Work in Progress: Interlude

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a great holiday.  I know I've eaten way too many latkes this year...so I'll be throwing my scale out the window until the whole holiday thing is over.  I don't even dare to step one little toe on it.  New Year is coming up, super excited to have a nice clean slate to start things over again. 2012 better be a good one. *shakes fist*  A year of positive change and new hope for the future, that's the only resolution I ever make, mostly  because I can never keep any of the other ones I make.*giggles*

Anyway, I've been busy these last few weeks getting my one shot manga done before the middle of January.  I have just two pages left to screen tone, and I'll be very happy once it's done and sent off because another idea for a story has popped into my head, making it very hard to focus on anything much else. I feel like I'm going to explode with it if I don't get it out soon. Stranger still, is that I'm having dreams about it, which has never happened in the past in any of the stories I've done before.  Maybe that's a good sign, who knows.

I have managed to get some line art done for other drawings when I've needed a break from toning the comic.  This drawing here is a little prize for someone on Deviant Art.  I hold Kiriban, which on DA means when you reach a certain amount of page views and someone takes a screen cap of it and notes it to you, they win a drawing.  Two people won this time, I have yet to fully get to the other, but I have a new fondness for drawing couples and I just could not resist this charming couple.  Did I mention that I love pointy ears as well? I do! So another bonus score for wanting to draw this.I still don't know what colours I'm going to use, but, if anyone has some suggestions I'm quite open to hear them.  Only took an hour to ink, but three days just to find the right reference to use for them.  I do hope she likes it when she gets it.*crosses fingers*

Oh! Before I dash off to tone more pages, I shall be opening a paper doll contest soon!  I'm just finishing working out the details of the rules and what not, so stay tuned and I'll be posting about that in a short while.  The prize will be your own personalized paper doll. 

Happy New Year my dear wonderful friends, may this year be a bright and happy one!  I'll be catching up with all of you this weekend, so expect to see me Christmas ghosting your lovely blogs. Have a creative week!

May All Your Christmas' Be White

Not in my usual styling, but it was certainly fun to break away into something new.  I've always loved poster designs from the 1920's and '30's with their stark contrasting and minimal lines...adds to such a visual delight.  I got inspired to draw this from a stamp I found in an art magazine, and I thought it would be fun to draw!  So I just went for it.  I love the old time, "Christmas Carol" mood this has to it, and I just fell in love.
 I forgot to use my circle templates, to make sure every line was as crisp as possible, but you know, I kinda enjoy the slight off-ishness(is that a word?!Hm, for now I guess it is...*giggles*) of them.  I like seeing little imperfections in art, shows that a human hand actually made it.
This only took about an hour or so to complete, normally, it takes a week for me to finish any illustration.  It took a lot of black ink though.

Christmas and Chanukah are at the same time this year...I'm so looking forward to all the yummy, delectable treats and loads of Latikahs awaiting!  Eek, and Eggnog Lattes as well...mmmm..I think I need one now.  Ohhh, I love this time of year!  What are some of your favourite treats to fix this time of year, my dear friends?

"Christmas is a time of giving.
It is a time of wrapping gifts and making cookies...
a time of presents, tucked in secret places...
and of children waiting.
It is a time of toys and drums and dolls...
a time of holly and lights...
and golden tinsel
and green pine boughs.
It is a time of stars and midnight...
and soft prayers whispered in the dark.
Christmas is a time of family...
and good friends meeting once again.
It is a time of song and caroling...
and silver sleigh bells jingling in the snow.
For some people, Christmas is a time of remembering...
remembering other happy days filled with laughing voices...
and other treasured times, now past.
But for everyone, it is a time of magic...when troubles melt
and once again the world is young.
It is the time above all others, when peace my visit earth and find a dwelling place in every heart.
Christmas is a time of giving...
a time of hope...
a time of joy.
Christmas is a blessed time....
of love."
From "Christmas Is A Time Of Giving" by Joan Walsh Anglund.

I know it's early still, but Merry Christmas my dear blogger friends...may your New Year be bright!  Love to you all!  Have a creative week!