Hey guys! This is the real time version of my latest YouTube video in which I talked about stepping out of your comfort zone! I thought to try some bright neon colors since I don't do that too often!
2019-02-05 17:12:34 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys! I haven't updated you guys in so long; I apologize! I've been so busy with assignments this semester, but I'm so excited for everything that I've been working on!
I've been taking mostly major specific classes, so I have been using Illustrator and InDesign a whole bunch, and now that I'm starting to know the programs better, I'm having a lot of fun with them! This semester is the first time that I've been finishing assignments the day that I get them; a lot of my classes have class periods that are just work days, and time flies so fast in them! I get super caught up in whatever I'm designing, and I feel sad that I need to leave class. I've also been working tons on photography! Ahhh that's the most exciting part! So I usually just post my fine art online, but I love basically every medium that I get my hands on, and one of those is photography. I've just purchased the Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART lens and I'm soooooo excited to use it more! Just from the small amount of shots that I've taken with it, I'm absolutely in love; it's so clear and smooth. I've only ever shot photos of myself, my brother, and places/things, so I really want to get into taking good photos of models-- so I'm going way out of my comfort zone on Wednesday. I asked a really cute friend if she'd like to model for me, and she said yes, so we are going downtown to shoot some photos! I'm so excited and nervous for it; the saving grace to this is that she's super Insta baddie and really photogenic, so I'm sure she'll make up for any weird awkwardness on my part!
Hmm let's see what else is new.. I was super sick last week (the flu and strep are going around campus) so I was chugging DayQuil in my classes, but thankfully, I'm all better now. I've also had the most insane mood swings; one day I'll be so happy/confident/ready for the day, and the next, I'll be depressed and upset and illogically just focus on negative things, and then back to happy the next day. Yesterday and today have been absolutely beautiful outside, and the fresh air and super warm weather have definitely helped my mood, so I'm thinking SAD has just been getting to me. I'm excited for spring coming up soon!
Also, hopefully you guys have checked the updates to my reward tiers and you're pleased with everything! I know I'm definitely ready for a fun change, and I'm excited for the new content I get to share with you guys!
MOVIES
The last season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is out, and even though I haven't had time to finish it, I love it so far! It's so cute and funny :-)
MUSIC
Wasted My Love- Stripped- Axel Mansoor
Red Lights- Lydia
Lost In Translation- Gabriella Rose
Cover Me in Roses- Holden Laurence
Arrival of the Birds- The Cinematic Orchestra
Amo (the entire new album that Bring Me The Horizon just released!)
Out of the Dark- Young Lions
Over You- Pure Version- Frida Sundemo
i'm so tired...- Lauv
Older- Sasha Sloan
Hey guys! This upcoming February, I am changing my reward tiers, so definitely check out the new changes and update accordingly! Changing tomorrow!
$1+ tier- two updates a month, song and movie recommendations
$5+ tier- sketchbook pdfs, looks at my school assignments, all previous rewards
$10+ tier- livestream Q&A (either personal or art related!), all previous rewards
$12+ tier- postcard, all previous rewards
$20+ tier- pack of three stickers, all previous rewards
$50+ tier- 5x7 in. original drawing, all previous rewards
$100+ tier- limited 5x7 in. original painting commission/request, all previous rewards
There might be some minor tweaks/ I might add a holographic print pack tier as well if you guys would like!
Here is the last coloring page that I'm going to be making for you guys! New rewards for February, so hopefully you like this last one!
2019-02-01 01:42:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey guys! Here is this January's first sketchbook PDF! If you see random notes/quotes on the pages, I just jotted down funny things that my professors have said in class.
I also worked on some product designs as well, so let me know if you guys like them or have any suggestions!
2019-02-01 01:37:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey guys! Here are allllll the art assignments that I've worked on in these first three weeks of school! Let me explain what I have to do for each of these:
1.Mystery Shoot- This was my first photography assignment; my professor randomly gave each of the students a word that would be the theme of their photoshoot, and I got "anxiety". For the assignment, we need to upload at least 25 images each week. I grabbed some black acrylic paint from the local craft store, mixed it up with water, and solicited my older brother to come to the photo lab and help me out! It was super strange taking the photos, but I really like how they came out! If you're wondering, I used my Canon 60D with my 50mm 1.8 lens.
2. Photography Scavenger Hunt- This one won't really make sense just from looking at the photos (and also they're not good because I was sick this week, took most in low light, and half-assed this assignment big time, but it's only worth 20 points), but our professor gave us a list of 25 things to take photos of, and I only managed to get 13 out of the 25. In my defense, he asked for a couple of photos of babies, and I don't know any babies here at college. P.s.- props to my second favorite place downtown; it fulfills all my The Departed/Boondock Saints Irish pub desires. The food isn't even great, but I love going there!
3. Mrs Eaves Art Print- This project is for my Typography class; we needed to select a typeface to spotlight and we could only use color blocking and the typeface for our design. I'm not a good designer yet, so I'm hoping for constructive critique from my professor for this piece!
4. "Salty" Typography- This wordmark is for my Vector Illustration class; my first time using Illustrator and paths! Our professor asked us to design a 4 to 6 letter word traditionally, and then use Illustrator to put it together. I surprisingly found this easier than I thought I would, and I'm learning how to use paths and vectors! Good stuff. :)
Hey guys! I really want to switch up some of my tiers and rewards for this coming month onward; I love change, and I've been getting a little tired of sending out the same rewards for this past year, and I think it's showing in the content I'm giving you.
I'm planning on removing the coloring page, and somehow altering my video rewards since I haven't been very consistent with them. Any ideas on how you'd like me to do that? Would you like more personal or talking videos from me? Anything to replace them?
I'd also love to start sending Patreon exclusive monthly stickers! Would you guys be interested in that? Other print rewards that you would like? I'd love to work on more print projects, so print packs, sticker packs, postcard packs, I'd love to adjust tiers and rotate between all those if you're open to the idea!
I want to get a feel of what rewards you would like from me, and I'll post another update on February's tiers before the month is out so that you can update your pledge and get the new rewards for next month!
Please leave me all your comments and suggestions so that I can put out the best content for you guys! I'm excited. :-)
Hey guys! I've been super slow with uploading the real-time process videos of my last YouTube videos, but here is the process for my painting "Peaches"! Hope you enjoy seeing my process. :-)
2019-01-24 16:53:06 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys! Happy Monday! This is my first Patreon post of 2019! Have you guys set any New Year's Goals/Resolutions?
I didn't intend to, but I started writing a list of things I'd like to accomplish this month and it kind of ended up to be a list of goals for 2019! I thought I'd share them with you guys because I'd love to have your input on them!
1. Stop buying fast fashion. This is the one that started everything else, and to me, this is my most important goal for the year! I caught myself spending too much money on cute new clothes this past year, and okay, granted, most of the new clothes I bought were after my breakup and I was going through a major treat yo' self month (or two), but I kept losing weight or changing my style and since my college town has the worst thrift stores ever, I found myself online shopping a lot. I wasted a lot of money on clothes, and more importantly, bought cheap quality items that were made with unethical labor, so this year, my goal is to completely cut out fast fashion unless I NEED something (such as if all my jeans burn in a fire and I can't find any on Poshmark/Depop/thrifting/Plato's/sustainable clothing brands). I've been much more eco conscious lately, and thinking about recycling and using less plastic if possible, and I'm not perfect at all, but I've slowly begun to minimize all the plastic and new products that I purchase.
The Lord already tested me a couple days ago with a pair of gorgeous mom jeans that were not sustainable, and I looked everywhere online to see if I could buy them second hand, and no one was reselling them! But I kept a level head at 3 in the morning, and found them at Plato's a couple of days later, so I'm kinda proud of myself. It's so stupid, I know!!
2. Cut bread out of my diet completely. Okay, I gained a lot of weight over this winter break, just because we have so many delicious things at home, and I love baking! I made this incredible turtle cheesecake for my family and friends, and I don't regret it at all, but I think I put on 10 pounds!! Yikes, So I'm back to as keto of a diet as possible, and I know that I'm gonna have some cheat days if I go out to eat with friends, so I'm not gonna be ridiculous and say I want to cut out every carb out of my life. I just don't ever have a need to eat bread, so I'm cutting that out completely this year. I guess that maintaining a keto diet (not ketosis hehe that's impossible for me) goes with this goal, but I'm going to try my best and not beat myself up if I have the occasional chipotle bowl!
3. Put ** in my savings each month! I'm not going to share the amount, but I would like to put a more hefty amount in my savings each month. In general, I want to be more wise about how I spend my money, and to put aside more since I do plan on moving out this next fall and I want to be sure to have an incredible bubble of protection when it comes to rent and food.
4. Support one artist a month in some way! That sounds vague, but I'd like to get more involved with other artists this year! I'm a hermit and also an introvert, so I never ever want to message or talk to mutual artist acquaintances, so I think I need to man up and just do it already. I don't think I'll bother anyone? Oooff you don't understand the anxiety I have about bothering people..
5. Find ethical alternatives to things I usually purchase. When it comes to packaging supplies, I'd like to begin using biodegradable and recycled products mainly, so I'm going to slowly get rid of the stock of supplies I already have and only purchase biodegradable products from now on!
6. Read three classical works. I'm thinking about Anna Karenina, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre. Three books might sound like so little for some of you, but for me, that's insane! I never read, I would rather draw or hang out with friends or watch a show, but these three novels are some of my favorite stories (well, Anna Karenina not so much, but I love how tragic it is and it's such a classic).
7. Update my Patreon game!! This is where you guys can come in. I know I need to update my reward tiers so that they can be better for you all, so let me know how I can do that!
8. Move out this fall.
I've sort of been struggling with being positive this week; I've had a weird change of events and maybe dealing with a little bit of seasonal affective disorder, so I've been very bummed about things. I'd been dating someone for a month and it kinda fell through, and logically, I'm glad it didn't go further (I'd have been settling and he didn't really appreciate my work), but for some reason, it really bummed me out for a couple of days. I did a lot of contemplating about myself and my character, and realized I let worry and anxiety control me a lot! I did found a lot of verses and quotes talking about worry, and I talked to my mom and best friend about it and kind of got through to why I've been harboring negative feelings about a lot of things. My mom's great at encouraging me to be the best that I can be and to not back down or compromise or settle for anything, so I feel empowered!
Lastly, I have kind of unfortunate update.. it seems that I'm not going to Japan. :(
I was completing passport forms and communicating with the trip coordinator, and she called me to let me know that due to budget and housing difficulties, the whole trip is cancelled and moved to the fall (and will be much more expensive). I'm really bummed, I was super excited to travel abroad this spring break, but I'll talk to my friends about taking a trip during that time anyway, and my friend said we could probably still go to Japan during the summer and stay at her grandmother's house. I'll talk to them in person when I get back to college this Saturday, but we'll try to figure something out!
All of a sudden, this post became sad and depressing, but I'm pumped honestly! I did a bunch of admin and schoolwork today, and also received so many encouraging comments on my newest YouTube video, so I'm thinking of fun new video topics to talk about (aaaannd I have a couple of prerecorded videos so that I can post during this next semester in the case that I don't get to recording anymore pieces). I'd also love to update my video editing game; I want to have super aesthetic videos that are art themselves, so after this post, I'm gonna go brainstorm for my upcoming YouTube videos.
MOVIES
I watched Good Will Hunting and related so much to the main character. I learned a lot from the movie about opening up and taking risks and being hurt, and ugh I love Robin Williams. He's my favorite :(
MUSIC
Water on the Bridge- Chelsea Cutler
Reasons Not To Die (Demo)- Ryn Weaver
Used To Be- Devon Baldwin
And some Post Malone... I'm so white..
Hey guys! I haven't talked to you guys in ages; I've just been caught up with other things and kept forgetting my update for you!
Okay, so where I last left off, it was the beginning of this month. We had a huge snowstorm during finals week, and my last final (the day before last day of finals) was moved so I left college after campus officially closed. It was nice though! I had three finals that day; one was cancelled and another was moved online, so I ended my semester with a 4.0 again. I'm super grateful for good professors and friends this past semester! This was definitely my best semester so far, and I'm excited for my upcoming graphic design classes-- I'll finally be getting into more major specific classes, and I'll have a digital photography class for my minor!
So I got home on the 12th, and after lots of sleep and hanging out with family and friends, I started to catch up on all the work I've been neglecting these past couple of months. I don't love how I handled contracts and work this past semester. I definitely make school my number one priority, and then friends and mental health comes next, so as you guys recall, I focused on working out and keto a lot in my spare time. I think that realistically, the way I used my time was good, but I shouldn't have made as many commitments as I did if I wasn't able to carry through with them on time. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions since I like to have workable goals that I set for myself whenever I feel the need to, but I'm planning on limiting what's on my plate for this next semester and focusing on delivering on time (New Year's/new semester goal!).
For my Japan-themed merch, I realized that my initial plan isn't going to work out! :( I've tried so many different thumbnails, concept drawings, and finished paintings/artwork, and I really don't feel inspired to draw Japan-themed ideas! It's definitely because I have absolutely no knowledge of the culture, and for my limited knowledge, I don't think what I've drawn is representative of Japan? That's so difficult to explain, but I don't want to do any sort of cultural appropriation. I finished lineart for Japanese food stickers, and it just wasn't cute! I think that I'd definitely need to be creating kawaii items, and that doesn't work with my style, so I'm revising my plan. Apart from the enamel pin designs that I made (which are super cute), I'm still going to be creating a fun amount of new products for my shop, but they're going to be a different theme (surprise until I finalize my sketches and ideas!).
Personally speaking, I've been doing pretty well! I haven't been eating keto with the holidays, and I think I've gained weight. I've been trying to work out as much as possible, but it's been sporatic-- I did every day consistently until the 21st, but haven't gone to the gym since. I don't love how I feel since I've stopped working out, but I've either been super busy or tired and haven't gotten to it! I feel bad! I need to get back to it. Friends are good, I'm glad to be back and to see my family and eat yummy breakfasts (breakfast is the one food I really miss when I'm at college), and my bunnies are still really cute. o.o
One art supply I can recommend this month is the Arteza 36 half-pan watercolor set- https://arteza.com/collections/paint/products/watercolor-set-of-36-premium-half-pans-assorted-colors (out of stock at the moment; you can grab a smaller set or check back for when it will come back in stock)- Arteza sent it to me along with their watercolor paper and asked me to post about it on Instagram if I liked it, and I've been using it a lot! I emailed them and asked about lightfastness, but if the rating is good, I think these are some fun and easy to use watercolors. I like them because of how creamy they are, and I enjoy using these more than the Holbein set I received last Christmas. I'm not sponsored to say anything nice about these (I stipulated that I'd state my honest opinion on the watercolors, and I haven't posted about the paper because I honestly hate the texture of it), but if you're looking for some thicker and creamy watercolors, I can recommend them! One thing I will say is that in comparison to the Kuretake Gansai watercolor set, these are not as vibrant and bright as those are. I haven't found western watercolors that compare to gansai paints yet, but these are still pretty bright if not overmixed.
MOVIES
Silver Linings Playbook is soooo good! I loved this movie, I've watched it two times by now and I recommend it if you're into something crazy and funny. I also watched Instant Family in theaters, and I almost cried a couple of times! I've always been open to adopting in the future if whoever I marry feels the same way, so I really enjoyed this movie and loved seeing both the ups and downs of the adoption process (even if this was just a movie). I also finished New Girl, and I'm super sad that I don't have any more new episodes to watch. I love Winston so much :-(
MUSIC (lots to catch up on, so get ready!)
Ocean- Devon Baldwin
Normal- Sasha Sloan
Better Now- Post Malone
Chateau- Angus & Julia Stone
thank u, next- Ariana Grande
That Way- Xuitcasecity
Bloom- Troye Sivan
Aftertaste (feat. Opia)- Whethan
Passionfruit- A R I Z O N A
Raincoat- Timeflies, SHY Martin
Oceans Away- A R I Z O N A
Freaking Out- A R I Z O N A
Summer Days- A R I Z O N A
Scorpio- Lostboycrow
HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!!!! Hope 2018 was a time of growth and learning for you, and that 2019 has tons of opportunities, blessings, and good things in store for all of you! I love you guys, and I'm so thankful for one year of your support! HUUUUUUUGGGS!
Here is this month's coloring book page! I'm a little late in the month with it since I didn't have my scanner (I left my printer at college), and I had to look around the house for another one!
Happy New Year's Eve!
2019-01-01 00:01:10 +0000 UTC View Post
This month, I was able to do a lot more sketching and painting since I'm currently in winter break! The last two images are of Jacob Lee, and they're for a project that he and I are collaborating on! (super secret, but really fun! I'm excited to share it with you soon.)
Hope you like looking into this month's sketchbook PDF!
2018-12-31 23:58:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey guys! This is the real-time process video of a drawing I recently made in my sketchbook! The footage is from my next YouTube video on how to draw thumbnail sketches for larger drawings. Hope you like it!
2018-12-19 02:10:15 +0000 UTC View PostHey frens! Happy December! Look at me not updating you until now, but but I have reasons. I was home for Thanksgiving break from the 15th to the 24th, and I got sick just as soon as I got home. I didn't really have time to do much except hang out with friends on Saturday (since my 20th birthday was on the 18th), and then eat lots of stuffing on Thanksgiving! Just lots of having a fever and napping, then watching Netflix and going to bed at 9. As soon as I got back to college after break, I had a bunch of super intense projects and exams due, and since then, I've been finishing up my final art projects and getting ready for exams! I have all my exams next Monday, and I'm leaving home for winter break the same day or early the next, so I'm trying to get a lot done in the meantime!
Let's see.. I've been finishing up pin and sticker designs, and I'm halfway finished with my Japan food themed sticker pack. I'm also making a winter themed one, so hopefully I can finish that in a couple of days and get them made asap.
When it comes to fitness and eating healthy, I've been a little less good about both since Thanksgiving, but I've gone to the gym a couple of times (albeit my workouts haven't been very intense at all), but I'm planning on getting a gym membership when I get back home and hopefully going.. five days a week, if not every day! Let's see if I accomplish that goal... I've just been both too busy and burnt out to have time or energy for the gym.
Also, not gonna lie, the past couple of weeks have been very stressful when it comes to work and relationships. I'm behind on a lot of my schedule, and with getting less sleep and exams coming up, I'm much more on edge and I really need more personal time. I've been trying to re-evaluate how I spend my time and how much I hang out with my friends, since it's beginning to tire me out (I'm an introvert, so too much social interaction takes a toll on me). This weekend I spent mostly by myself, getting food and going to watch a movie by myself, and then finishing up projects and assignments with lots of historical movies.
I'm super excited to get back home and make a couple more YouTube videos; I haven't had any time to watercolor or have some fun personal art time, so that's another thing I really want to focus on during break. I have two tablet reviews that are gonna come out this month, as well as a video on thumbnailing, why it's important, and how I do it! Let me know if it's a topic of interest for you guys.
MOVIES
I saw Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald with my friends for my birthday, and okay, everyone hated it, and I agree that the story line was all over the place, but I personally thoroughly enjoyed it! I just thought it was super engaging and I almost cried at the end. Lots of moral dilemmas and beautiful people; I recommend it, but I don't think my opinion on this is super common.
I can definitely recommend Wuthering Heights (2009) if you're into a kinda creepy and tragic historical drama. It's iconic for me, one of my favorite dramas, and I watched it as I was working on my final project for my drawing class tonight, and I cried at the end?? What the heck, I've seen this movie five million times and I never really cared and for some reason, the ending just hit me this time. I think I really need more sleep..
OH MY GOSH SPEAKING OF TEARS?? The Haunting of Hill House---- 1000/10, creepy as all heck, heart wrenching, all the feels. I loved this show so so much and I'm so excited for the second season, so if you like horror or creepy stuff at all, drop everything and watch this show. I don't get scared by anything really, but this show had some stuff that gave me goosebumps.
MUSIC
On The Line- Night Riots
Slow Mo- The Spacies
Vice- RKCB
Little Wonders- Rob Thomas
In My Veins (feat. Erin Mccarley)- Andrew Belle
Control- for KING AND COUNTRY
Coloring page coming soon and also patreon postcards and rewards will be shipped out this week! I'll let you know when. :)
Hey guys! This month's sketchbook PDF is kinda short since I've had very little time for personal drawing! I've been working on some bigger projects for school, and with Thanksgiving break, my birthday, and getting sick, I haven't had much time to draw too much. In this PDF, you can see some concept designs for projects for school-- the little monster thumbnails are for my social issue art assignment, and the Wuthering Heights thumbnails are for my final project in the same drawing class.
You can also see some of my notes and drawings for my upcoming stickers and enamel pins that are Japan themed! The rabbit, weasel, and fox are going to be enamel pins, and the one sheet of food is going to be for a food sticker sheet. Hope you guys like seeing some of the behind the scenes to my schoolwork and personal projects!
2018-11-30 23:05:47 +0000 UTC View Post
Ahhhh I'm so sorry that I'm so late with this coloring page!!! I feel so bad; I tried to get to it so many times this month and every time, something went wrong. Hopefully you guys like it. :)
2018-11-30 22:47:39 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys! Here is some stuff that I've been working on over the past couple of months for my Graphic Design class and then lastly, I've also attached my pin designs for my Japan fundraising! (I'll show you the projects I've been working on for my drawing class once I get them all back after finals). I haven't shown you what I've worked on since I still haven't received my grades for these projects, but it's been a while since I've shared my assignments.
So for Project 1, I had to design a matching poster and postcard for an event of my choosing. Most of my class made posters for concerts or apple picking events that were taking going on around that time, but I really wanted to make a fortune teller poster and decided to make one for Madame Lulu from A Series of Unfortunate Events. I had a clear idea of a glowing crystal ball in the middle of the poster, and what really carried this project was the digital painting. My professor liked my painting skills and color choices, as well as the type that I used, and his one correction was that "Lulu" was much more smoothly written than "Madame" and he suggested that I make the two lines of text look more similar to each other. For this class, we need to professionally print and mount our projects for presentation, and this day was lots of good memories. I spent a lot of time with my friend getting our projects done, and we went to print and buy mounting supplies together, and then he took me downtown for breakfast and we explored his favorite barber shop, antique store, and an art gallery for me. Good times.
For Project 2, I had to create a logo (both in color and black and white), a letterhead, business card, and envelope. It's kind of ironic because I already have my "identity" set up for my business, and I definitely could have done more with this project, but basically, I just sketched out all the separate components in ink and used Adobe Capture on my phone to quickly turn them into vectors, and then I just put them together in InDesign. It was easy peasy, took me like three hours total, so I was pretty nervous presenting it to the class, but he loved it-- said it was simple and playful. He said that the back of the business card stands out a lot in comparison to everything else and would have liked to see that deeper pink throughout more of my project, but liked it otherwise.
I don't feel really pushed to be more creative or to learn better design techniques in this class since the professor is very pleased with me incorporating fine art into my designs and keeping everything else pretty simple. Since this is an intro level class, I'm hoping that more advanced courses are going to push me more, but I can't complain if I don't have to work crazy hard for a good grade.
Lastly, for my enamel pins, these are for my Japan trip fundraiser. I designed these with my friend and we came up with the concepts together. She said white rabbits, weasels, and foxes are all popular in Japan, and I thought it would be cute to have three animal pins, especially since the white bun looks like my own rabbit Jerome. I've sent the designs to my pin producer, and hopefully I won't have to make too many adjustments before completing the order. The plating will be rose gold, and each will have two rubber clasps.
Let me know your thoughts on the pins! I'm not sure if they're too simple or boring. I think they're kinda cute.
Hey guys! Here is the super long but full-time process video of my newest digital painting of Coraline! I hope you enjoy seeing the real-time version of my last Youtube video.
2018-11-08 21:23:58 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys! This week, I've been incredibly busy and focused on school as well as fitness, so I'm sorry that I haven't posted this month's coloring page yet! I really need to rethink my reward tiers to accomodate for my more busy lifestyle now, so that's one of my goals for this month! I've not had any time to answer my business emails, so my priority right now is legal obligations and contracts, but I'll post the color book page hopefully by tomorrow! Postcards and packages should also be shipped out by then, and I'm planning on getting shop orders complete as well, so I don't have a lot of time to do everything in! I've been focusing on schoolwork (I had an exam today and another midterm tomorrow), so things are quite hectic for me.
This week, I found out that I'm going to Japan! I applied three weeks ago and I finally received a confirmation email that I'm accepted on the 10-day trip during spring break, so I'm incredibly excited! I'll be going with two of my best friends here at college, and in the meantime, I'm trying to learn some survival Japanese. I'm lucky to be going with a friend that had lived in Japan until she was 12, so she'll help me out with talking to everyone, but I have a goal to learn a little bit of basic Japanese in the coming months. I've also picked up French again (it destresses me in comparison to Japanese), so I'm really finding passions in other things rather than school or work. It's kind of crazy, but I want to branch out and be more well-rounded, even if I'm pretty bad at learning languages.
Since I am going to Japan and the trip is pretty expensive (and since I would like to help my friend pay for her ticket as well), I'm starting a Japan themed product fundraiser! I'm currently designing three enamel pins, two iron-on patches, a postcard set of four, a sticker sheet, and possibly two single stickers as well. More to come on how those will be coming along, but that's my pet project at the moment. I'm crazy for tackling so many things at once (I have two huge projects due on Monday that I haven't really had the chance to work on), but I'm hoping to stay up a little later this weekend so that I can cross everything off my to-do list.
Patreon is kind of on the back burner for me right now because of all these huge things going on, so I really do need to modify my rewards for you guys, but if you've been feeling dissatisfied with me, just comment and let me know how I can improve!
When it comes to fitness, I've been working on a couple of times a week; I don't set a schedule for it, but I've been going when I have a couple of hours where I feel stressed and want to decompress, and I've been loving taking time to do that rather than eating or binging shows as a way to relax. I have to find a healthy balance for everything, and I think that I need to start using a planner since I'm not as strict with myself on everything that I need to do daily.
MOVIES
I went to see Venom with my friend, and it wasn't good...
I don't recommend it at all; we both went in with no expectations in the hopes of liking it, but it just wasn't good. Not bad, just confusing and nonsensical.
MUSIC
Waste It On Me (feat. BTS)- Steve Aoki
Killer Queen- 5 Seconds of Summer
Superposition- Young the Giant
Pompeii- Timeflies
Hey guys!
I haven't had a lot of time for sketching this month, so I've just been working on small doodles here and there in between classes.
Hey guys!
So this week has been super productive and good for me, and I really wanna talk about working out and eating Keto all throughout this week! I worked out 5 days this past week, and I wanted to know if this schedule was workable into my everyday routine. I have a pretty packed schedule regularly, so devoting time to working out every day was an undertaking, and I had to be proactive about it every day.
So if you've been following me for enough time, you know that I love just walking around and moving, not so much working out, but being active. When I'm at home, I sit on my butt for 10 hours each day, and I get like 200 steps a day on average. With all the changes going on lately, and with a "free" gym here at college, I've been working out three days a week to relieve stress and stay active and healthy, and while I haven't been doing crazy hard workouts, I've been seeing benefits on my mood and mental health, so I'm kind of converting to this lifestyle..? However, this past week, I was wondering what it would be like to work out every day. Bottom line: I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of pain and lots of sweating and being exhausted, but overall, I felt like I was better using my time each day. Everyone needs a little bit of time each day to unwind, and I found myself constantly procrastinating work because I'd hop onto YouTube every day after class. I'd get back to my dorm and just waste two or three hours until I'd finally pull myself together and do my homework. I've realized that working out is more effective at relieving stress, and it gets me in a "me-time" kind of mood. I've been doing a little bit of cardio, a little bit of machines for my arms and legs, but mostly pilates and other weighted exercises, and just taking my sweet time with finishing all the exercises on my checklist. I've been spending 50 minutes to an hour and 30 at the gym, and while I don't really like the time wasted on the commute to and from, I feel much more accomplished.
That being said, I don't know how manageable working out 5 times a week is for my schedule. I'm behind one a couple of bigger projects, so I'm considering trying to work out daily if possible, but also not really forcing myself to do so if I have homework due.
Another fun thing I've been trying out is keto. I'ma be real, I didn't keep it religiously, but I tried to make as many meals as possible keto friendly, and I ate.. like.. 70% all good stuff. I had a couple of cookies and some pasta, but whatever, I'm human. Honestly though, when I'd decide to cheat the system and eat a store bought cookie, I'd feel super heavy and like I had indigestion, so my stomach definitely has become a little more sensitive, and okay-- the weirdest thing is that with working out and trying to eat keto, I've been so busy and haven't had any time to eat anymore? My first meal will be at 3 pm, and I might eat something at 6 and that's kind of what's been happening. I haven't lost any weight and that's not my goal, but I just haven't had time to eat! It's super weird.. Anyway, that's been what I've focused on this week.
I also worked on a new YouTube video which will be out pretty soon! It's gonna be fun, I enjoyed creating it and I think it's gonna be helpful to you all.
Regarding art, I've had a little more time to watercolor and draw, but I am behind on my Patreon postcard artwork! I really need to finish it up and order this month's postcards ahhhhh! I have a cool new project I'm going to begin working on, and I'll let you know about it as soon as I know if I'm accepted into a certain program... We should all know by next week so that's coming in my next update.
How are you guys? Are you annoyed at how I'm too busy to talk to you anymore? I love you all!
2018-10-29 06:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys!
I'm sorry for being late with my update, but after this week is over, I think I'll have so much more time to focus on personal art and you all (and YouTube??!). This is the last week of two online classes for me, so I have soooo many things to turn in and make sure I finish by Friday. After they're over, I'll be at 12 credit hours, so everything will be sooo much more chill and easy, and I'll actually have Sundays free to work on personal artwork and YouTube! I am actually working on a new video to post asap, so I'm crazy busy at the moment. Wish me luck! Also, for one of the online classes, I got a 0 out of 100 on an assignment, so I have to do an extra assignment to make up for the full letter grade bump! Thank God that my professor was nice and gave me the opportunity to make my grade up.
This week, I did a lot of things actually. Friday, I almost hit three black bears with my car; they were just in the middle of the road and I was going about 60, so it was a miracle that I stopped in time. They were so fluffy though, oh my goodness. Sunday was awesome; my friends and I went to a tiny church in the morning, got fancy pizza for lunch and then went to the shooting range! It was fun because I used the same gun that my dad used when he was in the military (and I'm not a bad shot). Then we got sushi, and it was my first time actually going to a Japanese restaurant with the intent of ordering sushi. So lots of fun new experiences!
Oh, my favorite part of this past week is that I think I've had Tropical Smoothie Cafe for like... 4 days in a row now; it's 100% my obsession. Okay, I'll stop talking about food, but in my defense, it's the way I reward myself for finishing all my schoolwork.
Lastly, today has been an amazing day. Nothing super special has happened, but I kinda took myself on a little date right after class, and it was awesome having some alone time. It's super difficult for me to balance being around friends with being an introvert. When I was homeschooled, I got tired by too much social interaction so easily, but now, I really love spending as much time with my close friends as possible. It's difficult to actually find alone time, since we all have a routine revolving around each other, so today was, ugh, perfect finding a little bit of alone time. I just drove and went thrift shopping (and found a pair of new Doc Martens for $9.. my third pair, I'm shook), and then got a smoothie. It's just been an amazing cool, crisp day. I'm happy. :-)
When it comes to art, I've again just been working on assignments, but my goal for Patreon postcards is to paint and order this and next month's postcards in the same batch. Usually, I just order each separate month, but I'm thinking this will save me a little bit of time and money, so I'm hoping on working on that tomorrow?
MOVIES
My friend saw Peter Rabbit and said that it reminded him of me, so we got blankets and friends and watched it together in a classroom on a projector. It was cute, but it made me cringe so many times, all the holding rabbits by their ears and throwing them around. We gotta love the bunbuns, not throw them around.
I've also been watching lots of Winnie the Pooh lately; I randomly got reminded of how frickin adorable A.A. Milne is, so I've just been watching the old VHS show that I loved when I was little.
MUSIC
Safe- Daya
better of- filous remix -Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler
Let Me Down Slowly- Alec Benjamin
Without Me- Halsey
Better- Khalid
Worst of You- Maisie Peters
The Few Things (with Charlotte Lawrence)- JP Saxe
Have you guys been good? I promise I'll be more present right after this week ends. Just two more days of these darned online classes!
Hey guys! I had a super long day yesterday and crashed when I got back to my dorm, so update is a little bit late but that's okay! I've been hecka busy (when am I not anymore?) with assignments and going home for fall break, but I need to regroup and go through with work this month.
Highlights from this week were going back home and seeing my friends! We did our yearly traditional corn maze, and I ate lots of delicious food! I'm already missing being in my bed. :( A bummer was that I worked all day on Friday to get a YouTube video uploaded, and then I realized that I had made the same exact video a couple months ago! I'm honestly so embarrassed, but I think that just shows how absolutely tired I've been. I got so little sleep this past weekend (I went to bed at like 4 every night), so right now I'm pooped. I tried digital painting, and that absolutely killed my wrist, so I'm a teeny bit discouraged but determined to make it through everything. And lastly, I managed to bring a car and get a permit here on campus! I'm so liberated hahaha, she's just my foster child for the moment (I pay all the car payments but don't own the car oooof) so I'm excited for adventures! Maybe going for a super long drive tomorrow...
The thank you stickers finnaaaaallly arrived, so I'm going to be packaging all your rewards and shipping them out by Wednesday. I know I'm a little bit late with them, but I couldn't really help the sticker place being hecka slow on production.
Oh! So one big thing that you might have noticed if you follow me on Instagram; I'm not posting for Inktober-- I don't have time honestly. I don't have good ideas, and I'm so tired from all my other assignments and basic living to draw daily masterpieces. And not gonna lie, ink isn't inspiring me right now. I was so ready for what I was going to create until I saw a tweet saying how the artist didn't care about Inktober because it's too much stress. Honestly it's true! Last year, there was so much drama and controversy around it, and I would dedicate at least an hour every day to the drawings, but I felt more inspired then. At the moment, I'm focusing on my assignments which call for a lot of design. I think I haven't been feeling passionate about my illustration recently since I am learning so many useful design concepts, and I'm trying to soak them all in and keep up with deadlines (as well as knowing how to make better product design before adding more stickers and patches to the shop).
I should have a YouTube video up sometime this week (fingers crossed), and it's supposed to be tips/tutorial, so let me know what you guys would like to see from me-- you guys get first dibs on subject matter!
No good movies this week, just New Girl as I've been cleaning up and doing assignments.
MUSIC
There's No Way- Lauv, Julia Michaels (honestly obsessed with this song; it was on repeat for a couple of days)
La Carretera- Prince Royce
Sweet But Psycho- Ava Max
Pumped Up- Klingande
Thanks for being awesome! Hope your week is going well by now!
Hey guys! I'm sorry for this month being super slow with my artwork, but I tried my best to bring my sketchbooks along to classes and to doodle in my spare time. Love you all!
2018-10-01 04:57:50 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys! This week has been pretty great! I've been in a much better mood since I've begun working out, and I've surprisingly been doing really well on my exams and projects. I'm a little overwhelmed with Inktober starting tomorrow; I had a lot of plans on making the cutest drawings and turning them into a zine, as well as making lots of spoopy designs for stickers and pins that I would already have up in my shop, but with all the stress of this past month, I haven't been able to accomplish those goals. I'm a little bummed out since I feel like I've failed with being as productive as I had intended, but I'm trying to remember that I am taking 18 credits and that I do have a huge workload for school. If you guys think it's a good idea, do you want me to still make all the spoopy designs even if they might not arrive in time for Halloween?
Also, when it comes to Inktober, I think I should be lenient with myself because of all that I already have on my plate. I'm just hoping that I have good ideas for my drawings since that's what I struggle most with! I'm thinking that it might be fun to do OOTDs for my drawings; maybe not for all of the days, but I have some cute outfits that I'd love to draw, and that way, I can draw some full bodies and get some practice in that way.
Friday, I went to see BlacKkKlansman with one of my best friends here, and I really enjoyed it. It had such a heavy theme and it was so upsetting to listen to all the horrible language, especially coming from a background in which racism isn't even a thing, but they balanced it well with humor. It was a super artistic movie so I'd recommend it if you've wanted to watch it (but whoooo dollar theater for the win! I'm planning on making Fridays movie nights with my friend). And last thing about my week was that yesterday, I went apple picking with my hall and grabbed some cider as well as a bunch of super delicious apples. Other than that, lots of homework and projects and quizzes, as well as working out and having a friend show me how he does CrossFit. I'm very happy that I've kept a consistent workout schedule for the past two weeks and that I even look forward to it now. It's been amazing in helping me with stress and emotions.
Are you guys doing Inktober? Do you have any themes or goals for this month? If not, let me know your thoughts on Halloween themed stickers and pins!
MUSIC
Four Out Of Five- Arctic Monkeys
Sweet but Psycho- Ava Max
Solo (feat. Demi Lovato)- Clean Bandit
MJ- Now, Now
Hey guys!
Lets start with my Drawing class. My very first big project has been graded (I have two small perspective exercises worth 20 points each which I didn't think were worth showing; I got 20/20 for both), and I'm super surprised by my grade! I got a 119/125; our professor gave a critique of all pieces in class, and mine was the first one he gave, and I was kinda nervous for it. We had to draw a chair from still life, and I hatehatehate drawing furniture/architecture, especially from life, so I was ready to just take the L on this assignment. I kinda rushed through it so I was prepared for harsh critique, but he actually said that my line art was the best out of all the projects! Woah, I was happy. My perspective on the legs was pretty off, and I kept cringing looking at it from a distance and seeing how warped it was.
For my 3D Design class, I've had to build a wire sculpture, paper robot, and clay tile by now. I got a 60/70 on my wire sculpture because I didn't submit the project properly, but my paper robot got a 160/160. I build a little paper Dwight from The Office (Threat Level Midnight anyone?) and my roommate loooves him; she wants a display case for him hahaha! I'll show you guys the disaster of a clay tile once I get a grade back for it, but just be prepared for something super ugly and bad okay? I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to be learning through these projects yet, so I have been doing them last minute and rushing through them.
Lastly, for my 2D Design class, I've been basically doodling! I needed to make 4 thematically related drawings that showed different examples of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, and crystallographic. I'm only allowed to use a black marker for the pieces, so the result is just using a sharpie on bristol board; it's super simple. I got 100/100 on the project, and you'd think that I'd spend a longer time on these pieces, but this project took me around 30 minutes.
For my InDesign class, I've had weekly projects, but so far, they've been tutorials. I'll be showing you actual design work as soon as I have it graded!
I've worked on a couple more projects than the ones I've just shown you, but they're either awaiting grading or pretty boring for you to see. Hope you guys enjoy seeing what I've been working on!
Hey guys! I'm a little late with this week's update, but I've been super busy!
I've been working at my assignments and since I'm taking 18 credits, it's just a lot of work right now! (If you're a $5+ patron, I'll be posting all the assignments that I've already gotten the grade back for right after this post.) Most of my weekly projects are worth more than 100 points each, so it's sort of stressful having at least 3 projects due each week, but I'm living life on the edge and actually enjoying a lot of what I have assigned. I'm getting into more of that edgy design school artwork that I've been hearing so much about. A lot of it is making nonobjective art (basically, squiggling on paper with meaning...) so I'm half annoyed that doodles are worth 125 points, but also happy that assignments are just.. doodles? I still have no idea what I think about learning how modern art effectively uses design principles. I just feel like a snobby art student looking at random brush strokes and pretending to understand the deep philosophical meaning behind them when I honestly have no idea what's going on. Other than my 2D Design class assignments, I have a 3D Design class in which I've needed to build a wire sculpture, paper robot, and clay tile by now. I feel like a little kid with hot glue, but I'm doing my best to not suck.
Personally, I'm still doing the up and down rollercoaster thing, but I've gotten close to two of my friends in the past couple of weeks, so it's super nice to form those deeper relationships. I'm trying to find the right balance of alone time and hanging out with people; I think I'm making up for being alone the whole summer by trying to hang out every single day. It's making me really neglect work and my bucket list projects (like holy cow, Inktober is almost here??! What am I going to do for it???). I'm trying to educate myself into remembering that being alone is what I need sometimes, both to be confident in my own mind and thoughts, as well as to get assignments and artwork done. I find it difficult to want to be in my dorm since it is so cramped (and two of my quadmates have sticks up their butts, so I'm scared of going into the common area or they'll send more passive aggressive texts to the qua group chat), and I don't feel like I have enough room to spread out my art supplies and to work on projects. I'm trying to clean and to make sure that everything is as organized as possible, but I'm very ready to have my own apartment next year and to finally have a designated studio space! Thoughts that get me excited and keep me going.
Oh! I've also been working out Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays! I actually have lost 15 pounds this past month because of all the stress and not eating, so I'm determined to be strong and to let bad feels out by working out, and so far, it's been awesome! I'm not a sporty person and really can't run at all so I've always hated working out, but it feels rewarding to go through voluntary pain and come out alive hahaha! I don't have bat wings anymore which is kinda cool. Also, I say working out; it's more like flailing on the elliptical for 40 minutes-- no judgement.
And last thing is, I really want a Sigma 35mm F1.4 ART lens.. but it's so expensive. I want to get back into photography so that I can have an excuse to buy it, so I brought my DSLR to college and I'm hoping to take some pretty cool self portraits to update my profile pics (think Luke Fontana/Jack Harries? Will probably be dollar store version of their work honestly).
MOVIES
I watched The Nun with my friend on Friday night, and it was kinda boring and dumb (I was falling asleep and my friend kept punching me to wake up), but it was a good time. I'm a big horror fan but I knew it was going to be a pretty eh movie. Some of the visual effects/design were really cool though! The contrast between light and dark and white, slate grey and red was really awesome.
MUSIC
Nobody- Mitski
FACES- The Blaze
Easy Money- Westerman
Back Down- Bob Moses
Mariners Apartment Complex- Lana Del Rey
For $5+ patrons, I'm going to be sending you guys this sticker as a little thank you for being the best and for supporting me during these past couple of months! You can update your pledge if you'd like one but aren't currently a $5+ patron, and if you are, you can add your address to your pledge (or if that doesn't work, you can just send me a message with your address). These are 2"x1.5".
I'll be mailing these out at the beginning of next month with the rest of the $12+ pledge rewards. Love you guys!!
2018-09-17 04:54:46 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys! AHHHH today's update is a tad bit late just because I've been ferociously working on homework. This week has been very different than usual, but I've been slowly getting better. The beginning of the week was rough, but I've been keeping a good attitude and trying to be hecka productive when it comes to school and getting artwork done. I have a little bit of a surprise for you guys, but I'll let you know about it in just a second!
So because of Hurricane Florence, school was canceled after 12:30 on Thursday and we had Friday off, so my mom and I decided to head on over to Richmond for the weekend! We had an awesome time going to the art museum and Maymont Mansion, getting CFA and fire roasted pizza and watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies together. I got to do lots of driving which relaxed me and it was a well needed divertisment. However, I didn't do any of my homework because of the extended weekend, so I had lots of psych and design homework I needed to complete.
So the exciting bit! You guys have been so sweet to me for the past couple of months while I've been going through so much stress and depression, and now this past week. I haven't been putting out the best content for you guys because of my bad state of mind, but you've been going through it with me, so I decided to make a little thank you for you guys, so I made a sticker! For $5+ tier patrons, I'll be sending you all this sticker:
(It's a transparent sticker, but she still cute right?) I'm gonna be sending this out at the end of the month; if you're a $1 tier patron (thank you so much!), you can just update your pledge for the month to receive the sticker. I'm not sure if Patreon will ask all $5 for their addresses, so please be sure to message me the address that you'd like me to send this to if you'd like one (or to update your address info)! Realtime process video for how I made this sticker will be up shorty for $10+ patreons!
MUSIC
I've been listening to tons of oldies because they're good car tunes, and also they've been cheering me up and keeping me in a good mood. My depressive indie isn't the best for me right now, so pop is helping me survive:
Africa- Toto
Send Me On My Way- Rusted Root
Crazy- Gnarls Barkley
Love you guys!
2018-09-17 04:47:19 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys,
Today's update isn't the best, so it's gonna be a brief check in. I've had a pretty rough week. I broke up with my boyfriend, so I've been on a rollercoaster of emotions and it's been very rough to deal with schoolwork and social media. I felt very isolated since I internalized my emotions and didn't talk to anyone through all the problems that have been going on, but luckily, I reached out to some old friends to talk through what I'm going through and it's helped a lot. Since I posted to my social media about it, I've been flooded with love and support from many friends and many of my followers, and I'm feeling much less lonely knowing that I have people who care for me. It's really shown me the quality people in my life, so I'm beyond blessed to have received so much support. I'll be okay in a couple of days, and I'll be back to posting and creating artwork, but right now, I'm eating candy with my friend and her roommates and doing homework while watching the Office. Ooof I'm so sorry for such an unproductive post. I promise I'll be in a good mood soon!
2018-09-10 00:45:14 +0000 UTC View Post