TJ's Shop: New goodies all around!

Hey Everyone!

It is...ETSY time ^_^  If you want to do a dramatic drop to the floor, because you think you missed your chance to tell me how you eat your cupcake...do not fear. You can still tell me how you eat your cupcake...

I have finally started to add new items to my shop and there will be more new items, TJ originals, soon. I'd really love to see them in a new home as they only collect dust in my folder. Here's a peek at some prints...

All prints are ready to be framed and signed by me and because I truly want to make an effort with my Etsy shop this time...I'll start it off with a fancy coupon: 15% off your order if you enter MAGICCUPCAKE upon check out. I gotta stay in the cupcake theme you know...

I haven't uploaded the originals yet as I had to wait for my fixative to arrive. They will be in my shop in the upcoming days. Here's a peek at them. Please excuse the crappy camera picture.

Please keep in mind that everything is limited (especially the originals hehe) and I only have 5 or less per item. So don't wait too long and get what you want now for presents, Mothers day, just because gifts, for yourself and so on. I really want all my prints and originals gone, so I can stock up on new things. However, if I get lots of messages about a particular print, I may stock up again.

Don't hesitate if you have questions about originals and prints okay? Also, if you know someone who would like this, feel free to pass it along.

That is it! You may start browsing now and I'll shall continue creating new work ^_^. A lot of the doodles you see on my Facebook page are for my portfolio and practicing new techniques. It's a lot of fun to see how you all respond to them and just want to say BIG THANK YOU for the support I get every single day!

Here's a peek at a new painting that I was working on. It's finished now.

Enjoy your day and till next time!!

*waves, waves*

TJ's WIP: Koalas, Koalas, Koalas!

Hi there!

Big thanks to everyone who read last post! It really means a lot to me and I'm glad that I wrote and shared a bit of my Aunt's story with you. I have a bunch of posts lined up for you guys, but let's start with a staring post. I haven't showed a new WIP in a loooong time, so I snapped some pics for you when I created the Koala illustration. From sketch to final painting...let the staring begin!

As you can see, the differences towards the end are quite subtle and unfortunately the camera doesn't really captures this. In real life you can see it all much, much better!

Keep a close eye on my Etsy Shop please! I know I haven't been persistent with promoting it, got a lot going on the last few weeks and I'm juggling my time the best I can, but I will update it with new art, original work AND there will be a discount coupon thingy ^_^

Until we meet again...Ciao!

OH! I selected this post to be featured on my blog’s page at Illustration Blogs. Stroll by if you have some time to spare, please

Sketch Alert: Still in concept.

Hey again!

Before you get your tea (or something else) ready...this post is not why I didn't choose Arts. I'm still writing that post and I have to tweak it here and there. I promise the next post will be about that ^_^.

I got some Jean Grey/Phoenix sketches for you! This drawing style is slightly different and I'm still sketching and learning, but I though it would be fun to show you two examples. I came across a really cool illustration from Mike Maihack (Do check out his site if you have the time). He is a really cool illustrator! His Jean Grey phoenix illustration caught my eye (scroll a bit down and you will see the image). I thought it would be fun to recreate it, eventually in my own way. Personally, I find the Phoenix really interesting. A mystic fire bird, that never dies and which rises again from its own ashes. Whenever you see the Phoenix as illustrations, it has this air of freedom, fierceness and strength. But on to the sketches! First I used Mike's image as reference and I created this:


And what I like about studying new illustrations and techniques, is that after you used images as a reference, the lining you placed on paper to recreate the image is mixed with what you already know. And therefore you refine your own techniques. Ha! ^_^. But okay, I created my own Jean Grey Phoenix sketch. One of the sketches looks like this:


I drew this at the corner of a paper and I didn't realize that I liked the way this turned out ...after I stopped drawing. So I didn't have enough space to draw the entire Phoenix. Still in concept, but in the end I will create a larger watercolored version of this. But this is what I love the most; the rough sketching, to create something new. Oh! I also have some chibi versions in mind. Of course I will show you these as well.

Hope you liked this sneak peek of this different way of drawing. Lately, I sketch all my ideas in chibi style, because of the time issues I have hehe. I will definitely post more of this in the future (I have a bunch waiting already), but I have to get more familiar with it (practice, practice, practice). Stay tuned for the final version (which will come eventually...).

Ciao!

Are you eyeing me?

And hello again!

After a few sunny days, the sun decided to hide again and to give the rain a chance to grace the pavements with its drops. Yeah as if the rain doesn't have enough chances during the rest of the year...and I don't like the rain...it makes my hair frizz haha (and I don't know why I'm laughing...it's NOT a pretty sight).

Hey, have you guys been noticing that it is already getting darker around 10pm or something? The fall is approaching! Not that I mind though, my birthday is in the fall and I love the colors of the leaves and the idea of Halloween is also very fun! Okay wait, not that Halloween is a big hype in The Netherlands and I have to say that whatever we in The Netherlands call Halloween...well it's just waay to commercial for me...

But yeah Halloween, I like the image they portray of it in the movies haha. I wonder what I would choose as an outfit (you are never too old to dress up my friends!). Sometimes I think it's just because you have the opportunity to buy lots of orange and black things. It's not that you see lots of dressed up kids walking through the streets, yelling trick or treat at the doors (yes in Dutch we say 'snoep of je leven', freely translated it means 'candy or your life'...yeah that doesn't sound too happy now does it heheheh). And this is also the case with other holidays, like Sinterklaas (Anybody know about this holiday? If not just yell and I shall put on my glasses and explain!) and Christmas.
The products related with these holidays are already on the shelves at the beginning of September! Helloooo people!! Summer isn't really over yet, you need time to adjust to the fact that it soon will be over and the products related with the winter are already hitting your face! Yeah, that's not so funny. You need to make a mental switch from summer (bright and light) to winter (well ehm...cold and dark), rather quickley. So I have the feeling that this is done, just to make some extra profits, because you will get attempted to buy the chocolate goodies or cookies...

Ah well, you can't control everything now, can we ^_^?


One feature that I draw a lot are eyes...just to practice and to keep myself busy.

The eyes *please imagine a mysterious background tune* can instantly brighten up a drawing or make it more expressive...but to draw these can also be a huge pain in the 'you know what'' area (please excuse me for the dramatic twist)!! For me it's because I can't seem to get two identical eyes. Okay it's not that that eyes in general are always the same (because one can a bit bigger than the other and so on...just take a look in the mirror), but I mean you do have a general pattern to follow right? Usually, I draw the eyes as last in my drawings.

But sometimes I just don't get the right vibe or feeling from a sketch and I draw the eyes a bit sooner. I think, it can help you to determine how the character should stand/pose (remember the Bond Lady...her eyes had a soft expression, while I was going for a bold sassy lady...yeah I drew the eyes first here...). Anyway, when I'm somewhere waiting or sitting in the library, during lessons (hehehe) or in the subway I draw...you guys get the picture right? It can be almost anywhere ^_^!



Oh the next pair of eyes, I made with a Nintendo DS, with a program named Colors! A nice program, I don't use it anymore though, but I made this on a first attempt. Whahaha I impressed myself when I did that *applauds for herself*.




The eyes I make are in an anime style. Whaha my whole drawing technique is based on anime. I never tried drawing realistic though. But at the moment I feel more comfortable when I draw in this style. So I stick to this for now ^_^! But the features I really need to take a look at and start practicing are the....hands!! I just can't draw normal fingers and it annoys me sometimes! Luckily with chibi's you don't have this problem, but yeah, I need to take a look at this soon!

To the reader who draws as well, do you have a feature you usually draw?

To all the other readers: is there something you would like to see drawn or something you want to know about me? I think I will post a 'random facts about me' soon.

Well, I'm off to make some pancakes!!

Cyaa later!