NAIL CANDY

Sephora by OPI has released a new line of stunning, bright colored nail polishes called the DIGITAL DIVA collection.

Candy colors of this collection are:

ACCESS 24/7

LOST WITHOUT MY GPS

TECHNO GIRL

IM BEAUTY

I'M WEIRED

HI-DEF

I love the unusual names!!!!

Retails for $9 at Sephora.com and Sephora stores.

VINTAGE SISTER WINTER SALE

ENJOY!!!!

Wally Wood Goes PLOP! Funny Fantasy in The King of the Ring

Wallace Wood was in his waning days in the 1970's, but that didn't keep him from pumping out a comic book classic from time to time!

The King of the Ring was Woody's wonderful (and loving) Tolkien spoof, and it appeared in DC Comics' PLOP #23 Sept-Oct 1976. Here are a few previews:

I hope that was enough to convince you to download these pages below. Wood was so much fun when his heart was in it...and this is one of my favorite Wally Wood comics! Click on any of the thumbnail pages below to open up a ridiculously HUGE hi-res comic book scan!

Also: nice bio on Wally Wood at:
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/wood.htm
and there's always Wally Wood's

22 Panels That Always Work

CLINIQUE GWP

GWP


THE COLORS


THINK BRONZE

TENDER HEART

ALMOND BLOSSOM

LASH DOUBLING MASCARA

The GWP that i got with my recent CLINIQUE purchase is really a good way to try Clinique cosmetics and skin care. The size is decent enough to last for a couple of uses, and the lipsticks are full size, so thats a bonus!!!!

The gifts came with:

1. Lipstick in Think bronze

2. Lipstick in Tender heart (pretty shade)

3. Lash doubling Mascara (this seriously works)

4. All over face color in Almond blossom (beautiful warm blush and highlighter)

5. Skin clarifying lotion in number 2

6. Foaming face wash

7. Make up bag (lovely)

The GWP had two options. I had to choose between Neutral set and Berry set. The Berry set had the same stuff. Th e color of lipstick and blush were different. I wanted the blush of Berry set, but lipsticks of neutral set. so i had to stick with neutral choice.

Better luck next time.

I would suggest to grab these kind of offers...Anyday!!!

We Start INKING in Adobe Illustrator Process Video #4

Video #4 - Let's Start INKING!

Click on image - video will open in new window
(There's also a smaller version at the bottom of the post in case you have trouble watching the large video)

Okay, this is what we've been building up to!

In today's video, you can watch as I start inking the SpongeBob illustration in real time. All of these videos were recorded while I was working on the new cover illustration for Nickelodeon magazine -- so you're seeing all of the actual work that went in to creating that image.

There's no retakes here -- everything is live -- just as it happened. The only thing I trimmed out were the pauses.

Using Adobe Illustrator for inking and clean-up has allowed me to take on jobs that I would have had to turn down in the past. Getting a piece of art to look this cleaned up would cause permanent injury to my hands and my wrists if I had to do it with regular pen and ink and brush. It also would have taken forever and a day if I were using traditional materials.

One of the unexpected benefits of inking in Adobe Illustrator is that my line has become a lot more spontaneous -- I can be a lot more fast and spontaneous with the brush since I know that I can press "undo" if I make a bad line.

I'm hoping that once you see this in action, you'll be inspired to give it a try yourself. If you already own Adobe Illustrator as part of one of the Adobe suites, you really owe it to yourself to make the most out of your investment. If you don't own Adobe Illustrator, but you'd like to learn... you can download a free 30 day trial from the Adobe website.

Here's a smaller version of the video if you're having trouble loading the big video:

The next video might be a little bit boring, but it covers some very vital topics. Even though it appears to be focusing on Adobe Illustrator's ellipse tool, it will also show how to copy, paste and reuse drawing elements to save you time and effort. I will also be demonstrating how to use the Illustrator pencil tool to reshape a technically perfect shape into something more appropriate for a hand drawn image. See you then!

If you want to keep up with all the videos,
here's where to find the first three lessons:

here is an updated list of the

Adobe Illustrator
Cartoon Inking tutorial videos:

#1 - How to Set Up and Import Images

#2 - Palette Options and Settings

#3 - Freehand Calligraphic BRUSH Tool

#4 - We Start INKING in Illustrator!

#5 - How to Use Shapes & Ellipse Tool

#6 - How to Use Illustrator Graphic Styles

#7 - Working With Reshape Tool and Layers

#8 - Arrange, Transform, Reflect in Action
#9 - Picking Up The Pace

#10 - Finishing SpongeBob Inking

#11 - Illustrator Inking Finale
#12 - Exporting To Photoshop

...and of course the completed Nick Mag cover art is at:

http://cartoonsnap.blogspot.com/2009/02/painting-process-spongebob-cover-art.html

CLINIQUE SKIN CARE

PRODUCTS IN 'CUTE' BAG


SKIN CARE PRODUCTS


FACIAL SOAP

CLARIFYING LOTION

MOISTURIZING LOTION

GWP...SUPER COOL

My skin has always been 'combination' skin, more inclined towards the 'oily' side....confusing!!!

It turns pretty oily/greasy in summer and pretty dry in winter....but natural!!!

But recently, i noticed it was dry in patches. Some part of my face was dry, flaky and some parts were ubber oily. I had great difficult time applying foundation. It just used to get inside those flakey patches....eeew!!! gross!!!

No amount of face moisturiser was helping. If i used moisturiser for dry skin, the rest of my face used to get oily...if i tried gel moisturiser the flaky patch would get worse...i was sooo very irritated, annoyed....

Finally, thanks to CLINIQUE skin care expert, she suggested me this regime for oily skin and now i am pretty happy using it since last 15 days. It sure is working for me. I haven't noticed any reactions with them. The regime is simple.

1. Face cleanser

2. Clarifying lotion

3. Dramatically different moisturiser.

All these came in a nice bag. Its a cute bag, not some thing great...but cute!!

I hope it continues to help my skin in this way....may be in summers, i will need a regime change...as of now, its working!!!!

Oh yes, i did recieve a GWP (gift with purchase) and believe me, these gifts are amazing...they definately deserve another post....:)

Illustrator Process Video #3 - Freehand Brushes for Cartoon Style Inking

Video #3 - Freehand BRUSH Tool

Click on image - video will open in new window
(There's also a smaller version at the bottom of the post in case you have trouble watching the large video)

Okay -- here's where it starts getting fun!
We're going to be covering the freehand brush tool in today's Adobe Illustrator Inking Tutorial video

The freehand brush seems to be one of the least-known features in Adobe Illustrator. Most people associate Illustrator with very clean and technical lines -- and not the hand-drawn look that traditional cartoons and comic books use. It turns out, though, that Adobe Illustrator is a fantastic tool for doing comic book inking and cartooning cleanups still have that spontaneous & freehand look.

I want to make sure to point out that you'll need some sort of pressure-sensitive drawing tablet to get all the calligraphic effects that I'm going to be showing in this video. The most common drawing tablets are made by Wacom, and they range in price from under $99 for the Bamboo Fun to "an arm and a leg" for the Cintiq. All of these brush effects can be done with even the simplest and the smallest drawing tablet (as long as it supports pressure sensitivity).

A lot of people complain that the hand-drawn lines that they try to draw with the freehand brush tool become distorted as soon as the line has finished being drawn. That problem will be corrected if you copy the brush settings that I use in this video. Of course, I also encourage everybody to play with those settings and customize to them to your own specific needs.

Today's video will show you how to find and use the custom brushes that I included in the downloadable template, and it also shows you exactly how to customize and create your own custom freehand brushes. Once all that information has been covered, will be ready for tomorrow's video -- when I actually start INKING the darn thing! So be sure to come back for the next episode, too!

Here's a smaller version of today's video if you're having trouble viewing the larger version:

If you want to keep up with all the videos, here's where to find the first two lessons:

#1 - Setting Up and Importing Images
#2 - Palette Options and settings

Smashbox BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS KIT- review

THE KIT


THE PRODUCTS


BLUSH/SOFT LIGHTS DUO IN SUPER/MODEL

LIPGLOSS IN COUTURE

EYESHADOW TRIO IN GLOW ON

BROW TECH AND CREAM EYE LINER PALATTE

As promised a review on the Smashbox Beauty Resolutions Kit, that i recently bought from Sephora. I have been using this from past few days maybe 2 weeks...

On to the review:

Blush/Softlights duo in Super/Model: This was the main reason i bought the kit for. As i wanted to try Soft lights this was a good deal. The full size softlights retail for $28. This duo has exactly half the quantity. The colour is pretty similar to Shimmer shade from the permanent line. This is to be applied as a highlighter anywhere on the body. I personally use it over a blush to give a soft sheen. This is pretty fine/finely milled, soft and not at all chunky or glittery. The name is very apt...Softlights...because its soft and gives lovely sheen, which is chic, especially when light hits over it.

The blush is a lovely matte peachy/corally colour. The pigmentation is amazing. The blush and highlight work well together. It does has some scent to it, which is not annoying, but i would have prefered no fragrance blush. The packaging is no problem for me. It has a clear top, no mirror.

Lipgloss in true colour Couture: This is a full size lipgloss and has lovely tomato/coral colour with gold shimmers to it. This being a true colour, has a decent colour pay off, is buildable. The shimmers or colours are not over the top. The lipgloss is less sticky, infact very less sticky in comparison to MAC lipglass and as a result has to be re-applied. I already own a couple of Smashbox lipglosses and i like the product. The individual product retails for $18.

Eyeshadow trio in Glow on: These are 3 neutral colours. To be honest i didn't try these, as i already have colours similar to the ones in it. My past experience says that Smashbox eyeshadows are little powdery in texture. Some have poor colour pay off and some are like butter and have great colour payoff. I don't know how this one is. But it is compact enough to carry while travelling. The single trios retail for $28.

Brow tech and cream eyeliner palatte: I like this palatte for all together different reason. I personally hate cream eyeliners as eyeliners, but they are great for smudging out, to create base for smokey eye looks. They have 6 lovely shades all apt for smokey eye look. It has a brow wax and 3 shades of brow powder. The packaging is super compact, sleek and comes with a mirror. Great for travel, especially the 6 eyeliner colours that i use as base. Its amazing!!!

I would say, this is a great deal. Worth every penny!!!!