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!

Incomic Comic - Frist WIP

Hiya there folks!

Today I'd like to share something probably not much people know, it's that in 2013 I was working on a project with a friend of mine, a talented, creative, and a cool person! For this project he writes and I draw :D

So here I'd love that you see a WIP about it, and also to thank him letting me to work on this comic (because the story it's of his own)  and make one of my bigest dreams come true; to work on an art and enternaintment project with a talented and cool artists!

Because of my classes in College sadly I haven't been able to continue with this comic as much I wanted too, but I'm still working on it whenever I have the change, and I hope that for the end of 2015 I can be able to finish at least the first part of it. It's going to be in black and white and a bit sketchy because my friend liked it this way, he says that sketchy looks cool, so I'm going to take his word for that :)

Sketch made on November 11, 2013

Right now I cannot give much info about it, of course cos it's going to be a surprise. But yeah this comic it's going to be a fantasy-sci-fi  story with a Wizzard, a Phoenix, and other cool stuff I bet you'll like!
And I have to say the story it's one of the most original ones I've seen, despite what people would think about fantasy stories, its not cliclé at all.  And it will have a bit of both sci-fi and fantasy.

I'm also working on 2 on my own stories by the way, one o them, I mentioned it in My gecko and I. So, God willing,  there will be great things soon in this blog folks!