Uncategorized

Painting Elephants

| Jasmin De Anda

Painting is something I haven’t done much of lately, but last week I was able to purchase three 30×40 inch stretched canvases from Michaels on a buy one, get TWO FREE deal! When I bought the canvases, I immediately had this elephant painting in mind.

Painting the Background…

I knew from the beginning that I wanted an effect similar to a marbled counter, but slightly more blended. The first step was to prime my canvas with a layer of gesso. Although the canvas was already primed, I always add another coat just in case. Next I prepped my temporary paper plate palette with lots of white paint, some grey, and a navy blue.

At first, I mostly dipped my large fluffy brush into the white, occasionally dipping my brush into the grey and blue, spreading the paint around to blend, then continuing to brush over the drying areas in a circular motion for that cloudy blue on the negative space.

I continued by building up my layers with blue and grey until I had something I liked (at least in the sections I knew wouldn’t be covered by the elephants I planned to paint). Once that was finished, I grabbed my small brush and added some metallic blue, and metallic gold paint, spreading it in a few sections to add a small shine. Then it was time for elephants!

Painting the Elephants…

I knew I wanted the background to show just a bit through the elephants. To achieve that, I watered down my grey in a plastic cup and painted a single layer, not worrying too much about streaks.

Once that was finished, I grabbed one of my small round brushes and continued to build up the grey in layers until I had the basic features of the elephant and let that dry. With that finished, it was time for the detail work. I prepped my paint, taking three small plastic cups; one with white paint, one with black, and one with a dark grey (all watered down of course). I began by adding my dark grey paint to the shaded areas, focusing on deepening the lines along the trunk. Next I used my black paint to really darken the shadows along the front of the elephant, dabbing my brush along the edges with whatever paint was left on the brush to add some texture. Finally I used white to add some highlights as well as fill in the tusks.

The final result!

I am pleased with how the painting turned out, and I can’t wait to add it to our etsy!

Supplies Used:

–30×40″ Stretched Canvas – Artist’s Loft – Level 3

-“Neutral Grey” Acrylic Paint (the one I used isn’t sold anymore)

-Black Acrylic Paint

-White Acrylic Paint

–Antique Gold Acrylic Paint

–“Pearl Green Blue” Acrylic Paint

–Round Fluffy Brush

–Round Paint Brushes (Not the ones I used, but these are the same shape)

I’m Writing a wattpad series!

| Jasmin De Anda

Welcome to L.I.F.E.

Love, Imagination, Friendship, Endings. That’s the heart of this new series, now with two chapters available to read on wattpad.

Why I’m writing this series…

As an aspiring writer who often finds herself lost in her own imagination, I have a notes app full of dozens of stories. Some are for movies, some for books, and others like this one I had reserved for a show. When looking over my notes for this series I call “L.I.F.E.”, I became more eager than ever to share this story with others. I considered changing it to a book, but something about the plot construction books tend to have just didn’t fit the story I want to tell. Rather than continue to shelve it, I realized the solution was wattpad, a place where I can freely tell this story piece by piece in the episodic nature I dreamed of. So, I began my writing and now have two chapters up!

What this story is about…

Love, Imagination, Friendship, Endings

These are the things that make up a LIFE. Or at least that's the case of our main characters.

Lauren Hart thought she had everything she wanted. A loving boyfriend, a cute apartment, a best friend who always had her back, and her whole future planned. She never she would lose the first two items on that list. When Lauren's boyfriend dumps her out of the blue, she has no choice but to find a new place to live, but fate brings her to a room vacancy she wasn't even looking for.  Lauren thinks the only thing she has to face is a future different than what she imagined, but can she survive her unusual house mates?

Although the story begins with Lauren, she is not the sole protagonist of this story. In this story, there is no “main character”, but three.

Meet the characters…

The reason I struggled with the idea of leaving behind an episodic story format was my characters. Each with their own unique personalities which complement each other, I felt that a normal book with a beginning, middle, and end, just muddled their personalities. I’m looking forward to introducing you to the characters I have grown attached to in my heart.

Lauren Hart, Barry Adams, and Jessie Moreno. These are the three characters who are the focus of this story. When Lauren is forced to find a new place to stay, she finds herself in the company of these two friends when she decides to rent a room in their shared home.

Lauren’s thrown for a bit of a loop as she gets to know her new housemates. All three are nineteen-year-old students at San Diego City College, although Lauren is in her first year while Barry and Jessie are in their second year. While she finds Barry’s presence to be calming, at the start of our story, she wonders if she will ever get used to Jessie’s OCPD as well as her quirks. As the story progresses, the reader will slowly get to know these characters as they get to know each other.

Love, Imagination, Friendship, Endings…

These are the values our characters hold dear. The purpose of this story is to follow them through out their lives as they face each one of these values. Read on as they make new friends and fight and make up. Follow them as they find love and face heartbreak and repeat. Follow them as they face challenges and overcome some, while learning when to accept when a challenge is too much.

I’m looking forward to growing this series over time, and I hope you enjoy it too. “L.I.F.E.” has two chapters available now on my wattpad. Check it out!

I entered the doctor strange contest!

| Jasmin De Anda

There are two things I love: Drawing, and pop culture. I have been obsessed with Marvel movies and comic books since I was 12 years old and because of that, I started my own fanart instagram. Well last week I was excited to see that in celebration of the new Doctor Strange movie, marvel was having a fanart contest for the chance to win two tickets to the world premiere! I of course got to work.

My specialty when it comes to digital art is realistic art that I make on procreate. Something about drawing a picture one layer at a time, adding various shades, has always been very soothing for me.

Designing my submission…

One thing that has been consistent in most of the Doctor Strange posters has been the broken glass theme. The poster I’ve seen most is the one where Doctor strange is surrounded by shards of glass with snippets of the characters within them. When I decided I wanted to have the same affect, I took a picture of Doctor Strange and another of Wanda and separated them in half with jagged lines to get a base for my drawing.

With that decision made, it was time to begin, starting with drawing Doctor Strange.

Drawing Doctor Strange and Wanda…

The problem with pictures like this is that the color is not always reliable. Although the photo of doctor strange is perfect, the photo of Wanda shows her in a dark room, lighted by candles and her power, leading to a redish tint. Because of this, when reaching her half, I pulled a well lit photo from wandavision to get more accurate colors.

When drawing a character, I always begin by tracing around their heads and hair, filling them in with the solid color. After that, I work in layers, beginning with the lightest color and closing in, using the airbrush on procreate to shade their faces, then eliminating the negative space by selecting it on the solid layer then erasing on the shaded layers. The final step is adding the finer details such as the hair which I use the “fine hair” brush on procreate in various colors to achieve. I don’t have a video of this drawing, but I do have a youtube with some older work. Below are the panels of the layers.

Finalizing the drawing…

With my characters finished, it was time for the final touches! To match the characters, I decided on a dark red backdrop. As for the glass effect, I began with the airbrush in a small size and drew my lines. The next step was adding highlights using a white airbrush which I softly used along the “glass pieces”. Then I shrunk the airbrush to outline some of the black lines for a cleaner edge. The final result was this!:

Each time I draw the characters, I am excited to see the improvements that come from just practicing! The more I draw, the more I find myself adding more detail, leading to a more realistic image each time while still keeping the airbrushed look I love having in my drawings! Of course I do hope I win, but regardless, the experience creating this image was as rewarding as usual.

The Last Wish, Andrzej Sapkowski

| Jasmin De Anda

A must read for lovers of mythology and fantasy…

The Last Wish is a fascinating adventure filled with monsters and magic. For lovers of mythology and classic fairy tales, The Last Wish will be both new and familiar.

SYNOPSIS

Geralt the Witcher—revered and hated—holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures, the first chapter in Andrzej Sapkowski’s groundbreaking epic fantasy series that inspired the hit Netflix show and the blockbuster video games.

Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless hunter. Yet he is no ordinary killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.

But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good . . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

Meet the “White Wolf”…

Join Geralt of Rivia, known to others as “The White Wolf”. As a fan of the Netflix series, I was eager to pick up the series and get to know Geralt the way we only can in books and was not disappointed. Just like he is portrayed in the series, Geralt is a man with only one goal; to rid the world of monsters in exchange for payment. Calm and composed at most times, as he is faced with monsters both of myth and of human form, Geralt’s morality and values are made clear in both his reactions as well as his words. As the story progressed, I fell in love with Geralt both for his bravery as well as his heart.

As we follow Geralt throughout his journey, Sapkowski slowly begins to unravel the mystery of what kind of person the witcher is both through his interactions with his friends and the stories of his past.

Mythology and Fairy Tales come together…

What set the Witcher apart from the fantasy novels I’ve read in the past was the familiar yet unique stories in the book. While the book contains new stories; lovers of mythology and fairy tales will notice the similarities to the familiar tales such as Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (estimated)~ 107,000

Page Count: 384

Genres: Fantasy

Be warned, these stories are darker in nature. As a lover of mythology myself, I when the monsters and cursed people were from mythology as well. While the book contains species which may be familiar such as elves, a djinn, and a striga (strzyga Polish).

A Carefully Written Story…

Perhaps it was because of an advantage from watching the Netflix show prior to beginning the series, but I felt that the story was told in a way that was easy to follow.

Focusing entirely on Geralt’s journey; as the story introduced the supporting characters, each was brought in one at at time, allowing the reader to make a clear picture of who he was speaking too. Many stories I have read have introduced multiple characters, forcing me to reread the same paragraphs over and over in order to distinguish the characters in my head.

In The Last Wish, Sapkowski introduces his side characters as they become relevant to the story, while the more important characters are hinted at as they enter Geralt’s mind.

Even the timeline which is not always linear provides a clear timeline without the need for subheadings, transitioning beautifully from present to past.

What I loved most…

While most stories I have read have taken inspiration from mythological creatures, most retold their stories. What I enjoyed from The Last Wish was that Sapkowski took these existing stories such as Snow White and told them in a way that made me feel as if they were what the stories stemmed from without making Geralt’s presence seem out of place. I look forward to reading the rest of Geralt’s journey, and I already know this will be a series I revisit often!

SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES

SEE ALL BOOK REVIEWS

Recursion, Blake Crouch

| Jasmin De Anda

A fascinating theory on memory…

Recursion is a complex fiction novel that had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to keep up with the complicated and interesting scientific theories at the story’s center.

SYNOPSIS

What if someone could rewrite your entire life?

‘My son has been erased.’

Those are the last words the woman tells Barry Sutton, before she leaps from the Manhattan rooftop. Deeply unnerved, Barry begins to investigate her death, only to learn that this wasn’t an isolated case. All across the country, people are waking up to lives different than the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious, new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or is something far more sinister behind the fracturing of reality all around him?

Miles away, neuroscientist Helena Smith is developing a technology that allows us to preserve our most intense memories, and relive them. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

Barry’s search for the truth leads him on an impossible, astonishing journey, as he discovers that Helena’s work has yielded a terrifying gift – the ability not just to preserve memories, but to remake them . . . at the risk of destroying what it means to be human.

Two Characters, Two Timelines…

The story begins with Barry Sutton, a detective who is arrives after hearing a call about a woman sitting on the ledge of the building in 2018; a woman who is suffering from a mysterious disease called False Memory Syndrome. Soon after the narrative switches to Helena Smith, who in 2007 is reaching the saddening end of her research due to lack of funding. As the story progresses, the reader is brought back and forth between the two characters stories as they face their own conflicts.

Crouch does a wonderful job of using the two separate timelines to explain the scientific theories without overwhelming the reader.

While the beginning of the story does not give much time to get to know the characters on a personal level, immediately jumping into the two characters, I felt that the more the story progressed, the more vivid the image of them became in my mind.

A Cinematic Experience…

For readers who enjoy books for the deep insight in the personal lives of a character, this book may seem disappointing in that area. Recursion, much like the previous Blake Crouch novel I read, tells the story in cinematic way. Each “scene” dives into the action of the characters, never taking a moment for the characters to relax. Each scene ends much like it would in a television series, open ended and often in a suspenseful way before jumping to the other character, then continuing right where it left off.

However, for readers who find such leisure moments in a story to be mundane, this book may be more exciting than most. In Recursion, there is never a dull moment. Crouch has created a story which continuously follows the two main characters through every theory, obstacle, and revelation they face. As the story comes closer to its end, much like a film, it becomes more intense and the stakes grow higher.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 98,000

Page Count: 336

Genres: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Usually, when I find a story written like a movie/show, I find it difficult to finish. In the case of the stories I’ve read, as the author writes their story with the image of their own movie in mind, the story becomes “stages”.

They begin to lose detail, often focusing on the boring details such as where a person sits and what they grab. With Crouch, I never felt this was a problem. I was impressed by his ability to paint such a vivid and immersive experience.

While the science may be overwhelming to some, it is carefully explained.

A Complex Sci-Fi…

Although Science Fiction has always been my favorite genre of cinema, before Black Crouch, I had not had any experience with reading the genre.

Watching movies and shows such as Interstellar, Arrival, and Dark helped me easily grasp the theoretical science. Yet despite the similarities to the theories introduced in stories I viewed in the past, Blake Crouch managed to introduce me to something entirely new without diminishing the credibility of it all. The more I learned, the more I felt the story was well researched. Some may find the concept to be ridiculous or unrealistic, but that is why they are called “theories”, because they are not proven. Like most sci-fi stories, an open mind can make all the difference in whether you come to love or hate Recursion.

What I loved most…

As a lover of science fiction, my favorite parts were of course when the story delved into Helena’s research. While I found Barry’s segments interesting, Helena’s segments were the ones which kept me unwilling to put the book down. From the beginning when her research is introduced, to the moment her own story’s conflict becomes the center of the story, I was engrossed. Although I wish I was given more time to get to know her thoughts and emotions through the whole ordeal, I was still able to fall in love with her character.

SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES

SEE ALL BOOK REVIEWS

The Last Thing He Told me, Laura Dave

| Jasmin De Anda

A riveting and heartfelt mystery..

The Last Thing He Told Me is not a story that I would usually find myself picking up, but I’m glad I did.

SYNOPSIS

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

Our Main Characters…

The story begins with Hannah Hall, a happily married woodturner whose primary goal is to earn the approval of her sixteen-year-old step daughter, Bailey, who continues to respond to Hannah’s efforts with eye rolls and passive aggressive responses. With very little information, Hannah decides Bailey may be the only one capable of finding the answer as to where Owen is.

While the story focuses on the perspective of Hannah through a first person narrative, Dave does a wonderful job at keeping the reader immersed as Hannah is forced to face a range of emotions as she searches for Owen. Yet the narrative managed to keep Bailey involved every step of the way as she goes from annoyed teenager to a vulnerable child who only wants to see her father again.

As Hannah and Bailey are forced to question everything they know about Owen, the reader is able to get to know Owen through the eyes of Hannah in a series of flashbacks, while remaining relevant to the story’s plot.

A Naturally Progressing Story…

While many stories lose themselves in the standard plot line of beginning, middle, and end; I found it refreshing that The Last Thing He Told Me jumped right into the story and simply continued on. As Hannah and Bailey search for answers, every decision they make and action they take felt realistic and kept me invested in their journey to the point where I became as desperate for answers as they were and could not put down the book.

What I loved most…

Although I deeply enjoyed the mystery of Owen’s disappearance, what I enjoyed most was the relationship between Hannah and Bailey as they bonded over their shared conflict. Despite the short time span of the story, the character development of these two girls never felt rushed. Hannah and Bailey’s relationship was truly the heart of the story, the mystery acting as the catalyst for their transition to family.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 96,000

Page Count: 320

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES

See all Book reVIEWS

Welcome to my blog!

| Jasmin De Anda

Welcome to Stargazer Designs Blog!

Let me introduce myself…

My name is Jasmin and I’m from sunny California! Since I was a kid, I have always had a strong love for three things: Movies, Books, and drawing.

In June of 2018, in preparation for San Diego comic con, I decided to paint a red faux leather jacket I found online into a Spider-man jacket, copying the Spider-man Stark suit design from the 2017 Tom Holland film. When I posted the photos of the completed designs, a friend commented suggesting I sell similar products, leading me to open my first Etsy, StargazerArtistryUS, where I sell hand painted geek themed products such as: painted jackets, wood letters, and hair bows.

Two years later in December of 2020 during the COVID shut down, my mother expressed an interest in selling hand poured candles, and so we began the creation of our very own online store, http://www.stargazerlilyboutique.com. Here we began selling candles, journals, and other uniquely designed products, creating our family owned business. But when our product catalog became too large, we realized it was time to open our third store, Stargazer Designs: An etsy store where we plan to sell our digital products as well as original art prints.

Now, working from home, I spend each day painting, reading, and following whatever movie news I can get my hands on.

What this blog is all about…

For my first blog post, I decided I should share what to expect to see on my blog. Since my first magic tree house book in the second grade, to the day I finally picked up the Harry Potter series when i was 12, reading has always been something I enjoy. Reading a variety of genres such as Sci-Fi, romance, mystery, fantasy, and more, I created this blog with the desire to share about the stories I am still discovering each week. My goal is to share book reviews of the stories that are new to me as well as recommendations for the books I have read in the past. But literature isn’t the only thing I wish to share!

Movies and fictional television are something that strengthened my love for storytelling. But something I’ve disliked about reviews are the often negative ones that fill sites such as rotten tomatoes and imdb. When it comes to movies, personal interests have always been a strong factor when finding a movie or show that is entertaining to you. Which is why I only plan to write about the movies that I enjoy.

The third reason I started this blog is because as I mentioned before, recently my mom and I decided to open a new etsy! On the product catalog of this website, I plan on sharing the images of the products available for purchase on our etsy, Stargazer Designs! Every product is an original design, hand drawn on my ipad, then either uploaded for download, or printed.

Thank you for being here!

Lastly I just wanted to say thank you for being here and reading my first blog post! I am so excited to share my passions and I hope you enjoy following along. If you have any recommendations for books, shows, or movies, you can send them to me using the contact page. Thanks again!