A self-portrait inspired by the idiom “drowning in a glass of water,” exploring themes of overwhelm and vulnerability.
The idiom refers to feeling consumed by stress and helplessness in a situation that may seem minor or manageable to others. This work visualizes that inner emotional state and how even small challenges can feel all-consuming when one is mentally or emotionally overwhelmed.
This frame-by-frame animation was created using colored pencils on paper, with each of the 46 drawings measuring 8 × 8 cm, resulting in a total runtime of 6 seconds. The frames were later on scanned, aligned, and cleaned up digitally.
Some of the Original Animation Frames
Rough Version Before Clean-Up
Animation Sheets