Adjustments to goals can happen any time of year
I’ve been taking a drastic change from one passionate subject (exercise) to another that deserves attention (my cartoon characters).
My colouring group will be offered again throughout the fall. I’m holding down a steady job in tech. My cartoon characters Emily and Lindsay are long overdue for version 2.0.
Recent exercise goals were met
I’ve met roughly 150 minutes of exercise per week consistently the past month or two, just by walking with my dad, trail building at a moderate pace in the backyard, and jogging. I expect to do more biking in the fall when it cools off and I’m not instantly sweaty before I even reach the hilly trails near home.
Attention on character design
For a while now, I’ve been frustrated that I never took the time to draw my Emily and Lindsay characters systematically. I studied character design in 2023 at OCAD University, and I still have a complete workflow for making new characters, from ideation and research, to design, to full turnaround.
My class project was Emily’s grandpa. Now I need to do the same process for Emily, then Lindsay, and probably the rest of Emily’s family. Then I’d love to deal with the family pets and household elements.
The summer was especially busy with car shows
We attended every car show that I know of in the Victoria area, which meant that every weekend was occupied for me. I got very little time to myself. But I did do a lot of cell phone photography! You’ll see my video footage on my Youtube channel – it’s now called Creations & Commotion (old name Life is a Playground) and the username is @heidibada.
I’ll try to finish posting all my car show footage in September.
My new focus will be the Emily crowd! I took the plunge and bought some new pens at the Sooke art gallery and store called South Shore Gallery and I’ve been drawing every day since. FYI the pens are Gelly Roll. I’m surprised how fun they are and I love how they can cover up mistakes and even blend (I suggest using thick paper if aiming for that).
I also bought a small sketchbook at the shop. It turned out to be a game changer for me. It’s small and square, just the size I need for practicing and experimenting with eyes, faces, or even a whole cartoon body.
It’s filling up fast. I’ll be sharing my results on Youtube and Instagram @heidibada through the month of September. The goal is to end up with a finished turnaround I can use for visual novels, for the rest of the year and beyond.
I’m so excited!