A.C. Esguerra
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blueludebar.com
A.C. Esguerra
@blueludebar.com
540 followers 120 following 330 posts
comics artist + writer in LA. probably inkstained. EIGHTY DAYS (GLAAD nominated, YALSA listed). they/them. blueludebar.com
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all regular-size commissions are now complete! moving on to the BIG paintings next, very excited
a pencil sketch on bristol paper of Howl and Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle a pencil sketch on bristol paper of various rolls of patterned washi tape floating out of a box a pencil sketch on watercolor paper of a couple standing together on a bridge over the Seine at night; the taller man envelops the shorter one in his dark elegant coat to protect him from a strong wind
November 22, 2025 at 7:53 PM
blueludebar.com
painting days
an almost-finished watercolor illustration on bristol paper of an androgynous figure whose body is half-transformed into a crustacean, shrimp-like form, standing in a hot springs. bat-like wings emerge from the shoulder blades and the curve of his spine extends into large segmented tail. in one hand, he draws apart a veil covered in droplets of water. his curly hair cascades into his face and down his back as he regards a second figure in the water who is looking up at him. the color scheme is mainly mottled red-purples and dark green in the background, shimmery fuchsias in the veil, and fluorescent green in the water and reflections. the first wash of an in-progress watercolor illustration on bristol paper of a young woman in a puff-sleeved dress trimmed with lace sitting with Bruno from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, in a field of flowers. the color scheme is mainly bright, warm yellow-tinged tones in the upper half of the painting and cool violets and blue-greens where the shadows of the plants are falling in the lower half.
November 22, 2025 at 5:41 PM
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cemetery drive ♦️ concept art from a comic i may or may not draw, about a reckless punk and the lolita-fashion seamstress who loves them. enjoy
an illustration of an androgynous anime youth with a disaffected expression, dressed in an elaborate beribboned top over baggy, slit pants and combat boots. they hold a dagger and lean on a white marble tomb in a Romantic or gothic style that's been broken into halves; a bright red light is shining through the crack behind them. one of their shoes rests on a carving of a cartoony snake coming out of a skull crowned with roses. other imagery on the tomb include more skulls, a transgender symbol and a partially eroded crown that looks suspiciously similar to a certain fashion designer's logo. there is also text etched into the tomb, i wont type it out here but suffice it to say that the bulk of it is a German translation (accuracy not guaranteed) of the lyrics to Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance. framing the piece is a border of stained glass, its complex panels shining with the colors of many jewels.
November 21, 2025 at 2:21 AM
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stained glass process. my fave part was melting the extra globs of solder off the edges 🩸
a two page spread of my Traveler's Notebook crammed with sketches in dark red fountain pen ink of scorpions, squares and diamonds for my stained glass design. blue, red and yellow-orange panes of glass scattered on a large light table. my hands, wearing protective gloves, hold a drawing on paper of the stained glass scorpion next to a piece of blue-and-purple swirled glass that will become its body. the chosen pieces of glass have been cut and assembled into the final diamond-shaped arrangement. some of the edges have been wrapped in copper tape, prepared for soldering. my hand holds a dirty microfiber towel around the almost-finished stained glass piece. in the background, the workshop table is covered with drawings, a coil of copper tape, a soldering iron and splattered droplets of melted solder.
November 19, 2025 at 4:05 AM
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for my birthday i took a stained glass workshop. made an abstract scorpion!! 🦂♦️✨
my hand holds a metal chain attached to a square/diamond-shaped stained glass piece in front of sunlight coming in from a window. the diamond is divided by black curving metal lines into sections resembling a scorpion. its body is a blue-purple swirl piece of glass while its tail and pincers are a purpley burgundy. smaller, surrounding pieces of glass alternate between clear, a lighter purple-grey and red. a round central piece encircled by the stinger is a focal point, in bright red.
November 18, 2025 at 7:14 PM
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continuing the fantasy oracle deck thread, here's the blue/water and lavender-grey/air cards i drew 🃏🌊 #illustration #oraclecards #tarotcards [3/4]
eleven cards from the official oracle card deck based on the world of fantasy novel trilogy ROOK AND ROSE by M.A. Carrick. this batch is mostly blue, grey, pink and purple cards. some of the imagery includes: a noose-like knot made of bright red rope against a background of crashing and foaming ocean waves, a tortoiseshell cat leaping down at a passing dragonfly heedless of the large pitcher of water directly under its prey, golden reeds waving unharmed in a stormy gale while a gnarled black tree behind it splinters, a woman draped in lavender cloth and a man dressed in coppery red each holding a bright moon against a starry night sky.
November 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM
blueludebar.com
done 🔏🤘🏽
an ink and watercolor illustration on bristol paper of an elegant, anthropomorphic deer in a princely cloak looming smugly over a white-haired woman in an elaborate ribbon-trimmed dress. delicate rose-like flowers decorate the deer's antlers and frame the composition. more of the same flowers, with sharp thorns, pierce the cloth of the dress around the other figure, pinning her to the ground; she looks annoyed rather than distressed, however. the color scheme is black, muted greys and soft lavender-pinks shot through with accents of bright, saturated blue around the flowers. scattered papers in the background show the thumbnail sketches and color tests for the piece.
November 11, 2025 at 9:53 PM
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[commission wip] the first wash of a watercolor painting is always so loose and freeing. i missed this feeling. 🦋
the corner of a watercolor painting commission in progress. the ink linework describes an elaborate, ribbon-trimmed dress framed by a tangle of delicate rose-like flowers. an initial wash of watercolor has been painted over the lines: muted greys and soft lavender-pinks shot through with accents of bright, saturated blue around the flowers.
November 10, 2025 at 10:21 PM
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more of my illustration work on the ROOK & ROSE fantasy oracle deck 🃏🌿 these are the green/earth-themed cards #illustration #oraclecards #tarotcards [2/4]
twelve cards from the official oracle card deck based on the world of fantasy novel trilogy ROOK AND ROSE by M.A. Carrick. this batch is mostly cream, greens and brown cards. some of the imagery includes: a person leaping from a harsh rocky cliff-edge towards a bright red sun, a mossy labyrinth spiraling towards a calm blue pool in its center, a very cute turtle hiding from a downpour in its shell on a rock in a stream, a hand pierced by a bright red poppy, a hand holding a small brass key in front of a heavy carved chest in a darkened room, a woman in a shroud reaching up towards an illusion of shifting iridescent peacock-like colors.
November 10, 2025 at 1:40 AM
blueludebar.com
here's the 45 cards i illustrated for @macarrick.bsky.social's official ROOK & ROSE fantasy oracle deck 🃏✨ first, the fire/red cards [1/4]
twelve cards from the official oracle card deck based on the world of fantasy novel trilogy ROOK AND ROSE by M.A. Carrick. this batch is mostly red, orange and gold cards. some of the imagery includes: floating lanterns in a night sky, intertwined hands with a lavishly embroidered cloth ribbon wound between their fingers, two sisters with dark hair holding swords, a woman with braided hair standing in a reed-edged river pushing a sleeve of her dress down her shoulder to reveal a fire burning from her heart, a traveler's wagon crossing a golden field towards a sunset.
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 AM
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inking day 🔏
an ink illustration on bristol paper of an elegant, anthropomorphic deer in a princely cloak looming smugly over a white-haired woman in a heavy, elaborate dress. round flowers decorate the deer's antlers and frame the composition. more of the same flowers, with sharp thorns, pierce the cloth of the dress around the other figure, pinning her to the ground; she looks annoyed rather than distressed, however. an ink illustration on bristol paper of a young woman in a puff-sleeved dress trimmed with lace sitting with Bruno from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, in a field of flowers.
November 5, 2025 at 6:28 AM
blueludebar.com
i guess i'll post these here too. my hobby is shooting polaroid 600 instant film. tried some fun filters recently
a square polaroid film photo in a black paper notebook depicting palm trees against an afternoon sky. the photo was taken with a mirror filter on the lens so there are actually three sets of palm trees in the frame, divided by hazy blue transitions. the mirror filter, along with red, blue and yellow color ones, is scattered to the right, along with a tiny stamp of an ace of spades card. two square polaroid film photos in a black paper notebook. the left photo shows a mysterious bluish light as seen shining through thickly clustered, dark tree branches. it was taken with a mirror filter, which is resting on a piece of paper next to it. the right shows clusters of small red flowers draping in curves from a tree against a black background. the red filter used to take it is also on a piece of paper to the right. two square polaroid film photos in a black paper notebook. the left photo is a closeup of a young gingko tree branch, covered with fan-shaped leaves against a dark background. it was taken with a yellow filter, which is resting on a piece of paper next to it. the right shows a large forget-me-not bush at dusk, with a a strip of sunlight catching the tips of the highest flowers. the blue filter used to take it is also on a piece of paper to the right. two square polaroid film photos in a black paper notebook. the left photo shows dappled light and the shadows of a large tree cast upon a large-gridded concrete wall. the right is a picture of a row of massive rectangular floor-to-ceiling windows and round, tiered chandeliers in a dim hall in Union Station, Los Angeles.
October 24, 2025 at 6:51 PM
blueludebar.com
pencilling day
a pencil drawing on bristol paper of an elegant, anthropomorphic deer in a princely cloak looming smugly over a white-haired woman in a heavy, elaborate dress. round flowers decorate the deer's antlers and frame the composition. more of the same flowers, with sharp thorns, pierce the cloth of the dress around the other figure, pinning her to the ground; she looks annoyed rather than distressed, however. a pencil drawing on bristol paper of an androgynous figure whose body is half-transformed into a crustacean, shrimp-like form, standing in a hot springs. bat-like wings emerge from the shoulder blades and the curve of his spine extends into large segmented tail. in one hand, he draws apart a veil covered in droplets of water. his curly hair cascades into his face and down his back as he regards a second figure in the water who is looking up at him.
October 23, 2025 at 4:35 PM
blueludebar.com
life has been very hard lately. but thinking about this coconut horchata i had on the train after a lolita event helps.
a picture of my hand in a black lace glove holding a plastic cup with a red straw containing coconut horchata.
October 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
blueludebar.com
archway comic panels from THE PRINCE (2025)
a pencil drawing in a sketchbook of an elaborately carved archway. the pillars have leaf and diamond motifs and the top has three curves. a pencil drawing in a sketchbook of an elaborately carved double archway. the twin gothic arches come to a point and are supported by slender, scrolled pillars around which messy ivy is growing.
October 17, 2025 at 6:40 PM
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painting day(s) ✌🏽 #art #commissions #watercolor
the initial wash of a traditional art ink and watercolor drawing on bristol paper. the color scheme is light shades of blue, pink and yellow. it depicts a somewhat birdseye view of an energetic, androgynous character in a lolita-like outfit with a billed cap, cape, ribboned dress and boots leaping toward the bottom right corner of the piece, a heart-shaped arrow in one hand and a love letter in the other. a traditional art ink and watercolor drawing on bristol paper. the color scheme ranges from warm fiery yellow-orange and reds fading out to gentle grey-greens and ochres. it depicts two catboys, one a long-haired mage with a gentle expression, his arms bearing a fiery staff protectively around the other, a confident-looking swordsman in a long patterned coat with a high collar.
October 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
blueludebar.com
hey arielle! congrats on your new role. nice to see you around again (i remember you from ham fanzine + cons long ago) 🖤

website: blueludebar.com
availability: late jan/early feb 2026
sequential samples + information in alt text:
four pages from a nonfiction Amelia Earhart comic book for middle-grade and young readers. traditional ink and brush + digital color. Penguin Workshop Books, 2022. four pages from Witch Crossing, a fantasy, all-ages short comic story about witches who cast ink and space magic in a surreal world. traditional graphite pencil. Shortbox Comics Fair, 2022. four pages from Eighty Days, an original graphic novel about pilots in an alternate-1930s world for adult and/or young adult readers. traditional black and white ink + brush. Archaia, 2021. two pages from The City of Poets - Pat Parker, part of a public art poster series interpreting the writing of local poet-activists of color and presenting brief biographies of their lives as one-page comics. traditional ink + digital color. commissioned by the City of San Francisco, 2022-2023.
September 25, 2025 at 1:52 AM
blueludebar.com
inking day
a traditional art ink and brush drawing on bristol paper. it depicts a somewhat birdseye view of an energetic, androgynous character in a lolita-like outfit with a billed cap, cape, ribboned dress and boots leaping toward the bottom right corner of the piece, a heart-shaped arrow in one hand and a love letter in the other. a traditional art ink and brush drawing on bristol paper. it depicts two catboys, one a long-haired mage with a gentle expression, his arms bearing a fiery staff protectively around the other, a confident-looking swordsman in a long patterned coat with a high collar.
September 18, 2025 at 10:50 PM
blueludebar.com
commissions in progress so far 🫡
a piece of bristol paper on my desk, covered in graphite thumbnail sketches of various commissions + notes to myself. above the paper is the Blackwing Pearl pencil i used to draw these compositions and a small metal pencil sharpener.
September 8, 2025 at 6:34 PM
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the rush of dopamine when the stamp comes out just right 👌🏽
the front of the envelope in the previous post. i decorated it using a deep blue-green ink pad plus a square wooden stamp that's carved with a design of a bird in flight entwined in plants.
September 3, 2025 at 5:08 PM
blueludebar.com
hello good people of bsky. commission books are OPEN! allow me to draw your OCs and faves! i'm in a tight spot, so requests/shares are appreciated. info + form: tally.so/r/3XPZKY
traditional watercolor, ink and brush illustration of Qifrey from Witch Hat Atelier. his robes billow as he leaps to the left, his figure surreally half-in, half-out of a large pair of golden wire-rimmed spectacles against a white background. he makes a sweeping gesture with his left hand, which holds an ink nib out of which ink and water is flowing and turning into crashing waves. just visible in the darkness of the eyeglass on the left is a shadowy reflection. the overall color scheme is white, gold and blue. traditional ink and brush illustration of Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3. he wears form-fitting studded leather armor and crouches on some rotted wooden rafters, backlit by a full moon. he holds the Rhapsody dagger in his right hand while he licks blood off his left hand. an illustration inked with sable brush and painted with watercolor, of Jay Corvidae carrying Fix Vulpes (both from my first graphic novel, EIGHTY DAYS). he wears a flat-brimmed summer hat with a striped ribbon and a suit. Fix's arms are wrapped around him; one hand holds a bouquet of flowers. the color scheme is overall a light, summery lemon yellow-green, with accents of bright blue and orange.
September 1, 2025 at 7:03 PM
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making letters beautiful with wax seals just to feel something
a flat lay photo of my desk covered with stationery: a set of wooden square tile pattern stamps, ink pads, scissors, rolls of washi tape, alphabet stamps, wax seal supplies, an envelope with a wax seal in progress on it. a wax seal on top of an envelope. the same envelope as the previous picture, now with the finished wax seal revealed: a marbled rose quartz and white-colored wax embossed with a design that looks like a slim twine ribbon.
August 31, 2025 at 6:27 PM
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i'll do it my way. #bg3 #baldursgate3 #astarion
finished version of the previous image; a traditional ink and brush illustration of Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3. he wears form-fitting studded leather armor and crouches on some rotted wooden rafters, backlit by a full moon. he holds the Rhapsody dagger in his right hand while he licks blood off his left hand. in the upper left is a thumbnail sketch / value study that i inked before making the main piece.
August 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
blueludebar.com
baldur's gate 3...was so fun!!🩸🖤 #bg3 #astarion #baldursgate
traditional ink and brush linework of Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3. he wears form-fitting studded leather armor and crouches on some rotted wooden rafters, backlit by a full moon. he holds the Rhapsody dagger in his right hand while he licks blood off his left hand. in the upper left is a separate sheet of test paper covered in brush strokes and hatching.
August 28, 2025 at 6:44 PM
blueludebar.com
hello watercolor my old friend
an illustration inked with sable brush and painted with watercolor, of Jay Corvidae carrying Fix Vulpes (both from my first graphic novel, EIGHTY DAYS). he wears a flat-brimmed summer hat with a striped ribbon and a suit. Fix's arms are wrapped around him; one hand holds a bouquet of flowers. the color scheme is overall a light, summery lemon yellow-green, with accents of bright blue and orange. to the right is a separate test paper that has a small color study thumbnail and swatches of paint on it.
August 26, 2025 at 5:46 PM