Accidental ambigram
Yesterday, I picked up a graph paper notebook and some blank index cards. They were 37ยข! (Back to school supply sales: Still somehow captivating.)
I already drew a dungeon in the notebook. Then, I drew some guys fighting.
I didn’t know why grids inspire freehand drawing of figures that don’t seem to take advantage of grids, until a little while ago, when I found out about grid-based design. A lot of magazine and web page layouts that don’t seem to have anything to do with a grid are actually rooted in grids. They impose a subconscious order that appeals to your brain. Dant-dant-dah! Maybe it does the same for freehand drawing.
The drawing turned out to be two drawings in one!
1. Guy that just passed guard and is establishing mount/guy that’s bridging to escape mount.
2. Guy that’s trying to pass guard/guy that is setting up a sweep with his guard.
It’s an accident that a drawing of one situation flipped over looks like a drawing of another situation, but I bet it’s not all that common when drawing grappling situations.
You know: martial arts and the yin yang and the glass half-empty and the Circle of Life and all that!