tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57564879830983404462023-11-16T12:21:05.053+01:00AnkatsArtAnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-69057069416963904982017-10-11T14:06:00.000+02:002017-10-11T15:50:41.226+02:00Jumping is hard - falling is easy I think this title was originally used by Peter Mohrbacher (if anybody knows otherwise, please point it out to me) and is about the short film 'Ten meter tower'<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="280" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/154583964?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/154583964">HOPPTORNET (TEN METER TOWER) by Axel Danielson & Maximilien Van Aertryck</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/plattformproduktion">Plattform Produktion</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Everybody struggles with it, the fear of doing something scary because it might be dangerous. There are of course moments in which this anxiety is healthy. But there are many situations in which anxiety is not necessary and thus is holding you back.<br />
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To tell you a bit about me: I come from a family of anxious people. This is no joke: My grandmother fainted when my grandfather played a prank on her. Since I freeze when I get scared I like to think of myself as a human possum ;) . Furthermore, everything I do has to be planned way ahead, possibly with plan B to Z. This is a good skill to have because most of the time I am prepared for nearly everything and even if things go wrong I stay calm.<br />
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But... it also keeps me from taking risks, even in moments in which nearly nothing bad could happen. The film shows how hard it is for us humans to take a risk if our body and mind say <b>“Don't do it!! Bad things will happen! Maybe you will die!!”</b> even if the risk is of this is very low when jumping from a tower in a pool.<br />
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With this post I want to encourage everybody to take calculated risks! Especially if this involves getting out of your comfort zone. For me personally I made 2017 the year of 'de-scaring' myself.<br />
First of I got a tattoo — I always wanted to have one but always found a reason for not getting one.<br />
I attended three major art events — IFCC, THU and Playgrounds. A massive amount of people and talent in a very intense environment. So many reasons to get anxious: I hate flying, not only the hassle of being at an airport, but mostly the physical sensation of flying and the constant irrational fear of crashing. I dislike large groups and moving around in them and then the socialising and “What if nobody likes my art!?”<br />
and — I got a car and I am (still) learning how to drive. With this I won't go into details, but it's a big one for me and stressed me out most of this year.<br />
<b><br />
Nothing bad has happened by meeting my very irrational fears head on! </b><br />
Quite the opposite: I've got to meet great people, had many meaningful conversations and got to fill my heart with new impressions and experiences.<br />
<i>To everybody out there who is struggling with their own personal demon: Don't let them hold you back. Jump from the ten-meter tower, even if it takes you a couple of times to bring up the courage, even if you rather let yourself fall into the depth instead of making a big leap. You will feel yourself grow with every jump you take!</i>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-77673659728463104462017-04-01T19:00:00.000+02:002017-04-01T19:00:08.066+02:00Why you should stop looking at what others madeThe internet is a as much a treasure as it can be a curse. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVD9vqxhUZe9tMqpJsenUrah0Kjw9xbF9klOKWYc95-Hm0RO8fQxULE4gtYw7DmhnD8lDm6X4tH0r1Cf1yXqEAPUENRhGgUMcjW0TuOFmPAaONMDlOfWL5ZmOtRgtb8E_gKFpPY0NL2E/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVD9vqxhUZe9tMqpJsenUrah0Kjw9xbF9klOKWYc95-Hm0RO8fQxULE4gtYw7DmhnD8lDm6X4tH0r1Cf1yXqEAPUENRhGgUMcjW0TuOFmPAaONMDlOfWL5ZmOtRgtb8E_gKFpPY0NL2E/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" height="180" /></a></div>YOU shape your own life and your own future, as much as anybody else shapes their future. It doesn't happen through looking at what everybody else is doing and comparing yourself desperatly with them. Which may even discourage you in a way that you don't want to do anything anymore because "Heck, you are never going to be that awesome illustrator when you are 24, because you are already 26....<br />
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Social media can be a good tool to be able connect with like mindes artists and build your own following, it can be pure evil when it comes to comparing your life with the ones of others.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/IdSxHsYt9RtOE/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/IdSxHsYt9RtOE/giphy.gif" width="179" height="320" /></a></div>You are never to old to do what makes you happy. <br />
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people who became famous at a later age: <br />
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Samuel Jackson has been a Hollywood staple for years now, but he'd had only bit parts before landing an award-winning role at age 43 in Spike Lee's film "Jungle Fever" in 1991.<br />
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Henry Ford was 45 when he created the revolutionary Model T car.<br />
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Charles Darwin spent most of his life as a naturalist who kept to himself, but at age 50 his "On the Origin of Species" changed the scientific community forever in 1859.<br />
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Julia Child is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963.<br />
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Vera Wang left Ralph Lauren at 40 and became an independent bridal wear designer<br />
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J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997.<br />
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Jon Hamm received his breakthrough role in 2007, when he was cast from more than 80 candidates as the protagonist character Don Draper, in AMC's drama series Mad Men.<br />
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And there are many more examples out there. So whenever you think "I'll never make it. I'm too old to still get what I want from life because others made it when they were younger than I am now!" Give that stupid voice in your head a good kickin'. It's just self doubt in another dress. Never turn down because you or anybody else think your are too old or too small or to young or to unknown or something else to do whatever it is you want to do. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/bzlhmnNogLDxu/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/bzlhmnNogLDxu/giphy.gif" width="320" height="178" /></a></div>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-44235033796946283722017-03-05T09:26:00.000+01:002017-03-05T09:26:21.543+01:00"You can't do that" “You can't do that!” or “You can't do it this way!” are sure two sentences everyone got told in their lives at least a couple of times. Although this is most often well-meant advice, it is also complete bollocks. Okay...maybe not for some facts like “You can't grow wings. You just can't do that!”. But there are many moments in life when others tell you you can't do something just because they think you shouldn't do it. There are moments when these people have the best intentions, knowing that their path brought them happiness and they want you to be happy too. But there will be many moments when it's just about social and cultural norms.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/wvaZFAlOBuuWs/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/wvaZFAlOBuuWs/giphy.gif" width="320" height="201" /></a></div><i>norm; NOUN:<br />
1.1 (usually norms) A standard or pattern, especially of social behaviour, that is <b>typical</b> or <b>expected</b>.<br />
1.2 A required standard; a level to be complied with or reached.</i><br />
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Which is directly related to:<br />
<i>normal; ADJECTIVE:<br />
1 <b>Conforming to a standard</b>;<b> usual</b>, typical, or <b>expected</b>. </i><br />
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Over the last two weeks I had a bunch of conversations about my work or the work of others, their paths in life, what they/I want to do and where everyone of us is heading. What I always came back to was “What makes you happy?”<br />
Fulfilling expectations and social norms are satisfactory because we as humans like to do what other humans do. We want to be accepted into society and we don't want conflict. Disharmony and friction is irritating. It costs precious energy you would rather use for something else. That's why we just move along without current: take the same classes as our friends in school, join a prestigious university or the university our friends are attending, get a decent job, get kids at the appropriate age yada yada yada.<br />
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There is nothing wrong with that. Not if that is what you want. It's alright if that makes you happy. But what if this makes you miserable. What if you think “Man, why do I feel so unsatisfied while everybody around me seems so pleased? What's wrong with me, I should be happy!” and unless you have a depression or any other mental health issue, it may just be that this is not making you happy. So why don't you just find out what does? It may be difficult, it may involve getting disappointed and it may require some hard work to get where you want. We got taught that we can't do so much. Young kids are not yet so self-conscious that they know they should be humble, that they know they are not the best or prettiest or fastest kid in the class. They still believe that they can be it someday. We get taught that we should behave according to a social norm. As a grown up, many of us stick to these norms.<br />
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Now comes the part which may be depressing, but can also be refreshingly comforting. All these norms, all these social behaviours we got taught which keep us from exploiting our full potential and being content with who we are is:<b> None of this matters.</b> Everybody will die eventually, you and the people who are satisfied living the norm. To be even more radical: In the end the human race will probably go extinct and our planet will explode. It doesn't matter if you lived your life as others expected you to or not. They will not put on your gravestone “And she lived an average, normal life.”. <br />
So why bother? Live your life to the fullest because it's the only one you've got. Don't live as mediocre as possible.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/jMgn2CT3HY4QE/source.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/jMgn2CT3HY4QE/source.gif" width="320" height="180" /></a></div>So let's get weird...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/l0HlDZidTigOlXSJa/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l0HlDZidTigOlXSJa/giphy.gif" width="320" height="180" /></a></div>..and hopefully happy in that process.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qHnIJeE3LAI" width="480"></iframe>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-36043121982514706302016-12-31T23:37:00.000+01:002016-12-31T23:38:18.721+01:002016 - Saying goodbye to a turbulent year As most of those who read this, I tend to reflect the most at the end/beginning of a year. We arrange our binders in years and we tend to think chronologically. It's only natural to contemplate more about ups and downs when there is a big cut in that cultural logbook. It asks'what was before?' and 'What will come next?'<br />
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I sure as hell didn't write as much as I wanted to. Five blog posts are a measly amount of posts. There are two main reasons - though not excuses:<br />
1) I was really really busy.<br />
2) I am still scared that I have nothing new (or for that exciting) to add to the chorus of creators out there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8omjeJxVao29CKMYqoOAzWMxwCskHVhTL1qAvmCUWjwpm5XzcPc1CLIZAO9OLvMAfPDk5KhguD0_PJJKJyiNvUM1P4joLLTTNGijLrZAF1CCUR7hdZM4WtljrwS39gkN0lv0nL51QbI/s1600/Paperwork.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8omjeJxVao29CKMYqoOAzWMxwCskHVhTL1qAvmCUWjwpm5XzcPc1CLIZAO9OLvMAfPDk5KhguD0_PJJKJyiNvUM1P4joLLTTNGijLrZAF1CCUR7hdZM4WtljrwS39gkN0lv0nL51QbI/s320/Paperwork.gif" width="320" /></a></div>Number one is not a problem at all. It just made it obvious to me that I have to step up my game when it comes to my planning skills in the next years. But although I am a wee bit nervous, I also am confident that I will grow into a life with better planning.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguprD1lTtz8-rfQzk7Ll8GbIcDwiRGxlpp-j1FjjHZNlf8umfvGzR1wii0i4OUOBJSOCVfn0qd9ACxkDQFKhJE33AXG09E4yPMQmSm8Srg1xi2YgIdvDne6OLsYzdsMEO8oLh4MaX0jLY/s1600/not_standin_ou_garden_state.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguprD1lTtz8-rfQzk7Ll8GbIcDwiRGxlpp-j1FjjHZNlf8umfvGzR1wii0i4OUOBJSOCVfn0qd9ACxkDQFKhJE33AXG09E4yPMQmSm8Srg1xi2YgIdvDne6OLsYzdsMEO8oLh4MaX0jLY/s320/not_standin_ou_garden_state.gif" width="320" /></a></div>Number two is a major issue. 2016 was a better year for me when it comes to social media and I learned a lot by watching how other develop their platforms and fandoms. At the same time I feel tension and hesitation when it comes to putting myself out there.<br />
Why should anybody be interested in what I do? There is already so much stuff out there. Before the summer of 2016, I still had that idea of creating something nobody ever made before...<br />
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Which is ridiculous for two reasons.<br />
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On one hand I will never find a theme in a medium that nobody ever did think of before....but secondly...when I do it my way, just as it speaks to me, actually, nobody ever did do it like that before because there is nobody exactly like me out there. I'm still getting into this because this asks another "scary" action of myself. Getting in touch with myself and not feel like an egotistical, pretentious prick about it. I put "scary" in quotation marks because there is a shitload of really scary stuff out there in the world, like living in a war zone etc. That shows how relatively easy I feel stupid for getting too deep into own insignificant motifs why I do anything at all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uYekeqcCfB5G3FTuAShbsDaFSnDzSg7wXNWiEfhVKNYwppNE9ObnzAv6KErMC9PyI4TUKl44Xz79q9NJJOJexR5MYq5GviKLsHwyjI5UYWMz-Dt4vEKtdDdFlpfWRFZa_ODGjqcCNHA/s1600/off.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uYekeqcCfB5G3FTuAShbsDaFSnDzSg7wXNWiEfhVKNYwppNE9ObnzAv6KErMC9PyI4TUKl44Xz79q9NJJOJexR5MYq5GviKLsHwyjI5UYWMz-Dt4vEKtdDdFlpfWRFZa_ODGjqcCNHA/s320/off.gif" width="320" /></a></div>But there is another reason why I had a hard time convincing myself to write something. There already is so much stuff. Regularly I get overwhelmed by the amount of information waiting for me on social media. Sadly it works like a bag of crisps. You just can not stop until the bag is empty aka. until you read EVERYTHING that happened when you weren't online.<br />
As much as social media can work as a tool for you it also works against you when you fledge from beginner to something more like a pro. Sometimes you need to check what is going on around you and sometimes - as I learned this year - you just have to turn it off. There is a point when you have to put theory into praxis and take a break from taking more stuff in. Letting your brain rest, create boredom to be able to be creative. Just as athletes have to take days off from torturing their muscles to give their muscles time to recover and grow. And then....you have to have balls... to stand out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOCbScbThYcCGGBrraONnQSx5vet7MJnmQwSlKALA-p6MUXy9rUr0hgBgNic_ZotrGfyL62KBVwk_LaKp6RnpaPsZS4THxDRROu4-CYPj8ForaoD0BerUuAdZsFOi-zCD8PRqCTDLZ1Q/s1600/Lets+do+this.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOCbScbThYcCGGBrraONnQSx5vet7MJnmQwSlKALA-p6MUXy9rUr0hgBgNic_ZotrGfyL62KBVwk_LaKp6RnpaPsZS4THxDRROu4-CYPj8ForaoD0BerUuAdZsFOi-zCD8PRqCTDLZ1Q/s320/Lets+do+this.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Just get out there and quit being afraid!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">And with that I'll keep reflecting to myself right now and wish everybody a Happy New Year! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW6yyH65_7WujLytQ0-qczQoHERgZUOmWL2RjgLa9QsVPVTb3B-5ZB9GgF9eAyZHclibpt6Ox0IusYhmn3IkRKl3_LECYJEx8AEIXxdgvdOXmHQTrVT8El47kC-UiUs5xLCN0i08hMEQ/s1600/Dance.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW6yyH65_7WujLytQ0-qczQoHERgZUOmWL2RjgLa9QsVPVTb3B-5ZB9GgF9eAyZHclibpt6Ox0IusYhmn3IkRKl3_LECYJEx8AEIXxdgvdOXmHQTrVT8El47kC-UiUs5xLCN0i08hMEQ/s320/Dance.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span></div>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-76196475540800933142016-04-04T13:27:00.000+02:002016-04-04T13:30:33.872+02:00About being in between and getting thereSo you finished art school. You are not a beginner any more. Officially - for sure compared to someone who just pursues it as a hobby - you are now a professional. But you yourself feel far away from being as professional as you would like to be? You get commissions. But you are not producing the work you would love to produce?<br />
Then you probably in the gloomy grounds of In-between. When you are still surrounded by the safe borders of art-school-country, In-between seems a country that is far away. You might even think “Yeah, but I will just pass through In-between to get the land of milk and honey were the professionals live and work”.<br />
Then you cross the border and get 'professional' stamp in your passport. Before you can protest - “But I am not a real professional yet” - you get shoved out of the line. There you are in In-between. Just you, your pencil and a stamp in your passport that says that you are already that what you want to be, but seems too presumptuous to actually call yourself that.<br />
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Some things that happen in In-between are weird commissions. Things you would not do if you had the freedom (aka. money) to chose in that certain moment: “Sure I do logo design....” up to: “soooo.... you want me to illustrate that book in the style of that famous illustrator who wouldn't work for you because you don't want to pay them what they are worth?” up to just plainly getting laughed at by potential clients, because they assume you are filthy rich if actually anybody would pay you the rates you proposed to them. They didn't laugh at the phone. No, they wrote the laugh in an email (“Hahahahaha....”).<br />
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Luckily - at least some wise art-hermits told their followers - you won't spend the rest of your career in In-between. There are some lucky bastards who are able to board the train which goes directly from art-school-country to the promised land where thy pencil has never to be sharpened and thy Wacom nibs won't tear down nor scratch thy Wacom surface. The rest of us have to go through In-between. Sometimes for a longer time than you have thought or you would like to. But just try to enjoy the ride! To give your arty soul some fuel to speed your travels up a bit: <br />
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<br />
Stephen Silver - "DAMN IT!!! Follow Through"<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZMObnjb3cfo" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<br />
Stephen Silver - What does hard work for artists mean?<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fq4lkH_mhOo" width="480"></iframe>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-70186426079516681742016-03-31T08:46:00.000+02:002016-03-31T08:46:03.685+02:00Confessions of an illustratorSince I wrote about feeling insecure and doubting yourself I thought it maybe time to address how illustrators interact with other people. My view is of course mostly based on my own experiences, feedback by my creative friends and the illustrators/artists I've talked about these experiences. There are however exceptions, so don't think I'd allow myself to think ALL illustrators on this planet feel like this.<br />
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If you create art, you have to like spending time with yourself. <br />
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<a href="https://thetvmouse.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/chris-traeger-not-lonely.gif?w=620" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://thetvmouse.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/chris-traeger-not-lonely.gif?w=620" /></a><br />
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Some of us love to paint, draw or write. A big inspiration to write is the fact, that the stories you WOULD have wanted to read, are not out there yet. That's why you write them. Same goes for painting/drawing. The fact that you would rather write/draw/paint than....lets see, go to a big <strike>ass</strike> party or go rock-climbing or go hiking for days or be a marathon-runner. You write/draw/paint because you feel like it is the best thing to do with your life. <br />
If you paint or draw and pursue it as a professional career it is because you really like doing that. You like making art so much, that you even do it although it can be hard and frustrating at times. In art school I had a time that I got so frustrated by my teachers and assignments, that a friend of mine said 'I don't get it. If you hate making art so much, why don't you stop!?' Fellow artists know what I mean when I told him 'I could <b>never</b> ever do that!!'<br />
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Most creatives live in a bubble. It can be hard to grasp why you do what you do for people outside of this bubble. Especially friends and family who have a normal day job have a hard time to understand working freelance, let alone working as a creative freelancer. Sometimes there will be days (or weeks) when things go slow. You finally have a lot of time to work on your personal projects or your website OR to tend to some other things (spring cleaning the house). And then there will be the crazy times, working several client jobs at once, calling non-stop, sending out emails non-stop, being stuck to your phone because you wait for important calls, short nights and ordering take away because you just don't feel like cooking on top of everything else. Sometimes it even means working through the weekend or holidays. Sometimes you will have to cancel a night out with friends because this commission is juicy but sadly has to be done in 2 days (in editorial it's even shorter). Sometimes friends don't understand because 'Your client just can not ask of you to work those crazy times!!? Right!?'<br />
This is only part of it. Living a modest life, so that you don't get into trouble when a client drops you, or working a day job next to your profession are other parts people tend to forget. Not taking part in sports or activities that might endanger your hand/arms/eyes is another consequence of wrapping your life around the fact that you make art. Instead of pursuing these'dangerous activities' you do boring exercises against the inflictions of working as an illustrator.<br />
And although this might sound horrible or weird to some and although others might not understand why you go through with all this when you could just have a normal nine to five job and enjoy holidays and nights/weekends off, <b>you still just LOVE what you do</b>. More than regular work times, more than weekends off, more than being outdoorsy, more than a sport you would like to pursue but is too dangerous for your hands.<br />
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<a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/3oxRmGNqKwCzJ0AwPC/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3oxRmGNqKwCzJ0AwPC/giphy.gif" /></a><br />
(That's me being outdoorsy....)AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-70706992146946830552016-02-25T08:54:00.000+01:002016-02-25T08:54:08.821+01:00A lifetime friend - S. DoubtEverybody has that special friend. For some of you this friend is a big part of your life. Spending waaaayyy too much time with him. Sometimes he starts to creep you out because he just seems to know which are the nights you can't sleep and pops up to keep you company. Some of your other friends don't like him so much. They give you advice, that you don't really need him, that he is just dragging you down, making you feel bad about yourself and that the friendship, you two have, is more of an abusive relationship. But there are other friends who introduced you two by giving well meant advice about what to do differently in your life.<br />
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<b>Self Doubt:<br />
<i>noun</i><br />
<i>1. Lack of confidence in the reliability of one's own motives, personality, thought, etc.</b></i><br />
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Everybody knows him. Even if you don't belief me because the CEO of a big company can't possibly be uncertain about his business, or the doctor who helped you so confidently in the hospital, or the bus driver who is nice to everyone, or the kind primary school teacher or....<br />
Of course they all have their own Self Doubt. Some are greeted by him in their homes where nobody else waits on them, but him. Some run into him when they least expect it (mostly at nice dinners with a group of friends) and he just sits there, whispering in their ear that everybody else is doing better. Some sleep next to him and he gets up with them, when they are going to make coffee, following them around for the rest of the day. Self Doubt is a good friend, always there when he thinks you need him. <i>Right?</i><br />
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Since Self Doubt is not someone to chase away easily maybe it is a solution to embosom him? Use your relationship to get an insight in your way of working, to get an insight into why you would react as you do. Spar with Self Doubt:<br />
Why are you scared to talk in front of a crowd? What is the worst that can happen? Make Self Doubt clear although he tries to convince you that you will drop dead the moment you mispronounce a word, move weirdly or if you lose your thread, that it won't happen. You won't drop dead. People won't point their fingers. Hack, most people won't even notice and even if they did, they will forget about it. <br />
If you are scared you could mess something up just think about how it could impact your life a month, a year, five years from now. Think about moments when you doubted yourself because of something embarrassing that happened in the past and if anybody now (besides yourself) still cares about it. It will show you how your anxiety fuelled imagination differs from reality. It will put Self Doubt in his place.<br />
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Or another example: Why do people give you advice how to do things in your life? Most of them mean well. They want to help you to go down the right path. The problem is that everyone - especially in the creative business - has their own path. There is no recipe to success. Why does Self Doubt show up, when you get that well meant advice? Does he whisper: “They think you are doing it wrong! Everything will be better, if you would just follow their advice.” Do you get confused or angry because you start to doubt yourself after getting that advice? Or because you get the feeling that maybe your friends or family doubt you because they think your life needs some tweaking in the right direction?<br />
They probably just feel that you are not quite there yet. Not there where you want to be, or where they want you to be. Doing well and leading an independent, self sustained and happy/prosperous life. As soon as you realize that most comments about how to do things, are - although not very thoughtful - meant to help you. Self Doubt will not be able to use these comments in his advantage.<br />
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These are just two examples how to deal with Self Doubt or one of his friends and family (...auntie anxiety anyone?). Don't ponder too much and confront your Self Doubt why he showed up in that specific moment. It can show you that people want to help you with their advice because they feel your dissatisfaction that you are not yet where or who you want to be. And when you ask him "But I am not that unhappy!? I know it takes time to get where I want to go. I know there is no shortcut. Hack, maybe I never arrive. But that is no reason for you to spoil my ride!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GdrM27u6g72Gpx0vh3ebq_IgwqwMm6JJxN4Y4A7HnaI9-tAv7PI6pN5tkc1R2t8rz8254NufpvX9p2E81tSyokMBTV6U8r9JTCIHjJlMQS2Vc-9YlaDtAXNLf0iNXGxNY8Z4oHX4c2Q/s1600/FuckYou.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GdrM27u6g72Gpx0vh3ebq_IgwqwMm6JJxN4Y4A7HnaI9-tAv7PI6pN5tkc1R2t8rz8254NufpvX9p2E81tSyokMBTV6U8r9JTCIHjJlMQS2Vc-9YlaDtAXNLf0iNXGxNY8Z4oHX4c2Q/s320/FuckYou.gif" /></a><br />
So F*** you Self Doubt! AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-56925019518181894242016-01-05T09:35:00.000+01:002016-01-05T10:02:13.058+01:00First illustration of the year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxP4I1MnbNCO0Jlqb5QVFawFHUeFpdaXFqp44gFDm1tDeCsYRQDvQyspeCeGiNiEXJvdU_TtwfL3iDuI-Hq-rhcmyYznSFpVo-ozj-RixxqfeXeDDuyG3HZfaXd1HApHk8C4XBdbpiCY/s1600/AnkatsArt_Rotkehlchen_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxP4I1MnbNCO0Jlqb5QVFawFHUeFpdaXFqp44gFDm1tDeCsYRQDvQyspeCeGiNiEXJvdU_TtwfL3iDuI-Hq-rhcmyYznSFpVo-ozj-RixxqfeXeDDuyG3HZfaXd1HApHk8C4XBdbpiCY/s400/AnkatsArt_Rotkehlchen_72dpi.jpg" /></a><br />
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To get into the mood I started 2016 with this small illustration of a european robin! There is one of these little fellas visiting and living our garden every winter.AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-11712935193550446232016-01-02T16:49:00.000+01:002016-02-24T23:56:20.587+01:00Something old and something new.....So.....its this special time again... <br />
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In the neighbourhood I live and work in it is impossible to miss that the end of the year is close. The frequency of early fireworks (although illegal before New Year's Eve) increases with every passing day in December.<br />
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With every pop of firework outside my window I get more conscious about this yearly fix point in time. Unintentionally I start to reflect about the ending year and to ponder about the beginning year. What happened? What were the good things? What were the not so good things? Would I do something differently with the knowledge I have now? How will these things change my behaviour in 2016? <br />
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At the end of 2015 I followed some good advice from Vanessa Lemen and Laura Panepinto from Muddy Colors. <br />
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<a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/2015/12/your-art-as-your-voice-and-your-mirror.html">"Your art as your voice and mirror" </a> by Vanessa Lemen is a more reflective post and helps to get a new, different view on your art/your life. By looking back on what made an impact on you in 2015 helps you to determine what was/is very important. Writing it down and reading it again after some time gives you a clearer image of events. At the same time you will be challenged to ask yourself some questions to get a totally different view on things. <br />
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<a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/2015/12/how-to-get-what-you-want-know-what-you.html">"How to Get What You Want: Know What You Want"</a> by Laura Panepinto is not only for 'New Year's Resolutions' but you can use this throughout the whole year. It is a good method to concretize your goals. On the one hand will you end up with some workable ambitions (e.g. blog once a week/start an instagram) in contrast to a vague goal (e.g. have more online followers). On the other hand you will get a clear picture what is really important and what is not as important as you always thought it would be. <br />
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A third method to end the year on a high note and start the new year very motivated is my <a href="http://ankatsart.blogspot.nl/2014/12/a-year-is-ending.html">'happy jar'</a>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv7eYaVKgxy82miCvTUvtKu-j3jqprNxNpcZjSJKZcFzfHjAr7L8Z2iBg8Tan2pNPfpaiiJaaM_hrilfgnJT-4wIuDdKjQKnGEs8znfgLAgXzN3Ukt9Zn67tcRBn0RgnKOpu3mPjqPiU/s1600/giddy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv7eYaVKgxy82miCvTUvtKu-j3jqprNxNpcZjSJKZcFzfHjAr7L8Z2iBg8Tan2pNPfpaiiJaaM_hrilfgnJT-4wIuDdKjQKnGEs8znfgLAgXzN3Ukt9Zn67tcRBn0RgnKOpu3mPjqPiU/s320/giddy.gif" /></a></div>I write down all the little and big things that made me happy in at some point and put them in that jar. Each year a new glass. I started this new tradition in 2013 because I tend to lose track of all the things I did or experienced and always feel disappointed when a year ends because I wasn't able to fulfil everything I intended to fulfil - or even if I did everything I intended to do - I still think I could have done more or could have done these things better....<br />
At the end of the year I open that jar... and I get a warm fuzzy feeling that this year wasn't so bad after all ;).<br />
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All in all 2015 was a good year. Probably even a very good year! My very first year of working full time as an illustrator and I can't say it was a bad first year! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rj-PvcYHkO2iyYA9POXkjxSEYtqUKuMPy7Vp-BnSJBdzMRV-ZKY1k8M2xrS7hIHtn2dpw1v3A6NdFhBOdH25QJfHbOX3rw1hDwN0MgeBsLKCMpNmlAGD4nzjUrtD1sqsAQSc7ZtOzus/s1600/tumblr_n3jv4lkKU41smcbm7o1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rj-PvcYHkO2iyYA9POXkjxSEYtqUKuMPy7Vp-BnSJBdzMRV-ZKY1k8M2xrS7hIHtn2dpw1v3A6NdFhBOdH25QJfHbOX3rw1hDwN0MgeBsLKCMpNmlAGD4nzjUrtD1sqsAQSc7ZtOzus/s320/tumblr_n3jv4lkKU41smcbm7o1_400.gif" /></a></div>Taking part in competitions was a big part and although I took part in about 10 bigger competitions/judged annuals/judged exhibitions I won one of them and got into two exhibitions. <br />
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Through that I got to know some awesome artists and I hope that I will be just as successful as they are, enjoying my wonderful job together with my loved ones. I got to travel and went on holiday for the first time in 8 years! I grew a shit load of vegetables on my 100m² allotment garden, learned to crochet and to knit...and started a new secret hobby which will stay secret so that nobody can ask me to show them how good I got. Something that I greedily keep to myself, hrhr. <br />
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Happy new year to everyone out there. May 2016 be a magical year!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_fnEL2Me1-r4LrRw1TEMVnj3MwzJXCCfu4VT43XKjc9TBrYWZwHPPMIB7636sEAwHEGZJgpgyh-ritdpVS-0DkERGpbMEa3S9hw2gGXZKyrlODC6pY5SjZRQa2oD58PQGs3RjWnzjG0/s1600/heroes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_fnEL2Me1-r4LrRw1TEMVnj3MwzJXCCfu4VT43XKjc9TBrYWZwHPPMIB7636sEAwHEGZJgpgyh-ritdpVS-0DkERGpbMEa3S9hw2gGXZKyrlODC6pY5SjZRQa2oD58PQGs3RjWnzjG0/s320/heroes.gif" /></a></div>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-57861368273717687332015-12-21T12:56:00.000+01:002015-12-21T12:56:36.450+01:00One day out with the fraud policeSo in the last post I told you about the infamous fraud police. These guys existed probably ever since the first being decided to paint on the wall of a cave. But they got their name by <a href="http://www.neilgaiman.com/">Neil Gaiman</a> and <a href="http://amandapalmer.tumblr.com/">Amanda Palmer</a>. If anyone knows anyone else who gave that particular feeling a name before, let me know in the comments!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdt8ZH7zhaBWQ5PpZYnj54e9xQSSpPpXSc3_3AixgoLEECVGbp31w560xOFVJGHaIFz9vT8QD7OeRcmJsBiUTqKb3h8-0YllEe5oaDhizLG3suBF3QrpGIVIcAHzBxmTS6VOYrpAV3_E/s1600/AnkatsArt_Fraudpolice_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdt8ZH7zhaBWQ5PpZYnj54e9xQSSpPpXSc3_3AixgoLEECVGbp31w560xOFVJGHaIFz9vT8QD7OeRcmJsBiUTqKb3h8-0YllEe5oaDhizLG3suBF3QrpGIVIcAHzBxmTS6VOYrpAV3_E/s320/AnkatsArt_Fraudpolice_72dpi.jpg" /></a></div><br />
One thing is for sure, anyone in the arts and other occupations experienced the fraud police. Some people hear them knocking, some people live in the constant fear that the fraud police will show up in the form of nagging fans, friends or family, while others have wild nightmares of officers coming to their door (with clipboards) and explaining "We found you out and it is time for you to get a real job."<br />
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In my last <a href="http://ankatsart.blogspot.nl/2015/11/self-doubt-and-fraud-police-stay-for-tea_8.html">blog post</a> I wrote about my very own, personal fraud police incident. After inviting them in and having hot chocolate/tea with them, we decided that we can get along. That they wouldn't report me to the non-existent fraud ministry. That I would work on my constant fear of them. That I would work on my relation with self doubt and that we would have dinner some day and maybe even visit the zoo or go for a walk in the park, if the weather is nice.<br />
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One part of this relation-therapy between them and me is keeping a journal/sketchbook/diary. These three things can be one book. When <a href="https://jawcooper.carbonmade.com/">J.A.W. Cooper</a> talked about this special sketchbook on <a href="http://www.onefantasticweek.com/">One Fantastic Week</a>, I immediately knew that this was the help I was looking for. Something to help myself, since nobody can make the fraud police go away by snapping his/her finger. When I was in London, I got out my crappy sketchbook/travelling journal and started analysing what I liked around me and why I liked it. It helped. I'm not there yet, but it is a start. It is like getting to know someone, slowly, because you don't want to spoil all the surprising moments when you feel a connection falling into place. The "We are friends, maybe great friends and maybe even more than that, as long as we don't spoil it by moving to fast"- kind of getting to know each other. So ... that is where I am right now. While trying to figure out, how to cope with self doubt and the fraud police (who, nice as they are, let me know that fear of failing feels left out, although he did just exactly what they did a while ago) I figured that constantly looking at everything that everybody else does and works on, is not the best thing to do. Right now it is time to figure out how I can reach common ground with all my fears. (okay, not all my fears....haha)<br />
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AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-15140443951345575972015-11-08T18:27:00.000+01:002015-11-08T18:27:25.721+01:00Self doubt and the fraud police stay for teaFirst: Every time I write a blog post I adopt a resolution to post regularly again! Sadly, grown up life (especially grown up life of a freelance illustrator) will teach you what is a priority and what is not.<br />
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Second: I not only made it into the World Illustration Awards exhibition, but won the New Talent Award in the category Research and Knowledge Communication. Yay!! Last month I was able to attend the private view night and it was great! I got to know so many new and great people/artists (check out: <a href="http://www.aadgoudappel.nl/">Aad Goudappel</a>, <a href="http://www.pietervaneenoge.be/">Pieter van Eenoge</a>, <a href="http://natajoh.com/">Nata Joh</a>, <a href="http://joaofazenda.com/">João Fazenda</a>) and enjoyed a few days in London.<br />
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And finally third: Why I didn't write as much as I wanted to is, that over the past few months I have been stuck. Stuck is not the right word, though. Lost comes close, but so does bewildered, stunned, disoriented.... and weirdly enough: shipwrecked.<br />
One thing you have to know about me is this: I make plans. Like communist countries. I make 5 year plans. Sometimes I will make 3 year plans....or rather: I make ONE 5 year plan with sub-distributions. I think about what I want to achieve in these years and how to achieve it. Then the goals get set. Most of the time (just as in communist countries) those 5 year plans don't work out. That's okay. Just let me get out my 5-year-plan-paper and let's make a new 5 year plan!<br />
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Then I finished my MA and I made - what else - a plan. First I would work on getting settled in. Taking part in competitions, then I sent out my portfolio, got my first clients, invested the money in my business, took part in some more competitions, sent out a second batch of portfolios, got some more clients, signed my first NDA's, won my first important prize....<br />
At tat point I started to think "Okay, that is how settling in feels like!" And it felt okay - kind of. Not only was the fraud police knocking at the - or rather trying to knock down the door with a battering ram - of my confidence castle. It also occurred to me that something felt odd. Wasn't there a constant knocking coming from the other side of the hallway? While seeing the front door bending under the pressure of the fraud police, self doubt came knocking at the backdoor. "What are you doing?" I heard him howling. "Which kind of illustrator do you want to be?" He whispered when I came closer. That was the moment I faltered.<br />
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It didn't hit me like lightening. It was more like a game of chicken. But then with myself in both cars - or rather, since I don't drive - on both bikes. You see them coming but you think "They will give way." After a few moments: "It does look like we are going to crash - but we won't!!" There were many reasons why my other me, with self doubt sitting on the carrier, would have to give way. "I just have to get settled in. Then this weird feeling will go away.", "If I have enough client work, this weird feeling will go away.", "If I get credit in form of getting in exhibitions and competitions, this weird feeling will go away."<br />
Naturally it didn't go away. So, I got of my bike, left it there and barricaded myself in confidence castle and .... pondered.<br />
Why did something feel off?? I know what I can and can't do and I have a 5 year plan. That couldn't be the reason why self doubt was still sticking around. (For the record: Self doubt always sticks around, because you will never feel good enough, but it is like a self-doubt-chihuahua. With a tendency to be neurotic and sometimes nasty but certainly manageable.) While I had barricaded myself in the castle of confidence (or now rather contemplation!?), life went on, until my self doubt came knocking, until I heard him hissing the particular question through the cracks...<br />
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Other professionals define it as 'finding your voice'. What is it, that you as an illustrator want to express to the world!? What is it, that excites you, moves you to tears, frustrates you, makes you angry!? What is it, that you want to show everyone!? And Why!? Because it is such a vital component in the cogs of this vast world? Or because it is not important at all, but oh so wondrous? Because there is delicacy even in disfigurement, defects and all the flaws? Or maybe because it is the other way around? Maybe because occasionally beauty will break your heart...and more often all the ugliness and monstrousness of the world will break it in a whole other way....<br />
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So... I opened the door and invited self doubt in. Then I went to the front door, made it clear that I will open for the fraud police and that they please not knock me over. While I unlocked the door, I picked up some mumbling 'that's a new one' (I think officer #1) 'yeah, in most cases they reinforce the doors....' (officer#2) 'exactly! Or we knock the door down'(officer#1)....*agreeing mumbling*.... and self doubt watched me....doubtfully...<br />
And there we were. Actually, the officers of the fraud police were not as frightening as I thought they would be. Two small, goofy looking blobby figures with police hats and clipboards. They did their best to look stern though. But - risking they would report me to the frau-by-artists-ministry - I invited them in and made some hot chocolate and a chamomile tea for officer #2. Then we talked for a long time....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2Vb3cXvaYNvcIKxQ0qDQ-4Ma1HXsZ0zqvljmvIuhtOQ3roVoDMoNDz4O2bGpbnafECCTNtPKSgjakgQpG58sMDYZqDRoo83nYZdGC9nP95PrBhJk6OlIvSJ8v0M20S1EJpDSRyF9E9w/s1600/giphy+%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2Vb3cXvaYNvcIKxQ0qDQ-4Ma1HXsZ0zqvljmvIuhtOQ3roVoDMoNDz4O2bGpbnafECCTNtPKSgjakgQpG58sMDYZqDRoo83nYZdGC9nP95PrBhJk6OlIvSJ8v0M20S1EJpDSRyF9E9w/s320/giphy+%25281%2529.gif" /></a>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-21372884239518905102015-07-20T22:00:00.000+02:002015-07-21T19:43:24.595+02:00Competitions - putting yourself out thereHello everyone! Apologies for my absence lately. I just wrapped up a big project (client work) and will soon get the time to start a couple of new illustrations! Thank you so much for your patience :)<br />
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First: I can't believe it has been four months since I wrote my last blog post!!! Time just flew by. Summer is knocking at my door and I hope to be able to write more, since summer is a time without client work. There are many subjects I would like to write about. Just to name a few: “Fake it 'til you make it”, “Two Freelancers living together...madness in a nutshell”, “Refilling your batteries”, “The imposter syndrome” .....<br />
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But right now I think it is the time to give you an update about WHY I was absent for four months!!<br />
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First I was engaged with clients work which I won't be sharing for different reasons. Second: I am engaged with rebuilding my portfolio. Polishing up some of my scientific work from the last two years and *drum roll* build a new portfolio from personal work for ... eh... hm... illustration. Like....not scientific illustration. Fantasy illustration I guess. In Dutch and German you would call it 'free illustration', which makes no sense in English, since it is just...illustration...without a certain field of expertise. Third: Sending out portfolios and solicitations and finally: Fourth: taking part in competitions.<br />
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When I finished my study I made a list of interesting competitions to take part in with my final exam and for future fantasy illustrations. Back then I just randomly googled for illustration competition, design, drawing, painting etc. Now I found a really neat website who does that for you and has a broad variety of competitions for you to chose from:<a href="http://www.graphiccompetitions.com/">graphiccompetitions.com</a><br />
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Over the last six months I have taken part in six competitions, although I planned to take part in thirteen competitions until this summer. Three of those didn't go through with their annual competition, making it ten. Out of those ten I decided to postpone two until I have better/more fitting work and missed two illustrations due to client work. All in all.... six out of ten in six months is still good. But let's have a look which ones paid of to take part in. I didn't make the first round in two out of those six (one of these did'nt come as a surprise), in one case I made in the 'selected but not hung'-section, in another case my work got in the exhibition, one I made the short list and the last is still pending.<br />
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Some of my friends ask my why I would take part in so many competitions. So here is why: Working from home, living in a small, but artistically overcrowded city, I think this is one of the best ways to get my work out there. Not that I would purely rely on taking part in competitions. It is something you can do next to networking and sending out your portfolio. I myself think it is a good way to showcase your work and (which is maybe even more important for me) to up my game. If I don't make the selection it is either because: 1) The quality of my work compared to the other illustration not good enough 2)It is not what the judges were looking for in this competition. The first reason wants me to become a better artist, the second makes me think about my target audience (aka the judges in the competition). But there is a third reason for taking part in competitions: Developing a thick skin for the right moments. I know quite a few people who would get discouraged when taking part in a competition and not making it in the selection, or not winning. Of course I don't like it either. But it makes me realize that it is nothing personal. It is not that the judges didn't 'like' my work (or me for producing it), it is just that there may be 200 or 2000 other works and just 50 will be selected. If there are 500 mermaid illustrations 1500 various illustrations and 50 submissions will be chosen, then it is just pure bad luck that you sent in a mermaid illustration. If there are just 5 mermaid illustration in the 2000 submissions your chances are a lot higher to get in with a mermaid illustration. For some competitions you may even want to develop a good technique how you present and when to send your work, as Dan dos Santos points out in his <a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/2014/12/the-strategy-of-submitting-to-spectrum.html">Muddy Colors blogpost: The Strategy of Submitting to Spectrum</a>. <br />
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For those of you who are curious about my competitions and exhibitions: I made the 'selected but not hung' catalogue of the <a href="http://www.davidshepherd.org/way/">David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation: The Wildlife Artist of the year</a> with this little fella:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ774jyI0XY-AwtZ5tTiu1KiEMG2-EvhZseQDZ4IfX_ghcmelSk1uObEqcJ-sM9pgi6d-ZxZWceoGAOru8SWBqY_LTqliSDpme7aCFFcRK_wU3EvoABxUam7kgMmI1WN10PgLKYsoZTI/s1600/Neuntoeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ774jyI0XY-AwtZ5tTiu1KiEMG2-EvhZseQDZ4IfX_ghcmelSk1uObEqcJ-sM9pgi6d-ZxZWceoGAOru8SWBqY_LTqliSDpme7aCFFcRK_wU3EvoABxUam7kgMmI1WN10PgLKYsoZTI/s320/Neuntoeter.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I made it into the biennial exhibition of modern birdpainters, the MoVo, in Halberstadt, Germany with my Ara and the Blue heron:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZMYUF2PNwn3xPUbG994dhKn4ArfvMHpmT954FDSn_WEoT1vNegdTRn01PTm2Sd1N2Mqlm9IWyXIXhU9GTGNS7h0MwrdxqRew1pYT5fYPx9gSjr-bVpwvYnKiD4Haw8fomLNAwnLWf2w/s1600/Roter_Ara5_72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZMYUF2PNwn3xPUbG994dhKn4ArfvMHpmT954FDSn_WEoT1vNegdTRn01PTm2Sd1N2Mqlm9IWyXIXhU9GTGNS7h0MwrdxqRew1pYT5fYPx9gSjr-bVpwvYnKiD4Haw8fomLNAwnLWf2w/s320/Roter_Ara5_72.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
(I just remembered that I didn't post anything about finishing my Green-winged macaw)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTHI5VSJNxRrXrjj-quM54vOgZVFFzIAxoyY7qDQuGWnQ0DnaUyQhKvu8EfT-aWIpfBlOjVRdIR0XDnC5AopEaMnbGMINwvIUZOJ8IYeGwCwi7uccPoEa8oLyqtlNMlNLb8IGh8hlksM/s1600/Graureiher+im+Schnee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTHI5VSJNxRrXrjj-quM54vOgZVFFzIAxoyY7qDQuGWnQ0DnaUyQhKvu8EfT-aWIpfBlOjVRdIR0XDnC5AopEaMnbGMINwvIUZOJ8IYeGwCwi7uccPoEa8oLyqtlNMlNLb8IGh8hlksM/s320/Graureiher+im+Schnee.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiNelyenPObdygYE45m0qHVdySu_mBl51GmfdOH1cRmAxHqq7IfeGw-FkVK-uGV_xIxQ0g-TDWfvarn5VXNOtGQN9xDYNZ7LqNTUhhfH9PVBE96nx3Z_SF_HU_xQVuVvRegIBFogDNvA/s1600/Movo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiNelyenPObdygYE45m0qHVdySu_mBl51GmfdOH1cRmAxHqq7IfeGw-FkVK-uGV_xIxQ0g-TDWfvarn5VXNOtGQN9xDYNZ7LqNTUhhfH9PVBE96nx3Z_SF_HU_xQVuVvRegIBFogDNvA/s320/Movo.jpg" /></a></div>I couldn't attend the official opening personally, but a dear colleague, <a href="http://www.lisapannek.com/">Lisa Pannek</a>, took a picture for me!! - and I feel honoured to have my drawings next to the painting "Montagu`s harrier male preening" made by Paschalis Dougalis!<br />
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And I made it on the shortlist for <a href="http://www.theaoi.com/awards/awards-shortlist.php">the World Illustrators Award</a> by Association of Illustrators and the Directory of Illustration with the illustrations of my final exam: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Uf3Wd2HvgXQuep-EydbHTH16FDn2RapzME7EFVQci6x8L5fzZJkdxBCaR3h_GZaR-m8mw5USXkrd_i_uRdzlwj6BqAC5fz8Gd6S6BokHF_FW7FnYojRyp76QHJ79ow9e5L4haU_rBIA/s1600/11393373_1085267401501282_6386408982256605749_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Uf3Wd2HvgXQuep-EydbHTH16FDn2RapzME7EFVQci6x8L5fzZJkdxBCaR3h_GZaR-m8mw5USXkrd_i_uRdzlwj6BqAC5fz8Gd6S6BokHF_FW7FnYojRyp76QHJ79ow9e5L4haU_rBIA/s320/11393373_1085267401501282_6386408982256605749_o.jpg" /></a></div>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-34303639430863050102015-02-28T19:53:00.000+01:002015-03-03T20:45:56.607+01:00About being scared and feeling safeMaybe too safe...<br />
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Concentrating mainly on developing my skills I feel as if I had lost the connection to the concept part of being an illustrator. But everybody around me told me last year: "It's normal to feel of. You have been a student for 7 years and now being out there in the real world feels weird and it frightens you." and "You had a very stressful time with your final project and it's normal to feel awkward and feel like you don't fit in."<br />
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But my real problem was that I had the feeling that I lost my mojo. Okay, I can draw well on good drawing days, but to be an illustrator you have to have more skills than that. The past weeks I talked with a couple of other freelancers and...of course everybody has some issues (for example the imposter syndrome) but the best advise was: "Just let it go. Don't stress too much about it and have fun!"<br />
That was when I remembered something from my first year in art academy. After a few months, I finally managed to make a decent painting of a still life. Everything was in balance and when my teacher asked me (when we had evaluation) which painting I liked the best I proudly pointed to it and said: "This one, because it feels like someone professional painted it." And he said "Okay. Your next assignment is to let it got. Take that painting and make something different with it. Paint over it or rip it up, cut it up and make a collage." Of course I got upset. I felt cheated. Being proud of it was going to be the reason why I had to destroy it. That is why I refused and was ready to get a bad grade for the next assignment. But then he said: "Why are you so upset? It's just a painting. You are going to make a lot of paintings. You have to learn to let it go. You are scared right now to let it go. Don't be scared. You can't be dragged down by that one good painting. You have to learn to dare to make something great, let it go and make something new, which may or may not be as good. Don't hold on to it because you will get scared of making something new, because it might not be as good as your last piece." He looked at my stubborn expression. "But I can't force you to do it. The only thing is that you are scared of letting that painting go and I think you should not be scared by that."<br />
It took me a few days before his message came through and I felt kinda stupid about my childish behaviour...<br />
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And now, thinking of these words again, I noticed that I am very scared. Not only of being a freelance illustrator, projects and clients but also about making non-scientific/non-realistic drawings. Let's be honest. I like to draw realistic. I like to draw birds. It keeps the skills I learned in my masters programme alive. But I want more and just don't dare to let it go. To take the risk and maybe create very crappy illustrations at first because I don't know what I want or how to do it. Being scared that they will look worse than the scientific/realistic stuff I make....<br />
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But I have to let it go!<br />
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<a href="http://38.media.tumblr.com/c865a3c64830757477429605875d06dc/tumblr_n0sb1fffxy1qewsw4o5_r1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/c865a3c64830757477429605875d06dc/tumblr_n0sb1fffxy1qewsw4o5_r1_500.gif" /></a><br />
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PS: I finished the blue heron:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcKT2kGHV7S_IxCLmsvVLiNGqvfMPtxy1Gn8txxQBzmkH0NFXqfjexr6E6Q5Nla7GGMj9YZvqNDDtPjJAr7ijKk7PunzJ4lsLRAy6SGFm19zst3ifX0K5gPUltB6wOuGv4Wbx164lyAY/s1600/IMG_20150112_0004_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcKT2kGHV7S_IxCLmsvVLiNGqvfMPtxy1Gn8txxQBzmkH0NFXqfjexr6E6Q5Nla7GGMj9YZvqNDDtPjJAr7ijKk7PunzJ4lsLRAy6SGFm19zst3ifX0K5gPUltB6wOuGv4Wbx164lyAY/s320/IMG_20150112_0004_72dpi.jpg" /></a><br />
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Sketch as I posted it in <a href="http://ankatsart.blogspot.nl/2015/01/a-new-year-begins.html">"A new year begins"</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrohCzyhT4BYg2ukIBsgkE_GCHnmV72BHiHopvYVPyGkWoVB6AljNGg12fIHFC1MxvC5MRt5ie4zw_nZC8dHHKtUbcjoCkA5ZHg3mVDY578WJN5kUN1TvvyZvBdXsBxPxIdhaYqRjDag/s1600/Graureiher+im+Schnee.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrohCzyhT4BYg2ukIBsgkE_GCHnmV72BHiHopvYVPyGkWoVB6AljNGg12fIHFC1MxvC5MRt5ie4zw_nZC8dHHKtUbcjoCkA5ZHg3mVDY578WJN5kUN1TvvyZvBdXsBxPxIdhaYqRjDag/s320/Graureiher+im+Schnee.jpg" /></a><br />
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Finished illustration. (Drawing birds calmes me down! :D) AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-85218403770400432022015-02-22T19:24:00.001+01:002015-02-22T19:39:55.700+01:00Time and productivityTime is a big issue, as is 'style' Which I also hope to cover in the next few weeks. But for now: Time. Making time. Having time. Spending time. Wasting... time.<br />
Time is something everybody has in the same amounts. But today I think even more than any time before there are plenty of ways to 'waste' time. You can not really waste time, since you don't own time. Just as much as you can not make time. But these are just expressions we used to express something else. Wasting time = execute activities in a certain amount of time which are not thought of as productive. Spending time = execute activities which are seen as (socially) important. Making time = postpone or drop certain activities to do something else instead in the same time. Having time = not having any activities in a certain time.<br />
Of course these are no official definitions, just mine. These definitions are also the reason why I stated that you can't waste time. You can however 'spend' time (execute activities in a certain amount of time) which we see as wasteful as surfing in the internet, hang out on facebook way to long, play computer games, sleeping in etc. etc. It's not as if you don't now what I mean. You just want to have a look at your facebook news feed and when you check the time it's two hours later. There are also activities which we quite enjoy and although being just a hobby, are not seen as unproductive as the examples I mentioned for wasting your time. Like reading, enjoying time with your friends or loved ones, gardening etc. This would be the category 'spending' time. I think 'having' or 'making' time are self-explanatory.<br />
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So this year I want to blog more (and not just dump some pictures, but talk about things I consider interesting), be more healthy (hehe ;) ) aaaand.... be more productive. Although for some friends I already am quite productive I always look at others and think 'Oh my, he/she did paint so many paintings this year... and what have I done!??' For a moment I can become a little discouraged, but shortly after I get motivated. (A good example for one of these moments was, when I read <a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/2015/01/taking-stock.html">'Taking' stock' on Muddy colors by David Palumbo</a>. But in the last weeks I started to feel that I have to make some changes if I want to be more productive. One of these changes would be to spend less time on unproductive things!! Which is why I am going to have social-media-free days in which I won't visit facebook, instagram, deviantart, blogger or behance. I hope that I will be able to hang in there and to not fall back into old habits.<br />
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Since social media can be an important tool, there is also an important reason why I want to do that. I follow many artists I admire. So when I just login to check on one of my platforms, I can sometimes get overwhelmed by their work. Not only how good they are but also how much they produced in a time in which I didn't even get close to finish as many pieces as they did, not even half of what they made.... And I would beat myself up for that. Why couldn't I be just as productive as they are, not even talking about why can't I be as good as they are....<br />
Da LuVisi wrote a great <a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/2015/02/why-leaving-social-media-opened-my-eyes.html">article about how his life changed for the better when he left social media</a>. Although I don't intent on leaving it, I think I just need more discipline and stop looking at everybody else's art and start enjoying drawing again ;) or as Bob Ross would put it:<br />
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PS: For the ones who are wondering what I am up to. At the moment I am very engaged with several projects and taking part in many contests AND started to work on my new website (with some help by my lovely boyfriend ;) ). But I hope that I will soon be able to show everything here!!AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-10580284373553548482015-01-28T08:07:00.000+01:002015-01-28T08:07:00.420+01:00How to stay motivatedAs you can see I try to keep one of my new years resolutions - blogging more - up and running. But not just that. So far I mostly posted or blogged about my illustrations. But today I wanted to talk about artist talks, streams, blogs, podcasts, interviews etc. I read many blogs, listen to and watch artists talks, motivational videos and livestreams. The reason is not just to learn how to illustrate better, but also to master the creative business and sometimes...to hear that others were/are struggling as well, having the same problems. Being an illustrator can get lonely. As an illustrator most of the time you work alone and a lot of the people you feel connected to don't live in walking distance. Listening to streams while working gives me a big motivational push to work through the frustration you sometimes get from working alone all the time.<br />
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In the last post I talked about having a good mindset and being in a good place to make (good) illustrations. One of the things helping me through tough illustrating times are these mentioned blogs and artist talks. That's why I want to list up some motivating and helpful resources I mentally lean on many times (and many times to come).<br />
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<a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/">Muddy Colors</a> a 'fantasy art collective' with Dan dos Santos, Donato Giancola, David Palumbo, Terryl Whitlatch and many amazing artists as authors. They cover many fields. E.g. explaining steps of their own illustrations up to FAQ's and tips how to enter certain competitions.<br />
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<a href="https://new.livestream.com/accounts/6693476">Chiustream</a> by Bobby Chiu in which he regularly discusses a variety of topics about becoming an illustrator and working as one (with many motivational tips). You can stay up to date via his facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/96660258512/">Bobby Chiu Art</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.onefantasticweek.com/">One Fantastic Week</a> with Samuel Flegal and Peter Mohrbacher is a weekly web show in which they talk about art, illustration and the business side of it. Often they invite fellow illustrators with a long career in this field and ask them about how they got there. They are also going to do a workshop called <a href="http://www.onefantasticweekend.com/">'One Fantastic Weekend'</a>!! Check it out! <br />
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The blog and streams listed above are happening on a regular basis, but there are also some good interviews out there. If you like a certain artist or illustrator you should follow him/ her on social media, because you never know when one of these gems pops up. In the last weeks many interviews with one of my favourite illustrators, Karla Ortiz, were published:<br />
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This is a podcast by Synstudio:<a href="http://synstudio.ca/karla-ortiz/">Podcast Karla Ortiz</a> <br />
and another interview by Creative Trek with Sean Daniels: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/creativetrek/19-karla-ortiz-importance-of-balancing-art-and-life">Importance of balancing art and life</a><br />
and a third by Bobby Chiu for Schoolism: <a href="http://www.schoolism.com/interview.php?id=120">Karla Ortiz for Schoolism</a><br />
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and a while back Dave Rapoza and Daniel Warren (you may know them from Crimson Daggers) had a freelance talk (what you would now call a hangout I guess) about being 'in the middle'. The weird point in your career when you aren't a newbie any more, but also didn't reach the point to be one of the great (and with great I don't just mean good, but rather that your name stands for your style and that you are known for your work) illustrators yet: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iz653PVsOA&feature=youtu.be">Getting through the middle</a><br />
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There are more interviews I listened to over the last years, but the listed sources give you a wide variety of themes.<br />
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Next to these digital resources I have one big not-digital resource of motivation: Nature! Sitting inside, working with the computer, drawing (hunched over my table) can get hard. A good walk or working in my garden (particularly in summer) always gives my a good energy boost and is a good balance to my illustrating work.<br />
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<a href="http://33.media.tumblr.com/538835adb3b6078eef8c706f9911f7b1/tumblr_nb4jssOPy41sda7rjo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://33.media.tumblr.com/538835adb3b6078eef8c706f9911f7b1/tumblr_nb4jssOPy41sda7rjo1_500.gif" /></a><br />
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AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-56382576751260040522015-01-12T18:58:00.000+01:002015-01-12T21:29:52.553+01:00A new year begins...or...has...nearly two weeks ago. Everybody knows how time just seems to run through your fingers, right? <br />
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In the last post I told you guys about my 'Happiness jar'. It is not just there to end my year in a good mood, but also to start the new year in a good mood too. <br />
Of course there are the new year resolutions...BUT if you think 'Oh my, what a failure the last year was - I hope this new year is finally going to change some things' or 'I HAVE to work harder/more/get better, because last year was so terrible' it already puts you in a negative state of mind. I confess I am quite a negative person myself. The glas is mostly half empty and not half full. There is always this catastrophic chain of events in the back of my head of what COULD happen... although nothing has happened yet and nothing will happen and even IF something is going to happen...it is certainly not as bad as my imagination makes me believe. <br />
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For me it is very important to be positive. That's when I make good illustrations. That's when I will end up 'in the zone' while illustrating. Otherwise, I will not finish anything. There is always something to change, always something to do better and I didn't even start about taking big decisions. When you are in a negative place, you restrict yourself. You tend to be more aware of bad strokes and every tiny little 'mistake' is a failure. In the end you get so frustrated that you want to give up on this illustration. Maybe you don't even want to be an artist or an illustrator in that moment. Maybe you start to think 'All this is not for me, not when it is so hard to do it.' This is restricting, being to aware of what you are doing. <br />
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In my case, when I start with a positive mindset and I make a 'mistake' - or a happy little accident, as Bob Ross would call it - I just let it go. Maybe that stroke is not as you wanted, but let's see where I go from there. In the end it maybe fits in better than you thought. If it is really heading a direction I am not comfortable with, I just get a new piece of paper and start again, take the parts of the illustration I do like and then go on from there. Nobody knows and if you just let it go, it won't restrict you. The more you draw or paint, the more you practice, the better you will get. <br />
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<a href="http://31.media.tumblr.com/842e4be3d1ee60a6c85fdb8638759cb0/tumblr_n0cessGqMh1save0go1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/842e4be3d1ee60a6c85fdb8638759cb0/tumblr_n0cessGqMh1save0go1_250.gif" /></a><br />
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'Talent is a pursued practice. In other words, anything that you're willing to practice, you can do.' - Bob Ross <br />
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So when I look at my notes from the 'Happiness jar' it makes me aware of all the forgotten tiny but precious moments. That puts me in a good place. Being in a good place, makes me free. <br />
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Ofcourse new years resolutions are still allowed! :) Such as: making more illustrations, being more active, losing a little bit of weight, drawing A LOT MORE, learn spanish, draw more and never forget: to be more positive!! <br />
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PS: That's what I am working on right now:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwrWZotXjmgjpzmVGCERbLN2JRvRPQLc20jGF-VuyTP00oeQknVUpDRoSil7HTqF2tMJi-gkCwXIUpRb8nTv7O8T8qxn8ST6al0VkAGiXzE-qsFY1bYVqPU_94J48DL3jYivqthRx2i8/s1600/IMG_20150112_0004_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwrWZotXjmgjpzmVGCERbLN2JRvRPQLc20jGF-VuyTP00oeQknVUpDRoSil7HTqF2tMJi-gkCwXIUpRb8nTv7O8T8qxn8ST6al0VkAGiXzE-qsFY1bYVqPU_94J48DL3jYivqthRx2i8/s320/IMG_20150112_0004_72dpi.jpg" /></a>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-47264511740689642572014-12-31T18:40:00.000+01:002014-12-31T18:41:18.260+01:00A year is endingNot just any year. It was a quite exciting year!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ymy1yjdg7IWw9Ro3fPh5m0ZSKoYXesh9mJcdNbNdNVek9D61tGcTZ4RwaPkzvpZEY1-3TD6hjXf3JgdvXdBWQO-iw2DW-BAQdl7taQGYPND7x81LCjQUHZKPY30tfB7XdGTg2u4KTNg/s1600/IMG_9876_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ymy1yjdg7IWw9Ro3fPh5m0ZSKoYXesh9mJcdNbNdNVek9D61tGcTZ4RwaPkzvpZEY1-3TD6hjXf3JgdvXdBWQO-iw2DW-BAQdl7taQGYPND7x81LCjQUHZKPY30tfB7XdGTg2u4KTNg/s320/IMG_9876_72dpi.jpg" /></a><br />
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Since two years, I have something that I call my 'Happiness jar'. I write down all the little and big things that made me happy in at some point and put them in that jar. Each year a new glass. I started this new tradition in 2013 because I tend to lose track of all the things I did or experienced and always feel disappointed when a year ends because I wasn't able to fulfil everything I intended to fulfil - or even if I did everything I intended to do - I still think I could have done more or could have done these things better....<br />
At the end of the year I open that jar... and I get a warm fuzzy feeling that this year wasn't so bad after all ;) .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnh2LHfTtEA4N9UtV9O-feGJRYmw8trMbxTEjcJBFPI4QHOuA7DM5pYXMdAFue8Gm4HYL5SENo1ZOMXQpEq0COLcYAYVksNfAf0uojfxj1ySSE6gbnBs7RsJncgZc9W2dU0dQYUmgGm54/s1600/Forpus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnh2LHfTtEA4N9UtV9O-feGJRYmw8trMbxTEjcJBFPI4QHOuA7DM5pYXMdAFue8Gm4HYL5SENo1ZOMXQpEq0COLcYAYVksNfAf0uojfxj1ySSE6gbnBs7RsJncgZc9W2dU0dQYUmgGm54/s320/Forpus1.jpg" /></a><br />
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It is something I can just highly recommend!! I just have one rule: I don't put things in which I don't know how they will end. For example: Somebody contacts you for an awesome project and it even seems that it will be a very good paid job. You love the project, you love the client. But... first talks are not always how a project will turn out. The bigger the project the bigger the risk that it will in some way turn out totally different from assumed.... So this is a thing I would not put in my jar. If I would put it in e.g. in April and it gets cancelled shortly after I will feel stupid reading the note at the end of the year that I was so happy about it in the first place. I try to keep a lot of the small daily happy moments in it. A nice talk with someone you look up to, a good meal, something you did you never thought you would have the courage to do so, a perfect day, somebody on street telling you that you look nice etc. Even if you read about it months later it will instantly take you back to that moment. It is also good to mention that I mostly put in events and memories of experiences and not possessions. The later does not make as happy as the first things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ypTgqWGbMTfI6PZn0as7EnmhUKZr5Ur_n7eBWZec2IB-aYiLr-JADBBANNNJDvqdXRAIPNd_wBO1gSPfWFBK4EPKX4oeVua9A58RbuZk-IDZCSZ_nAtdiWatg4UGDifHXHajCaf4UbY/s1600/c9dca3f796a2dbe6b4f7e444bce8ac20.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ypTgqWGbMTfI6PZn0as7EnmhUKZr5Ur_n7eBWZec2IB-aYiLr-JADBBANNNJDvqdXRAIPNd_wBO1gSPfWFBK4EPKX4oeVua9A58RbuZk-IDZCSZ_nAtdiWatg4UGDifHXHajCaf4UbY/s320/c9dca3f796a2dbe6b4f7e444bce8ac20.jpg" /></a><br />
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So there were many many things going on this year. I finished my Master with a masterthesis about birds, made some new friends, reconnected with some old nearly lost friends, grew my own vegetables in my own garden, was the maid of honour at my brothers wedding, moved officially to another country (with all the bureaucracy involved...), made my very first progress video, presented at a Behance Portfolio review which had a live connection to New York, visited Paris for the first time in my life and got myself an allotment garden for next year and re-opened my Morlo-shop... :) And these are just the big things... there were many small things which made me just as happy. Of course there were also lows but for me it is better (and I honestly think that is true for everybody else) to highlight the highs to have the feeling of a fulfilled live.<br />
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And for next year... <br />
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... ahh... I think of next year tomorrow ;) <br />
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<a href="https://33.media.tumblr.com/357e305ca14d18bafd81cbec5535d814/tumblr_n7rquaSN2I1snb9guo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://33.media.tumblr.com/357e305ca14d18bafd81cbec5535d814/tumblr_n7rquaSN2I1snb9guo1_500.gif" /></a><br />
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AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-14072944026383144582014-12-04T14:21:00.001+01:002014-12-04T14:22:30.001+01:00Under the sea - Little mermaid IISo in the last <a href="http://ankatsart.blogspot.nl/2014/11/little-mermaid.html">post</a> I showed you the process of the 'Under the sea' illustration.<br />
One or two days later I realised that it was just not working the way I wanted it to. The face wasn't right in any way, althoug I worked with references. I chose a model which I thought beautiful and changed the lighting. In the pictures the lighting cam from top right corner and slightly from behind and for the illustration I decided I needed light from the lower left corner and more from the front. THAT was the biggest mistake I could have done....and second: Always check if the model shoot works for you illustrations!!! Even if you think the person looks very beautiful it may just not work for an illustration. Or to say it in a different way: Is the model a pretty person or is he/she also photogentic AND will it work the same in an illustration?? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAXx5y-0dahyphenhyphen9Tzg19fPCqxtF9dKPmgwWN9pObULwaVAPR00roPP8duege-6yrydVFoQ9aIAjW1azo_cIyE-Ghg_EWSsfox9P6WLKXATH5JtFwnHd9Xaqq35tKvX5H-q4mZ3RxD1ZcZw/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAXx5y-0dahyphenhyphen9Tzg19fPCqxtF9dKPmgwWN9pObULwaVAPR00roPP8duege-6yrydVFoQ9aIAjW1azo_cIyE-Ghg_EWSsfox9P6WLKXATH5JtFwnHd9Xaqq35tKvX5H-q4mZ3RxD1ZcZw/s320/Untitled-4.jpg" /></a><br />
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This is the last stage before I decided to change it. <br />
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So.... after thinking about it for 1-2 days I got my got my collection of erasers to get of all the layers I allready had put on, which was nearly a half day of work. Got some new and good references ....and....started all over again. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-H7tSpx0I6yOp-wPP1yoWbBcpLfbUtJrVQoxXMCfOPfxZnDcm-fcaoPd_6zaZ6PbrCVPtV0VLRubaZiwbEcyRMtMnoI0211Ds4ibFTbTQOV90PYunIcRV-3IMAO0KUfmdBWqqXunujs/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-H7tSpx0I6yOp-wPP1yoWbBcpLfbUtJrVQoxXMCfOPfxZnDcm-fcaoPd_6zaZ6PbrCVPtV0VLRubaZiwbEcyRMtMnoI0211Ds4ibFTbTQOV90PYunIcRV-3IMAO0KUfmdBWqqXunujs/s320/Untitled-5.jpg" /></a><br />
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I sketched the new face firs on paper and layed it in photoshop over my illustration and emphasized the big lines to see if it would work. It does! ;) <br />
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And finally the finished piece: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-kQn__k4Ud-_yg-awiocXXpadKfc6Knd704TjOCCogT4aEFkJTteBVcrLs4gh484lm04CnKEYCcEzEDmtwlEkRkZxL96k_WO-6OfbllUQgd1uAMS-24ob1-ErfMuxztEVv-gcqxEXNA/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-kQn__k4Ud-_yg-awiocXXpadKfc6Knd704TjOCCogT4aEFkJTteBVcrLs4gh484lm04CnKEYCcEzEDmtwlEkRkZxL96k_WO-6OfbllUQgd1uAMS-24ob1-ErfMuxztEVv-gcqxEXNA/s320/Untitled-6.jpg" /></a><br />
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For the first time I actually worked with beaten gold. But you can't really see it in the scan which is why I took some pictures to show that aspect:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFlTS9yb7pdzQ2pOhJCTd1TTAywgWqa6z2D625W6z3TqTcuGlD5fTGgDh-qOAEetXfRVEUm3aFeTibFmGzYjNMil0R9aJ3kFGBC2Z8i_w0XPHRCHSu37E54zGy4O7yMkQkQV45_Oj618/s1600/IMG_9873_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFlTS9yb7pdzQ2pOhJCTd1TTAywgWqa6z2D625W6z3TqTcuGlD5fTGgDh-qOAEetXfRVEUm3aFeTibFmGzYjNMil0R9aJ3kFGBC2Z8i_w0XPHRCHSu37E54zGy4O7yMkQkQV45_Oj618/s320/IMG_9873_72dpi.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfDkWHwbR2JtAAp4juE3pk7uqm6EEodTUa4auhOljT6Jz_LgwxjxfH3qpj5qADzonWLG_jP3m5OsFEcF58M1ycJOEOnBXtx7_cWuyqzppQiKuxDf-CJHJ4LLDULDiZNpKLC6PEh12YN4/s1600/IMG_9876_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfDkWHwbR2JtAAp4juE3pk7uqm6EEodTUa4auhOljT6Jz_LgwxjxfH3qpj5qADzonWLG_jP3m5OsFEcF58M1ycJOEOnBXtx7_cWuyqzppQiKuxDf-CJHJ4LLDULDiZNpKLC6PEh12YN4/s320/IMG_9876_72dpi.jpg" /></a><br />
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...and you can vote for it on <a href="http://www.infectedbyart.com/contestpiece.asp?piece=3539">Infected by art</a> since I am taking part in the competition for the next annual AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-61730474477860345752014-11-18T18:53:00.000+01:002014-11-19T23:43:42.843+01:00Little mermaidSo in between I am working on some other illustrations than just scientific ones. In september I already posted the black and white sketch for a <a href="http://ankatsart.blogspot.nl/2014/09/10000-is-number.html">portrait of a mermaid. </a><br />
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When I was a kid I used to watch many fairytale films made in eastern countries e.g. Poland, Rumania, USSR, Czechoslovakia and later Czech Republic. Many of them inspired me when I was younger and still do. <br />
I always have the picture of a mermaid from "Malá mořská víla" (The little mermaid - 1976) in my head. Not the Disney version of the little mermaid. <br />
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This year I wanted to make my own version of the little mermaid: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4O2-A5I6HRq5NwC0t1z1DmrP0qkIezRY2T6ItPxwPfFeIC1yqeU4M-L5Jc69jRrnqGLE8zR6eDeHcjCT2te_Og0fqdMwk4JuNOb9dOaKvrZ6a0nQ_r-BWZGaN55u5PycO63AvydsHV2o/s1600/Meerjungfrau.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4O2-A5I6HRq5NwC0t1z1DmrP0qkIezRY2T6ItPxwPfFeIC1yqeU4M-L5Jc69jRrnqGLE8zR6eDeHcjCT2te_Og0fqdMwk4JuNOb9dOaKvrZ6a0nQ_r-BWZGaN55u5PycO63AvydsHV2o/s320/Meerjungfrau.jpg" /></a><br />
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Black and white sketch<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ALIIx7IXKGp6uOFq8ra6yQ8EgZsnIHALAhR64GKXbk0O01db8D84ql0ejdplxW-zKy6yiz2K_dQammzFkf9GvlV-g71_qUXA0-3zC_oYqcLMaUMRJmn-3A_mhHYDgD4eFk7hMx4G1NA/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ALIIx7IXKGp6uOFq8ra6yQ8EgZsnIHALAhR64GKXbk0O01db8D84ql0ejdplxW-zKy6yiz2K_dQammzFkf9GvlV-g71_qUXA0-3zC_oYqcLMaUMRJmn-3A_mhHYDgD4eFk7hMx4G1NA/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a><br />
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Black and white sketch but with digital values...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId169ST7-RMWMS3tRnWF-H4-zi0MFkcoqNtYOs3b7legLVkfNGC64QTwHQFlESKg9woyO5-T2NNWXuE-B5m_GQ0D-Snu3PuqKYZgi7IO6ujRiHGOzw2or9tcublEpvroIUx5PqaU9ZIQ/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId169ST7-RMWMS3tRnWF-H4-zi0MFkcoqNtYOs3b7legLVkfNGC64QTwHQFlESKg9woyO5-T2NNWXuE-B5m_GQ0D-Snu3PuqKYZgi7IO6ujRiHGOzw2or9tcublEpvroIUx5PqaU9ZIQ/s320/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a><br />
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...and the same sketch with some colours...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBS1CAS7LHYiK-GGc43tYNSNRZSL2C7vyl5-v8h_4A0V5nl6Bi7sDDZfq1yOASy5_jk7YogxhPtw0SdAWZ2yyzX0iMONJV20V6565iNBGD2k0hporT4yHFiJlBUhQVDC-fHxAFbHMDEs/s1600/Meerjungfrau3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBS1CAS7LHYiK-GGc43tYNSNRZSL2C7vyl5-v8h_4A0V5nl6Bi7sDDZfq1yOASy5_jk7YogxhPtw0SdAWZ2yyzX0iMONJV20V6565iNBGD2k0hporT4yHFiJlBUhQVDC-fHxAFbHMDEs/s320/Meerjungfrau3.jpg" /></a><br />
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...and the first layers in my real drawing!! :) <br />
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Since the drawing is pagefilling and not - as many of my scientific illustrations - with a lot of white space this will be one of my biggest colour pencil drawings I ever created. <br />
It is 51x45cm - which is 20.1x17.7in! <br />
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<a href="http://media.giphy.com/media/6Su1E34urOKmk/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://media.giphy.com/media/6Su1E34urOKmk/giphy.gif" /></a><br />
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PS: You can also follow me for this illustration (or others) on <a href="http://instagram.com/ankatsart_insta">Instagram!</a>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-64801611574108263052014-11-02T22:06:00.002+01:002014-11-02T22:12:17.628+01:00Polly wants a cookie!I think parrots are very inspirational birds. Obviously because of their intense colours but also because of the pure variaty of them. Plus the go through big changes in their looks from hatching to being an adult parrot.<br />
That's why I am at the moment busy with an illustration of a green-winged macaw (Ara chloropterus), also known as the red-and-green macaw.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwKtAH58B9xcuYuZEh0bKYtwVYO0-iu1pUN6sjKElE9ioklwoS2rJjKVtTmW2ldi98zqfTFisbVgRQuoKWEz99ZTISZO29mA-24GEfL-vuC20CHxcGwsglid9HfzZxtq3h2wE1aHhCVU/s1600/1480473.54459bc7f154d.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwKtAH58B9xcuYuZEh0bKYtwVYO0-iu1pUN6sjKElE9ioklwoS2rJjKVtTmW2ldi98zqfTFisbVgRQuoKWEz99ZTISZO29mA-24GEfL-vuC20CHxcGwsglid9HfzZxtq3h2wE1aHhCVU/s320/1480473.54459bc7f154d.jpg" /></a><br />
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Black and white sketch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdIHOCjwIHm1_hA8fZT4WDB5mAEq-KVWOhdwnwU38mvzugjNd2vh2Hk4Sft_Uqo7gUyPu7H1HCmJ1_-63bxip5jdoVEYrnQjE41Ovca1XwfVibs5wxG3sATN3r75HLUXtKaVeFD6Isy8/s1600/Roter_Ara_72.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdIHOCjwIHm1_hA8fZT4WDB5mAEq-KVWOhdwnwU38mvzugjNd2vh2Hk4Sft_Uqo7gUyPu7H1HCmJ1_-63bxip5jdoVEYrnQjE41Ovca1XwfVibs5wxG3sATN3r75HLUXtKaVeFD6Isy8/s320/Roter_Ara_72.jpg" /></a><br />
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First colour pencil layers to give it some generall shape.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0JZGNGg0czk_Ms1L6rls1EnLlvfh5LLWYg9_g6yUN53MWrYgx4FEFhFTsQsQyuDZZxvfq_oJO3CxGoQnR-WnOffEBt7KhlRPtaNeyZhmM-sAJPRiTKrFH2ZcG0JDxdI3K9S3SlsEyMA/s1600/Roter_Ara2_72.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0JZGNGg0czk_Ms1L6rls1EnLlvfh5LLWYg9_g6yUN53MWrYgx4FEFhFTsQsQyuDZZxvfq_oJO3CxGoQnR-WnOffEBt7KhlRPtaNeyZhmM-sAJPRiTKrFH2ZcG0JDxdI3K9S3SlsEyMA/s320/Roter_Ara2_72.jpg" /></a><br />
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Details in the head are nearly finished!! <br />
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PS: You can also follow me for this illustration (or others) on Instagram: http://instagram.com/ankatsart_instaAnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-71046147886880714602014-11-01T19:50:00.001+01:002014-11-01T19:50:50.779+01:00Final year IIAnd...now you get the second part of the promised post!! :D<br />
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After I visited a parrot breeder, different bird parks and bird of prey centers, the collection of the biodiversity center Naturalis and of course the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish in Giessen. And making the first sketches to portray the birds I also had to study the important parts: The urogenital-systems of the blue-fronted amazon and the saker falcon. <br />
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Not only I had to see these parts to illustrate them in the correct way, but I even had to see them in their different states. First you have the juvenile urogenital-systems: That's when the birds never had been sexually active before. Then you have the active and the inactive urogenital-systems: That's when the birds are sexually active at the time of breeding season or not active because it is not their breeding season. Their sexual organs do change, active = bigger and inactive = smaller. <br />
These anatomical illustrations have never been produced before so I had nearly no books I could rely on. That meant that I had to do many dissections to prepare the sketches for my illustrations. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv3KkqrjGFkD4fwljYw2ZCsXxIgACMpVIRMVzkG6zzGmdXaFvs00VAgb4XeIrnISL1sNp5NbP8CJP5mEV-GqtC_UUZreZjqSncmmw1KjeK0ocTYMC_xtXOCLO7-SGDypRwc_WTnHL34g/s1600/c9dca3f796a2dbe6b4f7e444bce8ac20.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv3KkqrjGFkD4fwljYw2ZCsXxIgACMpVIRMVzkG6zzGmdXaFvs00VAgb4XeIrnISL1sNp5NbP8CJP5mEV-GqtC_UUZreZjqSncmmw1KjeK0ocTYMC_xtXOCLO7-SGDypRwc_WTnHL34g/s320/c9dca3f796a2dbe6b4f7e444bce8ac20.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKufmj1tvYfaW0OPgaMX6p1UALXJU_dRFFzdZm6uxDLsjW5TcYGJA9EWw2RGJbuBt4QOAWFxu0J2LrKlDf4vw7A0lvIopfqwGcVL5im1pZDsb6k8BSA-2JU5xRiu0TKG0rwebRigTmiw/s1600/577d713fe430e7b4b783b3c53edae88d.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKufmj1tvYfaW0OPgaMX6p1UALXJU_dRFFzdZm6uxDLsjW5TcYGJA9EWw2RGJbuBt4QOAWFxu0J2LrKlDf4vw7A0lvIopfqwGcVL5im1pZDsb6k8BSA-2JU5xRiu0TKG0rwebRigTmiw/s320/577d713fe430e7b4b783b3c53edae88d.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sT2wh-Q_wr7apJrimqlLbZQkBoZSrsgJXSzFDZLA6Rn5sTNH3c4BInXzBWZ11lBmJTblam-0oNUqfyJyhvAWXJ4305Q_XqkHExx1R2UqZEVr81UeLNd5CwllP0a2yOSlZSQ9S80uBns/s1600/9a3a472285bd9603e0274392eb6b1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sT2wh-Q_wr7apJrimqlLbZQkBoZSrsgJXSzFDZLA6Rn5sTNH3c4BInXzBWZ11lBmJTblam-0oNUqfyJyhvAWXJ4305Q_XqkHExx1R2UqZEVr81UeLNd5CwllP0a2yOSlZSQ9S80uBns/s320/9a3a472285bd9603e0274392eb6b1013.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6e8EIn0KdBjZMQ5GL75stnrEi0hWeeRN6PKHDYCcoC1K-T0rXMrpo6DHHdVRlTFxkszh4wO3KL54o5C3I2Q_2kFaeFu0zHNj5vYcZIIjtzvQkD7BBHdMKiDGsHmo_dUyeJRN09TJBLw/s1600/b4cdcc56b64c13383660599a02ba6590.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6e8EIn0KdBjZMQ5GL75stnrEi0hWeeRN6PKHDYCcoC1K-T0rXMrpo6DHHdVRlTFxkszh4wO3KL54o5C3I2Q_2kFaeFu0zHNj5vYcZIIjtzvQkD7BBHdMKiDGsHmo_dUyeJRN09TJBLw/s320/b4cdcc56b64c13383660599a02ba6590.jpg" /></a><br />
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For the representative of the Psittaciformes shown I chose the blue-fronted amazon because it is a common pet parrot in Germany. That gave me easier access to specimens of this kind. To illustrate a falcon and not another parrot species was important, because there is a big difference in the anatomy of the females of falcons, hawks and kiwis and females of other bird species. Due to evolutionary reasons most female birds just have only one functional ovary (the left one), connected to an oviduct. Kiwis, hawks and falcons have two. So that was an important aspect to illustrate. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGCpgaQgm9HmCnndNK6LEIEOkqG2YjUMK2Gu9L_i8Vi1J6eliSHv1qFuieA2ORJeIaAtbW029jGgFZFxFMxuSZm3_zMOHB3gXLtE2KpVo2cUlcvv3UY3uN8Y2gT1gx1ycRhahSZQKAlI/s1600/Scan+17.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGCpgaQgm9HmCnndNK6LEIEOkqG2YjUMK2Gu9L_i8Vi1J6eliSHv1qFuieA2ORJeIaAtbW029jGgFZFxFMxuSZm3_zMOHB3gXLtE2KpVo2cUlcvv3UY3uN8Y2gT1gx1ycRhahSZQKAlI/s320/Scan+17.jpeg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAuE4segJAevnqbGC7jV-nRpy-U7y5Gs1wRdgc1zo3dWdzuguRw-1yyI-f1rMFSXErpTltCU6ACB4kJ6pdu0cYqKgWda0uSejPJNfWT_eOb2UmPWo3-5Ax2voaBzRlOxuEWqggLoJFbg/s1600/Urogenital.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAuE4segJAevnqbGC7jV-nRpy-U7y5Gs1wRdgc1zo3dWdzuguRw-1yyI-f1rMFSXErpTltCU6ACB4kJ6pdu0cYqKgWda0uSejPJNfWT_eOb2UmPWo3-5Ax2voaBzRlOxuEWqggLoJFbg/s320/Urogenital.jpeg" /></a><br />
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Two anatomical sketches made during dissection. AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-69591298316962332042014-10-31T11:14:00.000+01:002014-10-31T11:14:47.160+01:00Final Year ISo.... now you get the promised post about my final year!<br />
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It all started with a video on the internet. It showed part of a short documentary about a new method to inseminate birds which was used in the Loro Parque Foundacion. Since I grew up with two ornithologists/nature photographers I was hook in an instance. A brand new scientific project about birds and how to protect bird species with it. AND there were no illustrations produced so far for it. Just perfect!!<br />
So I contacted the LOF in Tenerife and after a few mails and calls my application got forwarded to Prof. Michael Lierz from the Giessen University who actually developed the new method with his research group. <br />
A few more calls later I was happy that I could look forward to start my final project in september 2013 in Giessen. <br />
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In september I started with studying the birds (and their urogenital systems) I would portray. I visited a parrot breeder, different bird parks and bird of prey centers, the collection of the biodiversity center Naturalis and ofcourse the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish in Giessen. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oCSGGu5B5waHHX-tAN6Vo-oZWg33SBQGlWldPHKlw1DC8VtBQkOeUtL2u0ZTcnjn4os1z8Jh0abUGw34Y8IjWYcbVuIePzmg-zzkghmKGV8QwSq9Gr46vTisbaHxNmeB5PQ7lhncyAI/s1600/01+Seitenansicht.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oCSGGu5B5waHHX-tAN6Vo-oZWg33SBQGlWldPHKlw1DC8VtBQkOeUtL2u0ZTcnjn4os1z8Jh0abUGw34Y8IjWYcbVuIePzmg-zzkghmKGV8QwSq9Gr46vTisbaHxNmeB5PQ7lhncyAI/s320/01+Seitenansicht.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLmR4wbw9ZmfeVawlnaGrxLwfP4yFTgouSFOSPaIXPPOVxVU44CTMZqYuV7XO_P5Fm2KQKCIXDMPVhZnbN_xBD11Ptb2QTr9LoaeWq5b0wHRoC1Q_4pndDSlrOM-DrU5xovFXBBEIwYY/s1600/02+Vorderansicht.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLmR4wbw9ZmfeVawlnaGrxLwfP4yFTgouSFOSPaIXPPOVxVU44CTMZqYuV7XO_P5Fm2KQKCIXDMPVhZnbN_xBD11Ptb2QTr9LoaeWq5b0wHRoC1Q_4pndDSlrOM-DrU5xovFXBBEIwYY/s320/02+Vorderansicht.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTgKPNFpZkBm7EKQsseSHAO8U9gN8a0KHfmpmv8PH4oXtJ-tvXqrdQOY4FAmDMj7Jl6DPHgF7HnUo8njSpYVJthDPDNCg6sWkYQIAdjPxVKgGXHam03qCcF9aWsU5hahUyEKW6YoNXOQ/s1600/03+Skelett1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTgKPNFpZkBm7EKQsseSHAO8U9gN8a0KHfmpmv8PH4oXtJ-tvXqrdQOY4FAmDMj7Jl6DPHgF7HnUo8njSpYVJthDPDNCg6sWkYQIAdjPxVKgGXHam03qCcF9aWsU5hahUyEKW6YoNXOQ/s320/03+Skelett1.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQaG3-OxAD97J9z_tJ7HVkGeaX5bCQLoi8AfhWIqU6TKPp3_QAasl_818VcPukRE_pTnCfS4C69wLPs-0REm8SWPE2A1Qat2Oy1OF6gASJgXspytppYY3UPDll-23-wdDIqhyphenhyphen53Ntaj8/s1600/04+Skelett2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQaG3-OxAD97J9z_tJ7HVkGeaX5bCQLoi8AfhWIqU6TKPp3_QAasl_818VcPukRE_pTnCfS4C69wLPs-0REm8SWPE2A1Qat2Oy1OF6gASJgXspytppYY3UPDll-23-wdDIqhyphenhyphen53Ntaj8/s320/04+Skelett2.jpg" /></a><br />
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But before I got to my finished illustrations I had to make many sketches:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYE0J0DIYOhtdEe8mFpdZFYHy6ZNnwYuBuDpuZHOqTjVcYA3Nzr-VTIJ1woIjtPsUGWJdvC-FKiGgkq-Dp5nIYFY14dbX8ytivEuWD_qklkMwJfz1pAKPo10k6rAxNrSXH1-nejrYlftU/s1600/Leiden2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYE0J0DIYOhtdEe8mFpdZFYHy6ZNnwYuBuDpuZHOqTjVcYA3Nzr-VTIJ1woIjtPsUGWJdvC-FKiGgkq-Dp5nIYFY14dbX8ytivEuWD_qklkMwJfz1pAKPo10k6rAxNrSXH1-nejrYlftU/s320/Leiden2.jpeg" /></a><br />
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The Pelvis of an amazon parrot<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbHQOQW7eRG2g43H26JnCsaMLTuz2T526Cjf3KL20Y9TiIX8z9-EjF_FN3I2AAHJpz7cof0jMS_bnSFzI-tHYscb7vmFnnaeuiHU-UCJLLCZEzcZUqRa23aCNbHx-VNQzDKcbiF5jWBs/s1600/ankat500008.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbHQOQW7eRG2g43H26JnCsaMLTuz2T526Cjf3KL20Y9TiIX8z9-EjF_FN3I2AAHJpz7cof0jMS_bnSFzI-tHYscb7vmFnnaeuiHU-UCJLLCZEzcZUqRa23aCNbHx-VNQzDKcbiF5jWBs/s320/ankat500008.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9tjk03KjA34Dqj9oC-LuOar246t9a4d4NZXE_dPXngRWTVOOfgxj6sQiI8vNum95V2ah-7cb7rv97Rzv4SgfUvp__ZoHLxJk4F1WUtinWPa0hOQTPCPY7WROo586QsNBMhNtE3uENm0/s1600/vogel+2+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9tjk03KjA34Dqj9oC-LuOar246t9a4d4NZXE_dPXngRWTVOOfgxj6sQiI8vNum95V2ah-7cb7rv97Rzv4SgfUvp__ZoHLxJk4F1WUtinWPa0hOQTPCPY7WROo586QsNBMhNtE3uENm0/s320/vogel+2+(2).jpg" /></a><br />
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and the skeleton of an amazon parrot (without and with the sternum) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvTDAmf7y3B0mZarHTGRz3AUNFVMN_PIB1T_yXdhIcshL2kV7Aaio3FDmd9fa3t24vbfM5z1mEGEZDMK8CdmzrgVp0XQdSndZxV05TN1JPw9e5e-UPmXQq8SeZy7R0fw3kO7AymjKXIU/s1600/914511.53ec2a04c5aa0.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvTDAmf7y3B0mZarHTGRz3AUNFVMN_PIB1T_yXdhIcshL2kV7Aaio3FDmd9fa3t24vbfM5z1mEGEZDMK8CdmzrgVp0XQdSndZxV05TN1JPw9e5e-UPmXQq8SeZy7R0fw3kO7AymjKXIU/s320/914511.53ec2a04c5aa0.jpg" /></a><br />
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First sketches of the urogenital system of the femal saker falcon. AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-63869885153688049162014-10-30T19:05:00.001+01:002014-10-30T19:05:05.765+01:00Cute dolls or my shop is back So I thought that I it has been long enough. I am still kinda freaked out by the fact that I finished my study. But it is time to get back on the tracks. <br />
I will update my blog and facebook page more regularly from now on! It will be my early New Year's resolution. <br />
And to immediatly break another promis. I won't have it about my final exam in this post but about my online shop!<br />
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/0/6311351/il_570xN.672784439_k82m.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/0/6311351/il_570xN.672784439_k82m.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/049/1/6311351/il_570xN.672803993_awop.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/049/1/6311351/il_570xN.672803993_awop.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/051/1/6311351/il_570xN.674002380_45jm.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/051/1/6311351/il_570xN.674002380_45jm.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/051/0/6311351/il_570xN.672668284_mg8z.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/051/0/6311351/il_570xN.672668284_mg8z.jpg" /></a><br />
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Leslie, Jana, Abbie and Adrian :)<br />
These four new Morlos are just a few of the ones which can be <strike>bought</strike> adopted in my shop! There are also some known faces from before the break which I took because of my final exam. <br />
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Maybe one of the will find a new home at your place? AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-20991296678186206562014-09-25T18:04:00.000+02:002014-09-25T18:04:27.753+02:0010.000 is the number!10.000 is my number of the day. 10.000 views since I started this blog! Just to bad that in the last couple of months I didn't write as much as I wanted to do.<br />
But.... to sum everything up which happened in the last few months:<br />
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I finished my Masters degree and... after enjoying the summer for about a few weeks...it finally hit me: I am not a student any more!! I won't go back to academy after this summer!!<br />
And I panicked... more or less. First I just didn't know what to do and after a while I still didn't know what to do.<br />
Lucky for me I already had some kind of new assignment AND I had to get my administration together. When I was engaged with these things it made it easier to look for new clients, jobs etc.<br />
But what I did do is to re-correct my master thesis and get a re-print of it.<br />
And since I never posted a single finished illustration of it, here you go:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb735bQvEOllLdor6VehY72h138J-qhGhAuFcddsAuSuCznKS9jPYWQrdc4YpD6MX4rXaG3giyaYBVwyyivQ_xoryTxuhPWKpjxl5xG89hQhTx_CjQJvluyON3lDbsTpZBWFzZHW-Df4/s1600/BlueFrontedAmazon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb735bQvEOllLdor6VehY72h138J-qhGhAuFcddsAuSuCznKS9jPYWQrdc4YpD6MX4rXaG3giyaYBVwyyivQ_xoryTxuhPWKpjxl5xG89hQhTx_CjQJvluyON3lDbsTpZBWFzZHW-Df4/s400/BlueFrontedAmazon1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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In the next post I will go into the details of making these illustrations and how that year was for me. But if you can't wait until then there is already <a href="http://www.ankatsart.com/PDF/Masterthesis.pdf"> a pdf version</a> of it online. <br />
BUT <b>*drum roll*</b> I am working on a brand new website which will include an animated view of my book so that you can turn pages etc. And until then I hope to have finished another bird-project I am working on just now!!<br />
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Next to that I am working on some other very nice personal and not personal pieces and projects. The personal ones I will use to participate more in various competitions! A great article by Donato about that can be found on <a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.nl/2014/08/competitions.html">Muddy Colors</a>!! If you don't already follow that blog I tell you know to do so!! <br />
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And as a preview for the upcoming blog post the sketch of one of my personal projects: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDF_SOamMaFEy3Oi91HxMSjyIRZdWxwIbAO-XEp_duGgSX77mAHGWlPuLcyZqSZb916lpFEq3TueiVFADkc6Yc3nTMCuYl2mmqMGnO7JhuCdylZnWGwFoURaXyxTDnpM_cGt5jt3Z20fw/s1600/SkizzeMeerjungfrau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDF_SOamMaFEy3Oi91HxMSjyIRZdWxwIbAO-XEp_duGgSX77mAHGWlPuLcyZqSZb916lpFEq3TueiVFADkc6Yc3nTMCuYl2mmqMGnO7JhuCdylZnWGwFoURaXyxTDnpM_cGt5jt3Z20fw/s400/SkizzeMeerjungfrau.jpg" /></a></div>AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756487983098340446.post-22487134287733190162014-06-26T13:08:00.000+02:002014-06-26T17:36:45.289+02:00Little pet parrotSooo.... things are sorted out. Summer vacation is knocking at my doors... This was the last year for me as a student. But more on how I finished my Master Programme in Scientific Illustration in tomorrow's post. This past few days I just enjoyed to relax, work in the garden and get some fresh ideas for new projects and illustrations :)<br />
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But now I want to show something which I worked on next to finishing my thesis:<br />
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A demo of a bird illustration: Forpus Coelestis:<br />
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<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/95457953?byline=0&portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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And the finished illustration:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gqq0vnUKqEoI4j7eJpOTF_I-9cuoKx0ndbSnrMkNLeI8LijVfhD788PYl9kYIW9u5c4EFpUNeyWpnn1GrBVtYfY7GvM4spv0rl96pHGra5POwjPh6bMJor9hbEnckWpzNpUneKpWTb8/s1600/Forpus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gqq0vnUKqEoI4j7eJpOTF_I-9cuoKx0ndbSnrMkNLeI8LijVfhD788PYl9kYIW9u5c4EFpUNeyWpnn1GrBVtYfY7GvM4spv0rl96pHGra5POwjPh6bMJor9hbEnckWpzNpUneKpWTb8/s320/Forpus1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Flying forpus<br />
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Detail of the wing<br />
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Detail of the head<br />
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Sitting forpus<br />
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I showed the making of the Forpus coelestis at my Behance Portfolio review in Düsseldorf. If you are an artist living in NRW (or as I am very very close to it) I can just recommend to sign up for the big adobe event happening there next week!! You can register using this link: <a href="http://adobe-news.de/014/create_now_2014_register/duesseldorf/index.html">Adobe World Tour Registration</a><br />
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Tomorrow I will show my final thesis :) Stay tuned!AnkatsArthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694892915807156650noreply@blogger.com0