Picture!

My own drawing on display...eek! I've been a bit hesitant about posting my pictures. But the time has come for me to step out of my shell! I will confess that I am not totally thrilled with the way this particular picture turned out. The girl's shoulders are too small...and there are a few other things about it that that I don't like...but if you don't see them I certainly wont point them out! LOL.
Drawing people has always been something of an Achiles' heel for me (so post a person very first! :-) but it's also what I've been working on the most lately. I was going for a 'gibson-y girl' look...I really can't decide if it's what I got across or not! Ah well.


So, speaking of art, there are a few books I would totally recommend. One that I am using all the time these days is called "Figure it Out!-a beginner's guide to drawing people" by Chris Hart. It's amazing! Unlike most people drawing books, this one keeps mostly to simple shapes and doesn't get all detailed on the body. :-) It's a really good book for those of us that find most art books a bit...uncomfortable.

Another great book is, "Cartoon Animation" by Preston Blair. It's a nice, step-by-step drawing guide, dealing mostly with animals. It has a nice section on people too, but it's mostly good for learning how to draw cuddly little animals. :-)
At some point I want to post some 'cudley' little animals. Cuddly, cuddly, cuddly!
God Bless.
Amy

Smile

You would not believe how hard it is to smile when you don't want to. Just think about it the next time you're in a cranky mood: Smile. It's just about the last thing you want to do!
I read in one of my spiritual reading books once, that smiling is one of the best ways to keep yourself, and those around you, happy. You can spread a good mood just as much as you can spread a bad one. (And the bad ones do spread like wildfire, don't they!) Okay, it might be a little harder to spread a good mood. But the way to do it is by means of the SMILE!!! It can take some really strong resolve to smile all the time. And when you smile and you don't want to well...you feel a little bit like a moron. I should know, I have been caught smiling to myself cheesily at work. It can be a bit awkward, really.
It is really fun to see how many other people you can get to smile. If you smile at a person long enough (and yes, you can do this to complete strangers...it makes life, oh, so much more interesting!:-)they usually smile back. Usually. Sometimes they stare at you in shock. But usually they smile back. And you have not lived until you get somebody to laugh! Here's a trick. Tell them to fake laugh. (Go with me on this one!) I think it's nearly impossible to fake laugh and not really laugh right after! Anyway, it's fun to see other people make idiots of themselves by faking a laugh.
I hate to sound like a sap (and this post is a bit sappy) but if everybody practiced smiling I think the world would be a much happier place. (Duh!:-)

This song is totally applicable to this post.  And yes, It is Josh Groban singing it (though the song was originally composed in 1936, I believe) and he is my favorite, so be nice! :-)

God Bless
Amy