A Month Away

This... is going to be a huge post.

I've been back online for a little over a week now, yet it feels like April didn't even exist at all. Let me give you a quick synopsis of what happened.

The first week I started off very strong, lots of studying and sketching. I was happy.
The second week I started to get a little lazy, often finding myself engrossed in reading or watching movies than drawing.
The third week I injured my hand and decided to give it some rest.
The last week I remained lazy and watched movies.

I wish it would have gone differently, but I still learned some things.
The first is that I don't need to rush myself, especially with art. Somehow I see where my friends and peers are in their careers and I want nothing more than to be up on the same level with them. What happens with rushing is not only do I not make very good art, but I also get my hand/arm/shoulder cramps.
The second, how in control of my own actions I am. It seems a bit silly to realize this (I'm sure this wouldn't be the first time I've thought of this) but I often would spoil myself by allowing myself to be lazy. "Oh you can watch one more episode of this show, then we can get started on art. You deserve this piece of chocolate, I know how stressed you've been with worrying." etc. I still struggle trying to put my rewards in their place and really making art my true priority.
Lastly, the present moment is the most important. I need to not focus so much on my future, I seem to grow more anxious that way. Anxiety and depression can be very ugly, usually bringing myself down to a halt and it can be tough to get myself back up again.

Unfortunately, not to sound like a broken record, my hand and arm pains are starting to grow more painful. I was talking to a friend about her time with her arm pains, and she told me that she really had to take a few months to rest. That is, no drawing at all. She thinks that the inflammation still exists because I never gave myself a break. Even though I'm not drawing as much as I would like to, I am still drawing.
I've thought about doing this but it's tough when there are so many projects I want to do. I'm waiting to hear back from my former physical therapist to see if it's a good idea. In the meantime, I would pursue other creative outlets like photography, writing, and drawing with my left hand.

So... Who knows what will happen, all I can do is keep a positive attitude and reassure myself that I'm still young, I have many years ahead of me to accomplish what I want but I cannot get there if I do not rest properly and work on building a better mind set.

Whew, I always feel a little guilty writing so much, but it's a part of my journey that I will look back on.

Ready for some pictures?

Some more creature heads! I left a lot of them unfinished since I want to try painting them in Photoshop sometime soon.

Moleskine sketchbook... Trying to not worry too much about what is right and wrong, focusing more on exploration and getting the idea onto paper.

I started oil painting again last month. I loved doing these, I need to finish my color charts and I'll try colors sometime soon. 

I cannot thank my friends and family enough for their support and encouragement. I know I would never be where I am now without them, and will continue to depend on them whenever my mood or motivation take a dark turn.

This past month has really sparked a new passion for art inside of me, it's just a matter of pacing myself so I may be able to share all my future art with you guys.

Sketchy Saturday - 1.19.13

Happy New Year my friends!

And wow, hard to believe this first month is almost over. Last Saturday I hauled myself out of bed to attend life drawing, and the last time I went was back in August! I always feel like a broken record when I say I'm always relearning the basics again and again, but they usually come back the quickest after a long break, hah.

Also, I was in a bad spot, so there isn't enough full body drawings. Next week though, I will be there at 9AM on the dot!

Confession Time

Alright guys, I have a pretty big confession to make.

I am... addicted to Neopets.

I used to play all the time when I was younger. In fact, it was meeting other young artists on the site that really hooked me onto pursuing art as a career. I would constantly draw my pets and write stories about them, it was great.

I took a hiatus when I was in college because I felt I out grew it. When I was under going physical therapy, I got back into it to keep me busy. Then when I was able to start drawing again, I began drawing my pets and other person's pets, and now I'm having fun painting them.

I was really embarrassed about this fact for the longest time because my feelings about fanart are conflicting. Especially with Neopets, I found a process in Photoshop that helps me pump out pictures pretty fast and I felt like I was being a half-ass.

The few friends who I've confided about this addiction with have all said the same thing - art is art. Even fanart still has the word art in it.

Plus, I'm having so much fun and am learning a lot from these pictures.

Here are some of my favorites, a mixture of my own pets and others.

Phew, that felt good to get off my chest. Bouncing between this fanart and also gift art has kept me busy, I hope to get a few more posts in before the new year!

Also, my blog has broken over 10,000 pageviews. Thank you everyone!  

Self Portrait Day 2012

Gosh this year is flying by! Today is International Self Portrait Day.

I originally wanted to keep it in the same time frame as the one I did last year, but decided to just keep going to finish it.

Demon Babe

Wow, it's embarrassing how long I've updated... Here's a speed paint clocking in around 4-5 hours!

Idyllwild

Time is sure flying by faster than I would like!

Here are some paintings and sketches from my trip to Idyllwild this past weekend. I had a lot of fun!

My first attempts at watercolor painting... I still have a lot to learn, especially how to not make my colors look so pastel and edge control.

Some pen and paper work... I forgot how relaxing hatching can be. 

Name Change + White Lily Sprite

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to share my thoughts about my little flower trolls. I've been thinking a lot about their purpose and their name, especially because I would love to eventually draw different fantasy creatures and monsters. Plus with some input from friends, I've come to a really big decision!

No longer will they be called trolls, I'll now on refer to them as sprites!

Even though calling them trolls is cute and catchy, my peers have agreed that they are far too pretty to be called trolls. Plus I already have an idea of what trolls will look like, along with fairies!

I also attended an artists' workshop called Workshop SF this past weekend. Unfortunately I did not have a portfolio prepared, but my sketchbook was passed around. It was really awesome to hear everyone's thoughts on my sprites, even a friend wanted to get a tattoo of one, ah! What started off as a little fun has turned my art career around, and I never realized how much people respond to my art when I'm just relaxing and having fun. I'm blessed to have gone and to gain a million ideas of what to do with these little critters!

I have a couple illustration ideas I want to do, keep an eye out for them!

In the meantime, here is my latest sprite: White Lily Sprite! A very special sprite for a very special friend of mine.

Here are the sketches for the design! I'll admit I had a very difficult time choosing. I try my best to really make the sprite one of a kind yet still fit in with the preexisting sprites I have drawn.