In this day and age we deal with stress and fatigue.
Learn to deal with it cope with it.

This past week I thought man something must me wrong with me? I'm getting  way too much sleep.

 
Do I have depression I'm sleeping way too much?! I haven't done what I consider much to be feeling sleepy! I'm one of those people who find it hard to relax and when I do I feel really guilty about it.

If you sleep all the time. Find some passion in life to stay awake if not if your passion is sleeping all day and sleeping through life that is a respectable goal in a way. Go back to sleep. Stay out of my way then. I can't stand people who have nothing to do. My ex-roomate was always bored and bothered me to entertain her even when I was busy working on my work. As people I know from the city would say "Dem peppl jus dun kno Y'all sleepin' " Meaning you are oblivious and not seeing things.

Like most people now and days when you think something is wrong you scourer the internet to find a solution to your problem and at times it creates more problems!

From someone else's artist blog page. I don't remember who said it but in receiving art critiques and I find this applies to anyone's advice, "It is like gum. chew on it and bit and spit out." 

I like the article but am not buying the suggested sale vitamins. 

I took this online test about Adrenal Health Risk Assessment. It says its for women but I honestly don't see a difference if anyone takes it. Just the recommended vitamins might be different.

https://www.womentowomen.com/questionnaire/adrenal-health-assessment/

 I thought the results were interesting.

It made me think about some of my habits. I didn't drink that much coffee or energy drinks this week. I don't have the symptoms of weight gain (On the contrary I lost about 40 pounds in the last 3 years) and don't find a lack of desire in my private life. I need to remember to eat more yogurt at times to help my stomach because honestly I forget to eat at times and am on an unintentional liquid diet. 

For this past week I have been practically asleep and didn't think much of it until Sunday when I really recapped what I have done for this week.

It all started last Tuesday I went food shopping and did some errands and could not remember what I did after that for most of the day except sleep and move some things around.

Wednesday- Went to work made dinner and then promptly went to sleep. 

Thursday, I'm pretty sure there is something in turkey that makes one just keel over. People asked what happened to me on Thanksgiving was promptly wake up for post edits and then passed out almost until 2pm where I had obligations. 

Friday

While everyone else was out on Black Friday. I had no funds to spare so it limited my options of what I could do so somehow I went to bed before shortly midnight. I felt old. I'm no grandma! 

I'm still like 24 right that's a relief?

Saturday-

No drawing group. No obligations to be anywhere. Slept seriously more than 12 hours and did some chores. 

Sunday- Slept practically till noon. And still managed to go to sleep early?

Monday Kept hitting snooze and felt like crap for most of the day until later in the morning I felt like my normal perky upbeat self. And for this reason I'm wide awake and it is night time in productive mode, Drawing, sketching, writing, and moving and unpacking stuff. 

Like most people I feel better generally if I have a lack of sleep it does not feel as awful than if I sleep too much. Oddly I did not feel awful just really sleepy. 

If you want to see my results which is a spoiler highlight the indivisible text in the brackets

[I got annihilated the first time I took the test. Failed miserably! I did not notice anything!] 

Honestly at first I felt guilty, unworthy and a slacker for this sleepcation. 

I talked to this lady who really cares and watched out for me like a mom. She told me I was catching up on sleep and not worry about it and when I catch up I'll be ready to work on things with more enthusiasm after this break. It got me thinking it was just me looking at the small picture of just this week but in the grand scheme of what I accomplished this month was phenomenal. It rationalized my thought and explained my behavior.

This month has been busy for me I moved myself about 90% to a new place in record time of two days. The last 10% I had to ask for help because it would of been impossible for me to carry certain things.  Managing work with lots of overtime with minimum days off. Online school. Unpacking and rearranging furniture. Drawing, sketching, deep plan thinking, writing. 

 

So I realized it was fine and take a breather its ok to rest and be lazy for a few days and the weekend too. 

Like anyone would do I searched the internet for some kind of answer.
I found that quiz

I re-evaluated my habits.

After thinking about it in this past month I haven't drank as much coffee and energy drinks.

I do have a bad habit of drinking coffee in the middle of the night. Like way past 9 when people are usually asleep.

Eliminate stress  

Learned to mange to balance work, life, fun and maybe love better. 

I'm glad to be back in the studio actively. So I'll show you what I can do. 

Thank you for supporting Musings & Quips of an Artist.
Happy Thanksgiving everywhere around the world.
I want to thank all the people around everywhere.
:]

It has been an amazing experience watching an idea I never thought I would do and bringing it in motion that keeps on growing each year. I am close to 2k views so keep peeping it even higher.
I hope to bring more high quality content coming your way. Another thing to celebrate since December 2013 this month has been the highest grossest views ever. And keeps going because the month isn't over yet,

I've been dazzled throughout it all seeing the viewer map highlight places around the world.


Shout out to...
my top countries by readers is

The Usa -My home Country and there are a lot same but different people across the nation here.
I wish everyone would have a chance to see the world and not be have narrow thinking of being selfish and wonder why other people can't be like them. The world needs healing not festering misunderstandings. Just love no questions asked.

One of my ex-best friends who used to make fun of my lack of navigation skill harassed me about that and made me feel terrible and dumb. Until someone pointed it out to me how many times have you gone to other countries and made your way back before the age of 12 with no parents around? You are a world traveler you know? Don't let anyone put you down ever again.
Honestly I can't count how many times I crossed the Atlantic Ocean,

I have slow navigation skill but can make my way back home from anywhere. I didn't break down in an Arizona airport...one state away. I will still refuse to answer that person's call. Don't blame me for your hatred of yourself. You have to Love you for you. Learn to.

This isn't mine an example of what I see. A google analytic map

Hey Russia - I remember when were little this scientist from Russia taught us how to say Whatz suup? in Russian. (Early millennium slang) I still know how to say it but google translate will butcher the spelling and possibly make me something I shouldn't say in one way.

Hallo Deustchland - My second home Country. I experienced a special part of my life there. I miss the food and the people I have met there. :[

And around the world. 
I'm glad to feel the love and support. Having each part of the world map highlighted is spectacular. I hope to see so much more and visit a lot of places.

Also I have received a letter from Alaska a long while back! Y'all keep it real and have it rough up there. I would've been half Alaskan perhaps if my dad didn't trade to go to the Philippines instead. It has been taking a long time to fulfill your request and I have been working on it. If I ever made a promise I keep them. I take them too seriously. I will get to it.

Peace out Aa! Hope you are doing well and haven't put down your pencil. It is rough keep persisting and drawing. Keep your passion alive.

It would be cool to have a box like that

~

When I first setup the blog with the template I practically had no content.
It puzzled me of what to write about I left a blank spaces for a year or two.
Then it hit me
Then it snapped write just simply write about the things you like and have learned being a self taught artist with help on the way,
Simple Concept of what I do here.

I like many things and sometimes I never get a chance to talk about a lot of things because people don't have time to talk in depth conversations everyday. Or we forget to say things. Or one trick you know not many people may think of doing.

I thought at some point I would run out of ideas to write about. But I haven't yet.
Musings & Quips won't stop until I run out of ideas and topics to talk about.
:>

View from drawing group the Tajma Garage as Sherrie says
we draw in this large garage converted studio during some of the week days

James Paick - Uncharted 2 

Okage Shadow:King

My desk from about a couple months ago

Thank you so much for reading, subscribing and giving me feedback.
I hope to bring so much more to the future!
Much Love & Peace
-Krisana P. Hall

One sub-project I have been actively been working on the last couple of months is to organize my behemoth reference folder. It is still all an orchestrated act trying to place all my reference pictures in one folder and then sub folders as well. I have about 20gb+ of pictures I have found online for easy access. This is not including stuff I shoot myself and screenshots from all my devices. Which combined is an extra 6gb of pictures. I'm also am not counting the ones on my external hard drive as well, which is about 100gb+

One problem is when the folder is a gigantic mess you don't use all the valuable resources you have gathered. So I finally put all my loose pictures in this one ref folder I have been categorizing all these pictures. Just by categories like environments interior and exterior, animals, people, faces, genre characters, etc.

When the files were jumbled I have a lot of interesting pictures that help with getting the creative juices flowing even at times I don't feel like drawing or have an incomplete idea.
Another thing to note is do not copy your reference exactly to a T. You can run into copyright issues since these online pictures aren't yours. You can base your drawing off of it or simply state if it is for practice and if not you can be misunderstood trying to copyright infringe or undermine the photographer/artist.

If I like something or it catches my eye... I say as from a design point of view I'll name something random like emo hair is very interesting to look at the different lengths and colors the hair is makes a cool video game character. I would never do emo hair myself but I love looking and admiring it.

Someone once said one habit when an artist draws a portrait of someone they tend to draw themselves their own features and things. 

Like for example there is an artist that frequently writes tutorials for ImagineFx magizine. She has a particularly long jaw and so practically all the characters she draws have long jaws may it be male and female. 

One problem I used to have years agi until someone pointed it out to me is making all my characters proportions short. I am a short person so that is what I am used to seeing. So now the problem I have and it is a struggle to make a conscious effort to not to do so is making proportions too lengthy in the other half of the body. Gramps who is my mentor when he looks at my work he is like you know the torso is the midway point of the body right? Why did you make the thigh and lower leg elongated? I have to usually remind him the reason why for my bad habits. And also most hero proportions do have longer legs. But I will continue to work on trying to get it just right in proportions. 

Honestly it bothers me to draw the same thing over and over again. Where it looks the same but in different drawings I like diversity especially if it is people.







I watched Wes Burt draw in a Massive Black workshop and I mean most artists we are relatively the same in certain demeanor and  almost same workflow with variations. So one thing he likes to do is get paparazzi pictures of celebrities the poses are natural and random. I started to look at these type of pictures and they do have some random interesting natural poses.

Wes Burt art. He is a artist at MB.

People won't pose like this for you. 

Imagine this picture as this guy is injured and he is casting a spell? 

Look for the extra ordinary in the ordinary. 

What is she running from?

More Wes Burt

I don't remember which concept it was or if it was another one but one drawing was based off of a picture of Collin Farrell walking toward the camera carrying grocery bags with a scowl on his face.
It was awesomely amazing to see this drawing loosely derived from a random reference picture.




When I work

Its either

-Initial Thought or I happen to see something interesting
-Thumbnail
-Look at some pictures
-sketch
-block in shapes
-find more pictures
-Draw
Somehow after or whenever when I'm taking a mental break I look at even more pictures.
There have been times I can get 100-400 pictures for ideas for a single concept. I combine what I see and what I have imagined to create something interesting.

Adobe Bridge

Adobe Bridge is a powerful resourceful to look at pictures and organize them either by name or visuals. I tweaked mine to just have larger thumbnails of images so I can look at numerous ones at once.

Only downfall of Adobe Bridge if you have a lot of photos it will give you no mercy in crashing and repeatedly do so.  So if you have a gigantic folder you can work around it by right clicking it and open with Adobe Bridge option.  Another frustration is (I have an old computer but it could be different) if you got labor intensive programs like photoshop, premire, corel painter, and mudbox going on it can crash as well.

default app

This next set is my adobe bridge set up