WIP December #3: Faces

WIP: Faces.

Comments: I’m halfway through this series of posts and have decided to temporarily switch gears and work on some faces, because facial features are one of the things I need to work on. So, here are two pages from my sketchbook.

I’m trying to challenge myself so I don’t fall into the habit of being too comfortable with a limited set of features, because I don’t want all the characters I draw to look the same. It’s something I tend to keep in mind, particularly when I’m going the digital route. With traditional mediums, I'm more conscious of this.

As I finished the first page, I realized I just wasn't done with this yet.  What should have been a quick drawing exercise ended up creeping onto the next page. Once I fell down that rabbit hole, I ended up finding  too many unique faces that I wanted to sketch. I just kept going when I knew I should have moved on to something else, but I was on a roll. And then there's that one lone doodle. It looks so out of place next to the other faces on the page, and more than once, I wanted to add more and more detail to it. It also didn’t help that I was working on the same two pages across multiple days and had to remind myself that it was just doodle.
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Are you working on anything interesting?

Review: The Unnatural World by David Biello

Title: The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age
Author: David Biello
Source/Format: Borrowed from the library; Hardcover
More Details: Nonfiction; Science
Publisher/Publication Date: Scribner; November 15, 2016
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Synopsis from Goodreads...

With the historical perspective of The Song of the Dodo and the urgency of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, a brilliant young environmental journalist argues that we must innovate and adapt to save planet Earth...

Civilization is in crisis, facing disasters of our own making on the only planet known to bear life in the vast void of the universe. We have become unwitting gardeners of the Earth, not in control, but setting the conditions under which all of life flourishes—or not. Truly, it’s survival of the innovators. The Unnatural World chronicles a disparate band of unlikely heroes: an effervescent mad scientist who would fertilize the seas; a pigeon obsessive bent on bringing back the extinct; a low-level government functionary in China doing his best to clean up his city, and more. These scientists, billionaires, and ordinary people are all working toward saving the best home humanity is ever likely to have. What is the threat? It is us. In a time when a species dies out every ten minutes, when summers are getting hotter, winters colder, and oceans higher, some people still deny mankind’s effect on the Earth. But all of our impacts on the planet have ushered in what qualifies as a new geologic epoch, thanks to global warming, mass extinction, and such technologies as nuclear weapons or plastics. The Unnatural World examines the world we have created and analyzes the glimmers of hope emerging from the efforts of incredible individuals seeking to change our future. Instead of a world without us, this history of the future shows how to become good gardeners, helping people thrive along with an abundance of plants, animals, all the exuberant profusion of life on Earth—a better world with us. The current era of humans need not be the end of the world—it’s just the end of the world as we know it...

I’m pretty much on a nonfiction binge at this point, and I dove into my second nonfiction read, The Unnatural World, right after the Cosmic Web. This book focuses on the environment of the past, present, and hypothetical future. Often times asking the hard “what if” questions about what’s going on with the environment. The Unnatural World was a pretty good book. It presented a multitude of interesting arguments about what people unintentionally but inevitably do to the planet. It also exemplified how carelessness and ignorance about the environment causes damage, some of which cannot be undone (like the extinction of certain types of plant life and species of animals). I did like this book, but, at times, the writing seemed a little unfocused and that made some chapters a little slower than others. However, overall, The Unnatural World was still an interesting read that gave me a lot to think about.

WIP December #2: Houses

WIP: Houses.

  

Comments: At this point, I have committed to drawing a few buildings before moving on to something else. Around the time I started working on this post, I watched Minnie Small’s video on how she draws buildings—she has a lot of good advice, and I highly recommend checking out her channel if you have the time. You can check out the video HERE. I was inspired by it, and decided to just take the plunge and draw buildings without overthinking the process. I had a lot of fun just playing around with pencil. I originally thought that I might try to also work on my lines with Fine Liners—or even colored pencil—but it didn’t work out that way. As I moved from one sketch to the next, I quickly discovered that I liked the look of it as is, which prompted me to leave them in pencil. Also, apparently I'm a fan of houses with panel exteriors. It was something I notice when I was looking for references. I was drawn to houses with interesting architectural details and exteriors—particularly wood and vinyl sidings.

Story time: I used to live in a house that had a combination of red brick and vinyl on the exterior. I remember a couple of occasions when the wind actually damaged and tore down the vinyl. I can't remember how many times that happened, but I'm sure that it was more than twice.
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Music Monday (34): Holiday Music Part 2

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Continuing with last week’s theme, I have another new favorite holiday song to talk about this week. I listen to a lot of Sia’s music, and just like Lindsey Stirling, she released a holiday album just in time for December: Everyday is Christmas. I like the whole album. So, it was difficult to pick just one song to focus on today. But, my pick this week is Candy Cane Lane. Listen, I like candy cane, which is part of the reason why I like this song. I mean, beside the fact that it’s just a good song. If you haven’t listened to it yet, I definitely recommend doing that now.

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Adri: This week, my pick is This Christmas by Mary Jane Blige.

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What are you listening to this week?

WIP December #1: Introduction + Mini Paintings

I’ve been having a lot of fun with art related posts, and I got this idea at the end of October to do a short art series in the month of December. I wanted to end of the year in a way I haven’t done before. So, starting today and scattered throughout the month of December, I will be posting somewhat random pieces of art including sketches and paintings. I'm calling this WIP (work in progress) December. There will be six posts in total.
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WIP: Mini paintings (waterfall; barn; lake).

            

Comments: If you follow the blog on twitter, you might have caught the tweet about the barn and lake paintings. And let me tell you, I’m having an inordinate amount of fun painting on small pieces of paper. I found that it’s a good exercise because the limited space has challenged me to think about what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and committing to each color choice and brush stroke. Fun fact: when I paint water, I don’t typically do reflections on. It’s a weird habit that I’ve developed and hope to get away from. So, I wanted to switch it up for the lake piece and actually work on some reflections.

Fun fact #2: waterfalls aren’t that difficult for me—neither are most basic bodies of water like beaches and coves. When I started mixing in traditional painting with digital painting, oceans, waterfalls, and lakes were the subjects I started on and got really good at. I’ve done them often enough to memorize the key features and colors. Water turned into a subject I enjoy painting. It's kind of relaxing.

I’m probably going to be drawing more buildings for WIP December, because I want to get to the point where I can draw from memory instead of relying so much on references for simple things. I need to stop painting bodies of water, and get to work on buildings.
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Release Day Blitz, Excerpt, & Giveaway: Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill

Today, I'm excited to take part in the Ever the Brave release day blitz. If you haven’t heard about this book yet, be sure to check out all the details below. Don't forget to check out the excerpt, and keep scrolling to the end of the post where you can enter for the chance to win one of 3 finished copies of the book courtesy of Erin Summerill, HMH, and Rockstar Book Tours.

About The Book...Title: EVER THE BRAVE (Clash of Kingdoms #2)

Author: Erin Summerill

Pub. Date: December 5, 2017

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 464

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Ever the Divided. Ever the Feared. Ever the Brave.

After saving King Aodren with her newfound Channeler powers, Britta only wants to live a peaceful life in her childhood home. Unfortunately, saving the King has created a tether between them she cannot sever, no matter how much she'd like to, and now he's insisting on making her a noble lady. And there are those who want to use Britta’s power for evil designs. If Britta cannot find a way to harness her new magical ability, her life—as well as her country—may be lost.

The stakes are higher than ever in the sequel to Ever the Hunted, as Britta struggles to protect her kingdom and her heart.

About Book 1...

Title: EVER THE HUNTED

Author: Erin Summerill

Pub. Date: December 27, 2016

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 400

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force. 

The king and his men ride away into the Ever Woods.

Gillian sweeps in, face beaming. I want to shake her shoulders and erase that smile. I slam the door.

“You look murderous.” Gillian spins around, her skirts swishing against the stone.

“I am.”

A blink. “You don’t like the dresses?”

“Really? You’ve been living with me for a month.”

“Right. So they’re not your usual choice, but they’re variety. Something different form brown trousers.

“They’re for the Royal Winter Feast Ball. He wants to sprinkle royal dust on me and make me noble.”

Gillian presses her hands to her cheeks and pretends to swoon.

“Stop it,” I snap.

She flounces into the bedroom and lifts a rose dress from the bed. That grin. Seeds. She’s as mad as the King Aodren.

The pull to the king, still taut in my chest, halves my attention from her squealing prattle. I press my palm to my sternum. I’d give anything to be free of him. To be able to live in peace on Papa’s land. But I don’t know how to break the bond.

If Enat were still alive — the thought flattens me — she’d know what to do. She’d tell me how to free myself from King Aodren. He’s been gone for five minutes, and I can still pick out his location in the Ever Woods.

I pound my fist on the door. I have to figure out a way to rid myself of the bond. I have to.

Gillian jerks to a stop. “It’s not the end of the world.”

I start to respond, but an answering rush of something strange and shuddery slips under the surface of my skin. I lurch, cradling my suddenly clammy hand, eyeing Gillian, then the door with growing alarm. Unease spreads from the top of my head to my heels, a drop of poison fanning through a jar of ale.

I’ve felt this way before.


“What is it?” Gillian’s fists crinkle a rose-colored gown. Breath suddenly short, I yank the door open and stare deep into the Evers. The breeze’s icy fingers caress my face. There’s nothing to see, but something is very wrong.

“The king.”

About the author...

Erin Summerill was born in England. After spending years bouncing between Air Force bases in Hawaii, England, and California, her family settled in Utah, where Erin graduated with a B.A. in English from Brigham Young University. She had aspirations to write the next great American novel, but writing proved tougher than she first thought. So she grabbed a Nikon and became a professional photographer while crafting manuscript after manuscript. The scenic detour of shooting weddings across the United States, as well as internationally, provided world-building inspiration. It gave her the vision to draft her debut YA fantasy, EVER THE HUNTED. Now when she isn’t writing, or shooting a wedding, she’s chasing her four kids, two dogs, one cat, and five chickens. This could be why she downs massive amounts of Coke Zero and Hot tamales.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

3 winners will receive a finished copy of EVER THE BRAVE. This giveaway is US Only and ends December 12th, midnight EST.

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ARC Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Title: The Girl in the Tower
Series: The Winternight Trilogy #2
Author: Katherine Arden
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Historical
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey; December 5, 2017

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege...

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop...

I've been looking forward to The Girl in the Tower since January, and luckily the wait wasn't too long. I was primarily excited for it because of how much I enjoyed reading the first book in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale. That book had a semi-open ending, and I wanted to know where Arden would take the story since there were so many possibilities. And indeed, The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the end of The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya made her choice, and she intended to stick to it.

By no means was I disappointed by The Girl in the Tower, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous book. I still liked the story, but the first couple of chapters didn’t immediately draw me in the same way The Bear and the Nightingale was able to do. However, once the point of view shifted to Vasya, the story took on a familiar fairytale-like tone, which I was an absolute fan of. It quickly became apparent that this was the dark, icy, and magical sequel I was hoping for.

One of the things I like about Arden’s writing is how atmospheric it is. I particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of the book because of how detailed and real the characters and setting seemed to fit with the time period. She perfectly captured the landscape, weather, and dangers of the setting and society. The folklore is something to be noted too. There are a lot of old tales incorporated into Vasya’s story, which tied in with the magic. It was one of the things I enjoyed so much about The Bear and the Nightingale, and I was glad to see that it carried over into the second book.

That brings me to the characters. While Vasya’s story was the focus, I liked that the secondary characters had personality. They were present in the story, not just there as background noise. Then, there was Vasya. I liked her strength and determination. She learned a lot through her mistakes, and that made her character arch all the more interesting. Morozko—I don’t have much to say about the frost demon, because that would be a spoiler. What I will say is that he's one of my favorite characters in this series, and I appreciated the scenes he was in but wish he would have been more present in the story.

So, while the ending was a little abrupt, The Girl in the Tower was still a solid addition to the series. And if you enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale, then this is a must read. Now begins the wait for book three.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey) via Netgalley for this review.

About the author...

Born in Texas, Katherine attended Middlebury College, where she studied French and Russian literature. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, and is fluent in both French and Russian. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she spent time guiding horse trips while writing The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont...

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Music Monday (33): Holiday Music Part 1

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: This is one post I always look forward to writing. And this year is no different, except for the fact that there have been a lot of holiday albums released just in time for December. My pick this week is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Lindsey Stirling. I was already a fan of Stirling’s music before she released her holiday album, Warmer in the Winter. Needless to say, I’ve been enjoying it. One of my favorites from the album is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which also has a gorgeous music video.

 

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Adri: For this Music Monday, I’m choosing  Christmas C ’mon also by Lindsey Stirling; featuring vocals from Becky G, this song appears on the same album. I think I like this song because she preformed it on Dancing with the Stars on the outside stage, albeit, I attended the inside portion… but hey, we got to see the finale performances. Honestly, on a side note, I found her freestyle performance on the first night of the finale exciting. After the finale, we got her CD ASAP.

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What are you listening to this week?

2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Yep, it’s December, which means that I get to do another holiday gift guide—fun stuff. Last year, I did a semi-last-minute holiday gift guide. However, this year I wanted to be more prepared for it. So, as the year has gone by, I've sporadically jotted down a few items I wanted to include in 2017s holiday gift guide. The challenge I encountered was coming up with new things to add so that 2017s post wouldn't be an absolute repeat of 2016s list. As always, this isn't a literal list. Instead, this post is meant to give you—the reader—some possible ideas about gifts. And, this year, Adri is joining me with some of her own input. Also, we'll link to as many of the items on the list as possible, but keep in mind that availability and pricing changes—we have no control over it—and some things we just couldn't find online. All linked items will be in bold italics. Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling. On to the list!

Stuff to buy… 

• Funko
• Household items (Coffee cups; Snow globes; stylish storage)

Breana: There are a lot of household items that could make good gifts to someone whose looking for them. Coffee cups are an automatic choice, but there are also seasonal snow globes, and stylish storage (which I forgot to include when we took the picture).

• CDs: Janelle Monae's The Electric Lady; Grimes's Art Angels; Lindsey Stirling's Warmer in the Winter
• Books, reference Books, & Journals
• Makeup (lipstick)

Adri: When choosing makeup for someone, take into consideration things like if their skin is sensitive. Or check to see which brands they regularly use and if there is a color/product they want, but don’t have.

• EOS (lotion & lip balm): Gift Set

Adri: If you’re purchasing EOS for someone else, be cautious of some of the natural ingredients like coconut, which to my understanding, some people have an allergy to.

• Nail polish colors: Metallica; Burgundy Frost

Breana: you can find this brand of nail polish—wet n wild—online, but it's cheaper to go in-store and buy it.

• Perfume 
• Art supplies: Sakura Pigma Fine Liners; Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box; Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils)

Breana: When shopping at Michaels, keep an eye out for good deals. Art supplies aren't cheap, but check Michaels frequently for daily/weekly coupons. Also, some things may be cheaper in-store. Just remember to compare prices.

• Subscriptions: Discover Magazine 

Breana: I’m using Discover Magazine as an example, but it's not the only one. There are a lot of different subscription types: magazines, boxes (books, makeup, etc.). There’s a lot of them out there.

DIY Stuff…

While we were setting up for the first part of this post, Adri came up with the idea to add a DIY section. I thought it was a great idea since not all gifts have to be bought. They can also be made.

• Blank Canvases

Breana: make your loved one a painting—or picture—whichever you prefer. Don’t be afraid of the blank canvas or paper. Start with something simple or do what's within your skill set. Just don't wrap a blank canvas like a gift, unless the person actually wants them like that. 

• Knit & Yarn items (magic circle, the start of a hat; yarn bird; necklace)
• Gloves or other sewing goods

Adri: The gloves are made out of a four-way stretch fabric with a pattern made by tracing the outline of my hand. For other types of fabric you may need a different pattern. If you want to make gloves for your family or friends without suspicion, one way may be to act like you need a reference for drawing hands. Have them trace at least one hand with fingers spread out on one piece of paper. And you should be set for short gloves. For longer gloves, find a sneaky way to get arm measurements. Just a sewing note: instead of cutting the outline, I applied it to the fabric and sewed it by hand due to personal preference. I then trimmed the seam allowances.

ARC Review: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Title: The Wife Between Us
Author: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Source/Format: Bookish First (St. Martin's Press); Bound ARC
More Details: Thriller; Suspense; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Press; January 9, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love...

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement. You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves. You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her. You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships. Assume nothing...

I don’t typically read thrillers, but The Wife Between Us seemed too good to pass on. And let me tell you, this book surprised me in a good way. It was a thriller from start to finish, and I ended up loving it.

The back of the ARC states that “you will make assumptions,” and that’s true. I had several conflicting theories about how it all went down. I was right about some of it, but others aspects I was wrong about. Untangling the mass of lies rooted in the relationships between the characters, is part of what made The Wife Between Us such a great book. There was a lot of intentional misdirection—due in part to the narrative style, a combination of third and first person. There was always a foreboding sense that something has already happened. As well as the fact that something would happen, based off the context. So, in that way, the authors succeeded at maintaining tension throughout the entire story.

My favorite part of this book was Vanessa. She was an unreliable narrator, but her bitterness, hurt, and anger were as loud and clear as her fear. She was haunted by the events of her past—from the time she was in college all the way to the end of her marriage with Richard. In many ways, this book wasn’t only a mystery and thriller. It was also a thorough exploration of her character.

Overall, The Wife Between Us was a fantastic thriller that kept me guessing right up to the second to last page. It’s officially one of the best books I’ve read so far this year, and I look forward to seeing what Hendricks and Pekkanen write next.

 Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by Bookish First & St. Martin's Press for this review.

About Greer Hendricks...

Greer Hendricks spent over two decades as an editor. Her writing has been published in The New York Times and Publishers Weekly. The Wife Between Us is her first novel.

About Sarah Pekkanen...

Internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen's newest book is THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS. She is also the co-author of the upcoming THE WIFE BETWEEN US (out in January 2018). Her prior novels are: THINGS YOU WON'T SAY, CATCHING AIR, THE BEST OF US, THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS....

ARC Review: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Title: The Wedding Date
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Source/Format: Bookish First (Berkley); ARC
More Details: Fiction; Contemporary; Romance
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley January 30, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel...
Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist. On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend. After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other. They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want...

It’s been some time since I picked up a contemporary romance novel. I had the chance to read a preview of The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory and couldn’t resist entering the raffle. After all, this book involves a couple of my favorite romance tropes: accidental meetings, and fake wedding dates. There were a couple of things I was a little on the fence about, but overall, The Wedding Date was a nice story with a cute main couple and a great cast of supporting characters.

I was already excited to read the full book just based off of the preview, and now I can say for certain that I liked this book a lot. It can feel a little formulaic at times, but the diverse and career-minded characters more than make up for that—particularly Alexa and Drew. Parts of the book focused on their respective professions and goals. It added a lot to their characterization. I thought it was a nice touch.

What I was a little conflicted about was certain aspects of the relationship. While I liked Drew and Alexa together, the start of their relationship happened quite quickly. At times, it felt more like lust. However, as the book progressed, they did talk, and the early chemistry really came through and developed into something more.

The Wedding Date is one of the best contemporary romance books I’ve read so far this year, and I look forward to reading Guillory’s next book.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by Bookish First and Berkely for this review.

About the author...

Jasmine Guillory is a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School. She is a Bay Area native who has towering stacks of books in her living room, a cake recipe for every occasion, and upwards of 50 lipsticks.