This drawing by Gabriel Valdes shows a unique illustrative approach to texture. The piece centers on a bat perched on twisting tree branches, made using graphite pencil for light, elegant shading and a dark marker for clean, contrasting lineart. To add depth and atmosphere, Gabriel incorporated pages from a book, burning the edges by hand to give them a more weathered appearance, before carefully gluing them onto the background. This technique, a mix of distressing paper and mixed-media collaging, adds a subtle three dimensional effect that enhances the eerie, whimsical tone of the artwork.

The drawing blends bold outlines with delicate value work, giving the bat a lively presence on the page while maintaining the stylized, storybook charm. Gabriel uses strong visual anchors by giving the bat the darkest, thickest lines in the whole piece, naturally drawing the viewer’s attention. These torn, scorched pages at the different corners add visual weight, contrasting with the smoother graphite background and building points of interest to keep the viewer looking around rather than stopping in one single spot. The smaller details, like the inwards spiraling bat and frame-like shape of the branches, help guide the viewer’s eye across the page, tying the composition together in an intentional and well-balanced way. Gabriel completed the drawing in roughly four days, demonstrating his clear sense of design and thoughtful craftsmanship.