Random sketches from the last few days
Drawing is a top activity. It's an unique human mind skill we should use and enjoy.
José Naranja
José Naranja. Notebookmaker, artjournaling, writer of irrelevant things, beginner calligrapher and dreamer. Author of The Orange Manuscript and The Nautilus Manuscript.

Art, notebook, journals, travel, photography, watercolor, cuadernos, illustration, design, handwriting
Latest posts
Children Of Time
Sci-fi is great again. I enjoyed a lot the book Children Of Time. Rapid and out of control evolution is a rich field to explore. I hope the sequels are just as good.
Hong Kong and Maggie Cheung
As always, finishing all the notes during a trip is almost impossible, I don’t like completing the pending notes at home but even when I set it as a priority, it never happens. It was a great trip. I’d highlight Hong Kong, where I spent a few days only, but the feelings and vibes of the city were huge. Missing Asia already.
HK 3 control towers in HK
When I was leaving HK, these 3 control towers came to say bye bye. They promised me next time I came they will be waiting to say welcome. I often complained about this Muji new paper. Actually it’s good for pencil sketches. Anyways I will remove the reaming pages and put the former laid paper as soon as I back home. I don’t enjoy writing on it much.
The lobster
Mixes notes. Movie The Lobster is great. Somehow after watching it, it mixed up with my memories in Da Nang. Maybe it’s a different way of journaling: Just adding experiences, imagination and interpretations all together and seeing how fun the result is.
Drawing from Da Nang beach
During the morning walks along Da Nang beach I find peak creativity moments. Actually nothing extraordinary happens. Just the opposite: very daily things. And those normal scenes are full of magnificent details. Also it’s a powerful moment to bring ideas to mind. They come so fast, like a river of inspiration. I often see other (Western) people walking with headphones and sunglasses, somehow…
Coffee shops in Da Nang
I did a list of the coffee shops I’ve visiting these weeks. A lot, usually one or two per day. Da Nang is a great place for writing in cafes. However there is a culture of smoke while taking coffee. Terraces are not usable for that, which is sad. Also many open cafes (no walls) suffer from the same issue. Some of them were great, excellent decoration, atmosphere, tables, etc., but smoke comes in…
HK is magnetic
Hong Kong is so rich in details and keeps many layers of information I’d like to unveil with time. Fascinating place. I didn’t plan to stay for many days. In my dreams I would like to spend months there, writing high above in a quiet studio in one of those skyscrapers, but in the higher floors, not in a second floor or so (How inelegant that would be!). But that's is a task for my future self.
In The Mood For Love and Hong Kong
This detail from In The Mood For Love (2000) represents the essence of HK as I imagine it. The realty is slightly different but somehow it keeps the feeling. So many layers to learn about Hong Kong.
Primate coding
Primates use high tech in many ways. Sometimes enjoying devices music because it makes them tickling in their ears.
Homemade rubber stamps
Today I made a few new rubber stamps. I love how imperfectly aesthetic they are. Usually I need 2 o 3 tries to have something acceptable. Charm +10 points! Useful, unique and feel alive. The diamond one is an older piece. I’m amazed at the patience (and eyesight!) my past self had when he made it. The gouge I used is quite big and not too sharp. I’ve discovered the tip of a mechanical pencil does…
My current mechanical pencils
These are the tools I'm using these days for drawings with pencil. I don't think softer than 4B is needed in this paper. And for the hardest, 2H in 0.3 size is great. It needs time to control but I love the feeling in its lines. Recently I'm adding more mechanical pencils to my collection. Did I say collection? It was not my intention, but it's happening.
Vans
Vans gives you joviality +5 and aesthetic +10.
Emerald Pool in Krabi
As usual, these kind of places are great but the experience is a test of patience. A reminder to avoid tours in tourist places 100% with no exception. At least everything is a pleasure in Thailand. Good (and tropical) atmosphere and nice feeling is a constant layer which brings happiness.
Starship launch and other notes
I’m often surprised how much information can be compacted in a couple of pages. Most of the notes are irrelevant anyways. However Starship launches these days are not. Huge thing in every sense.
3I/Atlas
I drew this sketch a few weeks before the arrival of 3I/Atlas. I’ve tried to use Pulsomagic to predict its looking and here is the result. Let’s see.
Mixed notes from Ao Nang, Krabi
I like these tiny drawings with watercolor background as a visual summary of my days in Ao Nang. Faster and more fun than writing a long text. Adding an extra page is always an aesthetic element. If I keep adding pages I will never finish the notebook.
Koh Hong, Thailand
Koh Hong, in Krabi, is a paradise-category place. Definitely one fo the best islands I've visited. Staying there is not possible and booking a one day tour by boat is mandatory, but that is always a pleasure in Thailand. Full tropical feeling. I will finish this page one day soon I hope. At the moment it’s good to have a paper which can stand watercolours. However I miss the texture and cream…
Kim Wan-sun
Sketch from today. Kim Wan-sun is hypnotic.
Space Molly and other notes
Having fun today with mixed notes in no particular order hoping randomness somehow brings aesthetic.
Bang Kachao, Bangkok
Bang Kachao a relaxing is area. Simple life, humble feeling. People are calm, walk slowly and do not make sudden movements. No screams but a lot of ice creams. Abundance of excellent food, green everywhere. Definitely Thais understand life. Mega Space Molly is supervising the spread :)
New pages with Midori paper
I think I will need time to get used to it. Less texture makes lines thicker and miss that grain feeling. Also it looks so different in the picture. But definitely it’s great for watercolor. This hat drawing has a lot of water on it, zero wavy page. No way I could do the same in the previous laid paper.
Mooncake season
Just avoid durian (read each label carefully to be safe from a fatal disaster). The one I ate yesterday said “8 deluxe ingredients”. As for the watercolors, the new limited palette is ok for desaturating colors. Or just use Payne’s Grey for that. For some reason it’s a kind a tradition for me always include Yellow ochre, Burnt sienna and Turquoise. Tiny watercolor box for this trip: Since the new…
Phra Ngang (พระงั่ง)
Some years later and I just realised my favourite amulet is not activated! His name is Phra Ngang (พระงั่ง). But he came without instructions manual. Super cute and also super enigmatic. He obviously hides something. To be activated I need to find an “Ajarn” (?) or a monk with advanced knowledge. And more complex things I’m discovering.
Is this my new paper?
Many people ask me what paper I use. As some of you know, I love my 100g/m2 laid paper in cream color but I have huge problems with it in tropical places, probably because of humidity. I can’t recommend it. I tried many kind of papers in the past and maybe it’s time to start fresh, with less texture therefore less prone to humidity issues, I hope. Midori Thick looks good quality paper, around…