Lately I've really felt good about my art because it has taken a couple of new turns. I bought a new sketchbook in March, a nice fresh start. At the same time I got some very nice pens so that my stuff would be more permanent.

With the nice new pens I started copying manga people like there was no tomorrow (I'll upload those as a set sometime). Then I drew the 18c. girl, although I didn't color it until 4 months later, and the Ayumi Part of Me drawing. So I was ona roll and thought that I was quickly becoming addicted to plain pen outlines.

Eventually I turned back to my pencil portrait ways, but I got better pencils - leading to Nino of New Pencils, perhaps the best shading I've ever done.

I drew two more portraits after that. Neither one amazed myself like the Nino, and only one is uploaded here. The one left out was Penelope Cruz in a really cool fashion ad, but it was just HORRIBLE.

So I DO actually draw non-Japanese people, but they never come out decent. Weird.

Anyway, I'm really excited about drawing. I wish someone had encouraged me when I was a wee grade-schooler, but I'm glad I eventually got into it.

I've cast my boring no.2 pencils aside and am ready for better things to come. Perhaps an Aiba portrait, since he's the only Arashi guy not in my gallery!!! I'd also like to do something OTHER than a person, lol.

Gambarimasu!!!