Tomorrow (machar, מחר)

Machar (Tomorrow) is an illustrated piece I created shortly after the October 7th massacre. It was a devastating time, and I felt heartbroken and overwhelmed. This illustration became a way to process that pain and offer something hopeful. It’s a quiet vision for peace—soft, symbolic, and emotional. It was originally requested by a friend, and I took it as an opportunity to turn grief into something meaningful and light-filled.

• Procreate (iPad) – The sole platform used for sketching and coloring.
• Pencil Brush (from Procreate’s default brush set) – My only brush for the entire process, used for both lines and coloring.
• Vivid, spontaneous color choices – I didn’t create a formal palette but used strong, saturated colors I love, selected freely during the process.
• Simple color-blocking technique – Used to create clean, bold areas of color without gradients or complex shading.
• References – Only used to understand the basic shapes of objects and figures, not for stylization or detailing.

I began by reading the lyrics of the song that inspired the piece. My friend helped choose specific phrases and choruses to focus on. From there, I started thinking about how to visually represent the message without being too literal or obvious. I wanted the emotion to come through in a subtle way.

Once I had the direction, I moved into sketching. I used a lot of references to help me plan the composition and posture, but intentionally kept the style graphic and simple so I wouldn’t get caught up in complex anatomy. The characters are very minimal—even faceless—to keep the focus on mood rather than detail.

After finalizing the sketch, I moved on to coloring. I used a restrained, peaceful palette and built up the atmosphere with soft textures. The clean graphic lines remained, and the textures helped ground the piece and give it emotional depth. I worked to maintain a delicate balance—clear in message, but not overly literal or dramatic.

In the final stage, I made adjustments to enhance flow and harmony. I added small highlights and refinements, while still keeping the aesthetic clean and stylized. The result is a piece that feels calm, reflective, and gentle—holding onto hope in the face of sorrow.