Art & Inspiration letters from NIGHTEͶ (Nathan Guilhot)
This is not just a newsletter — it's my personal magazine documenting my creative journey.
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Welcome back Reader! 👋
I hope you’re doing fantastic this week!
On my side, I’ve worked hard and have a lot to show you this week; not only are we continuing the Inktober project, but I also made progress on my most ambitious illustration yet!
Is that enough windows?
Let’s start with the illustration! Last week I shared with you my slow progress on cleaning up the detailed sketch I made, but today, as promised, I have the piece fully inked! 🔥 I did it!
I see windows in my sleep
This has been a struggle, to say the least: even if most of the details were already present in the sketch, a lot of information had to be filled in and corrected. After looking at the same image for hours a lot of mistakes jumped out at me; for example, windows on the same floor that were misaligned or not the same size.
But after spending my entire Saturday on it, I was finally close to being done :)
I’m so happy with the result — not that it’s flawless, but I really gave it my best! And I hope it will show in the final piece.
Working on it for so long gave me some insight into my technique and some rules I have developed over the years, learning how to ink. For example: how do you create depth when all the lines are the exact same width?
This led me to make this image to serve as a cheatsheet/tutorial on how I do this:
I even wanted to record a video tutorial to explain further! But sadly I’m not so comfortable recording (especially in English) and I kept searching for my words — too bad, maybe next time! But I really want to share those insights in a more proper form, because this would have helped younger me years ago.
Coming back to the illustration, I don’t have proper colors yet, but I took some time for color blocking!
This means putting together the shapes in different layers, so that it’s easier for me to put proper colors later on!
I’m looking forward to showing them to you next week ;)
My Inktober city exploration continues!
Yes, contrary to a lot of my previous attempts at Inktober, I’m still going! And we are almost halfway through.
In case you missed it, this month I’m taking you on a walking tour of the city that has been the background of my illustrations for the past 2+ years! :)
But before I continue talking about this project, here are the seven new locations I posted this week!
DAY 07 The Observatory
High up in the mountain, overseeing the entire city, you will find the Old Climate Observatory.
It was initially built decades ago to monitor the atmosphere and pollution, but as the city became cleaner, the observatory has diversified its activity. A whole range of scientists now live there, and they even host an artist residency every two years.
If you happen to hike to the peak of the mountain, they will all be happy to welcome you!
DAY 08 The Tower
Wherever you are in the city, you can’t miss the tower.
This gigantic dark obelisk has been built recently, and amongst the citizen nobody knows exactly what it’s used for. You can sometime see people in suits going in and out, but this might as well be an regular private office for what we know.
Many have complained about how it looks amongst the traditional building. At least it’s something everyone agrees on!
Duckie for scale
DAY 09 The Ferry
But how about we get moving?
Whether you want to move between the south beach and the north port, or just want a pleasant boat ride, the electric ferry is your best option.
Plenty of residents use it daily to go to work or to school every day; at peak hours, it’s even faster than the tram!
DAY 10 The Tram Hub
But if you want to go anywhere else in this city, taking the tram is your best options.
Almost the whole city is connected by the tram network, so you’d be silly to take a car in most cases.
The tram has become a center part of living here - not only to commute, but also to meet with friends and be informed of major events through the radio and public signage!
DAY 11 The Old Market Hall
If you are looking for good vegetables, local products, or souvenirs, let me recommend to you the old market hall near the central tram station.
Here farmers, craftsmen, and artists sell their products directly to the citizens, protected by the building. And you often get pretty good prices, since there are no middlemen!
Some stalls have been there for decades, but the city makes sure to have rotating spots for newcomers and to keep the market fresh every week.
DAY 12 The Public Library
Between the market and the university, you’ll find the oldest building in the city: the Public Library.
Here you can enjoy a good novel or focus on your studies between the thick walls and under the natural light coming through the tall windows.
Beyond the huge collection of books and the city archive, plenty of rooms are dedicated to children’s reading, book clubs, and author meetups
If you’ve got an idea for a club, feel free to ask at the reception!
DAY 13 The Industrial Zone
I have to admit, this is not the prettiest part of the city. Far from it.
It’s located at the very north, close to the rusty part of the port. Most of the industrial zone is unused nowadays, so at least it’s not polluting anymore.
But a lot of urban legends surround this place, about things hidden in those rusty buildings. I don’t know if much of it is true, but it’s a very popular challenge amongst teenagers to explore the zone at night!
The city has planned to rebuild and repurpose most of the zone for its citizens, but the project has been in political limbo for years at this point, so don’t expect it soon.
I hope you’re enjoying those! The goal is to, at the end, have a little zine that serves as a mini-encyclopedia of this universe. Some locations are invented for the occasion, while some I had in my mind for years.
I’m really grateful for this project so far — not only because it pushes my quick illustration skills, but it also forces me to ask myself concrete questions about this place and how it works. This is why I write the flavour text alongside the illustration!
I’ve never been into worldbuilding before, and I even enjoy keeping things vague in my head, but now I realize how great it is to put those ideas in writing and for others to see and enjoy.
And I really believe that the value of art is to be experienced by other people!
Now, if you excuse me, I have a lot more locations to draw before the end of the month!
Doing it almost every day starts to feel a bit hectic, but manageable. I hope to continue until the end of the month, or at least until we visit all my favorite locations :D
Alright, that’s it for this week! Make sure to tune in next week for the follow-up of both my Inktober project and this hyper-detailed illustration. Hopefully you’re enjoying following along!
Thank you for being here, and as always,
Take care, - Nighten
This email is part of my art Newsletter. Invite a friend to join the club: https://club.nighten.fr
