illustrated journalling

Last night, I tried reading Somerset magazine's Art Journaling, and I just didn't feel I was getting the inspiration I wanted.  Maybe I wasn't looking for inspiration.  I think what I was really looking for was direction and belonging.  But I felt like everyone was working on something completely different from what I really wanted, so my issues would never be touched on. 

 This morning, I opened an issue of Digital Studio, and I felt a little more belonging.  I mean, I feel more comfortable working digitally.  Not just because I'm too lazy to work with sticky supplies and their clean-up, but I feel more free to make mistakes, experiment, and play, in the digital realm.  But I had kept away from that magazine because I remembered it mostly as singular digital artworks.  And I didn't feel that was what I was really trying to do. 

 So I ask myself, "What is it that I really want to try to do?"  I think when I started my whole fascination with scrapbooking, it wasn't just because of that organic, collage look that was always so beyond me.  I wanted to combine my sketchbook and journals, into a visual journal.  I love to flip through my old sketchbooks and remember the good parts of my life, the way most people must feel about photo albums.  I wanted to illustrate my journal. 

But it's just so many words, and most scrapbookers and art journalers talk about how to make a visual page and play with mediums.  How do I combine my over-abundant words with visuals, in a satisfying way?  ;o;  I tried once before, but it was just so time-consuming, I found myself skipping days.  And when you do that in a bound (sketch)book, the book looses its cohesion.  That's when I decided to scrapbook digitally.  But even among the digital artists, the focus is still on visual works, and one at a time, versus a continuous, daily progression/documentation, like a (art) journal. 

 I needed a happy medium that could solve my problems or at least give me direction, when I get stuck.  Like, what do I do about all these missed days?  How could I ever hope to catch up?  There were clues to those answers from the art journalers.  How do I get started, staring at my blank layout screen?  There were clues to those answers from the digital artists.  But I belong to such an in-between place, that I was afraid I could never find where I belonged.

 And maybe that's the point.  Maybe I shouldn't be focusing so much on finding a place to belong, where people have blazed a trail before.  I know I was looking for a safety net of direction, when I was lost.  But maybe what I really should be doing is creating my own path, my own place to belong.  After all, this "illustrated journal" project is for me.  I'm the only one who can tell me what to do.

AX2013 Copic loot

I recently returned home from Anime Expo 2013, so I thought I should write a blog post about the great loot I got.  Seeing how this is an "art journal" blog, I'll save my figurine loot for my otaku blog.

Here's all the Copic-related stuff I bought at the convention:

B79 turned out to be an accidental duplicate purchase, but I feel better when I think "the color so nice, I bought it twice".

I feel kind of naughty.  I didn't exactly buy all my Copic markers from the Copic booth.  I mostly just referenced the Copic booth's color chart, then went to another booth to buy Copics.  #^^#;  I found this other booth, "Architects Corner", on the opposite end of the Exhibit Hall, selling Copic Sketch markers for $4.75 each.  Sure, they were also charging tax, but so was the Copic booth.  And with the Copic booth's $5 per marker price, after tax, the other booth's 25cents-lower price made a difference.  So much so, that I went to them twice...And I bought sketchbooks from them.  #^^#  I couldn't help it!   They were giving 2 free sketchbooks, for every 1 bought!  @o@!  The other great thing about Architects Corner is that they were a small booth that couldn't let customers behind their "counter", so there was no chance that any of the markers were used, even for a test mark.  I think they had the same policy in the Copic booth this year, but they can't keep their eyes on everyone, so you never know. 

The good thing about that accessibility at the Copic booth is that I was able to test the feel of the markers.  Holding A Copic Ciao vs a Copic Sketch, I was able to determine that the Sketch was more ergonomic for me.  ^_^  And I was able to try some test markers at Copic's testing table, to help decide if those fine point nibs on the original Copic markers were worth buying the 25th anniversary limited edition set.  I had always dreamed of a Copic that was one end brushpoint and one end fine point, which I found out the anniversary set had.  But, that fine point turned out to not make coloring details much easier; still the same amount of bleeding...unless I made fast strokes---which I will not be doing in tiny areas.  ~.~;  So, no 25th anniversary limited edition set for me, after all.  ;_;  Saved lots of money, though.  (Money to use on extra figurines!  ^U^! )  But I was glad at how well-stocked the Copic booth was with their sets, since I did buy set EX-4.  And I picked up some nice ink refill.  Now that I think about it, even though I went to Architects Corner to buy my individual markers, the Copic booth helped me out in a lot of ways:  the display markers testing table, the up-to-date color chart, the news that Copic Sketch chisel nibs could be replaced with round nibs (not fine-point nibs, but still good for writing lettering),...  The Copics booth even offered a free plastic case for every 12, 24, 36, or 75 individual markers bought.  Even I, who prefers to make my own fabric markers carrying bag/case, was almost swayed by that "free case" deal, when there should never have been any doubt that it was better to save $0.25 per marker, vs chancing to get a limited-stock case that I didn't need.  ^^;;;  All in all, Copic had a very enjoyable and helpful booth, as always. 

But why do I like Copics so much?  Returning from the con and coloring comics with my new Copic markers and my old Prismacolor Premier and ShinHan Art Touch Twin markers, I wonder why I'm partial to Copic.  '.'?  I told my sister that since I'm a big manga/anime fan, and most manga-ka use Copic markers, they make me feel like I'm taking part in a big tradition in this geek subculture that I love.  In fact, most manga tutorial books use Copics more than anything else.  But I don't read those tutorial books as much as I simply collect them.  So what's the deal with me and Copics?  Well, it was true for a long while that Copics were the only artist illustration markers with that nice, flexible, brush nib.  But now, Prismacolor Premier and Touch Twin have that same type of nib released.  So I suppose it all came down to opportunity.  I go to a lot of anime conventions, and Copic generally has a presence at anime conventions.  And they even show up at American comic book conventions I attend too.  Though Prismacolor Premier was really generous and helpful at my last Comic Con, and they were even responsible for getting me into this whole "artist illustration marker" collecting, I just don't see them around.  Sure, they usually have a case at Michaels craft stores that I frequent, but not with their brush nibs.  Copics, when they show up in stores, are almost always the Sketch markers with brush nibs.  And Touch Twins, I never see in brick and mortar stores at all, let alone, their equally new brush nibs.  (I need to become accustomed to shopping online.  ~.~;;; )  But in and of themselves, I like Copics.  I like the Sketch's ergonomic design.  I like how long the ink has lasted, when compared to some of my Prismacolor Premier markers.  And I like how they have a whole booth wall full of colors to browse at conventions.  ^-^  And their helpful booth staff too.  I even love the Copic Facebook page, and all the nifty shared tutorials, tips, and just photos of their spectrum of markers.  Much like collecting, it's not necessary, but Copics are just fun.  ^.^