtle celestial motifs in the background that tie everything together. I think the small details are the one bringing the illustration to life x
FINAL TEXTURES
My favorite part of this illo? finally diving into new textures and experimenting with them.
Since the composition was pretty simple, I was caught between being 50% excited to bring it to life with textures and 50% scared it wouldn’t work out. The base colors felt so bland that I wasn’t sure I’d have enough material to build on. Turns out I was wrong !!
I layered in some grain textures, added motion effects, went big with chromatic aberration and sprinkled in low highlights to tie everything together. And because I can never resist going the extra mile, I topped it off with a subtle frozen-like texture for that final magical touch. The result? A piece that feels like it’s straight out of a cartoon scene, with that perfect mix of cute-but-spooky-mysterious-whimsical Halloween magic <3
I think this illo really stands apart from my usual work in so many ways. For starters, it’s a close-up with simple elements instead of my usual intricate cluttered compositions, the color palette is totally different from what I typically lean toward & it features some brand-new textures I’ve never tried before. Honestly, I didn’t expect to love it this much in the end, but here we are, super pleased and kinda proud, haha xx
AND THERE SHE GOES <3
FINAL PIECE & CLOSEUPS
