SIGNALIS FROM MEMORY.

2024.

I drew this while on a Nihei kick in college.

I had grown so used to ultra clean line work and a quite detailed painterly style that I thought, what could I learn from manga?

So I decided to look at how Tsutomu Nihei draws things and try to learn from them.

But that’s not all I did.

I decided to do this experiment through a Signalis frame, a Signalis frame in which I would not let myself look at any reference.

I was interested to see how the blanks of Signalis would get filled in by my mind.

It seems the answer is grimy and open.

I can feel the marks BLAME! and The Matrix have left on my mind in this piece. 

From the chaotic and exposed wire/pipe work, to the mechanisms of things like the door being inside out. 

My mind’s interpretation was something much more rugged when I’d compare actual references after drawing from memory. 

Actual Signalis is quite a bit more sleek and did not have the insides on the outsides look that I pushed onto it.

At the time of release this was the most popular piece of art I had made. So despite the somewhat unique take, Signalis fans seemed to like it.

I don’t think this comes remotely close to the style of the artist who inspired me, but the experience taught me a lot and was fun for me to draw.