Updating from class!

I downloaded blogger for my iPhone! Now I can procrastinate even more in class! HO HO HO

No, that's not good.

Posting from the graaaave!

I'm so sleepy!!

I've been sabotaging myself by staying up late to watch We Got Married, haha. I sleep in the morning, go to school until seven (or ten, some times) before doing homework. I should go to bed around midnight but I always end up staying up a few extra hours watching shows on my laptop. Tisk. Tisk.

Well, anyways.

Here's what also kept me up, all these nights:



Bottle from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.


Peppermint Stalks from darian brenner on Vimeo.


MAMA BEAR from justin wallis on Vimeo.

I loooove short films like these! In my dream world I would be a stop motion animator who goes to CalARTS and is very happy.

In this universe I'm an illustration major who's an aspiring comic artist and attends a Cal State. Sigh. Well. I'm still happy haha.

But no, really, I am inspired a lot by music videos and short films. I think they are truly lovely. I'll post my favorites throughout this blog to share with any interested viewers. :)

Until next time~~

Thank you, my sweet Kohai!! :))

By Donguri 

Weee!!! Everyone come and see what my sweet Kohai from High School drew me for my birthday!! :))

I am so sorry I didn't get to see this until now, Tien!! I have been a bad senpai;; But I love this to bits and have been showing this off to my family members since seeing it haha. I love it so much!!

This is Kagura and Kamui from Gintama, by the way. I requested this as an art trade. I still need to finish coloring my side OTL;;;

I am so thankful to have received this. Let's draw together one day, okay Tien? We can meet up at a bookstore or something and just draw while catching up. :)

Yep yep, this has been the highlight of my week!

Follow up post!

Hello, hello!

So now I guess I'll post a bit about my art and hobbies, yay for being formal?! Or trying to.

So this is where I work, majority of the time:

My room doesn't have enough space for a desk, so I work at a small table in the hallway. From my tiny table to my room, there's a trail of extension cords for my desk light and laptop LOOLL <33

I'll also be working at my large kitchen table if I'm doing a comic, or in the garage if I'm painting. Or on the couch with a large clipboard if I want to watch a movie-- I'LL BASICALLY WORK ANYWHERE BUT MY BED.

My approach to sketching: 

Wait, I'm not even entirely sure why I have this section... loool;; My approach to sketching is like every other artist-- to organize events, thoughts, and subjects. 

I love, love sketching. I go through sketchbooks like they're nothing. I shamelessly sketch during lectures, lab time, and (if the situation is okay...) critiques. I'M SO BAD LOL. But I will respectfully put away my sketchbook if I feel it bothers my professors. So far none of them really had a problem. 

I know, one would expect my art to be better if I sketched this much, right? LOOOL

Well what I make up in sketching, I lack in discipline. A friendly way someone described it was, "You're just really passionate, Ava!!" HAHA. I seldom do finish pieces. It's why I've earned the reputation of a sketchbook artist as opposed to anything else.

Must. Work. Harder... 

My approach to comics: 

Gosh, here we go. Comics to me is just another tool for expressing messages, events, and entertainment. There are three things I appreciate in a comic and those are sympathetic characters, a wholesome story, and clear art. 

For me, characters are just as important as the story. In my head, they are sort of like the first impression of a comic. I shamelessly admit I'll pick up a comic if I think the person on the cover "looks cool". Characters are the greatest way to touch the viewers, if they are written well enough. My brother says that as long as the characters are likable, you could have the most boring storyline and people will still read it. I believe that. So I'll always work on character development the most in the story. 

(It bothers me the most when characters don't serve a purpose in the story. You will hear me complain time and time again about "throw away" characters. It's just a huge pet peeve of mine.)

A complete story is good, but I'm not one to angrily point out every plot hole. It's like the old fairy tale about the woman who lives in the shoe, when the situation is right, you just have to accept something with no question. My stories have some unexplained quirks and thats what I find attractive about them. There are just some things that can't be explained, you know??

This isn't to say I forgive every story. I dislike rushed endings, unresolved conflicts, and seemingly lazy solutions. I try my best to avoid these by working backwards in my story-- from ending to beginning. This method is good for eliminating most plot errors and inconsistencies. 

Clear art. In comics, especially, art should be able to convey a scene in less than three seconds. It's sad, but not many people will take the time to appreciate how well you drew the details on the shoes or hair. Some people might, and that's good! But otherwise, I think panels should be simple and clean (like the song). 

Well, this is easier said than done. I still have a lot to work on regarding storytelling in graphic novels. For example, my panels are okay, but I feel they could be stronger. My inconsistencies in drawing characters are my downfall. My backgrounds also leave less to be desired. 

I will work harder!! 

Anyways, I hope this was fun to read. If it seemed like I was tooting my own horn at any parts, I assure you it wasn't my intention. 

Thank you for reading! 

first post

Hello!

I am going to start up this blog-thing-a-majigger, once and for all!!

I will start with a proper post about myself.

Hello, my name is Ava Ngoc Nguyen. When pronounced in a certain way, my middle name means, "sweet" in Vietnamese! Pretty cool, huh? I think so. My hobbies are watching short films, animations, and stop motion animation. I want to start a miniature collection. I love doll houses. Other things I enjoy are reading, writing, and eating!

I go to Cal State Fullerton and plan on graduating in May 2013. My major is art in illustration. My goal in life is to be a graphic novelist. I like both American comics and Japanese Manga, but I don't have goals to work in DC or Marvel, or to go to Japan and live out my otaku dreams. I just want to draw independent comics. I have a friend named Lawler and together we'll change the world. Yep, that's our dream.

This blog is for sharing my inspirations, progress, and (hopefully!) achievements. On the side bar, one can find links to some artists that I find inspirational. With that said, thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

AVA SWEET NGUYEN