I recall you mentioning some time ago on DA that you were planning a series exploring light and dark, surely this piece is one of them?

Love the mix of photography and drawing, especially how the static acts as an equalizer and unifier for the different elements. I wonder where these windows exist in the world… if this is a place you often walk by, or if it was somewhere seen only once?

(Not implying that you should dox yourself, it’s just interesting to think about)

Yes you are correct! It's one of these light/dark pieces. I often photograph interesting light situations if I see one. Wanted to combine photography and drawing for a long time (and tired of drawing backgrounds atm). Also want to go back to the roots a bit and draw more about feelings and heavier themes.

Danke dir, das freut mich! :D Interesting that you noticed the purpose behind the static! Without it, it would've looked too clean and a bit weird. So you are completely right on that.

Hahah I think the chances are zero that anybody (that doesn't know me in rl) would know where I am :P It's the entrance gate to the place where I live. Really old and heavy. Allways loved how the sun/moonlight shine through the glass and make these beautiful colorful patterns on the ground.

It's a good habit. I know it’s not always easy to preserve a certain light quality in a photograph.

I’ve been thinking about that, how often progression in art is cyclical not linear. There is learning and growth over the years, yes, but also particular themes and elements that we revisit again and again. Returning to your roots is a way to reconnect with what first motivated you in art, but this time you bring all the additional experience and knowledge with you.

Question: what is a more appropriate response to danke dir, bitte or gerne? Is it true that bitte is more formal? Research is giving me conflicting information regarding the subtleties of each word.

Well, I also use texture in drawing so I may be somewhat biased towards looking for it and thinking about its purpose.

Ahaha, fair. It is an awesome gate though.

Absolutely! had the same thoughts! The situation you are describing here really fits. learned a lot over the years and kinda "neglected" one of the most important aspects, why I started drawing in the first place. But like you said now, with better skills, I try to concentrate more on the "spiritual" and expressive side again.

It really is cyclical! It's allways developing more skills and concentrating on that, drawing more for challenge than for meaning and then using this newly accuired knowledge to express your feelings (or whatever your drive behind art is) even better. Rinse and repeat! Fascinating that we came to the same realization! I only noticed that cycle recently, so it's even more surprising that you bring it up suddenly :D

Ok I try to answer it so that you sound as native as possible XD

You can say "bitte" but it would sound a bit weird in the context of showing gratitude for a compliment. It's mostly used for everyday situations like when someone hands you something, you say "danke" and the one handing you stuff says "bitte" in return. Like at the register or in a restaurant etc.

Bitte is also used if you want to signal a favor, like allowing them to skip the line or sit down or take something you offer them. You'd say "bitte" and do a hand gesture (like pointing on a chair or pointing in front of you). Also if you want to request something, like "can you open this beer for me please?"/ "Kannst du mir bitte das Bier öffnen?"

Gerne is friendly but a bit formal too. The english equivalent would be "my pleasure". But it's ok to use since it's friendly.

Then there is "kein Problem". This is more colloquial. Means no problem.

If you really want to sound native you could use "kein Ding". This is on the verge of slang but I think it's the best option if you want to sound native. Litterally translated it means "no thing". But it's used if you did something for someone and you get a thank you and want to answer in a chill way.

The most formal that comes to my mind is "mit Vergnügen" or "es war mir ein Vergnügen". But this is extremely formal. I think I never used it in my life once. Would be translated to "my pleasure" or "it was my pleasure" again but like I said almost noone uses that anymore. There are only really rare occasions to use that term.

Hope that clears things up a bit!

Ah right! What kinda textures do you use? Would be interesting to know.

I'll keep that in mind and will greet the gate from you tomorrow! I think it'll be happy to hear that you called it awesome! XDD

It can be hard to keep a balance, easy to neglect one aspect in favour of another. Certainly I have done that myself over the years. In the end though, I think nothing is wasted. I look forward to seeing what you create.

That is very helpful indeed! The information online with regards to learning another language can be rather cursory, lacking the specific nuances which native speakers understand and utilize. I appreciate you taking the time to answer the question in such detail.

Which is to say, danke dir!

Ah, I didn’t mean that I use a texture library, I just meant that I like drawing textures in my art. It’s all done by hand. Meditation, madness... both.

Greetings old gate. I wonder how many people it has seen walk by… how many lives it has outlived.

It actually feels a lot like a dream, I like this effect! I think I understand this feeling in my own way, but I don’t know how to describe it in an understandable and non-surreal way. It's like two realities merged into one...

And yes, I like the idea of using photos as backgrounds! I had done this in the past too, and now I think it was an interesting mix of physical reality and the reality of the mind and imagination.

Hey just saw your comment now :'D The notif system here is a bit confusing. Thank you! I think I know what feeling you wanted to describe. It really is difficult to explain but "like two realities merged into one" is a good simple description! But I know what you mean, it's a much deeper feeling than that. Can't really describe it too.

That's really interesting! I think I've never seen a photo/drawing combination of yours. But you said that you did them in the past, so probably they are existing in the backup realm. It's a challenge to combine reality with the inner world, yes. A thought that came to mind is, that it's impossible to really draw the mix up of reality and the inner world, only a rough approach. Really abstract and symbolic. Like a dream like sketch. Trying to capture only mere snippets of a vivid scene of the mind.

It's okay! I meant the very feeling that this is both a gate with stained glass windows and a night sky with the moon, and they both seem real at the same time. And it feels like you can simply walk through these gates in some... alternative way, and find yourself somewhere else, in the night. This creates an effect very similar to a dream, when one reality flows into another, and one place can become another in some surreal way. There is also something similar to seeing another reality behind everyday reality, but this is even more difficult to explain, heh!

Oh, the last time I did them was probably about ten years ago, and I think I didn't post these drawings anyway :'D I'd like to try again, and even did something like that recently, but I don't know if I'll post it (because I used a photo of myself, plus the idea is quite personal, even if I'm sure no one will understand what it's about). But it's really interesting, yes.