On April 4th Egypt opened the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This attraction was created to draw more tourists into the country after a decline with their Revolution going on. Unfortunately with everything going on now, it really isn't possible to visit. They held this virtual event of a transporting 22 mummies with a Royal Procession from one museum to the new one. 

The whole production is just AWEsome. The lights, music, costumes, the car boats, everything is so beautiful and you get jitters seeing the reaction of the President of this museum.

 Watch the Ancient Mummy Parade Here I recommend watching the entire program starting from the 12:00 mark Here. 

Man, Egypt is one of those places I want to visit that is on my list. 

I love history and Egypt. Studying Egypt was one of the starts as a kid in doing Visual/Historical research and then either copying or drawing something new. I checked out all the books in the school library about Egypt. The DK books tended to have more pictures and descriptions of what items. They are still good reference books. 

The 1999 movie The Mummy is one of my all time favorite movies. I still have a big soft spot of Egypt related stuff. I refused to see the Tom Cruise remake of this movie. Eck. My friend went to go to the theaters to see it and I was like yeah no worries, go on without me. I already know how bad the movie is going to be without seeing it. 

Recent Spotify Playlist

I've been taking a digital painting course the last 6 weeks. Last week it was one of those moments the lightbulb of understanding went off. I Cannot use photobashing but can use various effects in photoshop like filters and patterns. Also have to show work and not add color until the last step, only painting in greyscale values. 

After painting like 30 different kinds and types I level up. Yay! 🙌🏽

In Photoshop

• Edit> Define Pattern this feature has been my friend. Rediscovered this feature.  

• Crop image

• Convert to greyscale

• & it will show up on the pattern bar 

• Once the layer is merged it can be manipulated with free transform. For the wavy effects use the liquify tool. 

* Also a reminder, use alt or opt > (move tool) drag to 

duplicate your selection instead of copy paste. ✔️

Useful tip people tend to forget.

Mind on my cubes, cubes on my mind. Cubes. Cubes. Cube. Textured Cubes.

 It has been a difficult Winter but Spring is practically here!

 Sometimes you have to make a wrong turn to get back onto the right path. 

The journey of self reflection and discovery often seems to begin in pain and sorrow. Personally never seen anyone gleefully wander onto that path. It isn’t easy to truly reflect within and face yourself and hopefully overcome the inner trials. 

I left the coolest job I ever had. The major factor in my decision to leave was that it was the most toxic workplace I have ever worked at. The stress and drama of it all, also since I do not revel in chaos it didn’t work out. No job should remind me of my troubled childhood. Sometimes I would question to myself why I was acting strangely or reacting in a way I normally wouldn’t and well it ignited the minefield of repressed memories of my childhood. There is a reason why certain memories are repressed, I don’t need it to function and survive on the daily!

 

Truly I have no regrets. A strange experience. I had 2 job offers when I started the job. Either one I choose I would’ve regretted turning down the other wondering what the other one was like. Now I don’t have to wonder or regret, when I have tried both.

I thought the choice I made four months ago would be made with happiness, and it was at the time. Sounds cheesy but this experience made me realize what I do not want to do and return to the thing I want to dox. Being a Graphic Designer is a cool job, but I don’t think like one. I can do design but its from a drawing/painting standpoint. Winging it and relying on feels does not compute with precise measurements and solving math problems to fix the design. One running joke I make is I make ugly business cards...because that is what the client wants. I don’t hate or despise that line of work it just isn’t for me. 

Even though I still some limited Graphic work but it is more my pace without high level of stress. 

It seems like the thing you love the most is also the same exact thing that can hurt you the most. There was a time where it brought great distress and had to take a break from it.

Thoughtful my life I have tried other art forms and interests but my true love is drawing and painting. One failsafe is I invested so much time into it I really am not good at anything else. 

I’m back on track to seriously focus on Concept Art & Illustration. I mean it is truly relaxing, entertaining and fulfilling to paint these rocks, dirt, metal boxes till 4am and be happy. 

Recent Spotify playlist 

Totally inundated with work stuff.  

🤧 There was a blizzard a few weeks ago. I walked out in it because I ran out of food and my car was stuck on a snowy hill. Had a small cold after that then it turned worse after further walking around later in the same week waiting for the bus in the cold. 😫 I think I'm just not used to the strains of cold/flu in Washington. Eh still getting over this cold. 😖 All the projects that I was working on that was postponed is due...over due. TT^TT 

ugh Wish me well🤧

-K

Spotify Playlist

 The bane to my existence is losing my surface pro pen, I'll find it sometime today... I hope. Don't have a backup pen for that one. So instead sketched with Sepia Prismacolor Col-Erase pencil & Moleskine sketchbook. 

I've been super busy with some rush jobs and having normal deadlines back to back. But popped in a drawing session google meetup tonight. I've gotten to the point I hate doing rush jobs unless I like the client and I'm getting paid mega well for it. These days I try not to bring extra stress into my life or completing assignments last minute. Been there done that. 

Sometimes the ways I come up with ideas is just random. Random connections just connect. Its like changing channels on TV. Skips arounds and then settle on something.  I don't mind sharing ideas with other artists because most of the time they'll create something different than I would. Someone was drawing a Post Apocalyptic nurse and I'm going to use the prompt as well. But my idea is different than what they had going on.

I was drinking milk...and then I kind of want to get Breath of the Wild game but then don't because it is a long open world game. Do I have time for it? Not much. It'll take forever to beat the game and I still have games from the summer sale I stockpiled.

 

Then I thought about Got Milk? and Link with Lon Lon Ranch

Ran out of space because I drew in the corner of a smaller formatted sketchbook. 

I'll complete this digitally.

Thought about a random rapper pose and drew it. 

Not totally sure what I want to do with this yet.

Songs I've been Vibin' to this week

 

Last week I heard from a good friend Zero Two whom sometimes we don't talk for years but it's always great to hear what he's up to. He put together a world class team to work on an interactive audio book. 

You can support Zero Two's Brawler Kings - Star: Lost in the Shadows on Indiegogo & Website

When I offer encouragement it is genuine nor do I tell everyone the same exact thing like a catch phrase. 

One point I made is sometimes when you are close to the finish line is when you want to give up. Or you truly don't realize how far you've come. Even if the project doesn't meet its goal or isn't financed now, it WILL happen at some point. The pieces, foundation and groundwork is are there. Asking numerous well know celebrities to work on your project is daunting, he was able to do it.  

Honestly I was feeling down myself last week and was surprised I was able to offer encouragement from where I was at mentally. Then the positivity of encouragement encouraged myself as well. I stopped moping about the thing I was moping around about.

The more you learn and know about your craft the less you realize you do not know about things. With Graphic Design I've gotten better with dealing with Imposter syndrome but it still creeps in from time to time. The is my work good enough? The perceptual cycle of self loathing and feeling of ineptitude. 

During these tough times we have to encourage, motive, love and bring peace in this dark times we're going through!

Take Care!

-K