Some things for you to know

I cut my hair short and the first comment I got was "You look older." How nice! Okay... the very first comment was that it's been a long time since my hair was this short.

If you've ever watched Inside the Actor's Studio, you know this:

1) What is your favourite word?
Solina.

2) What is your least favourite word?
Can't think of any...

3) What turns you on creatively, emotionally or spiritually?
Being in touch with myself.

4) What turns you off?
Arrogance.

5) What is your favourite curse word?
Shit - simple and effective ^^;

6) What sound or noise do you love?
The sound of water.

7) What sound or noise do you hate?
Screaming or high-pitched sounds in a space that echoes a lot.

8) What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Being a singer.

9)What profession would you not like to do?
Being a doctor.

10) If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
I knew you had it in you.

+ Music: Macy Gray - I Try (watch&listen)

Love can damage your health

This was named after the song I was listening to - I thought they suited each other. Otherwise, it's just a random sketch out of nowhere.

+ Music: Air - How Does It Make You Feel (watch&listen)

Situational thinking

Sometimes you think about things such as which is better: to feel sick and throw up for a day or be extremely depressed. Maybe when you're throwing up, you're far too busy to think about your own sorry life and appreciate it a bit more the next day? And you feel great when the stuff you eat actually stays in :P

I was a bit bored so I did a Jung typology test. It was one of those yes/no type of questionnaires full of questions ready to offer the ultimate truth about You. Some of the questions did require a little more thinking than others, though: "You know how to put every minute of your time to good purpose - yes/no." Hmm... Would I be doing this test if I knew how?

According to the test, I'm the ESPF type - always very entertaining. I'm not quite sure if this is where you begin to ask whether people are laughing with you or at you...

+ Music: エレファント・カシマ シ - 今宵の月のように (watch&listen)

Finally found something myself

I found this new song I like. I wasn't listening to it when drawing but it's good anyway.

+ Music: Nazca - In Féria (listen)

Clothings

This is a girl who has my clothes on and somewhat similar haircolour. I drew it for my jukebox who predicted the next song wrong. I was going to choose Mariah Carey just out of spite, but it just wouldn't have been right since I was listening to this song while drawing.

+ Music: Radwimps - ふたりごと

Nowadays

I don't put a smile upon your face no more
I can't make your heart shine like it did before
You don't listen to my stories anymore
You can't comfort me the way you did before

Was I too loud, was I too bad
Was I too open
Was I too high, was I too fast
Was I too close

I don't feel your lips like the first kiss
I'd rather run away than sit to face the truth

Was I too proud, was I too hopeful
Was I too needing
Was I too crazy, was I too long
Was I too giving

No matter how far, no matter how long
I will be there


+ Music: Telepopmusik - Closer (listen)

Other things

I finally got around to buying Regina Spektor's cd, I've liked Samson from the first moment I heard it long time ago. I like her lyrics, so I compiled a small poem(ish) thing by picking lines from different songs - I could've made it so that it runs a bit smoother but for now it's fine the way it is. Doing stuff like is fun :) Now I only have to wait if it gets claimed.
----

And so the day starts out so slow

Always one foot on the ground
And it breaks my heart
Suppose I never ever met you
Will you feel better, better, better

And walking arm in arm
Began to sting our knees
If I kiss you where it's sore
I am awake to feel the ache

You're my sweetest downfall
So different from the one they're always singing
You love until you don't
This is how it works

My dear, dear friend
---

+ Music: Regina Spektor - Us (watch&listen)

Decoratives

I found the mehandi design booklet I got from Bangalore and decorated this with some of the designs. You can probably tell that I like decorative designs quite a bit... It looks pretty simple but the black parts took some time to ink. The ink pens I got last year are pretty good: the ink dries quickly and on the right kind of paper large black areas look quite even.

I don't know what the music for this entry is but I like the video. It reminds me of the Bharata Natyam dance festival we went to in Mahabalipuram. I really like the abhinaya aspect of Indian dance - the dancers use gestures to convey messages, kind of like in sign language.

+ Music: some Bollywood thing (watch)

More blahs

Not quite sure if this is worth uploading but I did it anyway. Nyah.

Blahs

I know it looks like a total mess but I made a useful discovery while making this.

I also came across some Sky Doll fanart today. Sky Doll a comic I've been wanting to read since... 2001 (haven't made any effort to find it, though ^^;). I really like Alessandro Barbucci's work. Like most people in Finland, I read Donald Duck when I was growing up and one artist had a style I really liked. Back then they didn't publish the artists' names on Disney comics but I think it was Barbucci's work that I liked since he used to work at Disney. Thanks to the fact that my sister took a liking to W.I.T.C.H, I've read it quite a bit but I only really liked the first stories that were drawn and created by Barbucci and Canepa. Another Barbucci comic published in Finland is Monster Allergy but they stopped printing it pretty quickly. Magazines cost more here than in other European countries, so I guess they didn't find enough buyers for it. I liked it, though - it was so pretty! ♥

*Space Ship - a nice collection of Barbucci sketches and such

+ Music: Nouvelle Vague - Thursday (listen)

Text heavy!

I'm one of those people who rummage through the paper recycling box after taking out the trash. Why, you say? Because it's an easy way to get magazines without paying a penny (and it's nature friendly, too, mind you). The unfortunate side of it is that when you're not all that tall and the container is rather big, there's a danger of falling in when you're trying to fish out fashion magazines (which for some reaosn always are in the bottom). But so far no one has caught me red handed ;) I can imagine their looks when they see their sorry neighbour halfway in the paper container...

When I was doodling some random heads today, I got to thinking about which artists have most influenced my own drawings. Aimee Major Steinberger and Alan Tew are by far my two biggest influences when it comes to sketching. When I was younger, I used to look at their drawings and try to get the hang of drawing faces. Their sketches have simplicity and dynamics that I found really helpful. I think that espescially animators' sketches are a good resource for getting some idea of how to draw movement and facial expressions (things I still have to work on a lot :P). Another similar influence is Shane Glines - he has nice retro style in his work.

Brian Froud is one of my "weird factor" influnces and Yoshitaka Amano's work has probably brought in some flowyness (is that even a word?). I'm not sure if Amano's work has influenced me much, but he's one of my top favourite artists in any case. Then there's of course my overall love for Art Nouveau and various other things I've picked up along the read. Music and the people I know are also really big influences - musn't forget those!

The funny thing is that the things people critique you on may sometimes become the things that you think most as your own style. From early on I was told not to draw "alien heads" (big heads with triangular shape and so on), but I now think my alien heads is just something that I see as me. Sure, they looked pretty different back then, but you can always spot similarities in your old and new work.

+ Music: The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (sugarpie, honeybunch) (listen)

And if you want me...

A boring, stupid head. It was the only thing which, after much persuading, agreed to be drawn. Maybe boring people only draw boring things? I like the pink, though.

I remember liking this song when it first came out.

+ Music: The Cardigans - You're the Storm (watch&listen)