Right on Schedule!

Video production is right on schedule!

I have just completed my first video for this coming Friday and will be completing next week's video in the coming days.  I'm really excited to be doing this, so keep an eye out for the continuation of my G's Tips series! My tips are based solely on experience, and sharing that knowledge is so much fun!

Stay tuned for more updates!

G has been a bad girl...

Yes, I have been bad, but I did finish my free-hand version of Dreamer! So far, two different coloring styles of the character exist, but the second one is not quite complete.

Mainly, I've been trying to get one art request finished for someone on Deviant Art.  It probably would have gone faster with graphite shading; but I feel the graphite would not have done the scene any justice.  It's the kind of scenario that needs warm, comfortable lighting to achieve a great romance feel.  You'll see what I mean when I share the picture.

For starters, I'll share my freehand version of Dreamer below:

Needless to say, I am super proud of this concept! I haven't quite gotten around to a finalized full-body portrait yet, but that's coming soon to the sketchbook.  Dreamer is loosely based on my dream self.  I'm not sure what I look like in my dreams, so I went with an anime style.  Dreamer has the combined talents of super speed and flight - this was inspired by a dream where I literally had those two skills.  It was awesome! Dreamer can also change color depending on her current mood.  If she's mad, she'll turn red/orange.  If she's feeling down, she'll turn gray.  Basically, every color of the spectrum that corresponds with a certain mood, that's the color she becomes.  This is based on the fact that my eyes change shade/tone depending on mood and environment; this actually happens to green-eyed people.  If I'm in a super good mood, my eyes usually are a brighter, more intense green; if I'm feeling relaxed, they turn blue; if the weather is super nasty, gray, and rainy, my eyes become a shade of grey (maybe with a hint of the original green).     

I have to say, Dreamer is the best representation of myself ever created! This character could go far - and I mean, faaaarrrr.  I haven't thought of a backstory yet, but I'll make that part of my agenda.  

That's all for today! See you next time!

~Gigi

An Old Story

Okay, I need to talk about this, because this is something that's been in my sketchbook for ages! And Throwback Thursday is a great day to talk about memories.

Back in my college days, so figure I was 18 at this point, an experimental sketch happened: Daffy Duck drawn with blue and white hair! Throw on a pair of pants, add weapons and arm braces, and you have the start of an anime-traditional hybrid.

That's basically what he turned into: an anime hybrid.

Now, the picture above is old, but it reflects the final concept pretty well.  The hair on his head has since been shortened, but the ponytail and braids remain.  And I'm proud to say that this story, under the title Electrified, is finally coming to the final stages of development - after 7 years!

This story has to be my absolute favorite to work on, as it delves into a lot of deep concepts, such as forgiveness, love, reconciliation, friendship, the dangers of pacifism, etc.  Due to my inexperience with the real world, I initially planned on writing this as a TV series (after thinking of making it a comic book).  Well, that idea didn't fly, so it got revamped into a written story.  That didn't work out so well either, as the pacing didn't make much sense and was too drawn out.  Finally, within the past two years, Electrified underwent its third revision into comic format (the original intent), and I don't regret that decision.  

The comic version flows much more smoothly, and has all the grace of a manga that I was trying to accomplish.  Of course, I haven't released the completed pages yet, but those are in the works, being mostly sketched.  The only indication of its existence lies in my Deviant Art profile, but I'll share the final title page here:

Basically, this story consists of 3 parts: 1) Rise of the Firebird, 2) Reign of the Firebird, and 3) Return of the Lightning Empire.  I won't give specifics on these three parts, but the titles are a good indication of what will take place.

Getting back into this has me feeling giddy, mainly because Electrified is such an awesome story! The inspiration comes from various sources, such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sonic X, Fantasia 2000: The Firebird Suite, and The Chronicles of Narnia.  

So let me explain the main character a little: Zen-shira is more or less a male version of me.  (His name is inspired mainly by Japanese names, but he speaks a totally different language.  Zen-shira translates to "Blue Flame.") Zen is a fearless fighter, and will stop at nothing to protect the innocent and exact justice on criminals and evil people in general.  Zen's witnessing of death and murder in his younger years led him on his current path in Part 1.  Despite being a fighter, he also has a wise, gentle side.  This side doesn't show much, and tends to surprise his friends.      

    

In a way, I've always wanted to be like Zen-shira.  And in a way, I guess I am.  Having been friend-zoned many times growing up, I became a little bit cold towards people (but not too cold, mind you).  This life experience is what led me to create Electrified in the first place; it's a fantasy where everyone learns how to deal with things and not let their own ideas or misconceptions get in the way of understanding.  This is not to say that everyone just gets it right off the bat.  Certain things take time, like forgiveness, or accepting someone who has a different outlook on life, or dealing with anger and hatred.

I believe everyone can master these concepts, but only if they take the time to.  Does it mean everyone will? Probably not.  My hope is that, when this story is out, Electrified will challenge people to question their motives for behaving a certain way, and/or how they treat others.  Humanity is in such a dark predicament as it is, so why not create a story that sheds light on some of the most basic concepts? I mean, there is so much energy wasted on gossiping, lying, and being nasty.  Think of how much less energy you use being kind, and not getting mad because you created a misconception about someone and poured all your heart and soul into hating them.  

Maybe my ideas seem a little far-fetched to some, but I don't think so.  In time, if we learn to understand life from a more objective point of view, we might actually start moving forward.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.  

Let's make this year great!

I've been a little inactive, but that's changing this year.  As of February, I'll be releasing new episodes on my channel and focusing on building that up - let's not forget paying more attention to this blog.  I had such grand ideas for it, but due to jobs and music taking up most of my time, making this a success got pushed to the back burner.

But now that I'm not working, I can focus on bringing Gigi's Sketches to life!

My drawing mojo went dead for a little while, and finding time or even motivation during my bad job period last year was just not working.  I lost my part time job in July, due to bullying managers making work conditions hostile and a pointless HR department that never did crap for their employees.  There were a few sketches that resulted from the treatment, which I will be sharing on my facebook page this month.  After that job, another one came along, but that was only a 3-month probationary and it sucked.  Why did it suck? Well, it wasn't working out because the boss was expecting me to be a manager - despite my having zero management skills.  It's enough managing myself, let alone somebody else's business.  Any time my artistic and creative skills are not properly utilized on a job, I'm bound to fail.  Maybe YouTube should be my job...!

But failure isn't always a bad thing.  If you don't fail, you don't learn.  Always winning at stuff doesn't make you a success.  It just means you haven't learned a whole lot and everything was mostly handed to you.  Failure is always looked down on in our culture; but we need to adopt a new perspective on it.  Instead of looking at people who have worked multiple jobs as unstable, we need to understand which minds are suitable for what positions.  Basically, creatives need to be placed in positions where they will thrive, and not expected to be like everyone else.  The moment any kind of management starts expecting you to meet certain standards, run the other way! Not to say that we shouldn't have standards; what I'm addressing here is that management shouldn't expect artistic people to be like everyone else.  Not everyone can be a jack-of-all-trades.

And now this is turning into management advice...!

I'm not here to vent really.  There are just certain things I am passionate about and need to share.  And since it's a new year, it's best to start fresh with YouTube and get that off the ground.  I'm actually really excited about filming more videos, and in the meantime, trying to teach myself a little time and project management.  It's not easy, given my ADD brain's limitations, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to try.  There are some things in life we need to work towards, and if that warrants turning weaknesses into strengths, I'm all for it! (Let's not forget making money!)

So that's what 2018 will be for me: making things work! As you saw in this post, 2017 was just not a good year.  The only amazing year I had was 2016, and that's when I worked for a great manager and started in bluegrass.  I'll never forget that year.

Happy 2018!! Looking forward to sharing more in the coming year! Keep an eye on this blog for updates from YouTube - and subscribe if you're on! My channel could use some love. ;)

Until next time!
~Gigi