I'm Incredibly Busy.

HA! Fooled you >:D
My vacation has officially started. I've been chowing down on Sour Patch Kids (100 candy box? Challenge accepted.), painting (I don't even feel like painting usually), taking Willie for a walk (best tiny horse EVER), reading, watching youtube videos, sleeping like a fiend, and... studying.
Yep, that's right folks. My last exam was yesterday.
Supposedly. >:(
   I got stuck behind a tractor hauling hay on the way to campus, and hit every single red light on my way to town. I parked the car at 2:00, got to the building at 2:05 exactly, and no one would let me into the gym. So I left as a wreck, and wrote my prof an email explaining what happened. I now am going to write the exam the day after I return from the US. *le sigh*

I need to write a thank you card for this person:
   Before I went to the library, I went to the student building to sit alone and calm down for a bit. However, there was a little table set up, and the lady manning the table offered me a free coffee. I normally despise coffee, but they had run out of tea, and if I didn't get something into my systems, I was going to... I don't know. But anyway, the lady made the mistake of asking how my day was. I told her. Normally I try not to get other people down, but I felt compelled to tell her what happened, so I did. She felt so bad for me that she bought me a cinnamon roll to go with the coffee and talked to me for a little bit to try and cheer me up.
   Coffee-lady, if I ever find you I will give you a better thank-you than a sniffle and nod. I promise.
... the coffee was delicious, too. Thank you for your kindness! ;_;

Pictures for today:

This sketchbook had a bunch of helmetless Reploids. I was trying to get comfortable with that idea, but fortunately it didn't stick!

Someday I will find the original picture of her. This is Phix. She was my very first MM fan-character, and still a favorite of mine.

Hoss hoss hoss

I want this. If any mechanical engineers are reading this, please build me one for Christmas, okay?

This one actually looks a lot better in person. It's still charming, though.

This sketchbook was the earnest start of coloring in marker for me. Before, I viewed markers as childish, but actually playing with them again completely changed my mind. In fact, the only reason that I was excited at all to go to University this year was because my mom bought me a 90 pack of Crayola markers. Aww yeah.

Finished!

One exam down, two more to go.
Have a Harpuia!

TA-DA!

Sorry for some of the color bleeding. This paper really is not suitable for marker use :(
On another note, look at that cool see-through effect! Woop woop!

I'm so tired I could die. Too bad I'm going to spend the rest of my life day studying.

In progress

Only one picture today. I'm in crunch time as far as studying goes; my Chemistry exam starts at 9 am sharp!

In progress!

I've never drawn Harpuia before, so I figured I needed to give my favorite Guardian some attention. I could color this thing in about 10 minutes, but I don't have 10 minutes to give to it right now.
... I'm thinking markers...

STUDYING

This one won't be too wordy, I promise. Start of another sketchbook, this time 2008.

Quite an improvement, especially since this was drawn from memory.

WORD. (I don't dare decipher this :< )

My mom said that the hardest thing for beginning students to draw is their own hand. Challenge accepted.

I want more of those stickers.

Helmetless X, because I can.

Heading into finals!

One more week of this science stuff, and then I'm OUT.
My Chemistry exam is Tuesday, but I'm not too worried about it. I've been doing well in this class, and I enjoy it. If my final does not go too well, I will at least have the satisfaction of feeling like I learned something and enjoyed myself while doing so!
My Global Issues exam is Wednesday. Am I worried? Not particularly. I need to skim the book once more, but it is very basic information concerning overused topics. If I don't do well, I really don't care at this point. My seminar classes in the Lyceum were probably more challenging and enjoyable. I will do my best, regardless.
My Biology exam is Thursday and, well, I'm screwed no matter what I do! I'm trying to study the lecture notes, but I'm not sure if I should bother or not, seeing how the information covered on the midterms had absolutely nothing to do with the lectures. I will be so glad when this class is over and done with!

On to the pictures!

I like the "woodcut" style this picture has! I should try this again, sometime.

A simple "playing with colors" painting. It is much more sublime in real life. *STARE*

Itachi, my favorite bamf. Too bad he dies. :(

Axl! Too bad you can't see the glitter crayon, a-hur-dur.

This is cute. I don't enjoy babies, but I do enjoy the perspective in the background ;)

I want to go back to the woodcut picture for a second. This was one of John Greenwald's (http://www.johngreenwald.com/) favorites that I did. He was a studio neighbor and a friend. When my mom was giving art lessons, he would always pop in with some encouragement and kind words for the students. I often helped him catalogue his paintings, but I was mostly there for the conversation. He was overall a great person. I don't want to say "rest in peace" because that would be very un-John-like, but wherever he is, I know he's making an impact on everyone around him.

These were the last of the sketchbook-less pictures. I will likely be posting sporadically over the next few days if at all.
Wish me luck in my finals!

Bad Art (a mini rant)

Yes, my friends. The internet is a treasure trove of bad art. I'm glad that I explicitly stated in an earlier post that I am scanning in OLD sketchbooks, because I seriously just saw an entire gallery filled with pictures, by a 23 year old that look worse than my 12-13 year old self could draw. D:
I want to encourage people, but the first step to solving a problem is to admit you have a problem. I mean, seriously, don't expect a truckload of praise for your art if it looks like something semi-sophisticated chimps crapped out. ARGH.
On another, but similar, note, there is a museum in Massachusetts that I had the benefit of going to see in person. That museum is the one and only "Museum of Bad Art." Check out this link: http://museumofbadart.org/

On to the continuously-improving pictures!

I enjoy looking at this picture. The shading, the movement... it's pretty good for a 13 year old.

Hoss. At this point, I still used a very light touch with colored pencils, which did not afford me the full range each pencil can offer!

Neato. Wish I could remember where I got the pose from, though.

Look at the exhale! I need to try something like this again.

Some boy. Actually, there's a story behind him, but it's quite long and confusing. So there.

Seeing as it is 11:52 on a Friday night, I'm going to go get a bowl of Lucky Charms and count myself lucky that I managed to grab a bowl before my brother consumes the entire box by himself. Muaha.

The End and Misc.

The mini book was just that: mini. This post is the end of that tiny book, and the beginning of another sketchbook that I tore pages out of (what the HELL was I thinking?!). I'm pretty lucky that this stack of pictures managed to more or less stay together, but I still cringe at what I might have thrown out during one of my "MY ART SUCKS" cycles. ;_;

My 9th-10th grade science teacher was always sitting at his computer. This was an attempt to capture its charms, I suppose. Also: more highlighter!

Sayaka the ninja, again, as well as a page of history notes. Read if you dare!

Inspired by contour drawings. Kind of neat.

New pages! I truly love drawing Accel. You will be seeing A LOT more of her around (as if you haven't already).

Don't mess with me man... I don't play!