Drawing Goldenglow on the Sketch wall made me focus all my attention onto the tip of the marker. Even amidst the bustling noise of the Anime convention, the drawing process felt wonderfully therapeutic. My main goal for attending the Anime convention this time was to experience this wall where anyone could freely doodle. I ultimately decided to sketch Goldenglow from Arknights, feeling that her hairstyle and headpieces would offer rich line work on a physical wall medium.
When sketching, you first map out the general silhouette. The wall surface was somewhat coarse and absorbed ink quickly, so drawing a bit faster or laying down more ink was completely fine—once the ink dried thoroughly, the details looked remarkably crisp and clean. Honestly, drawing on a wall feels very different from my usual digital tablet art. On a tablet, you can undo indefinitely, but every single stroke on the wall leaves its permanent mark, making it easier to appreciate the raw, authentic tension of the lines. To capture Goldenglow's bangs and hair tips properly, I paid special attention to the turns of the pen strokes, doing my best to convey that fluffy volume with shading tones. Fortunately, having practiced pen sketching for a while made handling markers quite natural.
Because I was portraying this character myself, the sense of immersion was immense—it felt like being the original artist sketching a mirror reflection of myself. I stood in front of the wall for nearly forty minutes, continuously tweaking the placement of the lightning star to ensure her hand pose echoed the adjacent blank space harmoniously. Although the line art looks straightforward, looking at the smiling Goldenglow on the wall upon completion brought a profound sense of accomplishment. If future Anime conventions feature a Sketch wall like this, I'll definitely draw again—though I might plan out a more intricate composition beforehand, such as adding background scenery and small props for added depth.
Attending conventions always brings encounters with fellow fans queuing up. Someone recognized that I was drawing Goldenglow and watched from the side for quite a while, which felt truly wonderful. Creating this artwork from Goldenglow's perspective while wearing the complete cosplay costume was slightly restrictive for movement—especially the pink camo bottoms, making squatting down to draw somewhat strenuous. Thus, I adjusted my posture several times throughout the process.
The photos were kindly snapped by a passing friend. Although I happened to be looking down at my strokes, it perfectly captured my focused drawing process, serving as a casual, slice-of-life record for this Goldenglow cosplay. When shooting, we carefully framed out the cluttered graffiti on the wall, preserving only the artwork and its most polished elements. Space on the wall was limited; after completing the main subject, line art drawn by others surrounded it. Leaving our shared marks of beloved characters on the wall created a truly heartwarming atmosphere. This unpolished, authentic reality—free from meticulous retouching—is precisely what makes the Anime convention Sketch wall so enchanting.