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Reg Silva

Art, faith, travel, and other random things

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  • Odds and Ends

    I went on a social media fast for a month. Here’s what happened.

    October 1, 2019 /

    A month ago, on September 1st, I deactivated my Facebook and deleted Twitter and Instagram on my phone. I’m gonna go on a total social media fast for at least a month, I thought. I’ve come to realize I may have a smartphone/social media addiction, and it’s getting out of hand. We all know social media can be a blackhole but my phone tells me I’m on my phone for an average of 7 hours a day. SEVEN HOURS! ANO TO, FULLTIME JOB?!

    Read More

About

Hi! I'm Reg. I'm an illustrator in Manila and I've been blogging online before the word "blog" even existed. This is my little corner in this land I love called the Internet, and I write about art, faith, and other things close to my heart. Read more >>

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  • I went on a social media fast for a month. Here's what happened.
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Instagram post 2314611183717296898_17919754 Allow room for play 😄🌱 . I turned a drawing mannequin into Waldo! This project has been on my mind for so long but it’s only during this quarantine that I finally got the idea out of my head and into my hands because of the forced down time. Waldo now lives on my shelf :) Swipe to see the Tiktok video of the process! ✨
Instagram post 2313815795435451858_17919754 Back to painting in my sketchbook. Painting an initial rough of an idea I hope to eventually translate to canvas or paper :)
Instagram post 2311074213909228281_17919754 Hello! What are you grateful for? 🌱 . I think this is a question we should constantly be asking ourselves these days. It’s so easy to see all the negative and overlook the blessings that are right in front of us and thus we take them for granted: food on the table, good health, music, electricity, the Internet, family and friends, a roof over our heads, etc. . Right now I’m thanking the Lord for my art. I’ve been trying out “prayer doodling” (this is a very small peek at my drawings) upon the recommendation of a spiritual director (I’ve been praying to be lead to the right SD since 2016!) and I’m so grateful I get to combine two things I’m passionate about: art and prayer 🤓 . I’ve also been drawing in pencil again, which I really missed since I have a personal rule for myself to avoid using pencil in my sketchbooks (for speed and efficiency— no erasing). I cancel out my no-pencil rule for my prayer doodles though and I’ve really been liking the tactile feel of pencil scratching against paper and the very raw look it gives. Yay! Thank You Lord 😊 . Every gift, skill, and talent God gives us no matter how “unspiritual” it seems (cooking, drawing, exercising, bookbinding, knitting, carpentry, etc.), he will use for his purposes and to bring about his Kingdom and his coming— if we let him 😉😁🌱 . P.S. it’s a good time to work on finding and developing new, analog hobbies if you can. Especially if you’ve never had any hobbies. Not only can they be useful/practical, but they’re also good for your mental health 🙏🏼
Instagram post 2300080666066147705_17919754 I’ve really missed working with color 😆 . I’ve been wanting to paint a lion for some time now, but I didn’t know how. Sometimes when you don’t know how, it emboldens you to try new things because of ignorance hahaha. So I just went for it and this is how it turned out. Pretty sure I will cringe when I look at this years from now but for a first attempt— pwede na! 🙈
Instagram post 2299288666555330138_17919754 I’ve mostly been doing my black and white Real Life Reg comics lately (facebook.com/reallifereg) and the lack of color in my work has been affecting my mood. I’ve been wanting to paint and use ✨COLOR✨!!!! My sketchbook was the perfect victim for that; to also try out some cheap acrylic paint I got in this quarantine (it’s what’s available for now) so I came out with this experimental spread. I like the loose, lazy look! I foresee a lot of things taking up my time in the future and perhaps I won’t have as much time to paint, so I would need to develop a “quick lazy style” such as this :)
Instagram post 2292735217273627886_17919754 Quarantine crafts! If you have these round sticker labels at home (I get these from National Bookstore), you can make galaxy/planet stickers with just blue/violet/black watercolors and white colored pencil. Finish it off with a white gel pen or shimmery gold watercolor for an added effect 😄✨ (swipe for quick Tiktok how-to video)
Instagram post 2284874195355447215_17919754 Who says you have to be an artist to make art? :) I just finished this mini (A6) sketchbook that I dedicated as an art dump for sporadic “art itches”— usually when I’ve gone too long without making art (mostly when I was busy with ministry or a long project!). Sometimes I just NEED to do something quick and creative to manage the restless, antsy feeling I’d get. I’d doodle, make direction-less marks, make a “mess” on the page, and just see where it takes me. Try it! There are no rules except to relax and don’t overthink. I use markers, highlighters, colored pencils, pens— usually whatever’s within reach. This is something to try if you don’t see yourself as artistic or you can’t draw and it’s stopping you from making art. Or it can be art therapy as well— the practice can be calming and relaxing. Try to have your doodles all in one place like a small notebook (even a ruled one!)— just to build up a collection and be inspired with your progress— and have fun :)
Instagram post 2282671752299297939_17919754 The last acrylic on canvas painting I made before the lockdown 💖
Instagram post 2281014115048584259_17919754 I wouldn’t mind being quarantined with these guys! . (Old illustration from 2016; a personal favorite and one of the last I made for my agent/Surtex (a big annual design and illustration trade show in New York. It’s usually held around May. As I’m no longer in the loop with my art circles, I wonder how Surtex will run this year. Via Zoom?!) . It’s week 3 into the lockdown here in Manila and while the first two weeks made me an unproductive potato (art-wise), I think I’m stabilizing and getting my creative bearings back. I think. I’m taking it day by day— not promising anybody anything, and taking it easy when I don’t feel productive or in the mood. As someone constantly being told that I inspire people (🤢🤮🤣), I’m not always going to be inspired myself so I don’t want to hold myself to that standard/expectation. Not every creator needs to “maximize” this time to come out with an ecourse or a vlog (though I do have one in the works even before the quarantine started) or an Instagram Live or an ebook (admittedly I was feeling the pressure, initially)— you do you, and don’t apologize for how you’re coping with the pandemic. . While my initial feeling was “nobody is going to buy art in a recession!”, I also had to remind myself that situations like this don’t last. We always recover. While a non-essential, art will always be there. I can sell paintings much, much later. I also had to remind myself that I don’t even do art solely for money (I used to!) but mainly for my enjoyment, sanity, and well-being. So back to art I go! We can’t all be depressed all at the same time 🤣🤣🤣💖 . Stay sane and stay healthy!
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Instagram post 2314611183717296898_17919754 Allow room for play 😄🌱 . I turned a drawing mannequin into Waldo! This project has been on my mind for so long but it’s only during this quarantine that I finally got the idea out of my head and into my hands because of the forced down time. Waldo now lives on my shelf :) Swipe to see the Tiktok video of the process! ✨
Instagram post 2313815795435451858_17919754 Back to painting in my sketchbook. Painting an initial rough of an idea I hope to eventually translate to canvas or paper :)
Instagram post 2311074213909228281_17919754 Hello! What are you grateful for? 🌱 . I think this is a question we should constantly be asking ourselves these days. It’s so easy to see all the negative and overlook the blessings that are right in front of us and thus we take them for granted: food on the table, good health, music, electricity, the Internet, family and friends, a roof over our heads, etc. . Right now I’m thanking the Lord for my art. I’ve been trying out “prayer doodling” (this is a very small peek at my drawings) upon the recommendation of a spiritual director (I’ve been praying to be lead to the right SD since 2016!) and I’m so grateful I get to combine two things I’m passionate about: art and prayer 🤓 . I’ve also been drawing in pencil again, which I really missed since I have a personal rule for myself to avoid using pencil in my sketchbooks (for speed and efficiency— no erasing). I cancel out my no-pencil rule for my prayer doodles though and I’ve really been liking the tactile feel of pencil scratching against paper and the very raw look it gives. Yay! Thank You Lord 😊 . Every gift, skill, and talent God gives us no matter how “unspiritual” it seems (cooking, drawing, exercising, bookbinding, knitting, carpentry, etc.), he will use for his purposes and to bring about his Kingdom and his coming— if we let him 😉😁🌱 . P.S. it’s a good time to work on finding and developing new, analog hobbies if you can. Especially if you’ve never had any hobbies. Not only can they be useful/practical, but they’re also good for your mental health 🙏🏼
Instagram post 2300080666066147705_17919754 I’ve really missed working with color 😆 . I’ve been wanting to paint a lion for some time now, but I didn’t know how. Sometimes when you don’t know how, it emboldens you to try new things because of ignorance hahaha. So I just went for it and this is how it turned out. Pretty sure I will cringe when I look at this years from now but for a first attempt— pwede na! 🙈
Instagram post 2299288666555330138_17919754 I’ve mostly been doing my black and white Real Life Reg comics lately (facebook.com/reallifereg) and the lack of color in my work has been affecting my mood. I’ve been wanting to paint and use ✨COLOR✨!!!! My sketchbook was the perfect victim for that; to also try out some cheap acrylic paint I got in this quarantine (it’s what’s available for now) so I came out with this experimental spread. I like the loose, lazy look! I foresee a lot of things taking up my time in the future and perhaps I won’t have as much time to paint, so I would need to develop a “quick lazy style” such as this :)
Instagram post 2292735217273627886_17919754 Quarantine crafts! If you have these round sticker labels at home (I get these from National Bookstore), you can make galaxy/planet stickers with just blue/violet/black watercolors and white colored pencil. Finish it off with a white gel pen or shimmery gold watercolor for an added effect 😄✨ (swipe for quick Tiktok how-to video)
Instagram post 2284874195355447215_17919754 Who says you have to be an artist to make art? :) I just finished this mini (A6) sketchbook that I dedicated as an art dump for sporadic “art itches”— usually when I’ve gone too long without making art (mostly when I was busy with ministry or a long project!). Sometimes I just NEED to do something quick and creative to manage the restless, antsy feeling I’d get. I’d doodle, make direction-less marks, make a “mess” on the page, and just see where it takes me. Try it! There are no rules except to relax and don’t overthink. I use markers, highlighters, colored pencils, pens— usually whatever’s within reach. This is something to try if you don’t see yourself as artistic or you can’t draw and it’s stopping you from making art. Or it can be art therapy as well— the practice can be calming and relaxing. Try to have your doodles all in one place like a small notebook (even a ruled one!)— just to build up a collection and be inspired with your progress— and have fun :)
Instagram post 2282671752299297939_17919754 The last acrylic on canvas painting I made before the lockdown 💖
Instagram post 2281014115048584259_17919754 I wouldn’t mind being quarantined with these guys! . (Old illustration from 2016; a personal favorite and one of the last I made for my agent/Surtex (a big annual design and illustration trade show in New York. It’s usually held around May. As I’m no longer in the loop with my art circles, I wonder how Surtex will run this year. Via Zoom?!) . It’s week 3 into the lockdown here in Manila and while the first two weeks made me an unproductive potato (art-wise), I think I’m stabilizing and getting my creative bearings back. I think. I’m taking it day by day— not promising anybody anything, and taking it easy when I don’t feel productive or in the mood. As someone constantly being told that I inspire people (🤢🤮🤣), I’m not always going to be inspired myself so I don’t want to hold myself to that standard/expectation. Not every creator needs to “maximize” this time to come out with an ecourse or a vlog (though I do have one in the works even before the quarantine started) or an Instagram Live or an ebook (admittedly I was feeling the pressure, initially)— you do you, and don’t apologize for how you’re coping with the pandemic. . While my initial feeling was “nobody is going to buy art in a recession!”, I also had to remind myself that situations like this don’t last. We always recover. While a non-essential, art will always be there. I can sell paintings much, much later. I also had to remind myself that I don’t even do art solely for money (I used to!) but mainly for my enjoyment, sanity, and well-being. So back to art I go! We can’t all be depressed all at the same time 🤣🤣🤣💖 . Stay sane and stay healthy!
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Latest posts

  • Apr 30, 2020 Some thoughts on virality– not the Covid kind
  • Apr 13, 2020 Putting myself out there
  • Feb 03, 2020 Illustrated travel journal: Taiwan

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