A Free-Flowing Sketch: Finding Stories in Random Shapes

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Happy Spring Equinox! 🌿✨

As part of my Equinox celebration, I decided to sketch something completely from my imagination—without any idea of what it would become at first.

Lately, I’ve been seeing this TikTok artist who randomly splashes watercolor onto paper and then sketches fantasy figures, weaving stories around them. His process feels like a natural flow rather than a planned or pre-imagined painting, and I found that incredibly inspiring.

I really wanted to try this approach myself!

There’s something exciting about embracing the unknown—allowing my imagination to take over and discovering figures or familiar shapes within a random paint blot. It’s human nature to look for meaning in abstract forms, often seeing faces, eyes, or human-like symbols where none were intentionally placed.

That’s exactly what happened to me! I found an alien-like figure with something emerging from it—perhaps a fragment of its unconscious mind or a hidden part of itself longing to surface. Interestingly, this part also has human-like features.

You can see my step-by-step process below, and I’d love to hear your interpretation! What do you think this creature might symbolize? Let me know in the comments!

STEP 1
I started to paint some orange watercolor in a random way, not having any form in mind.

I then saw that a part of this form could be a person and some animal or creature emerging from it. So I only added like little legs, not knowing how this animal/creature will look. I also added some yellow vignette to the edges of the sheet.

STEP 2
I've waited a few minutes for the paint to dry and started sketching with a black pen. I first outlined the figures and added some details, such as eyes.

STEP 3
I added some more details to the eyes of the creature.

STEP 4
And then started to add some more details to both figures.

**STEP 5 **
At first I though that this creature will have a lizard-like tongue but then I also decided I would like to add some lips to it as there was too much empty space for me.