Wednesday, August 31, 2016
August Book Haul
I usually prefer checking out books at the library, because going to the library is always so much fun. <3 However this past month I ended up buying a grand total of four books. Check them out!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Anxiety Drawings
Lately I've been drawing when I have anxiety attacks. Don't know why I didn't do that before; it's really been helping. But one night I had an anxiety attack and I started repeatedly copying photos from pinterest; mostly cats and horses. I ended up not finishing the eyes on a lot of them, and most of the horses don't even have manes. XD I drew them using a new pen I got--it's the kind that has multiple colors in it that you can choose from... well you'll see it in the instagram pictures.
So for those interested, here are the pictures I drew while trying to recover from anxiety. LOL. And these are all copied from photographs.
Here are cats:
And here are the horses.
So for those interested, here are the pictures I drew while trying to recover from anxiety. LOL. And these are all copied from photographs.
Here are cats:
And here are the horses.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
My Reference Book
Thought I would do a flip-through of my reference pictures that I use for drawing. I've printed out the pictures in black and white, leaving room for hole punches on the side. I know I usually use folders but in this case I used a binder.
Of course the best thing to study from is life, but when live models aren't available, pictures are the second best thing.
If you're just starting out drawing, you may be tempted to copy from carton people and animals. I strongly dissuade against that. I did that and I think my art is still suffering from it. It's fine if you want to stylize your drawings, or even if you want to learn someone else's style for fan art and such, but in order to do that properly a good study of anatomy is a must.
Here are the links to my favorite sources that I mentioned.
Posemaniacs
SenshiStock
Majnouna
Here are my pinterest boards. Be warned that I don't just use them for reference; you'll find "lolcats" and the like mixed in.
Humans
Spiders
Cats
Horses
Other Animals
Prehistoric Animals
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Bullet Journaling
One thing that I think is so awesome is the way some people have made a hobby out of planning. It's great, seeing all the planning videos on YouTube, with bloggers finding a way to make organization and productivity fun.
One thing that I found interesting is the bullet journal community, mostly because it revolves around making your own planner in any notebook rather than using a store-bought planner. Of course when I tried it I had to make it loose-leaf as opposed to doing it in a notebook... you know me.
This post might be a bit off-topic but a) like I said, I think its cool the way people are trying to get creative with planners, and b) my bullet journal pages live alongside my writing and drawing. So why not. :)
I've included some pictures of my bullet journal thus far (or at least the tops of the pages; don't want to share personal stuff) as well as the two videos made by Ryder Carroll about what bullet journaling is. I recommend you watch both as one of the videos doesn't mention Collections, aka lists, and I think what's good about bullet journaling is that it combines calendars with lists. I'll post a link to the website at the bottom, too.
Bullet Journal
One thing that I found interesting is the bullet journal community, mostly because it revolves around making your own planner in any notebook rather than using a store-bought planner. Of course when I tried it I had to make it loose-leaf as opposed to doing it in a notebook... you know me.
This post might be a bit off-topic but a) like I said, I think its cool the way people are trying to get creative with planners, and b) my bullet journal pages live alongside my writing and drawing. So why not. :)
I've included some pictures of my bullet journal thus far (or at least the tops of the pages; don't want to share personal stuff) as well as the two videos made by Ryder Carroll about what bullet journaling is. I recommend you watch both as one of the videos doesn't mention Collections, aka lists, and I think what's good about bullet journaling is that it combines calendars with lists. I'll post a link to the website at the bottom, too.
Bullet Journal
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Why I Use A Loose Leaf Notebook
New video from me! There are lots of reasons why I prefer using loose paper as opposed to bound notebooks and sketchbooks. I use a padfolio and lots of manilla folders to hold the paper I could also use binders if I wanted to.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Why I Use An Analog Notebook
So recently I stumbled across and fell in love with this article:
Why I Still Use A Sketchbook
I sympathize with the narrator, but the content of the article makes me fear for our society as a whole. "What is a 'sketchbook?' Some kind of laptop?" I'll just take that as a sign of the upcoming apocalypse.
One thing I appreciate about this article is how the author is not at all criticizing technology--he is merely criticizing our dependence on it. I love technology, myself. I have a laptop, an iPhone, and an iPad. I adore them all, and I use them well. Hell, as you know, my art journal is digital. But if you follow my instagram account, you know that I really love handwriting things, and I prefer drawing on real paper as well. At the end of the day, my padfolio is easier to carry around than my laptop or even my tablet. Plus, as the author reminds us, pens and paper do not require batteries. It's a cliche explanation of why we love analog, but it's true.
I repeat: I love our modern digital age. Sometimes I'll type a journal entry or a story scene and I've enjoyed doing art on the computer, too. (Photoshop FTW.) I've also been sucked into the world of eBooks. But at the end of the day there's no replacing the basic simple notebook. Embrace technology, but don't let it consume you.
I'm not saying anything new here, I know, but I really had to applaud that article. That and the idea that someone didn't know what a sketchbook was kind of freaked me out. XD
"You sure you want this? It's so beat up!" Yeah, because it's USED and it's filled to bursting with creativity and expression!
Read the article, it's a good one. :)
Why I Still Use A Sketchbook
I sympathize with the narrator, but the content of the article makes me fear for our society as a whole. "What is a 'sketchbook?' Some kind of laptop?" I'll just take that as a sign of the upcoming apocalypse.
One thing I appreciate about this article is how the author is not at all criticizing technology--he is merely criticizing our dependence on it. I love technology, myself. I have a laptop, an iPhone, and an iPad. I adore them all, and I use them well. Hell, as you know, my art journal is digital. But if you follow my instagram account, you know that I really love handwriting things, and I prefer drawing on real paper as well. At the end of the day, my padfolio is easier to carry around than my laptop or even my tablet. Plus, as the author reminds us, pens and paper do not require batteries. It's a cliche explanation of why we love analog, but it's true.
I repeat: I love our modern digital age. Sometimes I'll type a journal entry or a story scene and I've enjoyed doing art on the computer, too. (Photoshop FTW.) I've also been sucked into the world of eBooks. But at the end of the day there's no replacing the basic simple notebook. Embrace technology, but don't let it consume you.
I'm not saying anything new here, I know, but I really had to applaud that article. That and the idea that someone didn't know what a sketchbook was kind of freaked me out. XD
"You sure you want this? It's so beat up!" Yeah, because it's USED and it's filled to bursting with creativity and expression!
Read the article, it's a good one. :)
Monday, August 15, 2016
Journaling
I've tried keeping journals before, but it wasn't until I started my loose leaf journal that I discovered something that really worked for me. I've been getting more into journaling, especially since I've discovered that it doesn't have to be just writing about your day. You can write about any topic you like. You can write about your favorite books, your personal philosophies, your goals, anything. Once I filled out a survey thing I found online. XD I've also learned about decorating your journals with paint and washi tape, experimenting with different pens, adding photos to your journal, etc. I never used to do that before but I'm really enjoying it now. My journal isn't as decorated as it could be, but I'm hoping to change that.
This fall will be the one year anniversary of my journal. When I hit that date I might do a flip through or something on youtube. Journal flip through videos inspired me to get serious about journaling, so I'll add to the inspirational material. :)
This fall will be the one year anniversary of my journal. When I hit that date I might do a flip through or something on youtube. Journal flip through videos inspired me to get serious about journaling, so I'll add to the inspirational material. :)
Friday, August 5, 2016
Current Novel Project
I'd rather not discuss the story of the novel I'm currently writing, since I'm hoping to get it published (PRAY!) and don't want to spoil anything. But it's a story I've been developing for a few years now. I finally outlined it a couple of months back and am now writing it out!
I have high hopes for this story. I finished another novel last March, but I think this one is a lot better.
I'm gonna make this my NaNoWriMo project this year. Hopefully I'll finish the first draft then!
If you're interested, here's some pictures of my work thus far.
I have high hopes for this story. I finished another novel last March, but I think this one is a lot better.
I'm gonna make this my NaNoWriMo project this year. Hopefully I'll finish the first draft then!
If you're interested, here's some pictures of my work thus far.
Monday, August 1, 2016
New Camera Setup!
I just bought an Ott Light, which enables me to set up my camera (aka my phone XD) in a way that lets me film myself drawing!
I got the idea to use an Ott Light to film from YouTuber Baylee Jae. My setup is pretty similar to the one she had when she used an Ott Light, with some modifications.
As you can see from this test video, the setup works great! I just need to find a way to secure my phone/camera better so it doesn't shake so much. XD
And for those interested, here is Baylee Jae's video that inspired me to use a similar camera setup:
So, now that this is all worked out, I'll be making some drawing videos! :D Hope you'll enjoy them!
I got the idea to use an Ott Light to film from YouTuber Baylee Jae. My setup is pretty similar to the one she had when she used an Ott Light, with some modifications.
As you can see from this test video, the setup works great! I just need to find a way to secure my phone/camera better so it doesn't shake so much. XD
And for those interested, here is Baylee Jae's video that inspired me to use a similar camera setup:
So, now that this is all worked out, I'll be making some drawing videos! :D Hope you'll enjoy them!
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