08/16/2026

Hello, World

"Hello, World" (opens in new tab) ... these words have been a tradition in the world of programming for decades. They’re the first thing you write in a new programming language to familiarize yourself with the basic syntax and celebrate your first sense of accomplishment.

So what could be more natural for me, as a programmer, than to start my blog exactly that way?

In the next few articles, there will of course be more substantial content than just a “Hello World”...

But as you may have already noticed, I drew a little illustration for the article. Because — as much as I can reveal at this point — this website will also be about creativity.

Here’s a quick look at how the illustration was created.

1. Brainstorming & Thumbnails

I had the idea to draw a cocoon relatively early on. After all, a cocoon symbolizes a (new) beginning. Since that alone seemed too boring to me, I kept thinking about it – and eventually came up with the idea of merging the cocoon and a butterfly.

I also wanted to incorporate a few leaves. During my research, I discovered that birch leaves, among other things, symbolize a new beginning....

2. Research

For the cocoon, the butterfly, and the birch leaves, I looked up various references on Unsplash (opens in new tab) and Pexels (opens in new tab). My favorite tool for managing references is Eagle (opens in new tab).

3. Scribble

For me, every drawing starts with a very chaotic scribble, which I usually draw using overhand grip. This phase allows me to get something down on paper quickly, without thinking too much. Above all, though, it helps me overcome the notorious fear of the blank page.

4. Preliminary sketch

Once the rough composition, shapes, and proportions are in place, it’s time to move on to the detailed sketch, and the chaos must give way to clean lines. This phase requires more finesse, as the lines become definitive.

5. Rendering

Finally, it's time to refine the artwork with the final shading, details, and textures. This is the most time-consuming phase and requires a lot of patience.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my creative process. In the next article, I'll tell you what this website actually going to be about.