Florida Vacation 2012

Back from my vacation! It was ok. There were ups and downs but overall there were good moments and bad. Not gonna go into it here. Went diving and saw lots of cool critters (turtles, baracuda, lion fish, sea urchin, puffer fish, and a bunch of fish I don't know). Definitely plan on using some ideas and things I saw while on vacation to use in my "Little Mermaid" spinoff. :D /ends teasing

Gosh, I don't know how people take the beach for granted. I only went twice and didn't really stay long for either but if I lived there I'd at least go once a week. The reasons we didn't stay long is- one: because we were on a deadline and two: because I didn't want to get a sunburn and was tired/bored. There were no waves or anything interesting for one of the beaches. Went shopping at flea markets which are cool because I got a bunch of cheap useful items. Definitely wish that they had more of those where I live. Reminded me of the night markets in Taiwan when I visited. :3 I definitely could get used to the Florida weather although maybe not so hot. XD It was nice though when we were there at least for the most part, although we got lucky because we left before it started to storm. lol

I did surprise myself with being able to sketch a bunch and brainstorm on some of my comics! Super excited about that! Then again I was in a car for 8+ hours so there was only so much I could do. At least I used the time productively....now to be able to continue this streak...Luckily I was able to pump out a bunch of sketches and ideas for several of my comics. lol I was surprised I was able to handle sketching and writing in the car.



Also that is probably the most I've ever driven because I actually don't like to drive at all. lol I can and will if I have to but I avoid it when possible...I admit I was stiff from the lack of movement but it wasn't as painful as I thought it could've been. On the way home a van next to us tire blew out as I was passing them. That scared me because I thought it was our car! Then I was afraid that we could have got into an accident with that van and we were so far away from home. In the end we all made it home safely and I am glad to be home.

The trip was refreshing. I think I needed it. I needed a breather and needed to redirect myself and what I want to do in life. It reinforced my love of story-telling and drawing, so no worries about that. I still plan on doing comics and writing novels but needed that break to push myself to stop procrastinating and actually get them done! So I'm hoping this energy stays with me as I try to get off my lazy butt and get creating!

I know I owe a couple of people some sketches still. No worries. I'll be working on them. Just trying to recuperate after the vacation and get back into the swing of things. :D

Don't forget to enter my Monthly Sketch Giveaway! There are three winners this time. Next month there probably will be less as I prepare for Matsuricon! :D

Pencil Sketches

Back from Florida! Expect an update on things this Friday. Sorry this is late, I still don't know how to schedule posts. -_-;;

I wanna say this was 2010-2011...lol More old smudgy sketches. I apologize for the quality but you can still see it. XD This is when I still sketched in pencil and before I knew about fixative. >_<;; As most of you who follow me regularly already know that I sketch with pen now-a days (they smudge less and I force myself to make every stroke count :D).

I think around this time I was finally finding my own style and sketching more decently. :D Was also starting to figure out and define my characters some more. I was also practicing filling out my pages instead of one character/element per page. I also went back and filled out all the pages I did that in my sketchbooks so that is also sort of why I'm taking forever to finish them. XD Gotta make every space count, right? :D



Cookies for those who can guess any of the characters! The ones that aren't labeled. XD Hope ya'll have a great rest of the day! :D

Creative Locations

I'm sure you all have a certain spot where you are the most creative or get the best ideas. May it be it in the shower, in the car, or on a walk. Maybe it in a coffee place or a library away from home.

The places I seem to get my best ideas are when I'm in bed, in a car, or taking a shower. Well normally any place I can daydream or stare off is when I can focus my thoughts on creating ideas usually for my stories. My favorite place is right before bed. However, I'm too lazy to write any of it down as I drift off in never-land. More than likely I'm able to remember the ideas until morning but sometimes I don't. I sometimes eventually remember the idea or it's not worth trying to remember.

I'm not exactly sure what it is that triggers my creativity. Perhaps it's the solitude where I can hear myself think or observing others and basing ideas off of them. Either way, just staying still and focusing my thoughts helps me isolate a problem and allows me to come up with ideas to solve it.

To contradict myself, sometimes I can't stay still for long and I have to move around or do something. If I get stuck on an idea I just do something else. Take a break. Clean or eat. While I move around doing something unrelated to my problem in my story I discover sometimes I find a solution. Maybe the idea is deep down in my subconscious and I just needed to take a break in order for it to surface in my brain. Strange, I know, but it works for me.

How about you guys? Do you have a special creative location? Where you guys get your best ideas? How do you come up with your best ideas, stories or otherwise? Please share your thoughts!

(If you're reading this right now I'm currently in Florida for 2 weeks. Late notice I know but no worries! I've scheduled some posts to be set up while I'm gone. If you're reading this then it was successful! Yay! Hope you guys are having a great week!) 

Review: Stabilo Bl@ck Pen

So the gracious JetPens randomly selected me to review this randomly selected pen. I shall not let this go in vain! First off, this is a Stabilo Bl@ck Pen. At first impression it was a neat, kind of futuristic-looking pen because I've seen rubber grips but not a WHOLE rubber pen. lol (Please note I'm no expert when it comes to pens but this one definitely intrigued me.) So I immediately went to go test it out on my Rhodia notepad.

The Stabilo Bl@ck Pen is really sleek in my opinion. I really love the design and the rubber material, a nice and non-slip grip. This is great because I tend get my hands wet a lot (I wash my hands often) so I prefer a rubber grip pen so writing with this pen was a breeze. When I write with a non-rubberized pen sometimes my hands slip or I have to tighten my grip, so if you're like me and write with wet hands, you'd might want to think about getting this pen. It's a nice firm but not too firm of rubber grip. I'd say comparable to the grip of the Pilot G2 pens, which I know a bunch of you are familiar with. ^_~

The ink is a nice dark royal blue. I find it pleasing because a lot of blue inks I've seen (not too many) are lighter blues so this surprisingly came out nicely dark and rich. The writing was very smooth, I loved it, it just glided over my Rhodia paper. The only things I wished was that it was a refillable pen and that I had a smaller nib size. I personally would prefer a finer line compared to this medium but that's just my opinion. I've found they do offer a Fine Stabilo Bl@ack so I may have to go get one myself after I use this up. lol

The ink didn't dry too fast, I didn't calculate how long but it probably also was related to the type of paper I was using as well. I don't usually have problems with dry times because I think a lot before I write but lefty people may not love how fast it dries. Then again it's a roller ball pen so I just thought I'd mention it.

Some close up shots of the pen. When I first got this pen I wondered, "What is that little nub bump?" (at the top above the word "Medium") I thought it was to allow the user to be able to get a good grip when pulling off the cap but it didn't make sense because the cap came off fairly easily. Then when I looked at the website it turns out it's for "anti-rolling" purposes. XD Maybe it's just me being OCD but I'd prefer if it had one on the other side to make it symmetrical. It did serve it's purpose but sometimes rolled a full turn before it stopped. I think the clip of the cap did more to stop it from rolling than the little nub bump.

I write with my caps posted and love the seamless look of the posting on this pen. The reason I post my pens is that I either play with the cap in my non-writing hand or I loose it. I also love the feeling of a securely posted cap. This doesn't really "click" or "pop" but kind of squeezes on there so you know it's secure. The weird/fun part for me is popping the cap off. It makes a little "boop" sound because of the rubber and thought it was hilarious and did that a few more times for pure entertainment. Yeah, I'm weird, sorry. >_<;;

Some more close ups of the nib. Typical looking roller ball nib.

Some close up of the writing. Nice clean lines. No splotching or skipping. Really smooth. The parts where it was darker in my writing was only because I went over it again because my writing still needs work. lol

Some doodles I did with the pen of my characters. :3

Over all I'd recommend it if you like rubberized pens with sleek designs and dark, rich ink. Loved the writing experience and the pen overall. I may have to get a fine version of this pen to compare a little more. Looks like a JetPens order is in the future! :D

Let me know if you guys have any questions or comments about this pen. :D

June Carnival of Pen, Pencil, and Paper

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the June Carnival of Pen, Pencil, and Paper! Thanks for joining us here today. Please leave comments if you enjoyed the carnival. :D

Editor's Picks:

Chase Dumont presents How to Build a Schedule (And Keep Yourself on Track) posted at Chase Dumont, Rainmaker.

Becca presents Fude Pen Showdown posted at Nattosoup.: Art, Tutorials, Reviews, Comics

Brian from Goulet Pens presents Stillman & Birn Sketchbooks Overview posted at Ink Nouveau

European Papers presents Monday Morning Review Round-up posted at European Paper

No Pen Intended presents Bic “For Her” Gel Ink Pens posted at No Pen Intended

European Papers presents Monday Morning Review Round-up posted at European Paper

No Pen Intended presents Uni Live Pigment Sign Pen – Extra Fine – Black posted at No Pen Intended

Azizah presents Sunday Reads posted at Gourmet Pens

Gentian presents Koh-I-Noor Rapidosketch posted at Gentian Osman

Cheryl presents Compendium Family Interview Journals posted at Writer's Bloc Blog

Heather presents Intro to Visual Journals, Part 1 posted at A Penchant for Paper

Heather presents Intro to Visual Journals, Part 2: Supplies posted at A Penchant for Paper

Art Supplies/Comics:

Gentian presents Painting a tiny lavender flower with the Sennelier samples posted at Gentian Osman

Becca presents When I was 13, Continued posted at Nattosoup.: Art, Tutorials, Reviews, Comics

FPGeeks presents TWSBI holds a drawing contest to give away more TWSBIs posted at Fountain Pen Geeks

Molossus presents Buncha Bleedthrumanade bookmarks posted at Life Imitates Doodles

David Garrett presents ink review: noodler's #41 brown posted at seize the dave

Paper:

Nifty presents More on Washi Tape Notebooks posted at Notebook Stories

Leslie presents Make Your Own Pocket Sized Notebook posted at Comfortable Shoes Studio

Aisazia presents Review: Moleskine Pocket Storyboard posted at Ethereal Voices: Comic Progress Blog

Leslie presents Make it Yourself: Midori Traveler Notebook Knock Off posted at Comfortable Shoes Studio

Leslie presents Another Midori Traveller Notebook Knock Off Idea posted at

Tyler presents Mini review: Tidbit Notepad posted at Tyler Dahl Pens

European Paper presents Sketching with Stillman & Birn posted at European Paper

Aisazia presents Review: Spicebox 5x8 Duo Journal posted at Ethereal Voices: Comic Progress Blog 

European Paper presents Clearly It’s Clairefontaine posted at European Paper

Alex Witte presents Quo Vadis Habana (and Beer?) posted at Economy Pens

Pen:

Maybelline presents kikki.k: Kontor Fountain pen and Silver Flower Gel pen posted at On Fountain Pens

No Pen Intended presents Sailor A.S. Manhattaner’s NY Artists Guild Fountain Pen – Fine Nib – Cat on the Road posted at No Pen Intended

Brad presents Deleter Neopiko Line 2 0.3 mm Review posted at The Pen Addict

Pen and Design presents Noodler's Konrad Flex Pen Review: Limited Ebonite Edition posted at Pen And Design

No Pen Intended presents Uni-ball Jetstream Color Series Ballpoint Pens – 0.5mm – Light Blue & Purple posted at No Pen Intended

Ana presents Muji 0.5 Retractable (Don’t LIME if I do) posted at The Well Appointed Desk

Brad presents Ink Links posted at The Pen Addict

Leslie presents Hacking the Noodler's Flex Pen posted at Comfortable Shoes Studio

Peter Warrior presents Pentel Hybrid Gel Grip DX Broad Gel Ink Pen Review posted at Tiger Pens Blog

Joe and Cody presents Review: Kaweco Sport Fine Nib posted at #PenSwag

Crystal presents Oh—Sweet Liberty! posted at Nib Notes

Azizah Asgarali presents Gourmet Pens: Review: Kaweco Liliput Al Fountain Pen - Medium posted at Gourmet Pens

Alex Witte presents Deleter Neopiko Line 2 - .2 mm posted at Economy Pens

Heather presents A Penchant for Paper: PaperMate InkJoy 700 RT 1.0mm posted at A Penchant for Paper

Peter Warrior presents Stabilo SMARTball – A Ballpoint for the Smartphone generation posted at Tiger Pens Blog

Maybelline presents On Fountain Pens: Montblanc: 31 posted at On Fountain Pens

Pencil:

Gentian presents Tombow Ippo! Pencil Caps posted at Gentian Osman

Alberto presents Vintage Pencil and Lead Tube addition to my Leadholders collection posted at Lung Sketching Scrolls

Ana presents Staedtler Wopex Pencil posted at The Well Appointed Desk

Ink and Misc:

Stephanie presents Favorite Pens + Favorite Paper posted at Rhodia Drive

Azizah presents Mailbox Goodies & Associated Addictions posted at Gourmet Pens

Brian from Goulet Pens presents Getting a Full Fill on a TWSBI VAC-700 posted at Ink Nouveau

Office Supply Geek presents 2012 National Stationery Show posted at Officesupplygeek.com

Brian from Goulet Pens presents Stefan V. compares Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite to 4001 Blue-Black posted at Ink Nouveau

Peninkcillin presents Waterman Purple ink review  posted at Peninkcillin

Brian from Goulet Pens presents FP101- Terminology 2, Fountain Pens In Use posted at Ink Nouveau

Cole presents How to Write: Sympathy Notes posted at European Paper

Lito presents HM Stationery Office Supplies posted at Palimpsest

Estivalia presents Doodlelopes posted at 365 Drawings Project

Travisthetrout presents How to track your habits! App, Notebook or Filofax? posted at Notes in a Book


That's it folks! Thanks for stopping by! Let us know how you liked this month's posts! Better yet, prep some posts for next month's Carnival hosted by Comfortable Shoes Studio!

(Note: Please let me know if I forgot anyone or if you're under the wrong category. I was worried that I wasn't going to get anyone because the carnival wasn't working so I did this from scratch. >_<;; Hopefully this is acceptable. :D)

Monthly Sketch Giveaway - #2 June 2012

It's June's Monthly Sketch Giveaway! The giveaways will start the first Friday of the month and will end the last Friday of the month.

May's Winners: 

Azizah Asgarali

Emilio Villegas

Evic Or

Winners have already been notified. If you didn't receive an email please let me know.

I figure this will help keep me practicing and you guys will get free art! :D Mind you, these will be sketches and depending on my time and how I feel will determine the level of detail in your sketch. It can range from simple to more complex depending on how I feel. Sorry about the inconsistency but this should be fun for me and you. :D

You only get one character. The minimum you will get is a black and white shaded bust sketch with little to no background. It can be traditional or digital. I will try to state it, if you want a traditional and want the original sent to you please let me know. (You'll have to pay for shipping and handling.) If I'm feeling inspired I could sketch up to a full body with a background and flat color, again it depends on how I feel. 



Example: (I'll try to come up with more examples but for now it'll be something like this)

The giveaway will end 12:01am on Sunday, July 1 and the winner announced the upcoming Friday day!

I've changed the rules so now there will be 3 Winner per month instead of just 1. However, the amount of winners per month will vary depending on how I feel and if I'm busy! So your chances of winning is higher! :D Also you can only win once. Another winner will be drawn if you've already been selected.

A few rules (I know. Rules suck but we need them.)
1. No re-adjustments after the sketch is done. (If I mess up something then I will make adjustments, otherwise I'm not fixing it)
2. I have the right to add/omit items to a character's design but will most likely leave it as is.
3. This is original art for personal purposes only. Not for commercial use.
4. I have the right to display the art but credit for the character will go to the creator.
5. I will not draw:

• hentai
• yaoi/yuri
• extreme gore/violence
• lots of buildings/architecture
• extreme mechanical things/mecha
• anything I feel uncomfortable with
• fully realistic people

I have the right to refuse to do a request for reasons that are not listed above!

If the winner does not respond a week after being notified a new winner will be selected.

If you're interested in more than a sketch and am willing to pay feel free to check out my Commission Information on my Deviantart!

Enter the Giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway