The Sequel To My Life

Long textpost/answer stufffff

centradragon:

I meant to do this earlier, but tumblr makes a bit more challenging to reply to replogs and asks than I’d like. ;u;  (Apparently gmail has been marking all my asks as spam? hurr). If you guys have any questions at all, ask away and I’ll do my best to answer them!

Tehbane asked: Do you have any tips for improvement? How you got from point a to b. Obviously time and working, but were there any big jumps, and could you let us know more about them if so.

I think persistance is one of the best traits an artist can have. I started drawing a lot more in 2006 after a particularly bad review for my AP art exams (2/6, yikes)… needless to say I was mortified (it quantified how terrible I was) and decided I wanted to improve my own skills. Over that period of time I noticed (other than just drawing) was that:

• Draw things you’re bad at. (if you can’t draw trees, go outside and sketch trees for 30 minutes a day until you’re not bad at trees anymore)
• Listen to critiques. Even if you don’t agree, thank them and keep their opinion in mind. It could really help someday if you’re stuck on something.
• Study other artists. Other artists are an amazing resource to have. Talk to them, watch them draw, really *look* at how they paint. Their own methods might give you insight on how to perfect your own. Sometimes I’ll print out illustrations and take notes on why I think something is successful, and what I’m drawn to.

Also, don’t be afraid to try new things. I’m totally guilty of this, but (for example) I found that watercolor and acrylics were a lot less scary once I just forced myself to use them for awhile.

I hope my ramblings help answer a few of those questions! (If they didn’t, you’re welcome to send another note, lol!)

Averagelemon asks: Are there any artist you are quite fond of? Or artists that have influenced you? I remember seeing final fantasy tactics concept art someplace and it reminded me of your style so much.

Sweet Jesus are there. This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means but here are a few of my favorites:

Akihiko Yoshida — Just… I love his art so much. So much. He illustrated a few of my favorite games (Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics & XII), so I guess his style makes me sort of nostalgic! I love his muted colors and linework/texture, his figures, and (when he gets around to it) his props and backgrounds.

Ayami Kojima — The depth and attention to detail in her work is astounding, and (to make me even more jealous) she works exclusively in traditional mediums. She drives me to try a bit harder with paints and not be scared away if I mess up. Also, I have a weak spot to macabre things… and her work is just full of that. c:

James Gurney — Well, he’s James Gurney. As a child of the 90’s I have some extreme love for his stories and artwork. His technical skill is top-notch, but out of all his strengths I love his design sense the best. He turned a campy idea (shipwrecked father and son make it to an island filled with dinosaurs) and made it absolutely stunning and believable. Mad props, man. 

Also asked by Averagelemon: Do you have tips for painting/drawing out environments? i’ve barely touched them and am curious about what i can do to get used to and improve on them.

Take tonssss of pictures whenever you can, of anything you see that’s visually interesting. Often times I’ll just take my iPhone with me if I’m especially lazy (or if Mom borrows my Canon Rebel and doesn’t want to give it back, lol).

Another great thing to do is go to a bookstore (or even Amazon) and buy discount/used/whatever photo books. If you can’t afford to travel the world, the next easiest thing is to read about it. One, got great vacation ideas for when I’m financially stable, and second… amazing references for places you would have never seen otherwise.

Also, see if your parents have any cool old photos lying around! My mom is quite the photographer and took some fantastic shots when I was younger.

(Source: kristenplescow, via holothuroid)

innerpalindrome:

Unisex Easy-Bake oven on the way

usatoday:

Hasbro says it will begin selling gender-neutral Easy-Bake ovens after meeting with a 13-year-old New Jersey girl who had campaigned for them.

McKenna Pope, of Garfield, N.J., got more than 40,000 signatures on her online petition at Change.org. 

She began her campaign after finding only pink or purple Easy-Bake ovens. She wanted to buy ovens in other colors as a Christmas gift for her four-year-old brother, Gavyn Boscio.

McKenna said Hasbro is doing everything she wanted, including featuring boys in ads for the toy. “They really met most or even all of what I wanted them to do, and they really amazed me,” she said, adding that her brother Gavyn thought the new design was “awesome.”

Never doubt the ability of 13-year-old girls to change the world. 

(via withasperity)