Astria the Space Princess

I just had the idea of a space princess with pink hair.  Behold, Astria was born.

All hail texture brushes!

As I said in the previous post, I have downloaded some lovely brushes for Photoshop today.  Experimented with them here.  I honestly have no idea where the cartoony drawing style came from.  It just happened.  Haha!

What have I been up to?

Hello, amazing people of the universe!  How have all of you been?

What have I been up to lately?

I'm reading Catching Fire.

I watched The Hunger Games last Saturday with friends.

I'm currently listing down my favorite moments from the movie in another post.

I am trying to survive this art block I've had recently.

I downloaded lovely brushes for Photoshop.

I am greatly saddened by the news that Glen Keane has resigned from Disney.

On a happier note, I watched the first two episodes of Legend of Korra!

I'll be going to the beach in a week!

Magnum ice cream is my current favorite.

Instagram has become my best friend this week.

I am practicing my digital art.

I like this post.

It's a rainbow!

Hello lovelies!

I know I've been posting rather useless things...yes, indeed.  But these past few days have been rather hectic for me.  No more time to draw, play with the Nikon or even read! *insert sobs here*  But in the mean time, here's an UNFINISHED sketch of the final scene from Flipped that I started around 3 days ago.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My Rating: ★★★★

Summary:  

The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen,   from the country of Panem (the post-apocalyptic North America), who volunteers as a tribute for District 12 in the 74th Hunger Games in place of her younger sister.  The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl from each of the 12 surrounding the Capitol are selected to compete in a televised battle where only one person can survive.

What I Like:

The story was extremely action packed that I couldn't put the book down!  The games were very exciting and I found the characters very interesting as well.  Cinna was probably my favorite character.

What I Don't Like:

Don't get me wrong, I love Katniss and Peeta.  But I personally think they went a little overboard with all the kissing and...yeah.  *insert straight face here*

My Comments:

I'm actually reading the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire.  I cannot wait for the movie!  If they mess it up, I don't know what to do anymore.  I hope it'll be awesome!

C'est La Vie

Here are some inspiring works you guys can always keep in mind:

[images via Tumblr]

Happiness

Happiness, one of my favorite words to use.  This quote by Aristotle is definitely one of my favorites.  I came across this quote while browsing a copy of Keep Calm and Carry On. My dad constantly reminds me that it is our decision in life to be happy, and everyday, I constantly try my best to have a positive attitude.  I try to keep my head up and not let hardships in life affect me. :-)

Avatar: The Legend of Korra trailer

Excuse me while my inner geek shows in this post.

I've always been a fan of Avatar: the Last Airbender. 

(I'm talking about the cartoon version)

So when Nickelodeon finally released the trailer for the next Avatar series,

I couldn't help but squeal in delight!

Oh the excitement! I cannot wait!!!

Wanderlust

I've always loved travelling.  I may not have been to every country in the world, but I love going to new places and learning new things.  Thus, wanderlust (a strong desire to travel) has been one of my favorite words.

Whilst scrolling through some posts on Tumblr, I came across this GIF which I instantly reblogged:

If you could pack up right now and leave, where would you go?  This question just intrigued me.  Where in the world would I go?  What countries would I want to visit?  Oh dear,  there would be just too many.  Why don't I just pick my top 5 countries I'd gladly "leave on a jetplane" to visit?

#1 - London, England

My love for England first blossomed when I watched the first Narnia film when I was around 7-years-old.  This love for England grew even more when I started reading Harry Potter and listening to Adele & One Direction.  In History class, my favorite lessons were about the rulers of England.  (My favorites were Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I)  I also love the gothic architecture of some of the famous landmarks of England such as the Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. I'd definitely love to spend a day in the lovely city of London, in a cafe, drinking a cup of tea with my nose stuck in a book.

#2 - Paris, France

"Ah, Paris, France.  Home of the finest restaurants and the greatest chefs in the world..." Excuse my little Ratatouille moment there, but that is exactly the reason why I'd love to travel to this beautiful city with my younger sister one day.  My sister wants to become a chef, you see.  So when we're older, we're going to travel to Paris together, eat the finest food and feel like Julia Child for a day.  I would also love to visit the Musée du Louvre and have a glimpse of the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. (Not to mention, visit Disneyland Paris!  It's my goal to visit all the Disney parks in the world)

#3 - Florence, Italy

Florence, the city where a lot of the great Renaissance artists had their start.  I loved learning about the Medicis who influenced the city in so many ways. To go to the art museums in Florence are a must in my 'Art Bucketlist'.  I'd also love to ride a gondola through Florence.

#4 - Tokyo, Japan

I absolutely cannot wait until the day when I can go to Tokyo, Japan!  I loooooove eating Japanese food. (I started eating sashimi & sushi when I was pretty young)  I  am a sucker for cute Japanese stationery products.  I'd love to go to the Studio Ghibli museum and go nutz over Hayao Miyazaki's fantastic characters. (Chihiro/Sen from Spirited Away is my absolute favorite!) I'd also love to go gadget shopping here. Teehee!  My inner geek will definitely show here.

#5 - New York City, USA

What wouldn't I give to go to New York City?!  It has always been my dream to watch a Broadway musical and even perform in one!  I'd love to take my camera and just take photos of the incredible skyscrapers and all the lights.  Let's hear it for New York!

So those are my top 5 countries I'd love to visit one day!  How about you?  If you could pack up right now and leave, where would you go?

[images via WeHeartIt]

Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums by Trenton Lee Stewart

[image via Goodreads]

My rating: ★★★★★

Summary:  

Ever wondered what kind of mind-boggling puzzles Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance solved?  Well, enter the world of the Mysterious Benedict Society with Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums!  It's packed with very interesting puzzles and full-color illustrations that will definitely get your brain cells working! 

What I Like:  

Finally, I get to step into the world of The Mysterious Benedict Society!  I've always wanted to know what it would be like to solve all those puzzles and wonder if I was as smart as them.  Man, this book is more than what I expected.  The puzzles really get my brain working so much! (Plus, there's a sneak peak of the new series Trenton Lee Stewart is writing: The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict!)

What I Don't Like: 

Oh, the feeling that your brain is practically squeezed out from too much thinking and working on the puzzles!  I realized I do not have a mind like the Mysterious Benedict Society kids.  Bummer.  

My Comments:

Again, beautiful illustrations by Diana Sudyka.  I just love how simple they are, and the colors she uses! Also, I absolutely cannot wait until The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict comes out!

Currently...

Reading: The Hunger Games

Working on: our Singapore Photobook

Listening to: This Is Our Someday by Big Time Rush (surprisingly, they're pretty good. Hahaha)

Thinking of: future blog posts

Hello, everyone!  I know I haven't been posting and really writing these past few days, but not to worry!  I am currently working on a new blog posts.  In the meantime, here are some irrelevant pictures I took when we went to Universal Studios Singapore! (I especially love the photo of the rollercoaster)