Nostalgia in Christmas times.

Hi folks, hope you're spending a good time in these holidays!
And specially, I hope this subject I'm about to talk doesn't reach you this year, And in the case it does it does, I hope you read this article, and it can help you kick the bad feeling out.  :)

What I'm talking about?Ah it's a feeling of sadness or/and frustration that apprears in these times in many people's hearts. Some people like to call it call "Christmas nostalgia" or "Christmas melancholy", but I've decided to call "The end of the year Nostalgia" cos it's more specific and  I think it fits more, since this feeling doesn't have to do with Christmas, but as I've realized, it's actually caused by some other reasons.

It happens because...

When I was younger, I've heard some scientist talk about it, that many people feel melancholy or nostalgia for the past times. It was something strange and distant for me for many time, but this December....I'm feeling I'm probably one of these people, and it got me in less extend...not too hard but it is still there. So I think now I am capable to talk about it, and maybe if I'm lucky, to try and find a solution for it.

Cos tech insolates people sometimes.

Now I think about it...I believe I discovered why people sometimes get this feeling; it's in part because many people of today use technology to insolate from the others than to get close! 

Playing with their cellphones and computers when having the other members of their family near them, It's what we in mexico call "being zombies".And the few ones left who aren't slaves of the tech and use it well, still wanna have some nice and fun moments with their families so they feel a bit lonely.

I'm one of those who are included on this reason. Sometimes, I wish someday somehow the internet and tv would stop functioning for a day, so families could re-discover themselves and what's to be together and hang out together. How fun it is to sing along, to play a board game, to read a book in family or talking about what have happened in the year.

Because things change, and sometimes not for better.

How fun would be to sing along, to play a board game, to read a book in family or talking about what have happened in the year. How fun it would be to go to the park with my family in bike, or to go to the beach to make a pic-nic, just like me and my family used to do on Saturday or Sunday in the 90's! How amazing it would be to turn on the tv in the afternoon and watch all my favorite series, the ones I used to watch and love when I was a kid and a teen!!
But as one o my teachers said, young people on today are lazy and the "interests" and tastes change while the people grow up, so my siblings no longer like to go to the beach or park, they prefer to stay all the day on the computer playing videogames or watching tv.
And a looooot of other things! There's lots of things my family and me used to do together and I loved, that I no longer do since years ago. Cos usually the things do change with time...and usually it's not for better.

Because you feel you're older and you've achieved nothing.

But I think the other reason why most of people get this melancholy in the end of the year, it's because, like me, most of people feel that the majority of the things they planned to do this year that it's ending, didn't become a reality, for this or that other reason. 

In the case of some people, they get this feeling cos they are a year older and haven't got a place to live or a car,  to find love or doing excercise to loss weight or some other things,

For example in my case the end of this year means mainly;

that I'm getting old and I haven't found a true love yet. No comic finished, not even a short comic strip! No book finished (or even started a good amount of it!) and just another year of "swiming against the current of the river"; of hearing people where I live saying that artwork must only be a hobbie that you would care about, and "nobody else will like other than you", that's something trivial and silly and you wouldn't never earn a life with it. 

And to make things worse, I come back to my town from my time in College, I come back home just to find out that most of my drawings are now in the trash, or they are ruined because of the rain of the past months, just because nobody ever took care of saving them and storing them safely when I was in the  school. 

My mom and day say "it's not a big problem you still have your hands you can make more" "you can make more", and my sister says that "Only the autor should care about their art". 

Yeah right!...true this merits more than just a roll of eyes. It's all nonesense! no matter of what side you try see these ideas. It seems they think that when you make a piece of art, you're a printer machine that can re-make exactly the same thing over and over. That art is not something that comes from your soul and express your emotions, your thoughts your fears your dreams, your perspective of the people and the world arround you....your soul! 

And to add water to my storm, that it's already bad, I've been feeling that the characters and stories I've been developing with effort and dedication all this year are stuck, for a reason I don't know.

Yeah stuck! And when this happens I start to think it might be because a lack of imagination or creativity. Even if later I realize it's not true actually, sometimes it feels so.

From time to time I feel nostalgia because when I was younger, specifically when I was a little kid, it was a lot easier for me to make characters and stories...and I didn't know why that hability of dreaming...kinda faded a bit with time...

And all the time, I feel like a rock being battered by waves; with every time people try to break my spirit and change my opinion about art being an important part for human kind, a bit of myself erodes...and the dreams I still have but haven't become true, still persuit me and make me feel frustated every end of the year!

But there's some cure!

Why yes, I've found some cure for this feeling!

Accept the things that changed, by thinking of the positive.

Accepting things are changing requires a lot of courage, but it's a lot easier when you struggle to see "the big picture". So I recommend to try to think on the positive things that your actual situation has, for example in my case; 

I realize that since a long time we don't go together to the park because anybody has interest on it, but now I can use this time for myself; to make me a pedicure, to draw or paint, or to go walk by myself and have a time to relax and feel the breeze on my eyes, without being worry of getting back home to an specific schedule cos my parents needed to come back to work, or my siblings needed to come back home to do homework, or stuff like that. Also now I wouldn't be able to go to the park or beach anyways, cos I have homework to do and also the work from the office.

And other example, referring to the shows or movies I used to watch when I was a kid and were cancelled some time ago; of course, I'll miss them, but in nowadays you can get a couple of good cartoon series of the 90's in forums or pages of cartoon shows, and I'll keep looking until I find mine. For example, I've found last year the movie "once Upon a Forest" in mexican dubbing, a movie I've been looking for years and I thought it was impossible to find. So nothing is impossible, just keep looking folks! :)

I know there's not much consuel on this at first, because you inevitably will always miss the times when you were a kid from time to time, cos we humans tend to remember and have nostalgia about times we spent the betters moments. 

But if you think about it, the times being an adult, you can enjoy different things, like what I mentioned. Also, it's not a sad thing to be alone sometimes. Sometimes it's good to have some time alone to relax, to know yourself better, also to be creative and make art.

Traditions help people to stay together.

As a dear friend of mine said, traditions help people to stay together!

The other day had the opportunity to talk with my dear friend and mentor, and I talked a bit about this, about this nostalgic feeling for old Christmas, the one I'm referring here. And she mentioned that in his family, the traditions they do on Christmas time have helped them to stay together.  I told her that in my case, that was true as well, and then, as I was saying that, I thought "Eureka!!"

Thanks to my friend I reminded that this is the most important part of how to help your family to keep being together.

What I'm referring to with traditions? For example, in my family we have a very beautiful and warm tradition for Christmas Eve. Some weeks beforeChristmas eve we plan what we are going to have for dinner, we talk about what we would like and we decide together. And some days before Chrismas eve we go together (all the family, yes! ) to the market and we buy the ingredients. Later, at that day on the daylight, we cook the dinner together. 

We usually spend all the day cooking, and since we were kids, my mom and dad inspired us to participate on this tradition, even if we did small tasks when we were kids. And then it gets meaning when it's the dinner time and we eat, because we all are proud and happy to know everybody have participated on cooking what we are eating! And  such a heartwarming moment! A moment that even today, I still adore! I think that's why I love Christmas so much hehehe.

 Realize and appreciate what you were able to do this year.

 I think this one point doesn't need much explanation...does it? Sometimes you do it on the New Year celebration; you sit with your family and everybody talk about the goals you have achieved this, or some cool thing that happened to you or that you have done, and that made you happy.
Well, I think is very good idea to do this on Christmas as well. Because that's how you appreciate what you have! Also, is good idea to give feedback to your family if they have acomplished some of their goals, at that way you will feel happy and cozy inside, and all that hepls the feeling of nostalgia go away as well.

Heheh, well, c'est parti mon kiki! That's all for now folks, I hope you have enjoy this article and that if you feel the "Christmas nostalgia", that goes away like it happened with me when I found out this solution!

First Twipsy - Concept Art

Salut les mec! Ça va?

This weekend I've had some stuff to do, homeworks at school to my work of the office. Although not as much work as the last week (not this one, but the other before this) when we were finishing and showing the teachers lots of projects. We finished this "primer parcial" (first partial tests season) and we are going to start the second.

So at least in the school part, things were a bit calm this week. So I had the time to talk about my friends a bit, and also to put attention to my work.

Today I was doing a homework in illustrator, and it was cool because last week, my brother installed the RAM memory on my computer, so now it has a bit more memory. So I have just "given a bite" to my computer (as mexicans would say, it's a joke because we use the verb "try") this weekend, and I realized it's working well.

So I was doing a homework in illustrator today, and I was loosing the motivation for working on it, because it's been a week I'm working at this and I don't finish! XD So I thought "why not to work on something I really like! Something that is not for homework! it's been a while I haven't done that".

And there's something I wanted to draw since a pretty good while....Twipsy! :D

"Twipsy Concept Art " Illustrator CS6

Twipsy it's the main character from a show I used to watch when I was a teen, with my siblings. It was such a cool and fun show!

I always wanted to draw this buddy when the show was aired, but as I told to a friend of mine who asked once "why do you never have drawn twipsy?" it's because I felt like if I tried to draw it, I wasn't going to be able to draw him in the original style on the show, because that style it's so cartoonish, and my style of drawing tends to be more semi-realistic.

So I said "heavens! If I draw him in my style and beople feel upset about that?!", I thought that a Twipsy in my style was going to look weird XD

The time passed though, and there are two great friends I met ( one since 3 years ago, and the other recently some months ago) who like the show, and even if it's not aired since a pretty good time ago, they are very enthusiastic fans of him and the show. Also have given me good feedback on my art, have been very nice with me, and his comments about Twipsy made me remind the show and him too. So this have inspired me to draw him!
I thought it was the perfect choice, and I finally got to get out the worries and draw him...of course I had to draw him in my style.

... I swear I tried to draw him like the show...but....but...I don't know! HEHEH! The more I tried to draw him similar to the show's style the more it looked weird! XD
Also, when I was drawing the sketch in Photoshop, my tablet stopped to work! So yeah, that's why this piece turned to be vector. Because, as I couldn't draw without tablet in photoshop but I do in illustrator because it's vector, and I was already doing another work there, well I felt it was cool because I was going to practice vector drawing more, which I think I still need to learn heheh.

About the concept:
Well, what I tried to do was to draw him as I imagined him. In the show he's a cybermesenger, a criature that lives in your computer and makes sure emails arrive to their destiny, and he's made of pure energy. So that's what I tried to represent with the bigger hand, that is the hand that he uses to carry the datat, that it's often represented by cubes. The clothes are cos, I always thought he was dressed, I mean, it's a family-friendly cartoon show, he can't be naked XD And I tried to conserve the looking (because the character looking has meaning) as well as the scence of the character here. Jolly, friendly, energetic, that's what I tried to transmit in this drawing. ^^
Also the cube of information was redesigned by me :D

And yes, I still feel a bit nervous about what his fans would say about this concept....but at the same time I think that it's always cool when artist draw a character in their own style, because then people have more variety when looking at fanart of their favorite shows.

So this goes to Saradrawing and Rabid_Leroid.
Cos dawing this have made me feel very happy, made me forget all my worries for a moment! So I thank a lot to girls for encouraging me to draw Twipsy!
Also, I chosed twipsy for this drawing, because recently was the Birthday of one of them, and to my other friend, it's been a while since I've wanted to draw Twipsy for her.
 So, happy Birthday Rabid_Leroid!! Hope you can have more and more years to do Twipsy art! 

The amazing Irukandji!

Hiya folks! Hope you're having a good week.

Right now....I didn't feel in the mood for writting at first...I'm dealing with some personal issues...I don't want to talk about them though..I mean, because it's something I need to face alone, since I know none of you can help...and then I would unnecessarily make you sad if I talk about it, and that's something I'd never want to do! I dont like to make my peeps sad or worried.

Also....I try to see the positive side of the situation...I struggle at least, like always :)

Although maybe I'm not feeling like writting just cos I'm feeling a bit tired still. And I feel tired cause I haven't been totally recovered from this week that just passed. It has been a very hard, hurried and busy week of tests and delivery of projects.

Every period of test is like this in fact, because we have always projects to finish and to show the teachers, and also the tests...et il fait chaud on here and...wait, I mean...hehe I mean, I mean that the heat it's doing here makes me difficult to write *chuckles*

Today I had planned to talk with two dear friends of mine (not sure if they would want me to mention them here so....*shy giggles*)  but since they are from "the other side of the pond" as people in spanish use to say (in Europe, one is from Spain and the other is French) and they have work or school (or both) they usually have time only on weekends and in the morning to talk.

I had to do some work from a school project and sent it via email to one of my classmates during the day, because it was a team work. And also some work from my job...so I wasn't able to talk with my friends today....I hope tomorrow or the next weekend I can have more chance...because I'm starting to miss a bit the "on live talkings" we used to have...it has been a lot of fun everytime we talk heheh...they are my best friends ever ^^

But well, yeah, after a day of work and school homework, I feel tired again! Sometimes when I rarely have some free time, like today. I don't feel like writting XD...

...Yet, I have been posted moslty trash (a.k.a. rough sketches) and I feel I need to post something that worths it! Something people actually would like to come and see. And specially cos there are 2 friends of mine who think this blog it's cool!
And if at least a couple of people can like my art and I can make them happy with it....I think it worth every effort! ^^

 Well today I'm going to share this drawing littled "The amazing Irukandji" It's a drawing of a dangerous yet cool looking animal, a  little jellyfish (size 10 mm) that lives in the coasts of Australia and it's called "the Irukandji".  Was made on February 2010 (see the date in the drawing). I made it when I had still my tablet working. 

I miss drawing with tablet! Since a pretty good time it no longer works. Now I see a paper sheet and I feel bizarre to draw on paper! XD

Plus I haven't had much time to do art that it's not from homework. XD

"The amazing Irukandji".   Photoshop cs4 and bamboo wacom tablet.

It's not to surprise that these animals live on there, since Australia it's the place with some of the most venomous animals in the world. Sometimes there are times in Australia (sometimes even moths) where the people close their beaches because lots of jellyfish that comes to the coast from time to time.

Then, why to draw this so toxic animal... franklyI don't know XD I've always had a fascination for animals, to see them and to draw them and to look for info and watching cool documentary shows about them, no matter if they are potentially dangerous or not, because I think all animals have great qualities and a place and a mission on the world.
Also, I think I'm a bit attracted to the animals that are considered dangerous, because they are covered by an air of mistery, since people haven't discovered many stuff about most of them, and usually cos they're cool looking too *chuckles* 

Some time ago when I was kid, I used to draw a lot of animals, almost all my free time I used it for that *chuckles* It was until I started to share my work on art comunities that I realized...the huge lack of reactions of people on my work of animals, specially positive reactions. But most of the time there was no reaction at all. 

I just saw how people used to squeal and get excited when people made art of pretty girls in lingerie, or characters from cartoon shows like disney and cartoon network shows. I felt like there was no space for animal artwork on the online comunity....

Even when I suscribed to dA, my account was all alone for a pretty good time! And it was until I knew Foster's Home and I made fanart of the show that I managed to get some visitors. 

....No wonder why I left aside the animals! 

But sometimes there are things that inspire me to draw animals again; that happens when I see cool documentary shows that amaze me, and this time wasn't the exception! For this drawing I was heavily inspired by a documentary show I watched once in discovery channel, about some scientist who went into an aventure looking for this elusive animal.

What I really loved about that show, and what amazed me the most too, was the enormous thirst for adventure and devotion of the scientist! I mean, you could feel the guys were fascinated *chuckles* They where to go there to study the animal to know more about it! Even, thet put themselves in risk of being sting by it, and 2 of them were stung. And they suffered from the symptoms that included intense pain, vomit, fever, and a state of being paranoic about dying.

But even so...even after that, they were amazed to have the chance to capture a sample to study it, and they looked excited to come back to the same beach where they were bitten by the animal.
I thought they were very brave, and I was happy to see how their fascination was more than their fear. I think that's how true scientist should be :)
So I decided to dedicate this drawing to them, even if I don't remember their names, I think they deserve the congrats for being great scientists.
 I still keep looking for the name of the show to know.

Two funny things

Just some funny events of the last week I would like to share.

One day when I was coming back home from school one guy arrived to the combi (in Mexico we call like this to the public trasport that it's a van) with two chickens in a wood cage!
I must say that I'm surprised by the Mexican way XD Specially on this city; as long as it isn't illegal, you can carry anything on the public transport!
I wasn't able to take the behind of this cage cos the guy didn't spent much time at the combi and left very quickly. But the funniest thing about this is that the front part of the cage was all covered like you can see...while the behind was all open and you could see all the chicken's tails!! XD
I found that fact to be hilarious and a bit ood, cos the poor chickens were obviously having a bad time with the heat the poors, while their booties were all fresh and feeling the breeze.

Also the same week I found a death butterfly in the street.
The first thing thought was "It would have been amazing to take a photo of it alive" and I was a bit sad cos it wasn't alive.

I took a photo of it anyways cos it's weird to find these near to the city. Usually you dont se butterflies in this city, and much less this beauful! So it was a cool chance to take a photo even if it was death.

First Angry birds drawing. Stickers!

Hi there folks! 

Just some Angry Birds stamps/stickers I did for my younger brother's birthday, since he's super fan of Angry Birds.

I painted them by hand with my markers, on a piece of paper for stickers I had left. I used that special paper to make a poster for my graphic desing career project, and some of the paper was left blank, so I had this idea of using it for this!

I wasn't able to scan them, but I took a photo.

And funny thing...yes, as you were guessing, is the first time I ever draw these guys! Heheh! How do you think they are? 

I was happy when I finished them cos I thought the came out very good for my first time. Amazingly good...I must say, hehe. It was very uplifting! But I was a lot happier when my bro said he liked them a lot and he was

Pepito Grillo

I remember when I was little I really liked Jiminy cricket *chuckles*
It's been a long time since I've seen Pinoccio, so I didn't remember why all these years....
But today I was looking for The Lion King pictures as reference to do an infographic about The Lion King for my class, and I found by chance a pic of this character. Then I wanted to watch how he would sound like in english, out of curiosity. Since in mexico I have only heard him with mexican dubbing as "pepe grillo" or "Pepito grillo". And I found this video clip that made me remind why I used to like this cricket! XD



Because he is a very modest, corteous, kindhearted, and caring character, also he's smart! And made a great Job as as Pinoccio's  conscience! 
I think its really cute when he blushes with the blue fairy asks him to he his conscience. And his voice in English it's very cute. It's great to notice that his voice looks very similar to the one I heard in Mexian dubbing when I was little, cos it makes the character in English feel very familiar. ^^

Oh I remember other thing! When I was little and watched that movie, I  wanted to have the elegance and glamour the blue fairy as a grown up, hehe...
I've read some time ago that Walt Disney wanted to give her the glamour of the 40's, and I think if that's true it was successful, because she does have it, I think I like a lot that vibe, how she looks like a lady from that age :)

I wasn't able to find the mexican countepart of this scene, but I think with this one it's ok since the voices doesn't chance very much. 

First Stop Motion.

Bonjour les mecs!

Here "reportandome" so you can see I'm still alive! Hehe!
These weeks have been very heavy at school, since we have had lots of big projects, that appart of being big are very complex and take a lot of time!

One of the projects that absorbed my time a lot was an stop-motion animation I started to make since 5 weeks ago for our professor Mau (Mauricio he gives the class of "design of webpages") and I still cant finish it.

  Earth & Coca Cola

It's cos stop-motion animation it's one of the most complex (and complicated) animation techniques. For the ones who doesn't know what is is: You have to take several photos of an object while moving it some millimeters, and then attach the photos in sequence to give the illusion of movement!In the case of our team (I worked with two of my classmates) we chose the brand Coca Cola, one of my favorite brands, and surprisingly, our prof  Mau's favorite too :D

 And I think that's partly why we have devoted too much of my time to this project, as prof Mau is one of my favorite teachers (I hope soon a little more of it, and you'll see why I admire him!) And Coca Cola is one of his favorite brands, so I would love a real great job, one that, if at least doesn't leave him impressed, cannot be a disappointment to him either, and he at least like it.I think I mentioned it before, but not talked about at great detail. So now is the chance to do it! 

The idea was to make a rotating earth and taking the drink, and as it is an original idea, I will not be able to show the finished work anywhere until we publish on the website that we did. But what I can show you now is the "behind the scenes" so to speak:

 The first 2 photos are original ones (the ones I took with my Canon, which I used for the animation ) the others were taken with my smartphone.

The earth and the bottle of coke. It is assumed that earth was going to have one arm appearing at some point of the animation secuence and was going to grab coke, but eventually the arm fell off the clay figure (FAIL I know!! XD) so I had to take them in separate photos and stick them with photoshop.

Also those days were cloudy and there was not much light inside my house to take the photos.  But the good thing was that at the end everything went well, and I finished taking the pictures. Now what it's taking me time is putting them together with Flash because my computer freezes up when I'm working, and it's quite a NIGHTMARE! My brother says it's probably because my lap has an small memory ram, so I changed from windows 8 to windows 7, I thought it was going to get better, but still has trouble working.
I haven't sleep well in these 3 weeks! So I hope I can finish soon!
But despite the problems with my computer, I'm having fun making this stop motion, because I've always wanted to do one in form, and now it's my chance!  
When I was a kid, I made a bit of a stop-motion work with my siblings, but that was just a video of like...3 seconds I think, and it was just us moving a clay sculpture of a girl with a fluffy dress I did XD 
So this is my first "formal stop motion work" so to speak, so it's very exciting! 
well, hope you liked this post and see you soon. :)

Photo Re-coloring.

Hi there folks!

Here's a photo I re colored on photoshop for a class the second cycle of my career. For this work we needed to give a realisticcolor to a black and white photo on photoshop.

It was finished on January 14 of  this year. But I Poster it just now because I had not time to do it before.

This is the original photo in black and white my teacher gave to my classmates and I.

This is the image after I edited it in photoshop and gave it color. For this homework I used Photoshop cs4. What do you think? It looks like a real color?

Two songs to celebrate!!!

Bonjour les mecs!! Ça va?

I hope you're doing good! Because in my case I'm feeling supeer goooood!! WHAY BETTER THAN I'VE EVER BEEN!!! Much better than in jupiter!!!! :D As a mexican expression I like would say.

....Zut! Je crois que je suis trop loin de notre système solaire et je suis maintenant dans une galaxie lointaine! XD...Oh boy!...see I'm so happy I've been started to use french again! :D 
...why?.... Because something fantastic, amazing and wonderful has happened recently!! Guest what?
Well, it happened that a few days ago I recovered a very dear and close friend of mine!!! ^^

The history?...Sorry I'll have to dissapoint you this time.
In part cos the story it's long and at this moment I'm doing "heavy"  and "light" fonts, and have to be 24 different fonts. Also I have to finish a stage for a stop-motion animation that will start making Monday, which we should have done already a few weeks ago, but my classmates left me all the work so. And stop motion it's always a hard work.
But then I'll do the best I can, I am documenting in the field of animation and hope it goes well in the end. XD

But specially and mostly, cos this is a very personal thing. Because it's not just about  me, but the friend I mention ...he is very reserved about his personal life. As well as me, so I would like to honor that, and the fact he have let me to be his friend and be part of his life :)

But don't worry, you're not losing anything *chuckles* 

Also, there's something can tell you, to express how happy I am! I have to say my folks, with much amazement, that this is the first time I feel fulfilled in every sense of the word.

 I finally feel my spirit feels free and happy and full of inner peace; I feel my life is complete! ^^
Right now I feel I'm in a point of my life where, everthing it's just going right as it should be.

I have a hard but a good job (one that pays my school at least XD) I'm starting an exciting journey studying an art-related career as I always wanted, and most important, I have him in my life again!
And now I realize all I needed to fill my spirit and feel my life was complete...it was him! :D
He always meant a lot for me....I can tell you he was, and is, a part of myself!

That is why today I feel like celebrating *chuckles*
So I would love to share with you this song, which although in Swahili (and the letter has nothing to do with what I'm talking about, but speaks of Simba) is a song that perfectly conveys all that there in my being from about 2 weeks ago and a few days more. Especially, I remember feeling very calmly and joy in my heart when I received the message that he was sure that if he wanted to be my friend! And I cried, but with excitement!

 The Music

You know I usually share the music I love with you, just for the pleasure of sharing it, because I think that's a great thing to do! And very often, I hear music that reflects how I feel at the moment, and I hear the same music for a good while, hehe.

I also think that sometimes music can say much more than words. That is why in these three weeks, I've been listening cheerful and warm, energizing, ones that make you feel all warm, hopeful and cozy inside.

These are two songs who have accompained me recently, because they transmit very well how I've felt since this wonderful miracle happened.

Snow in August.

The first, is a song it's called "Snow in August" from the  "Nanny McPhee" soundtrack. I had the pleasure to find it some months ago, and now I've been feeling like listening it again. Because besides being a happy song, it's also a song of "triumph", so to speak. In my opinion I think that comes in handy for the occasion, as it talks about something someone has been longing for a long time and now is finally possible.

In the case of the film where it belongs, the song represents what the girl yearned on the movie. In my case, to find my friend was what I longed with all my heart for about two years and a bit more.

Talking about Nanny McPhee's movie mmhh...well I think it's a good movie, but not like "an epic movie" or a too impressive movie. So if you don't see it I don't think you would be lossing much heheh. The movie it's very predictable and at some parts, too silly for most of adults. XD So I've seen the movie but what I liked the most about it, it's just this song! :)

Personally, this song amazed me. I think cos in my life have been rare to find a song that convey joy, hope and faith as much as this one does! And well as many of you know, I always use songs to inspire me to do art, so this was an amazing discovery!
And in fact I usually cannot work or study or do art or anything without music, for me music is like food for the soul, the fuel to do art, what helps to create! So I rarely have done art without music, I think just as one or two times.

 Busa

 And this one is called "Busa". From the soundtrack of The Lion King.

I discovered it some of months ago when I was doing some work in Corel Draw vector, a restaurant menu one of my teacherd asked. I was doing the work at school computer classroom one day, and I was looking for music to inspire me, so I found this one by chance. I thought that I would love to share it with my friends. And now I can! :D

And right now it comes in handy to share this because it is very appropriate for the occasion.

Cos although the letters are in Swahili and talk about Simba, the melody is more than adequate, cos is relaxing, but also conveys a lot of energy and joy, good vibes. So is a song that perfectly conveys all what I've been feeling on the deeps of my being since about 2 weeks ago and a few days more. ^^

Specially, it makes me remember very well the amazing feeling of joy, relief and tranquility I felt in my heart when I received his message saying he was sure he would love to hang with me again! I remember I cried...like a fountaine ;)

I cried from joy! A joy I barely could contain in my heart heheh...

Oh and no I'm not going to talk about the Lion King right now XD That's another story and I have lot of homework to do! XD

Estelle studying for Le Bac

Hi there folks!
This is the last drawing I've posted on dA this month, just out of nostalgia, and because a dear frend of mine wanted to see it....but after this, my dA page will be in hiatus. The why it's not important, let's say I'm lacking of time and I just can take care of one place, and I've chose this one :)
Oh ok ok...the why it's HERE....but don't worry, I'm not going to talk about that again. I just said that once, and I don't think it's worthy to repeat the same thing. Also because talking about that it's bad for my spirit, it makes me feel exhausted.
Leaving my dA in hiatus, it's one of the hardest things I've ever done...because that comunity always was my home...but don't worry, it will not be forever I think. I think I will come back there in one or two years more of course, when the crazy people have been gone XD

What I do would like to do, it's to post the traditional "drawing + quote". And luckily after this one I'll not post more quotes because all my artwork will be here :D So I hope you like! 
This is the ORIGINAL LINK

Estelle studying for Le Bac

"Today I've struggled to give myself a little time for drawing or coming here to post fun stuff. Even, I was planning to make a journal to comment about my first 2 weeks of school after the holiday vacations I had (2 weeks before these 2 weeks XD) but ah...I have no motivation to write about that  XD

 It's because, in total honesty....I was feeling really lonely a while ago!  Maybe it's because since I've started to collegue people no longer visits this gallery or send me messages here, or in any other place either.

For example today I came here a while ago to see what was new, to the only place I consider home, hoping to have a fun moment. And you know I was expecting to find messages from my friends, at least one! but all what I found was that most of my friends had done collabs and art trades with other friends of them, and have been having fun giving commenting on each other's art and making giftart to each other, and meanwhile nobody messaged me to even said "hi how you're doing?" and my gallery looks like a desert! o_O It looked like nobody cared even if I was alive or if I already have been crushed by a truck XD

Even some days ago I posted a journal here sharing I worried I might have been lack my skills to draw facial expressions/gesture language, but no artist took a moment to talk about their experiences or if that ever happened to them as I would have wished to...

And that's I felt really bad for a moment, cos I started to wonder if I was doing something wrong...or if there is something I should be doing but I didn't...and maybe that was why I couldn't make my friends feel appreciated and loved and that was why they didn't care about me, even if I always care and think about them...

Anyways, that was some hours ago though, cos recently I received a message of a dear friend of mine and changed it all! :D

Now I feel very happy and amazed cos she visited me to say hi! Specially taking in count I'm usually the one who send her messages first, and this time she did it first! That was such a nice surprise and it really warms up my heart and makes me feel like a vaulable person!!! ^__^ NAKOU MERCIII!!

Ah by the way, she's the only and one Nakou! Please don't use her name. Saying this cos I just saw a drawing on her gallery saying this. *chuckles* I love looking at her gallery because her drawings are fun and make me happy ^^ specially when I'm feeling a bit sad.

You know, I've missed her a lot! As well as a few of other friends I have here, of course. And sometimes I feel bad when school absorbs too much of my time and I cannot come to drop my friends a message as often as I would like! But well...I struggle to have free time to come like now for example, and I feel happy knowing that she and other dear friend of mine who sent me a message, still think about me, that's priceless I think! Also I know my Mentor and dear friend Jame always thinks of me even if she's busy and can't leave a message sometimes.  So I think I'm in a better mood to post something, I have lots of drawings I haven't posted yet, I think today I'll pick up one of my favorites

This one it's of my character Estelle (Mom of my character Jean, or "J" for friends *chuckles*) when she was in the age of High school (Lycée). Here she's supposed to be studying for "Le bac". I say "supposed" cos now I notice...Not sure if it's very clear here that she's studying

 

"Le baccalauréat" (most commonly called "Le bac") it's a test students take at the end of their High school so they can then continue studying and enter to College/university. And as far as I've read, all the students must take it.

Since I'm planning to make a comic with these characters and both of them are french, and I was planning to make school scenes/flashbacks of both characters, and them talking about school, I wanted to know more about french education system and school programs and that stuff. And that's how I discovered this about "Le bac".

I also heard a friend of mine commenting something about that, and in my search, I watched a clip from a movie about that too. It wasn't very useful, althought it was fun to watch most of the time  And I've read (back when I made this drawing not now) some interesting articles about parenting on France, and discovered it's not the same than here in mexico or in America Let's say it was very interesting to find out how french parenting was since I think talking about what I've read might strart a discussion about if french parenting is "superior" or not to other countries ones, like it did on the articles I read

 I looked for info about parenting in France too,  because Estelle it's a mom character.

I would like to mention I felt very good and had much fun searching about this stuff. I really like to search about lots of stuff when I write or make comics or characters that are not from Mexico but from other countries, cos I want my characters feel genuinely from that country!

I would hate it (and I WOULD NEVER forgive myself!) if my characters fall in the "cliché" of being like most of foreigner characters in american movies/shows, who are just stereotyped characters that are rather silly, or offensive, or both .

Because a character from a country that isn't yours also has their own culture folklore and traditions, a different system to study and lifestyle, and very often, even a different perspective of life! Another perspective of mind! So I think having a character that genuinely feels from that country, not only makes people feel attached to the characters and feel identified with them, and makes your character a well developed character;  also it's a show of respect and appretiation for that country, and I think all this a is priceless! ^^ 
Because searching for info shows that you care about creating a well-structured character and also about the country you're talking about! And that's something you the viewer from that country always appreciate and thank deep inside the heart! Believe me, I've seen a couple of rare times, people taking care of making a good foreing characters, it's so cool when people does this! That makes you feel warm inside the heart! Sadly, from other countries not from mexico

In my case for example, I have never seen a single "mexican character" on tv or films who can be actually called "mexican" by me with pride, or even feel a tiiiny biiiit, genunely mexican. So I know very well how sad and dissapointing it is to see people making characters from other countries without searching even bit about them. Just because he or she talks spanish and says their favorite food it's "taco", it doesn't mean they are mexican.  There are lots of things to do to be a genuine mexican, that I've never seen portrayed on tv/films, sadly.

And of course, I would never want people feel insulted and/or sad if I ever create a bad foreing character, that's why I I always read and search the most I can before even thinking of making a character that isn't from Mexico

Even when making a character that it's form U.S., sometimes I search info about some stuff. Because even if people from the U.S. are a lot like mexicans (and I mean a lot! ) and I know them very well cos almost all my friends are from there, it's always the wisest thing to look for info about stuff you don't know or you aren't very sure about.

By the way, as my character was in the school at 70's era, I tried to give her clothes this air, and the style of painting for this piece was inspired on the super incredible artist Hollybell. I'm huge fan of her work since a long time before I signed up dA hehe!

My new reflex!!!

Hiya there folks! How you've doing?

I'd like to share with you today, the summary so to speak, of the story of how I got my first reflex camera. 
I've posted it on dA first of course...but taking into account that probably I'll have to leave the page in hiatus for a while....I think I'll post a quote of it here in any case. And as always, I let you know the colored part it's a quote so you don't go to the photo link just to read the same part. Also because I wouldn't like people to think I copy and paste the same thing heheh. You know my comments are original, that's why I quote :)

"I've been buried on my own homework since...well since last year's September when I signed up to College! All the time doing school works instead of sleeping, so much that I don't even bother to count the days I've spent like this! XD

I mean, days happens like this but it worths the effort, cos there are lots of interesting and cool things about my classes at school that I wouldn't chance for anything. So I'm aware that when I decided to get to study Graphic Design, this was one of the best decisions of my life! ^^
But there are some times when I feel like I'd love to have a bit of free time for myself, cos there are lots of things that have happened in my life and too fast, and I don't have time to talk about them.  So today I was thinking of what to talk first, because I only have the time for one thing, since I have homework. So at the end I decided to pick up one of the things I wanna talk about the most, and share a bit of my everyday life with you.

I think one of the most amazing news I've got this month, it's that finally I've got my new camera for my photography class this schoolar cycle, in my case in mexico we call it "cuatrimestre" cos it's a cycle of 4 months. 

The first 3 weeks everythig was "theoric", we did some very interesting stuff though, we investigated a few photographers the teacher wanted us to search info about, and then me and my classmates brought what we searched to the classroom and we talked photography story and cameras. 

But what was worrying me at those weeks,  was the fact that I had not my camera yet, and since the classes have started, I felt a lot of frustration cos I lost the first practice in the classroom with the camera. Since meanwhile everybody were practicing, I was doing nothing and none of my classmates wanted to borrow me their cameras.

Of course, I wasn't the only one who haven't been able to get a camera....but still, I felt too embarassed *chuckles blushes*

So, yeah, these weeks passed. And last Thrusday of this week that just passed, I was at school trying to find someone who also was studying the same career, to see if they could borrow me a camera, and I was hopeless because I wasn't able to anybody ! Then I called my brother to pick me up from school,  because I was tired to running from a place to another literally BEGGING FOR SOMEONE WHO LET ME TO US THEIR CAMERA TO DO MY HOMEWORK!! *pulls off hair* 

Then my brother said that mom said I'd come with him to a pawnshop so we could pawn the little jewelry that my mom had in the family from a long time, in order to get some money and with it to buy the type of camera I needed for my class. So we went then do that, then to the electronics store (in this case it's called Coppel) and gave the initial payment for a credit we got, and that's how I got my first reflex camera!
Wow...it was a lot easier to talk about this than I thought, heheh, I thought it was going to be a long boring story but itwasn't...of course I omited lots of details, because it not then it would have been a boring story! XD

I know  "I put the rope in my own neck" (as we say in Mexico) when I decided to buy this camera, because the interest for the credit it's over the sky!...but I know it's all worth the effort, cos finally I was able to do my homework this last friday, and just will say; let the photos talk for themselves!"

Of course, here's the link to the photo Exotic Red and there in the link are the rest of my comments.  Although ...I can't resist to post the quote where I talk about the cameraaaaaa!! :D

"but what this beauty can do...Oh boy! OH BOY! It's something immeasurable!  It's a Canon T5 and luckily for me, it included a 55mm lent. I couldn't get a macro lents because it's quite expensive, but I think what I have now it's all a passionate of photography who has their first time with a reflex camera would ever need!
It's my first time with a reflex....I've always dreamed with having one of these...I've spent almost a lifetime reading about cameras of this kind and camera lents and all that stuff in other photographer's works here...And now I HAVE ONE!!!! *excited*
So my joy for this is...Oh my!...I can't express it with words...cos I feel all I could say would become an euphemism *chuckles* 

It's funny, when I brought it home that night, my sister commented "why you get too excited for this, it's just a camera!" But...what I can't say? XD I who know about photography, I know what this means, and just I can't help being a passionate about photography!"

Rambling on Valentine's day

I know I shouldn't have come visit dA yesterday, cos I have lots and lots and lots of homework still....but sometimes....I feel lonely...

Specially since my classmates stopped being nice and became cold and aphatic :(

I realized yesterday, that when the few friends you have are far far away from where you live, its hard to conserve them...because sometimes I have no time to give them all the attention they deserve and need, and then...I guess that's why they go away and and lose contact....

What I saw yesterday, it's that no matter how much I struggle to tell my friends how much I appreciate them, most of them don't seem to know! Because no matter how much I send them messages showing I care of them, some of them don't even drop me a message, or WORSE! They always are giving love to other people who don't care about them!!!

They have an special bonding with other people and give gifts to others, they chat with other people and sent valentine cards to other people, put other people special "affectionate names" and not to me *sigh*...and to me, they treat me as a casual friend.....I have the feeling they don't trust on me enough to get their emotions involved on me....like if I was a machine or something like that...

...It's a feeling deep inside which I can't get rid of....a feeling that breaks my heart and haunts me, chases me like a lot of angry bees wanting to bite me...

I'm not saying that everybody it's like that, don't worry. There are a couple of great friends I have, who genuinely care of me and treat me like a dear friend ^^ Specially and mostly my dear friend and mentor Jame.

But sometimes...I see the others who don't treat me like a dear friend but only a casual friend, and makes me think if I'm not doing a good job as a friend, as a support for the people I love!..do I?...

It makes me also think if most of they people who I consider friends of mine are not, and all that it's an illusion....Or how can I know that?...

Or maybe I'm just worrying too much because I know I haven't had much time for my friends in these months, and I fear to lose them, I worry they might feel unloved or neglected.

But I think I should relax and try to stay cool like that. And if I do that, probably to make friends and to have a strong conection with people would be a lot easier. After all, trust on people doesn't earn on one day or two, and there are some people who are more reserved and mistrustful than others.
For example, I have 3 years with a friend who still doesn't tell me her real name or where she lives XD....I wouldn't pressure her though. I think she will when she feels confident to do it. She have had some bad experiences with people so I understand her.

So I think they will get close to me when feel ready. Yeah because, the friends I've had a real connection to, when that happened it have happpened spontaneously. I mean, I didn't need to struggle much or think much of it or doing "extraordinary things" or anything like that. It just...happened because it was constructed day by day! :) Through the time when we talked and shared ideas and feelings, our similar tastes and other stuff. And the frienship grew up as a beautiful flower that was born in the wild, because I was like I usually am; I was helpful, laidback, always caring, friendly and positive.

One time when I was a lot younger, a friend of mine gave me this wise advice. He said I should value and love myself first, before pouring my love to others, and that that will attract good people to my life. One day some time ago, I remember he said:

"if you poured love on yourself as much as you are capable to love other people, and focus on your qualities rather than your faults, as you do with everybody else...if you weren't too hard with yourself, then it would be a lot easier to attract good people and be friends with it!" 

And that's true, it's a wise advice I put into practic since then:)

Problem is that I do love myself now, cos I've matured and learned through the experience and now I'm confident and have more self steem. But I'm still too hard with myself when I make mistakes, also when things don't come out as fast as I would like, then I get  desperated! Like yesterday for example, when seeing people giving valentine's cards and giftart and calling them affectionate names, and to me..nothing!

But well, that's something I must improve, I should be more patient and concentrate to give love to myself more. That will make me a more confident person and thus will help to make the people I want to befriend to be more comfortable with me and trust on me. I think they just need more time....and I wouldn't like to be "a push off", that's never nice.

A friend who always makes me feel reborn!

There's been a time since I haven't had much motivation for drawing, and I was trying to figure out why. I realized it was in part cos I've been having one of those people call "artist block",  or something like that, cos I've been having trouble drawing facial expression all this past year, and now, I feel a bit sad that it's 2015, and it still happens I can't draw my expressions and poses as I imagine them.

But I think in great part it's because I'm not longer motivated to post art on the usual place people see me, before I created this blog. Because there's someone in that comunity who I consider a friend,  has been telling me only negative stuff about my characters, since a year ago or a bit more...

So I was feeling down the other day because, it looked like he didn't like my character (this one) and what he represents, what he means for me....and thus this is why I no longer feel free post my artwork there and express what I think or what I feel in the artists comments, on the usual site I used to post my art. Cos everytime I post something, this person comes to argue about nonesense stuff.
So I feel if I post art this person might argue with me....and I have never liked to argue or fight with people. But when I was sad and unmotivated to do art anymore, a dear friend of mine sent me this wonderful giftart!

See he original link to this Art piece

My friend's drawing of faikel with a bird, she said she got the idea cos she knows I like birds. 

And I felt so loved, admired and appreciated, I felt like a great and worthy person!
I felt so happy to know she has thought on me and took some of her time to draw something for me on Christmas, that this made me feel inspired to do something for her! To draw again! :D In part cos of that reason, and in part cos I had a feeling that she might need something to encourage her, since some time ago she mentioned she was feeling down, as I explained in my other post.

I felt a bit shy when I showed her the drawing, cos it was my first drawing with Illustrator (I posted it here )  and it took me a lot more time than what I would have expected.

But when I shared with her the art and I heard how happy it have made her I felt like my heart was brand new, there was no frustration or worry or sadness in it!

And I re-discovered something very importart: That, no matter the place where I post my art or if there are crazy people saying mean stuff about it, and even doesn't matter much if I can't do art as frequelty as I have for lack of time "or art blocking".

I realized the only imporant thing is that my art can transmit positive and good feelings to people!

It can fill people's heart with joy and hope, it can turn someone's bad day into an amazing one, it can make people dream, and make them imagine great things, or just have fun seeing it. And give them an smile.

And there will be always people who will feel amazed to see it, who will feel happy and warm in their hearts with my art, as well as they do with my friend's one too, of course :D

So I was very happy to realize can and should keep making art, because it's a worthy thing!

But things doesn't end in this, you couldn't imagine how great was my suprise when I discover later, that she had made an article on her site to share my drawing!!! :3 It was one of the most amazing things that have happened to me in this or the other year, and it was such a great honor, I felt so amazed and happy when I saw that she talked about my drawing on her facebook and on her  official page, and even more I read the title "A gift from a friend can raise a wilting spirit"  ^_^ That was something that just went right to my heart!

Cat and Peter Christmas Drawing

Hiya folks!
I'm preparing for traveling back to Chiapas tomorrow, cos I will have to go back to school, but before going (and now I have a change) I would like to share this drawing of Cat and Peter from the graphic novel of a dear friend of mine.

I started it a few days before Christmas, but I hardly had time for drawing, and plus, the illustrator wasn't as easy as I thought! XD In fact, with this software it takes me hours what with photoshop or sketchbook express I'd do in 5 minutes. But it's probably because Illustrator it's a relatively new program for me.

I've started to use it since this past September when I signed up to College, and I have to practice with it cos it's part of my career, and I'll need it in the future to desing logos and other stuff.
 So I saw an opportunity to practice with this drawing, that I would like to present proudly, cos I liked very much the result! It looks like I'm starting to get used to it, and it came out a lot better than my very first try with it, even I did find out how to make degradding of colors!

I feel a bit ashamed cos it's late, and not only late for Christmas time, but also late because this idea  came to my mind some months ago, when my friend was feeling a bit nervious when sending his story to publishers; so I wanted to do a giftart to make her feel better, and to show her that there are much people who loves threadcaster ^^
So, "Late but sure" as we say in mexico, hope it still can make her feel good if she feels down, and also hope you've had a fantastic time in these holidays, and have a prosperous and happy new year!