Typos, COMMENCE!!!

Done. Done! DONE!!!

I'm just so happy to have actually finished something.

So how do you like my fonts?! Hm? HM!?

I had a lot of fun making the little route map. I had even more fun writing all those "pleasant" phrases. 

Of course, some stairs came to the party as well. They are supposed to be plane stairs, only incredibly inaccurate. Who needs railings? Not fictional I! 

A great inspiration starter is Come Fly With Us!

It gives the history of flight attendants and is mostly photographs, so it appeases me.

This picture is bound to have some typos in here. I'm too tired to notice them right now. 

Ironing out my muddled mind

It's coming along. Bit by tiny bit. 

I'm quite pleased with the plane pattern. Though the concept is simple, making the swatch was delicate stuff. I, for one, am not very accurate with measuring. Rulers are one of my many enemies. So to space the planes evenly, I made tiny little colored blocks. How archaic!! 

I'm also trying to incorporate graphic styles using font. It's an area I am definitely not comfortable with. For starters, what the hell do I write? I'm afraid the text is taking on a bit of an Engrish flare. For example, what does "1P" mean? Multiple meanings pass through my head and not a single one is significant. To be honest, I just wanted to put some text in that shape. "It's like a little badge!!" is probably what I was thinking. 

What shall I add next?! 

I really don't know. 

To partake in my pattern tendencies

Oh young flight attendant

How your glance sends my heart aflutter

May I borrow your dress? 

This subject...it was only a matter of time. So if you haven't realized already, I am infatuated with flight attendants of the Golden Age. Would I have become one if I was alive in the '60s? Yes. Though it's only the image that I love. The actual job isn't as glamorous. Shame.

Every time I go to the Third Ward or Madison, I am overcome with a desire to design patterns or some kind of stationary. Unfortunately, that fire is always out by the time I reach my computer. This time, though, I shall conquer my muse!! But it's surprisingly difficult conveying the blurry image in my mind  to something crisp and solid on the screen.

My thoughts on the outcome thus far:

Is she wearing the flag of Denmark? Is she a blond Japanese woman?! Is she Maki Nomiya?!! The things that are beyond my control... 

I can guarantee it is never normal with me

To (unintentionally) commemorate my 80th post, here is my latest self portrait! It took a weird turn, that's for sure. Though I think I had a feeling it wouldn't be conventional since the beginning. 

It's similar to the first portrait I did (my first piece done in Illustrator!). So I'll say it's a homage (instead of admitting that I lack creativity in self portrait poses). 

Since it is similar to the one drawn in '08, it shows how much personal growth has elapsed. For one, there is a plane, which has become the staple of my art. Secondly, there is a city in the background. I have loved huge cities since I was 3, but it wasn't until recently that I fully accepted that into my life (and ambitions). Thirdly, the color choice is a lot more subtle. In '08, I must have still been lapsing into the tacky japanese glittery-ness that had plagued me ever since teaching. 

For comparison, you may view the 2 year old self portrait. Just click the entire article!

And I go "Meh."

The title is "And this is..."

A long time ago...in Japan...this was going to be my latest self portrait. It was also my idea at the time to draw a yearly self portrait. In this original idea, I would be bent over with my cat, Pussy Willow, looking down at the ground with skyscrapers rising above us. Thus, I began...

and said, "Screw it." with the original idea. As I continued, I realized that no matter what I did, this woman was not going to be good looking. I believe that the women in my previous works were at least a little satisfying to the eyes (I could be wrong), but her...her! I just couldn't fix it. On the positive side, this is (out of my control) refreshing. 


Though one thing did remain from the original idea: The shirt pattern. This could be considered the sister project to "You Could Have It So Much Better."More proof is the woman's expression. Like I have explained before, I was distressed during that time period and was planning on showing that in my portrait. 


Like every other piece, I am not satisfied with the end result. Also like every other piece, there is nothing I can do about it. What really disappointed me was how the jacket turned out. I think using a complex rasterized image is way too tedious to use in a perspective object. The end result is just flat and resembles those ugly gansta jackets. There, I said it.

I also totally copped out on the background. The idea of skyscrapers no longer seemed fitting. So instead, a layered sky! Then a poor attempt at drawing a jet! Followed by a single star! The grand finale are those brown (supposedly silhouetted) trees! It truly is a grand piece!

Quite Tempting

This was done just for some simple fun. But the plane actually caused me a lot of angst to draw! Is this the beginning of a drawing block? Just when I'm finally getting some work?!

I have contemplated drawing a photographs numerous times. This is the first time I acted upon it. It looks good, but I just feel guilty cause it was so easy. Although there are a lot of artists that do this. *Cough* *cough* Ai Yazawa *cough*. (Though she uses filters first). 

Cardinal Signs of Obsessions

"Catch Me If You Can" itself is a great movie. One of my favorites. But its title sequence embodies everything I like. It has the stylized silhouettes, overall 60's theme. But best of all is the planes!! Ohhh air stewardesses! Airports!! Even long before I realized that I liked aviation, this animation stayed in my memory.

I though I would share it here with you. You can enjoy is for as long as it's not deleted. If it is deleted, just search for it. Don't worry, you'll find it. There are always duplicates.

The formating is cutting off the video (ugh), so just click it to get to the original page.

Already at my reserves!

I have gotten to the "Life" part in my "Life in Motion" contest entry. I had a vision of how I wanted it, but when it came down to actually drawing it, I am horribly lost.

I still have the vision, but it's such a scrabble that if I draw it all out bit by bit and don't like the outcome, I pretty much have to start over. That's part of the challenges with drawing in Illustrator for me, everything is too solid. I hope that doesn't apply as a psychological metaphor to me life...

Then I had a tiny epiphany!!

I drew a chandelier.

Yes.

That supposedly solves my problem.

Actually, even this chandelier in itself posed a tedious challenge to me. At first it was salmon color (yuck). Then I changed it to a coral-ish red. But I decided that was too kitsch, so onto white it became!!

Each time I changed it, though, the brushed had to remade, then the strokes had to be done separately and on and on and on the pain continued.

My problem of "Life" resurfaced yet again.

So what did I do?

Well, what I do in every picture that I get stuck on:

DRAW A PLANE!!!

My God do I have a one-track mind for subject matter. Anyway, this is just the beginning stages. If I am going to draw a plane, then dammit it will be a nice plane!