The joke probably only works in German. The chosen project title refers not just to that specific type of monkey but also has some other funny meanings, like: the @ symbol; a stapler or tacker; or a person who is overly clingy.

The shape of my spider monkey's tail playfully hints at the first two.


It's pretty amazing how quickly and effortlessly you can achieve a solid result.

Plus, some really interesting methods have come together in this process:

Ballpoint: The approach presented in this class shows in a really nice and concise way that, as mentioned, it can lead to respectable results fast and easily.

Regarding composition: Thanks to Fatih Mıstaçoğlu's class “Easy Watercolor Art Journaling: No Effort Compositions”, we don’t have to worry about that anymore.

On the topic of typography: It’s a vast area, and for now, I’m just picking a font from the Dafont.com pool for inspiration and sketching what appeals to me (here: Monkey.otf by Indra Gunawan, 100% free).

Even though everything came together quickly, it was good to let it sit for a few days.

The shading on the monkey's right arm seemed to me pretty misleading, almost like an optical illusion (which was actually quite fascinating too). It took me a few days to realize and process that, and to get excited about a solution.

It’s always amazing to witness the evolution of any creative work, no matter how small.

Thank again, Ivan, for the class and the amazing experience! It's great to see that you've just released another ballpoint class, I love the classic Star Wars team =))

And to you, dear reader, I also truly appreciate your interest and the time you took to stop by and check this out. Thank you!

 

==

[Update November 29, 2024]

A few more thoughts about the expression:

The monkey in my sketch looks quite aggressive, which initially confused me. However, I now see it more as determined, proudly asserting its freedom.

Unlike the original (see below), which is tied up and may even be exploited as a so-called coconut monkey.