I just wrote a new post where I explain in more detail just go to this link:
Paola
:)
New website, new blog!
Vacation Mode ON 🏝
I’m finally taking a long vacation.
I usually carry a bunch of colors, pencils, sketchbooks, cameras and more to my vacations but these next two weeks I decided not to do it. Let’s see how it goes.
See you soon 😎
Paola
My weekly path to learn how to improve my drawing skills 👩🎨
Last week's video :)
Sometimes I think I should stop doing this if nobody watch it then I remember I'm a body so at least I should make it for me haha
Paola
Moleskine Sample Sale here in NYC!!
There is a Moleskine Sample Sale!!!
It starts today, July 13th until August 8th from 10 am to 7 pm at 261 5th Avenue, New York NY 10016
These are some of the prices:
If you want to know more information just visit 260samplesale.com or go to the link below:
Let me know if you go :)
Paola
My weekly path to learn how to draw professionally 👩🎨
This week's video:
The life of a self-taught artist :)
Paola
Looking for the perfect Bra
A couple of months ago I started checking on Bras again, mine are almost at the end of their life. I used to be size 36B then changed to 38D and because I gained weight again I wanted to check on bigger options but I didn't know that when it comes to Bras sizes you don't go from 38D to 40D and that's it. It depends on where you gain weight, band or cup.
Weekly Video Clips (June 28-July 2 2021)
Sharing my journey to drawing better from last week:
How was your weekend? We had a long weekend because of July 4th 🇺🇸
Paola
Ideas to go from student to full-time Illustrator 👩🎨
A couple of years ago I found this article about how to turn your Illustrations skills into a full-time job and from time to time I revisit it to see what I need to do in this path to learning how to draw and live from my illustrations.
The part that I love the most about this article is that was made by Patreon and it's an interview with one of my favorite Illustrators and biggest inspirations Frannerd.
Here is the article:
https://blog.patreon.com/fran-meneses
My favorite points are 1,2, 4 and 7. Which ones are your favorite?
Who's your favorite Illustrator or your biggest inspiration?
Paola
From sketch to reality
How stamps for USPS are made 👀?
A while ago I found this article, about what is behind the scenes of making a stamp for USPS which was so interesting and I just wanted to share. Here is the link:
https://medium.com/journey-group/let-love-flourish-c99176e05fc3
Weekly Video Clips (June 7-11 2021)
Here is my weekly video: "A day in the life of an Illustration student" new title haha.
Paola
Finished My First Mix Media Sketchbook!! 🙊
I finally finished my first Sketchbook dedicated to drawing ✨
I have been working in drawing what excites me, I call it "Morning Free Drawing Session" or "Morning Session" (as you have seen it in my weekly videos), I primarily do it in the mornings, that's why the name.
Weekly Video Clips (May 31-June 4 2021)
Hi!!
Here is my weekly video 👀. By the way, I didn't record anything on Monday because it was a Holiday so I allowed myself to have a day free :) it was very nice.
What did you do for Memorial Day?
Paola
Weekly Video Clip (May 24-28 2021)
Hi!!
This' last week's video. I also have been thinking about renaming these series of videos with something related to "____ in the life of an illustrator". Should I? 🤔
Love,
Paola
Japanese Stationery ✨
I love stationery since I was very little but until I came to the US I knew about Japanese stationery. They have so much variety. A couple of months ago I found this video that explains it in a deeper way:
Video 1. BEGIN Japanology Stationery
Also I wanted to share a more recent video with one of my favorite youtubers from Japan who shares his findings about new stationary.
Video 2. Smart Japanese Office Stationery Supplies You didn’t Know - Paolo from Tokyo
After watching this video in fact I got the the Fuji mountain erasers, the Glue Stick and the cutter:
Did you know about Japanese Stationery?
Paola
How to connect my computer to a Wacom Cintiq Pro 13/16?
Websites with information that helped me to do this article:
- Identify the ports on your Mac > https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201736
- Mini DisplayPort vs. Thunderbolt. What's the Difference? > https://blog.tripplite.com/whats-the-difference-between-thunderbolt-and-mini-displayport
- Types of USB Cables > https://images.app.goo.gl/MNRhG8mh3gZ9Ca4D6
- How do I connect my computer to a Wacom Cintiq Pro 13/16? Wacom Website > https://support.wacom.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500006263621-How-do-I-connect-my-computer-to-a-Wacom-Cintiq-Pro-13-16-
- How to connect your Wacom with a Wacom Link > http://101.wacom.com/UserHelp/en/Setup1_CintiqPro.htm
- Wacom Link Plus > https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1435348-REG/wacom_ack42819_link_plus_for_cintiq.html/overview
- Guide to connect the Wacom > https://twitter.com/wacom/status/867393531568115712/photo/1
Love,
Paola
Munsell Color System + Free Printout
This week I have been researching about how to improve the Values and Color in my drawings. This reminded me that a couple of years ago while I was studying Color Theory I found this cool chart that displayed the Color Wheel in a 3D way and it was called the Munsell Tree so I went back online and I looked for that image. I found a couple of them but in the end I chose the one that best helped me understand the concept, which I found in the encyclopedia Britannica:
Weekly Video Clip (May 3-7)
So as I wrote in the last post update, I decided to keep this blog 🙈 it's embarrassing for how long it took me to decided this but I really love the Blog and I want to keep it just the way it is. Anyways, I also decided to put the Weekly Video Clips here as a post instead of the side bar as I have been doing, let's see how it goes.
Here is the video for April 3rd week:
Paola
Finally a New Blog!! UPDATE
(UPDATE) I decided to cancel my Squarespace subscription and continue here in Blogger. I was scared that maybe Google was planning on closing Blogger but I decided to stick to this service and wait to see if it happens, instead of being scared of something I'm not sure if it would happen. It's just so easy to continue using this blog that I don't want to move it at all. So I'll be here. And I decided not to delete this post because it can be useful in case you are checking into new blog services.
Paola
Thinking about changing blogging platform
Lately, I have been researching about the different platforms available for blogging. I would love to make it more professional, simple yet professional. I just didn't want to pay too much money for the new platform to host my blog.
I would love to find something that offers a beautiful minimalistic website that isn't hard to use and believe it or not it has been hard to find 😓
I'm between hosting it in square space or one of the hosting website available for Wordpress mmm.
What do you use? Do you have a blog?
This is exiting 🤩 and time consuming. Let's see what happen.
For now, enjoy the new Weekly Video Clip 📹 it is available on the top right corner of this blog.
Enjoy!
Paola
Fear of flying
When I was little I didn't use to understand why people were scared of flying but I don't remember when my mind changed and I started feeling lots of fear of flying.
This video has been very helpful and that's why I thought that it would be a good idea to share it.
I'm definitely watching it again.
Love,
Paola
The easiest way to apply eyeshadow
Ok Paola...think concentrate...you can write a simple short post 😄ok this is funny.
Well, I think my drawing which took me 3 days to make and like 5 years avoiding it finally is here. I think isa very simple and self-explanatory, to be honest maybe it isn't because I wanted something very minimalistic and simple and I sacrificed details but I loved it 🥳
I always have been confused about eyeshadow brushes so it took me like 1000 YouTube videos to finally find the pattern and find the key brushes that would help me create a cool eyeshadow look :) and here they are:
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| Image 1. The easiest way to apply eyeshadow |
This close 👌 to not post today but here I'm writing 🤷♀️
Hi!
Paola here 😇 I was this close 👌 to not post today but here I'm writing 🤷♀️.
This has been a busy week so I have been re-planning and rethinking about my posting schedule for this blog and YouTube. It has been confusing because editing YouTube videos and blog post takes a while and I have been pressuring myself to post constantly in both platforms.
Brands that inspire me for their minimalism
I just wanted a share some brands that I found that I love because they are very minimalistic.
April 2021 Printable Calendar
Hi my lovely reader!
Today I share with you a calendar I created for the month of April and that has been available in my Etsy shop since the beginning of April but I just couldn't share it with you at in my Blog 🙈.
A documentary day
I like to watch documentaries while I do chores and draw in the morning and these 3 (4 videos, I couldn't stop myself) were so different and interesting.
The first one was this documentary about Tintin, very related to illustration :)
Video 1. The birth of Tintin: Discovering Hergé
How to create a color palette from a picture
Today, in a magazine I found a picture that I loved:
And I said, what can I do with this? Oh yeah save the colors for an illustration later and this is the way that I did it:
Frannerd Zine "The Brandford Cereal Girls" Unboxing and Review
In this video I share the unboxing and a little check in Frannerd's Zine called "The Brandford Cereal Girls" you can find it in Frannerd's Shop.
Do you have any of her Zines? I really love her drawing style.
Paola
Jazz and Bill Evans 🎶
I didn't know anything about Jazz but my husband (check his blog hopstrains.com excellent short name) has been researching and finding a lot about different musicians.
For me, it has always been difficult to listen to Jazz because I always considered it as something that people that are highbrow 🧐 and full of themselves listed to, until recently when I noticed one of my favorite illustrators (Frannerd) listened to it and I was humble and open enough to finally give it a try and I loved it.
Mapping to understand Figure Drawing
I have been learning about Figure Drawing because I would love to learn how to draw bodies and Mapping is one of the techniques that has been the most helpful to understand how to place something on a white page.
Mapping is just selecting points as in image 1, connecting them and create a map on a white page as shown in the images below. I would recommend you just to repeat and practice and you will understand little by little more about mapping.
The materials I'll recommend you to use are old magazines with full body poses that have more movement and Posca PC-1M or PC-1MC bullet shaped 0.7 mm.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Story
Why a "No" is a "Yes" to myself?
"A question is just an opportunity to be honest" –Byron Katie
I started wondering why it is so hard for me to say "NO". Sometimes, I say it but I feel guilty afterwards, like wrong and I was wondering why it is so hard inside my mind to be honest. So I started researching on google and I found this article:
25 Ways to Say No by Kim A. Flodin
I liked it, I think that is a good introduction to the main question: "Why is it so hard to say "No"?" but for me it wasn't completely clear, so I continued with my research and as always I decided to look for Byron Katie's experience and I found this video:
Video 1: How to be grateful for the opportunity to be honest — The Work of Byron Katie
My favorite Illustrators from "Making Comics" by Scott McCloud
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| Making Comics by Scott McCloud |
New Video: Mossery Unboxing Sketchbook
Hi blog bunnies!
In this video I share the unboxing of a Mossery Pastel Sky Sketchbook that I got back in 2018, I don't own it anymore because the paper it has wasn't what I was looking for to use with my watercolors but the cover and the brand is so beautiful that I wanted to share.Back in 2018 Mossery created a Zine which I showed in the video, if you want to know more about the Zine just go to this link:
https://www.mossery.co/blogs/news/to-inspire-and-encourage-inktober-2018-zine
and if you want to know more about the artists that collaborated in this project you can go here:
https://www.mossery.co/pages/mossery-inktober-2018
Do you own a Mossery sketchbook? What do you think about the paper?
Paola
My second stationery haul from my trip to Philly
Hi beautiful you!
There are four amazing stores that I visited in Philly:
- Philly's AIDS thrift @ Giovanni's room (Very curated thrift store)
- Atomic City Comics (Comic store)
- Omoi Zakka Shop (Stationery boutique and pen shop like Goods for the Study here in NYC)
- Kitchen Kapers (kitchen and food supplies)
Where I got multiple items:
Weekend No. 10: Around Philadelphia, PA
Hi!
I just wanted to share our last weekend trip to Philly. I took some pictures, well a lot of pictures, sorry for the amount, I'm experimenting and finding the sweet spot for the right amount I suppose, maybe not. Enjoy.
Weekend No. 9: Around New York City
Did you know there are numbers for the weeks of the year? I didn't 👀
Two weekends ago my husband and I went to for a classic Saturday walk, we started eating in a restaurant called Raclette, where we ate a delicious burger with lots of cheese 🤤
Video from my phone
My first stationery haul
My first stationery haul!! This is pretty exciting, short but exciting. Also this week was my stationery week, that's why I wanted to share this with you ❤️.
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| This is all I bought that day. |
Goods for the Study: The stationery boutique and pen shop that you have to visit
A place that I love to visit in the New York City when I want to just browse around or find new Japanese stationery is Goods for the Study. They have two locations one in in the West Village (pretty big) and another one in Nolita (two shops one next to the other).
Kinokuniya: The Japanese store you have to visit in New York City
Yesterday, I went to Kinokuniya and I remembered I had to tell you about this little jewel in the middle of Manhattan.
How to make your own notebook
Hi lovely people!
Today, I posted a video where I share how I created my own notebook (now I realized it was a sketchbook but well what'll I do at this point haha) with my favorite paper so I could color with my Copic Markers. It's hard to find the right size and quality, that's why I created my own.
Here is the video:
About changing my blog posting schedule and Instagram
I wasn’t sure if I should post about this in my blog because "it doesn't fit the aesthetic I'm following" but I remember that one of the things I promised to myself from the beginning was allowing me to experiment, to fail to try and fail and try again. That’s why I’m writing this.
Just this morning in the description of my blog it said: “Paola | Illustrator | Posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday” but today for the first time, after finishing work at 8 pm I noticed there was something not right and it was the hours that I was imposing to myself so that’s why for March I decided to change my posts from 3 days a week to 2 days a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in honor of my free time and respecting myself.
Update: After 2 more days ending work at 8 pm and today waking up at 6 am to continue working on my blog, I noticed I didn’t want to do Instagram anymore, although it looks crazy for a visual artist is what my heart ❤️ is saying and didn’t want to do, now I understand is the right thing. Instagram believe it or not takes a lot of time and interaction and I want to give that to my YouTube channel for now. So officially I’m planning to have just this blog if you want to see more free constant posting and Patreon if you want to see more personal everyday interaction .
I just wanted to put this out there, maybe you’re doing this to yourself too and you need a reminder that you’re the one who decides how to take care of yourself.
Tons of hugs,
Paola
Why drawing is so difficult?
Video 1: Why is drawing so hard?
I always thought drawing was easy because I did it since I was little but when I started doing illustration more seriously I noticed that what I saw in my head wasn’t as easy to represent as I thought it would be. Then after drawing and practicing for months I stopped because I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t improving 😡. So I started researching on YouTube and found this video that explained that it isn’t just about practicing...
Have you been scared of spending money?
Because I have and lots of times. I was wondering where this idea could come from so I first look for
for this in google and the article that connected the most to me was this one:
When been cheap becomes an obsession
https://www.today.com/news/when-being-cheap-becomes-obsession-wbna42276725
I wrote this draft back in December and I was surprised how this sounds like I have something wrong in me. Lately, I have been listening to "The work" At Home with Byron Katie and now I'm wondering if this is true.
Love,
Paola
Shameless self-promotion (embarrassing) lol
Hi cutie pies from the internet!
I just wanted to share this video that I made today and I'm so proud of.
It took me a couple of days to make it and it's very simple but I love it.
Hugs,
Paola
How to prepare myself to create a new drawing or illustration
I recently was wondering how can I prepare myself to improve my drawing process and these are the videos I found very useful:
Video 1. How to prepare for a painting
Nothing is original
I have been thinking about this lately because at this point in my path as an artist I think that I'm being heavily influence by the work of other artists, specially Frannerd and this has created discomfort in my head.
I remember this happened to me a couple of years ago and I just couldn't continue working with my art anymore, I felt that I was just copying her and not creating something special and I felt that coming again, this scared me a lot. Have this happened to you?
This time I decided to do a little research in YouTube to see other's points of view and these are the videos that I found. Maybe you are going through the same and this could be very helpful for you:
(Video 1. Steal like an artist | Austin Kleon)
Get to know cartoon artists: Adrian Tomine and R Kikuo Johnson
I knew about these to artist thanks to covers on The New Yorker magazine which called my attention because I'm looking for different styles which inspire me and teach me how to solve different problems when drawing.
The first person I would like to share is R. Kikuo Johnson → https://www.rkikuojohnson.com
This is one of his multiple covers which you can find in his website.
Miuccia Prada "Ugly Chic"
I always saw Fashion as something frivolous and it looks like one of the most iconic Fashion Designers too and look at what he created.
Love,
Paola
The book you maybe need
Maybe I need it (Byron Katie says: "I would drop the maybe" lol) too so I'll just leve it here in case you also need a reminder.
Love,
Paola
Life is Not Black and White
Wow this was exactly what I was looking for. Today, I discovered that life is no Black or White and I have that feeling for the longest time but I didn't look into this until today. I feel that everyone says "Life have greys too" but I didn't hear examples of those greys before. Also, I think you're completely right about more constructive discussions or at least more gentle discussions would come out of this way of understanding the world because I would deeply understand that what I think could has wrong and goods (this is so liberating). I feel like as a society we're not use to kindness towards ourselves ( the most important one) or others that's why is so hard to believe this concept (and this could be wrong and right at the same time 😂).
-Extract from my comment for this video in YouTube
I also found this super interesting article about the effect of living in a world where we see thing as opposites and how it affects our mental health:
Unity in the world of opposites
Definitely and must read if you want to know more about what the video is referring to in a deeper way.
Finally, remember that is important to work questioning you own thinking. I do this through The Work. A very cool tool that the author of the book Loving What Is developed or found, sometimes she says it found her haha.
Big hugs,
Paola
In love with Jenna Lyons, sincerity, kindness and openness
Lately I have been in this weird journey towards myself, started by the courage I have seen in Frannerd's Patreon account, wait a second...you know what? I would say it started with Byron Katie "Loving What Is" book which laid the foundation to allow Fran's openness, sweetness and kindness get into my heart and now this woman, Jenna Lyons.
Well well, where to start? You know I used to work in the Fashion Industry which I left because of the toxicity I felt in the work place, since then I have been looking for something different which I didn't find until recently in Frannerd's Patreon, a space where I can be myself and share what I create or think without feeling judge or made fun of. Anyways today while in the subway I saw a sign announcing the newest Jenna Lyons' show "Stylish with Jenna Lyons" which it immediately reminded me of this tall beautiful woman which style I use to love so deeply that I have to connect with her (if you don't know her, she use to work as a Creative Director for JCrew and she with Mickey Drexler basically grew the brand like never before, and like 2 years ago she left her position and went away from the cameras for a while...just saying in the gossip note), it was when my craziness started haha. I just went down the rabbit hole and found such a beautiful, sincere and kind woman that I wanted to share her with you, through all these videos that I found.
(1)
Hourly Comic Day 2021
Hi lovely people from the interwebz,
Yesterday I had the audacity of making for the first time ever an Hourly Comic Day which was one day late because I didn't know it supposed to be on the first of every February. anyways I didn't want to let it pass and I did a very raw, fast nothing fancy comic. Let's see what happens next year 🙃 maybe I will be prepared haha.
Let me know your thoughts, Have you done it?
Paola
Test of all colors of Copic Multiliners 0.5, 0.3 and 0.05 on a Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook
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| Image1. Copic Multiliners 0.5, 0.3 and 0.05 |
Hi!
I just wanted to share this test of different Copic Multiliners because I couldn't find anywhere :) also if you are Copic lover maybe you need this blank color wheel for Sketch, Ciao and Classic Copic Markers that I recently created.
Copic Markers tested on different types of papers and sketchbooks plus color wheel
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| Image 1. Copic on different papers |
Hi grrrls and guys and everyone in between!
I decided to share some test I did on different types of papers and sketchbooks with Copic Markers (Sketch Series) in this way maybe you'll find the type of paper that adapts the best to your style and technique.
I used these alcohol based markers:
Sketch Copic Marker
- 0 Blender
- BV000
- B00
Blick Studio Brush Markers
- 065
- 018
Legend for Image 1 (above) :
L = Layer (example 4L = 4 layers)
0 = I added number Blender (#0 in copic naming) the mix with colors and see the results
0 = I added number Blender (#0 in copic naming) the mix with colors and see the results
Zines Zines fanzines Documentaries
I always have loved books, magazines, paper, notebooks, pencils, colors, etc.
Now it makes sense ☺️:
Paola
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