Recycling Memories

Once upon a time, there was an itty bitty little girl who's mom bought her a gorgeous, girly jewelry box--the first and only she would ever own--for her birthday.

As time wore on, the corners of the box were scuffed, and the white-as-white-can-be paint began to peel. Splotches of sparkly nail polish spattered the drawers on the left-hand side of the box's face; the pink velvet lining on the inside of the box became soiled and discolored. An early attempt to revitalize and return the box to a shadow of its former glory ended promptly when she quickly realized she didn't have enough hot pink nail polish to do the job and do it right.

I had tried so desperately and clung so valiantly to the ideal that I would someday find this pitiable jewelry box to be at least somewhat salvageable.

During one of my routine room-wide purges of useless junk and worthless "mementos," I stumbled once again upon this present from my childhood. Once again, I felt much too sentimental to just throw the thing out. I even considered repainting it for my younger sister, but it soon occurred to me that she had ample jewelry boxes whereas I have never purchased another besides this one. I was also painfully aware that it wouldn't mean the same thing to her as this gift meant to me.

But what to do with it?

I fetched my paint, dusted off my brushes and sponges and let a perfectly synced combination  of imagination, inspiration, and ingenuity drive the direction of this unique transformation project.

I regret to admit that Legend of Zelda, while hugely popular with the right people for years now, has only just recently made an impact on my gaming radar. That being said, as one of my newest obsessions, this jewelry box seemed like the perfect scenario to attempt recreating these newly beloved characters of mine for the very first time.

I was on a fairly short time frame (especially considering that I'm quite the slow painter), so I went for an abstract rendition of the characters and their essence rather than photo realism in this particular instance. This is especially apparent in the Ganon and Zelda portraits, seen below.

Ideas have a tendency to change between bud and blossom; originally the box was going to be solely based on a Majora's Mask theme. I was rather partial to the idea, and even was intending to include an abstract image of the happy mask salesmen which was to be painted on the inside of the main door. However, I ended up shifting my plans and instead gravitated towards a more general theme based around the sybolism of the triforce itself.

Major updates to Krystal Dawn Blog are in the works right now. I'm employing my every ounce of programming cunning to design a 100% custom  Blogger template from absolute scratch for use on this blog. It's super exciting, and I'm having a lot of fun with it, but its a lot of work too. I've even taken the liberty of designing a super special awesome custom logo, straight from the heart of my very own graphic design prowess, and its turned out just gorgeous!

On an ending note, I've nearly finished my first week of school having returned to college after an extended break, and I am downright exhausted. I've also been working part-time as a freelance writer-- that's right, Krystal Dawn's been getting paid to write. I honestly never saw that one coming, but hey, work is work. More on my writing and school and blog improvements will be discussed in more detail in the very near future, so sit tight, and enjoy the ride.

Thanks guys, you're all lovely and wonderful and so fantastically supportive! As always, comments and questions are more than welcome :) Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.

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Conspiracy Theory

Sometimes we don't know what to say.

The important thing to remember is to say something--anything-- rather than say nothing at all.

So I will say this: an individual's capability and capacity to comprehend and understand art as an experience, and not just as a picture, is remarkable to say the least. 

Countless times we were asked in my Understanding Art class in college (1 of the only 2 competent art classes I've ever attended) to analyze, criticize, and break apart the inner workings of various art works and creative projects. Like dismantling a clock and explaining why the cogs turned and how it made the machine work as a whole, we were told to separate the layers of each individual piece.

For our final project we were asked to complete the opposite task.

We chose an emotion, idea or experience of significance to our reflection on the human experience and were asked to make and build the art around it. Instead of stripping down an artwork, we clothed a concept with paint and glitter and facade.

This is "Conspiracy Theory" an artwork by Krystal Dawn.

I could explain what the main concept was behind this piece, but that tends to eliminate the human element. Suddenly this interaction between artist and viewer becomes a show and tell rather than an experience.

Somebody in the class asked me if this piece was a self portrait. 

I said no. But I guess, in a way, it is.

We are so accustomed to having the "answer" to anything and everything so readily available at our fingertips that when life presents us with moments where we are required to spend more than a second considering or contemplating a possible interpretation that fails to be a straight forward thought from point A to B, we write it off as undeserving of our attention. What we do not instantly understand, or cannot immediately solve is, without question, worthless. Such an assumption is ridiculous.

This artwork tells a story. 

***

I wish I had a personal scanner large enough to scan this artwork and others of this size; I had to default to taking a photograph in order to share the image in its entirety. The lighting in the room was terrible, and I did the best I could to save the integrity of this drawing while adjusting the brightness of the photo. Minor edits were made to the image due to damages that occurred ages ago when transporting it from the showcase where it was on display at the college and back to my home by means of the pubic transportation system. I don't care for long bus rides much.

As far as updates go, there is an onslaught of brand new artwork headed your way, my friends. Look for my new projects on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and of course right here at www.kdvan.blogspot.com. A preview of a brand new collage was uploaded to Twitter a couple of hours ago, and the full image will be revealed later this afternoon. Another collage will be uploaded tomorrow as well! FRIENDZONE has been put on the back burner, but only temporarily. I fully intend to bring you guys a second installment that shows massive improvement in comparison to the first. Expect that within the next couple of weeks.

Let me know what you guys think of this and what you think the meaning is behind the image and title. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.

Sincerely,

Krystal Dawn

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Twitter: KrystalDawnArt

DeviantART: kekei94

Etsy: KrystalDawnShop

Breaking Casual Blogger Conventions

The fiercest challenge I tend to face within a single day is more often than not one I myself have created: a burden I unwittingly place upon my own weary shoulders. The solution too can be found from within my own person. Its buried deeply, albeit, but its there. And yet, struggle as I may, the concept I'm striving to isolate and clutch, the answer I painstakingly seek, escapes my grasp and eludes my searching fingers and wandering mind, leaving me with resounding questions, infinite impossible paths, and a sense of being overwhelmed to the point where I choose to simply do nothing and cease my searching.

Every time I find myself staring at my blog, I ponder the same relentless question. "What to write?" 

Obviously my topic should revolve around the realm of art, as my artistic endeavors are the reason for this blog's existence, and is likewise what calms the listless unsettling of my spirit. But I am never certain. I am never certain of what my viewers will want to read, of what will entice their attention and interest. I am never certain what is appropriate for what I hope to prune into a well-received, professional blog. I am never certain of what it is that's expected of me.

More and more these thoughts are constantly being mulled over in my mind, befuddling my attempts to straighten my conscience and clear my resolve. As I sat down to craft this particular post, the same tedious thoughts made their presence known. And as they did, realization consumed my very person, like a sheer, decisive fire of hope. What does it matter what others think of how I write my posts or what the writing concerns? What is the point if I don't enjoy the experience? Just as my art is an extension of my self, so should my writing be. 

And why shouldn't it?

After all, writing is another passion of mine, one which too often is shunted sideways and disregarded or considered unnecessary, unbecoming, or of little importance to the goals at hand. So from here on out, I shall give you something to read, whether you appreciate the sentiment or not.

***

" 'Till Death Do Us Part" An original ink artwork, with a watercolor background. Inspiration for this piece came from several distinct notions and ideals. 

The first being a very real media plague: an ungodly love for the living dead. Zombie lore is all the rage in today's society, and with record setting television shows such as AMC's The Walking Dead on air, its no wonder that reanimated corpses and their accompanying commercialized stories are trending worldwide. 

Both my parents are hardcore horror fans as a rule, so an appreciation for the living dead craze came naturally enough to me. With fantastically gruesome novels such as Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide to feast my intellectual appetite upon, reading zombie literature became my favorite high school past time. For my writing classes I wrote various zombie apocalypse related fictions, including a comedic take depicting a young man falling victim to a Hannah Montana zombie (So titled "Hannah Montana Forever"; I received quite the applause once I finished reading it aloud to my sophomore classmates) and a macabre take on a Shakespearean love sonnet.

 It was this sonnet which required a visual presentation that years later directly influenced the below image. The sketch for the project that later became my initial draft of this illustration depicted only the bride's hand, and was posed in front of a green background in parody of the the Left For Dead title logo, associated with the video game of the same name produced and developed by Valve/Turtle Rock Studios.

Later the idea came to me to combine the concept of lovers separated by death with real people. Thus, the hands came to represent that of my parents. The overall feel of the image was tweaked towards a bride AND groom, the ring on the bride's finger became my mother's ring. The wedding vow was added to the bottom, placed within a weathered scroll to accompany the articulated picture frame, playing up the vintage wedding feel. Above the quote, the date of my parent's wedding anniversary.

Once the inking was completed, the watercolor background was added digitally.

That I will most likely take on more zombie related art projects in the future is a safe assumption, I'd say. My hope is that I can make room in my schedule to write a decent length blog entry at least once a week, but 2 or 3 times a week if I can mange it. Until next time, yours truly,

Krystal Dawn

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Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
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Its a Jungle Out There

Alright! And we're back in business!

Here we have one of my brand new projects. I've been working on several projects at once since the beginning of summer, and will likely continue to do so as we approach fall. There's so much to be done! But on the other hand, I haven't gotten this much accomplished in ages.

I really love how this one turned out. The concept is based on a strange, insect inspired beast buried beneath a labyrinth of wild jungle foliage. Originally two separate art scraps of mine, a simple, straightforward original creature design and an abstract watercolor painting titled "Flytrap", I combined the concepts of both to bring you this unique design.

This is also a fabulous preview of some of the awesome new prints I'll have for sale at Rose City Comic Con. Perhaps I'll see you there?

Mixed media. Watercolor, pens and markers, colored pencil, image manipulation program.

-Krystal Dawn

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Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
DeviantART: kekei94

Tattoo Inspired Ink Design

I had a really bizarre college class schedule winter term. I had a two hour break in between two of my classes and nowhere to go. My friends were all in class and by the time I walked anywhere worth being I'd have to head right back to get back to school to be in time for class. Besides, its not like I had ample spending money. So what did I do? I pulled out my fresh sketchbook and started doodling to my heart's content.

This was one such drawing.

The starting point of this image was the flower above her head. I sort of worked out from there, the drawing blossoming around this point. Lots of shadows. I love the way the wings came out. Or rather, the lines that suggest wings. Overall, there's an implied circular shape about this piece which I really like. Originally, her hair was gong to be long enough to cover her body entirely, but I liked the shape of her hair the way it was, so opted for heavy shadows instead. The twisted curve of a mouth is somewhat jokeresque and plays up the character's inhuman aspects.

Ink on sketch paper. Some unnamed random fine tip inking implement. Not sharpie, but something similar. It had a very soft finish, little bleed, and went on smooth. I'd like to purchase more of these pens if I could dig up the now dry pen barrel and figure out what brand it was.

-Krystal Dawn

Facebook: Krystal Dawn
Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
DeviantART: kekei94

Purple Peacock

And here we are! Our first official artwork post of 2013! So sorry for the tremendous wait, everybody.

This was a commission for a friend of mine, who requested that I draw her a peacock with all of the traditional feather colors, EXCEPT to make the blue feathers on its body purple instead.

Mixed media. Pens, markers and colored pencils. I actually ended up using cheap plastic ballpoint bic pens for almost all of the black ink in this drawing. My other, more professional fine tip pens had run dry, and I didn't have the chance to hit up an art supply store. So cheap ink it was!

Check out my commission info if you're interested. Enjoy!

-Krystal Dawn

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Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
DeviantART: kekei94

Fantasy Character Portrait

So many of my lovely art pieces must be left at home throughout the course of the school year while I'm away at college...It'll feel rather peculiar to not be able to pull out any old sketch I have a notion to reference the instant that notion strikes. However, its all for the sake of something even greater.

After all, its not goodbye, really. These artworks will go into storage, protected believe it or not from damage or dust, out of sight, and perhaps not entirely out of mind. By setting some of these more mediocre works aside, these sketches, portraits and doodles which aided me in my journey towards satisfactory skill, I can make room for those which are yet to come. With great anticipation do I await the next set of brand new, electrifying artworks that will enable me to further advance my skills and talent.

This is an older portrait of an original character I devised quite some time ago. You see, a lot of my characters are simply reinvented in my artwork much more frequently than new characters are invented. Once a portrait such as this is complete I can assess the essence of the piece and decide for myself whether it seems familiar or strange (often times both). This character has no name, but is illustrated here as a sort of creature that is plant-like in nature. Her hair is made to appear as flower petals, and her skin is thin and clear, like a plant membrane. Although this image doesn't show it, she also has wings that are actually extravagantly sized autumn leaves. The eyelash decal are sort of a standard signature of mine when drawing specific female portraits.

New art is coming soon, whether it be tomorrow, Friday, or perhaps sometime next week. Mainly the time this art is posted will depend on my motivation during the next few days.

-KDVan

Facebook: Krystal Dawn
Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
DeviantART: kekei94

Dragon Sketch

Strange as it may sound, some of my favorite artworks I devised while doodling in the margin of school notebooks while taking notes. Here is one of those such favorite drawings.

I simply came up with this design as I went along; I began with the exaggerated curve of his upper eyelid and worked valiantly onward throughout the complete decadent spiral that unfolds his serpentine body. I'd love to illustrate a full color version of this drawing in order to emphasize the variance in scale detail and feather design. The wings were exceptionally entertaining to draw, and I love how the face and snout of the dragon came out.

If you were to examine this picture closely (or at all, rather), you would perceive the fact that this picture is not indeed complete, and is actually rather unfinished. You may also notice that this dragon beast was drawn on notebook paper-- every good artist keeps a sketchbook on hand, bu not every one can fight the urge to draw upon whatever paper lay before them or closest at hand when the long-awaited and fabled fabulousness of inspiration strikes. I happen to be one of those artists.

I also happen to be notorious for misplacing my artwork, and recovering it in a damaged state. This tends to happen to my sketches and simple drawings, that is, because I have a tendency to place them in folders where the edges of the paper becomes wrinkled and creased. Tightly packed peachy folders to not make good homes for legitimate artwork-- something to keep in mind.

-KDVan

Facebook: Krystal Dawn
Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
DeviantART: kekei94

Improvements

Reoccurring more often than any other type of drawing are my monochromatic, black and white graphite portrait illustrations. While each and every individual artwork presents itself to me with new hardships and difficulties to overcome, as well as the gift of new inspiration, hard-earned skills and precious experience, I sought to change things up in the tiniest bit possible-- I added color.

As you can likely tell, this particular illustration is more comic book inspired, more similar to a line drawing than a photo realistic image. However, every artist must start somewhere. While the drawing of a portrait in color is theoretically the same as drawing it in shades of black and grey, it is so very, very different. the whole color aspect adds a new dimension to the art, adding a new layer of complexity necessary to complete a satisfying final product.

This is an original artwork, based on an old sketch of a girl with two rings in her lip that never made the final cut for public viewing. Her eyelashes were exceptionally fun to draw, and the hair took the longest. I chose to make blue the color of her lips and faux lashes to add a little more excitement to an otherwise fairly standard color illustration.

Hopefully this will be the first of many more color illustrations to be posted online along side my portrait work. I see no reason to not share with my audience the pleasure of seeing this particular style of my art improve over an amount of time. My portraits went from about this level of depth (black and white, albeit) to photo realistic within a time frame of less than a year. Its a matter of how much time and work I put into it, and how many drawings are made in the process.

I hope all of you enjoy this new artwork, and will stick with me as my art style changes and improves over the course of the summer. If you haven't already, like my facebook page "KDVan" to get quick news on new projects and posts. Remember, art isn't just a hobby; its a lifestyle.

-KDVan

Facebook: Krystal Dawn
Twitter: KrystalDawnArt
DeviantART: kekei94

I Scream...

I love finding past artworks that I had written off as so absolutely finished, complete, and unbearably "done" that they were stored away in some discreet pile of random papers, stuffed in a corner and left to collect weighty dust. What I love even more is finding these pieces and seeing the potential that time has given them-- the potential I had been blind to during our previous encounter.

This is one such artwork.

 Once an assignment for a middle school class that was not art related, we were to study the spatial relationship between positive and negative space and create a visually appealing product simultaneously. We were told to draw a relatively simple shape, draw lines through it, then color every contacting space an opposite color.

Originally drawn in pen, probably sharpie, I have digitally remastered my old creation and have given it a bit more to look forward too. I didn't actually post the original artwork, but instead used a photo-editing program to recolor the black and white spaces, eliminating the pen markings, then posted this as a sort of "monochromatic" version of the illustration. This piece is fairly simple, vastly modernistic and contemporary, and vivaciously fun. If I were asked to sum up this piece in one word: vibrant.
-KDVan

Art Class Wrap Up: Mixed Media Collage

People who are familiar with the sort of work I do know that my typical first choice medium when working on an artwork are graphite pencils, especially when working on serious, realistic artworks, such as portraits. 

This aside, I always put vast effort into trying to experience other types or art, experimenting with new mediums and sharpening my skills to the most prevalent they can possible be. In honor of these morals, when my school's art instructor explained the types of projects we'd be focusing on this year in art class, I decidedly made a commitment to push myself to the limits and perform to the best my ability (and time restrictions) would allow.

This is an untitled mixed media project I completed for our class. First and foremost, I want to point out that the images here are exactly that-- photos cut from a magazine. I don't feel that the photos were altered near enough for me to own this artwork in entirety, which is why I consider it mixed media collage practice.This particular collage was made by cutting out carefully selected images in a variety of strategic shapes and patterns, gluing them down in layers with a glossy medium, painting designs over these, and finally adding unique and peculiar textures to add visual interest. The following is an excerpt from the artist statement I wrote regarding this piece, detailing the importance of color within the artwork itself.

"Most of the colors represent feelings themselves as purely as I could procure them. For example, the tinges of green with shades of turquoise and cyan represent euphoria in my mind. Often times, however, people associate greens with tranquility, equality, peace of mind and relaxation. A simple explanation for my deviation is the human experience and a bit of habituation; The flush of tidal waves and sea foam in a Seaside mural, salt heavy in the air, childhood dreams captured in the power of the waves; the vibrant sheen of the cloudless dome of heaven as I walk towards summer from the last day of school, from my past and into tomorrow; the crystalline glow of a sculpted jade dragon, every immaculate scale a small wrench in my artist’s pursuit of whim and fantasy: all these things I remember, and in essence feel, when I look into this shade of green. My euphoria."

I haven't the faintest idea who painted the solemn clown I found and placed near the bottom right hand side of the piece, but I absolutely loved their portrait. I very much so became an instant fan of their artwork and hope their identity doesn't always remain a mystery to me.

I'm in the process of planning some truly original mixed media pieces, crafted entirely from my own personally taken photographs and artworks. If you're interested in seeing me create some more artwork of this vein let me know--an artist always loves feedback.

Leave a comment here, or on Facebook.

-KDVan

Serpentine

For those of you who don't know me, I have several unique obsessions. For example, one of these  is my strange fascination with the taste of gravy. I could eat gravy multiple times a day every day. I'm not sure why, but there's something about the savory twinge of salty taste and the liquid consistency of such texture that I simply can not ignore. Some people love their chocolate, and some people can't go without their daily coffee. Get between me and my favorite snack, and the consequences could be disastrous.

On a slightly different note, another of my obsessions includes drawing dragons. I had, and perhaps will always have a peculiar love for scaly creatures. When I was much younger I spent my summers in our backyard, hunting for snakes and bugs, pretending to be some sort of scientist, or Steve Erwin from Animal Planet. Our family would go swimming sometimes, driving out to the country, and I would fascinate myself by trying to catch the tiny brown and blue lizards that made their home among the rocky crevices where the water level had long ago abandoned. 

I remember distinctly being in the fifth grade and going to the Boys and Girls club after school until my mom was off work. They had an arts and crafts room, and it was there with some of my friends that I learned how much art meant to me. While I was there I would draw dragon after dragon, all kinds of species that I made up as I talked and laughed, having not a care in the world. I remember showing the adviser for the arts and crafts room one of my drawings, one of a particularly detailed (for a fifth grader) red and black dragon made out of coals inspired by a figurine I saw in Wal-Mart. She looked over my drawing and said to me, "You're so talented. But it's funny that you like to draw things like that." It was probably the first time I felt seriously offended by an adult. Was it funny that I had some individuality? Was it funny that I didn't like what other girls my age liked? I didn't stay hurt for long, however, and I soon moved on to the other pressing issues an elementary student cares about- many of which I can't quite remember.

I entered this original piece in our school art contest the past school year. It received 1st place in the drawing category of the contest (paintings and mixed media were also entered).

Sand and Seafoam

One thing people can't say about me is that I have no originality. I'm most original and imaginative, however, if left to my own devices, and not forced to work inside a box, something that many of the art classes I've taken force you to do. When I feel a surge of creative energy, I can often create something amazing in only a matter of minutes. When I'm forced to follow a tight structure, and I haven't yet gotten that burst of inspiration that makes hours of artwork fly by in moments, the work becomes tedious and agonizing-nothing short of torture. Another issue of mine is deadlines. It's not that I can't meet deadlines quickly, it's just that knowing I have to be finished with a drawing in a certain amount of time in order to be graded makes my mind work sluggishly slow, impeding my creative process. Out of class I can decisively choose something to draw on an impulsive whim. In class it could take me several days to choose what to draw for a project due in several weeks. Besides these several artistic short-comings, and my ability to quickly improvise where art is concerned, I've passed all of the high school art classes I've taken with flying colors.

This drawing shares some of my originality with the rest of the world. A small tidbit from a world of my own creation, this creature is a siren-like monster that I created for the purpose of existing in the graphic novel I wish to one day write and illustrate. Part-woman, part sea creature, with a tangled mess of what I imagine as unruly red hair and a crown of seashells encrusting her hairline, she's both vicious and cunning. One of the ideas associated with this drawing was individuality. Mermaids are typically said to be part woman and part fish. If this was true in any way, why wouldn't there be hundreds of species of mermaids to accompany the hundreds of fish species in the world? In this way, I drew my first of what may be many seawater beasts.

Simply Brilliant

Simplicity is key in this piece. While some might argue that the tightly wrought lines and carefully blended shading suggests the exact opposite, I beg to differ. The fairy's short, cropped hairstyle, complete with various flyaway strands, creates a simple, soft contrast to the common messily swept away up-do. Her wings showcase a very minimal amount of spirals, allowing the stark beauty of contrast to yet again find fulfillment in one of my drawings. Compared to many of the pieces I work on on a regular basis, this drawing almost feels empty, like it needs a little something special, as far as details go, which is highly possible. Details happen to be my favorite thing, however odd that might sound, and it is my personal feeling that a picture doesn't come alive until the details are set in stone. By being set in stone, I don't mean that the details are necessarily obvious. If the artist can see them clearly, even if its only somewhere in their mind alone and nowhere else, the art value of the piece has already been born.

I actually started the initial sketch for this drawing almost two years ago. I only just recently finished drafting the picture, and finalized the process by going over the whole thing with graphite pencils, in order to bring out the shadows and highlights threaded throughout the drawing.

Ashli

Some people look odd when you see them a certain way. Perhaps they're wearing something they would normally never wear, or have their hair up instead of down. Maybe they're wearing a hat, or make-up, or maybe it's who they're with or where they're at. There's just something about seeing somebody you thought you knew in a new light and realizing how different they are from your previously conceived notions. It works similarly with my characters and I. Just when I got used to drawing Ashli with her hair always in teased pigtails of curly locks, I draw her with her hair down and notice how shockingly odd a person with previously established norms looks once they've disregarded them completely. By this I mean how unusual your face might be shaped in comparison to your eyes once your hair is straightened. I've noticed that her once meant to be alluring anime eyes are actually more creepy than pretty. However, as I hastened to draw her in another art form (one that does not include ginormous pouty bug eyes) I realized she didn't look good with small eyes either. I'm still not quite sure what to do about the matter. I suppose that particular bridge will be crossed once I  reach  it.

Caroline-Laweeze

For a very long time, I've wanted to write and illustrate my own comic book or graphic novel series. It was and is one of the things that keeps me continuously trying to illustrate new and interesting things. Instead of just creating multiple designs for a certain character structure, like hundreds of outfits for a female comic book character, I've always tried to stretch my abilities and to abstain from putting up limits to what my imagination can create. Since I've always kept an open mindset about possibilities, I have a multitude of stylized subcategories containing everything from anime guys wearing skinny jeans to comic styled-super chicks. I also have a vast collection of fan art inspired characters, from many, many different comic series. This particular character, named Caroline-Laweeze, is a skate-style inspired guy with a name that is a combination of two different girls names smashed together. It also happens to be the name of a friend of mine's ipod...He's one of my original characters, drawn in comic style with slight Japanese manga influence. There's more information regarding him in the graphic novel series I hope to one day publish. I can't give it away now. However, if all goes smoothly, I might publish the first pages of my graphic novel here, on my blog someday. Not today, and not tomorrow. But someday.

Making Nothing into Something

Every person has a stunningly individual back-story to accompany their unique personality. Likewise, every artwork, every sketch, and every image brought to life by a creator is an intricately weaved basket of thoughts, emotions, and experiences, or rather, it has a story its own, quite like every person. Whether or not they are aware that they are doing so, an artist leaves traces of themselves in each and every piece of work they produce, outlining a vague ghost of a different self: the person they are, the person they were, or the person they want to be. They reveal a side of themselves they may have never known to exist. Art is a form of self-expression. Many times certain feelings, understandings, aspirations or fears cannot be justly explained through words. That is the beauty of art. With it, we can easily and clearly capture these hard to describe nuances and portray them to an audience who can identify themselves with their interpretation of our precious works.

Considering such, even a simple piece such as this girl, which I drew and inked on a whim, could be harboring all sorts of complexities beneath its straight-forward surface. Then again, maybe I was just bored.

Feathered Key

Math. For some people, the mere thought of the word gives them shivers. For those of us who are more fortunate, math is second nature and comes easily-like tying shoelaces or searching the web. For others, it is discouragingly complicated. According to my letter grades, I'm good at math, but it's definitely not my strong point. However,  I find that math classes aren't boring, just somewhat slow. Our teacher usually got off track anyhow, and would be talking about something completely unrelated whatsoever half-way through the class period. I usually found extra time to doodle on my Geometry notes Freshman year while still listening attentively. I simply didn't think about what it was I was drawing and just let my creativity escape as I focused on how angle bisectors apply to every day life. I'm still not quite sure how they do . I do know, however, that this is one of the creations formed by my mind in a math classroom. In my opinion it seems to resemble one of the flying keys from Harry potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, only more trendy.

 

Frosted Moonlight

This drawing just sort of came to me. I was in one of my classes taking notes when I started drawing spirals on a blank piece of scratch paper. I ended up with this. Strangely, this sort of thing happens often. One time when I was doodling spirals it became a drawing of some toothpaste, another time it turned out to be a winged key (Like the ones in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), and yet another time it ended up being a overly frosted cupcake. The interesting part is that they all started with the exact same curly spirals.

                                 By the way, my sister thinks this picture looks like an octopus.

Tangled Flames

This was a drawing I did for my dad one father's day when I just couldn't decide on the perfect gift. He really likes things that are awesome. I mean, who doesn't? So I had to draw something really  awesome. "Dragons are pretty cool," I remember thinking. And, the idea just sort of moved on from there. I was afraid inking the entire picture would spoil all of the hard work I spent inking with black, so I only inked certain parts. I'm quite happy with how it turned out, although I've gotten quite a bit better at drawing dragons since this illustration.