Coding Counter Culture

Attempting to Draw Determination in a Coder

In this drawing tutorial, I'll guide you through creating a powerful and resolute female programmer, drawn in a style inspired by the bold, iconic imagery of socialist realism. And I only use six colors for it! Let me show you in a step-by-step video how I draw determination in the face of a coder!

November 2024

I will start this with something I won't tell you! I won't tell you why I even drew this. This is a drawing of a coder, a programmer, a developer, a software engineer, a hacker, but it is not the typical cliché of a coder, a white male in a hoodie, hunched over a laptop, with a coffee cup in hand. This is a drawing of a woman who has chosen to code, and she is determined to do so. She is not a stereotype, though I do admit that I tried to make her a symbol. A symbol of what? Of the determination that it takes to code.

So... first I will show you what I drew, and then I will tell you how I drew it.

An Apology for Socialist Realism

When creating this drawing, I was inspired by the bold, iconic imagery of socialist realism. This is a style for which I have always had an uneasy admiration, and I wanted to see if I could channel some of that style's power.

Socialist realism is a historic art style that originated in Soviet Russia. It depicts the idealized life of the working class, and the determination of the people to build a better future. I wanted to capture some of that spirit but put it into a different context. I wanted to use strong lines, limited colors that resemble a printed poster in the 1960s (also I've kinda recently started to like using limited colors).

Some historic examples of socialist realism.

These days I am more than reluctant to reference anything that has to do with Russia. Not because I dislike the people but I certainly am very apprehensive about the politics. The artistic style of socialism is not a monopoly of Russia. Sure, it was used in the Soviet Union, but it was also used in many other countries. You could even say that this style has taken on a life of its own as the distinct vidual language of leftist revolution.

I always found the style enticing because it is so bold and powerful. The poses are always so dramatic, the colors are so vivid, and paintings all have a sense of purpose. Some paintings are in a naturalistic style, but many are not. They feel like comic book illustrations. As a person with a partial origin in Bulgaria, I have always somehow been aware of this style. Yet as a person who has lived in the West for most of his life, I have also been aware of the negative connotations that come with it. I can also see many of the stylistic elements that drew me to comics in the first place. So, I wanted to see if I could channel some of that style's power into a drawing of a coder.

And the style circles back directly into comics, one particular comic: Superman: Red Son. This is an alternate history comic book mini-series published by DC Comics that depicts Superman landing in the Soviet Union rather than the United States. The covers and some of the interior art are done in a style that is very reminiscent of Socialist Realism. I would have liked the artists to lean more into the style, but given the troubled production of the series, it is understandable that they did not.

Superman: Red Son. The covers certainly evoke the style of Socialist Realism.

Speed Drawing a Determined Female Programmer

Before we go into all the details of every step, I have a video for you. Let me show you how I drew our idealistic female coder who looks to the future with unwavering determination!

The speed drawing walk-through of my drawing in Procreate (direct link to Youtube)

Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial

My goal was to show a powerful woman who is determined to code. I wanted her to symbolize the adversity many women face in the tech industry, and the determination it takes to overcome it. I wanted her to be ethnically ambiguous, so that she could represent programmers of all backgrounds. I did not want her to be conventionally attractive, but not hide or deny her femininity. I felt that while the head scarf these days is often associated with Islam, it has a far more varied history, having been worn in many cultures and for many reasons. I wanted to show a woman who could be muslim or from any other background.

I did not come up with a name for here. I only knew that she should have a determined expression, and an unwavering stance that channels the spirit of those who shaped history - except this time, she's ready to take on code, a modern heroine in the digital age. I wanted her to embody strength, focus, and a passion for progress. She stands firm in her resolve to code and won't take any nonsense from anyone.

With this in mind, I went through a large number of images from the Socialist Realism era, and I found a few that I liked. I then distilled the key elements I thought made these images so powerful, and tried to incorporate them into my drawing.

As I have often stated in the past, I love to use Procreate on the iPad Pro with the Pencil. It is a delightfully frictionless art tool that allows me to replicate some of my favorite traditional art techniques, like sketching, inking and coloring, all while providing the convenience of digital art. I decided again to use a limited color palette of six colors, which I felt would give the drawing a bold, graphic look.

The six colors, I used for the drawing (strictly speaking I did not use white in the actual motive).

I was going for an old-school, printed poster look. The colors I picked were two shades of ochre, a muddy blue, a weathered red, black and white. Strictly speaking I did not use white in the actual drawing. It is the color around it.

After these steps, I added some more details, cleaned up the drawing, added a frame and the title beneath it. I also added a bit of a texture to the drawing by overlaying a film of subtle white splatter to give it a bit of a worn and printed look. I was quite happy with the result.

Facing Adversity

Drawing this piece was not just an artistic endeavor and a bit of a personal exploration into the symbolism of determination and progress in the field of technology and gender equality. Through the style of socialist realism, I aimed to capture the essence of a coder who defies stereotypes and embodies the relentless spirit needed to break barriers. I hope it is not too vain if I state that I am happy with the result.

Thank you for joining me on this little journey. I encourage you to experiment with styles and themes that resonate with you, and perhaps challenge the norms in your own way. Feel free to share your thoughts or your own artwork in the comments below. Until next time, keep creating and coding!

(And yes, one day soon I will tell you why I drew this. Though the abbreviation of the picture's title might give you a hint.)