Completing one illustration per day for 31 days can be daunting, especially with limited hours and a desire to avoid burnout. In 2022, I was working four days a week as an architect, so I planned the series in advance and established a set of rules to reduce logistic decisions and stay focused on creating: square format, fixed materials (fineliners and Bombay India ink—pure for blacks, diluted for midtones), and a consistent “head & hands” framing of the main subjects.

I prepared a gallery of reference poses I found compelling, browsing Manga, woodblock prints, movies, and classical paintings. I cropped and tilted them to adhere to my framing goal and add dynamism, using them as mannequins—starting points to be “dressed” according to the influence of each prompt. Using these as a framework, I aimed to create humanoid and anthropomorphic characters in a sci-fi setting with fantasy elements in the style of Miyazakis´s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

I produced drafts for at least the first ten days ahead of schedule to gain confidence and momentum—the start is the most important—then completed one illustration per day, using weekends to advance additional drafts whenever possible.

This project was still a challenging one to complete, but it became the series where the planning skills of an architect found their way into the world of illustration and took root.