Reading and Drawing

A big thanks to the people who wrote such nice words to me about my previous post. I needed to vent about my problems and am feeling a bit better about it.

Over the weekend I went out with my boyfriend and his friends. After a few drinks, I had this lovely conversation with one of them.

He was telling me how much he's been reading lately because of the fact his X-box broke. I told him I used to read all the time and that I would read a few books a week and how much I loved to read. Told him I don't anymore. Don't have the time to. (REALLY?)

He said that he's been enjoying it and that he's preferring it over the X-box now. That his imagination is starting up again. I told him yah, when I was a kid I was full of imagination, used to draw all the time. Reading and drawing was my thing.

I then quickly realized something.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason I've been in such an art block for the past few years, is because I stopped reading.

Actually not maybe, it is the reason my imagination has been shit for the past few years.

When I was a kid, in middle school, I read at a higher level than the other kids. While they were reading babysitters club and goosebumps, I was reading Stephen King, Dean Kootnz, John Saul, just to name a few.

I drew a ton of stuff. I have back at my parents places binders and binders, and folders FILLED with drawings. I used to draw comics, fashion, anything I could think of. You named it, I would draw it.

When I got into the digital animation program at college, I came up with all kinds of characters, story lines, and illustrations.

I was still reading books then, I used to go book shopping with my grandmother to the used bookstore that was downtown Truro. At that used bookstore my aunt worked there, so from time to time I would go to her place and borrow some of her books.

I loved books. I still own every book I have ever bought all at my parents place. Here though, the only books I have are my drawing, animation and design books. I have 6 reading books here that I have read in the past 3 years. One Stephen King, 2 James Patterson, 1 Jody Gehrman, the Alice in Wonderland book, and the last book of the Harry Potter series.

If my 15 year old self met up with myself today and found out how many books I read in the past 3 years, I would've laughed at myself. Bragged about how many I could read in a week, showed off my book collection and then laugh some more.

Why I stopped reading, I will never know. I tell people that I don't have time to read is a crock of bullshit. I spend hours mindlessly browsing the internet, playing video games and watching tv. No wonder my imagination is shit.

I'm going to get back into reading and see if and how much my imagination comes back. I know it won't come back after one book, but I'll see how it does after a month or so of reading.

So, does anyone have any book recommendations for me?

New Painting in the Works

I haven't posted much in this here blog of mine. I'm not much of a writer. I usually never have anything interesting to write about.

Today though, I would like to share with you a new digital painting I am working on. It's from a very old sketch of mine that I did about 3 years ago. I started painting it back then, but I ended up hating it, and then I lost the program that I was painting it with.

I did pick up the sketch once again, and tried to paint it in Photoshop. Once again, it didn`t turn out the way I wanted it to. So I abandoned it again.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine gave me a copy of the program that I lost. I was pretty happy and wanted to start painting illustrations again. I didn't have anything new to work with, so I went back to my old folders to look for some sketches.

I found the old files of the sketch and thought, "Well I know I improved my skills over the years, so lets have a go at it".

Here's my first time I tried to paint the sketch.




The time I tried to paint it using Photoshop:



Now here is the same sketch that I am currently working on:


I plan on finishing it, as it is going the way I wanted. I plan on doing more digital paintings and hope this one will get me out of my art block. So far I've spent about 8 hours on it. And I'm no where's near done.

Doodles...

I wish I knew how to sew, cause I would totally wear some of these outfits. ; -;

Cards Cards Cards

Just finished a freelance job for a business card. The client loved it! Now we're getting it printed.

Pretty happy with the way it turned out, and the client was great to work for.

I hope with this positive feedback, I'll get some more freelance work.

The first of many

Ok.

So this is a new blog for me. I had one a little while ago, but stopped using it, because I filled it with relationship nonsense. And no one wants to read about that. I don't like reading about it, so why would I even write about it?

Moving onward!

Right now my life seems like it's at a stand still. "Do not pass go", "I'm at a dead end", "I'm on a dry spot"... etc. And this is why.

I work at a job I hate going to. No, it's not a tough job, it's a BORING job. I work with only 6 people, 3 of them I hardly ever see. My boss is either in his room, or out, and my other boss that I work with, is either gone, or in the other bosses room talking. So I usually have no one to talk to. Plus there's no music, no nothing, the only sound I hear is this giant printer.

Not only do I have no one to interact with, the work I do there is BORING. I make signs that are usually real estate signs, no parking, car decals, and pizza shops. On occasion we'll have something kinda interesting, but not really. And the stuff I get to design, is not that great either. I usually make layouts for no parking signs, and stuff that's just the same. I try to be creative there, but the clients like tacky shit from the 90s. Cause that's all they know. It's awful.

Also, trying to get some freelance work in this city is near impossible, and when someone does message me, when I tell them a quote, they never write back. People in this city are cheap fuckers. They would get something half-ass done for them because it's cheap. Though I have had some freelance work, but not enough to be like, "I may not have 3-5 years experience, but I do a lot of freelance work.". It's not good enough.

Graphic design shops, studios, whatever, here want someone with 3-5 experience, or someone with web design. AND, they tend to only hire recent graduates who went to NSCAD. Just because they have 4 years of going to school, doesn't mean they have more talent than me, or are better than me. Everyone has their own style, and their own way of doing things. So they shoudl consider other recent graduates too. IT'S NOT FAIR.

The only good thing right now in my life, is family, friends, and my bf. Though a lot of my good friends are far away, I kow that they're there, if I need them.

So I guess for now, I should be happy, and try to look for work else where. Like, not graphic design places, me and my bf aren't moving for a while yet. I have a few places that I have found, and I think I will apply to them. Though I'm not sure if any of them are hiring.