Music That Inspires Me Right Now

I need music. 

There is no way that I could go a day without listening to some kind of music, or singing to myself or even making up random songs. I love listening to music probably as much as I love to draw, maybe more. However I am not musically talented. I can sing, but not well. I have known how to play Heart and Soul and Lean on Me on the piano since elementary school, with one finger and very slowly. That’s been the extent of my musical training. I bet with some extensive training, I could learn the acoustic guitar and write some ballads someday. HA!! It could happen...

Those that can’t do, listen. Is that the saying? I listen to music while I’m driving, drawing, showering, doing laundry, cleaning. Sometimes I find myself watching tv and wondering what that noise is in the background. Oh. My phone is still playing music… It really is the soundtrack to my life.

I put together a Spotify Playlist of the songs that I'm currently obsessed with. I listen to a lot of different music while i'm drawing or painting or making earrings and dolls. The music inspires what i'm creating. It also keeps me going, I can create for hours with the right playlist or album playing. The music I'm obsessed with changes A LOT, as i discover new artists or even old ones I've never heard before. 

A few of the songs on this playlist

Here's a link to the playlist on Spotify, take a listen:

https://play.spotify.com/user/126663994/playlist/6LHN1thf8WcqYZSrI1KxBb

Do you listen to music when you're creating? Or do you need silence, or the TV or a Podcast? Tell me about it in the comments! If you've already subscribed to the newsletter, Curls & Markers, thanks for your support! If you've got your free coloring page, Color it in and share it to your social media accounts! Tag @keghazillus on IG and Twitter or Facebook: Keghaznavi Illustration. Use the Hashtag #antiadultingKG
I can't wait to see the colored pages!!

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XOXO
-Kierston

Curls & Markers Debut!

My weekly newsletter, Curls & Markers will be debuting tomorrow. I plan to give weekly updates on my current in-progress work, discounts for merchandise in my etsy shop, as well as first dibs on new items, sales and offers! Don't miss out! 

BONUS: if you sign up for the newsletter before it debuts on August 2nd, you will receive a FREE instant downloadable coloring page, from my upcoming coloring book!!!

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My Favorite Mediums: Let’s Talk About Markers.

I have spent a lot of time drawing my characters in pen, scanning them and coloring them in Adobe Illustrator. I started using markers this past winter to color my illustrations, and I fell in love. It took some time to get used to the technique. Learning how to blend and build up color, depth and texture; this took a lot of practice. Currently, I use Prismacolor markers, and I really like the quality of the Blick store brand markers. These markers have a fine tip and a broad tip which make it easy to fill in any odd shapes and curve that I may draw. 

I use markers for my illustrations. But also, I use them for my earrings and pins.  

What I love the most about using markers: creating variations in skin tone and color. I'm pretty good at blending markers now. I can't wait to have a 300+ color collection of professional grade markers. 

Collection of some of my favorite marker illustrations of 2016

Girl with locs. 2016

Graphic pattern dress. 2016

Paper dolls with marker.  

Hipster.  

This became a cute paper pin.  

Paper pins.  

I use markers when I make earrings.  

How do you feel about drawing with markers? Have you tried it? Share in the comments!!

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30 Interesting & Odd Facts You May Not Know About Me

 What can I say about myself, other than I'm just a pretty laid back Midwest girl. Somehow I found 30 facts I could share. Enjoy!

1. Let’s start from the beginning, I was born in West Helena, Arkansas. 

2. I’ve lived in Milwaukee, WI since I was a baby. 

3. Except for 6 months living in Dallas TX, when I was 8. 

4. I am the Oldest child of 4 siblings. 

5. I’ve never met my biological father. 

6. I won a water pollution poster contest when I was in second grade. This is when I realized how important art is to me. 

7. I faintly remember almost being abducted when I was about 4, a stranger picked me up & ran down the street with me  

8. I was obsessed with Punky Brewster as a kid and dressed up like her for Halloween for year. 

9. When I was in high school, my favorite after school sandwich was peanut butter, jelly, cheddar and sliced carrots. 

10. I’ve never had a broken bone. 

11. I did sprain my ankle & had to use crutches when I was 18 because of my platform sneakers. 

12. I was in the 5th grade during the Jeffery Dahmer era-- before that happened, my elementary school used to take us to tour the Ambrosia Chocolate Factory, probably during Dahmer's employment there.

13. I was 28 when I took my first flight. 

14. I didn’t get my driver’s license or drive until I was 31. 

15. I once saw Eric Benet and Halle berry in the mall, WHILE listening to an Eric Benet cd in my Discman.. I’m so awkward, I just hurried in the opposite direction. 

16. I don’t like to wear matching socks. 

17. I have no tattoos. 

18. I had my tongue pierced when I was 19, but took it out after a year. I still have a slit in my tongue.

19. If my daughter Amaya were still alive today, she would be 9 years old. 

20. My daughter was an organ donor, and I spent some time speaking & spreading awareness about the need for organ donors after her death. 

21. I drink hot tea & coffee all year long, rarely drink iced coffee. 

22. I can quote the movie, My Girl almost verbatim. 

23. For about a year, I was convinced that The Blair Witch Project was real. And my best friend and I are so stoked about the new sequel. 

24. I had a childhood fear/fascination of tornados, and when we moved to Dallas, I was pretty paranoid.

25. In high school I used to come home to watch Jeopardy and play along. 

26. I had a pet parrot in high school, named Parabola. 

27. Some of the places I hope to visit in the future: Italy, Hawaii, Jamaica, Amsterdam, India, Toronto. 

28. I have identical twin nephews, Identical twin cousins and fraternal twin aunts. 

29. I'm right handed and three of my bestest friends are left handed. 

30. I took Spanish classes from 6th to 12th grade & I barely remember a word.

So, have you found out anything you didn't know about me? Tell me something about you and what you think of this list! Comment below!

Newsletter is coming very soon, get on the list:

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My Favorite Mediums: Let's talk about Pen.

I switched to drawing with pens in my sketchbook instead of pencils a long time ago, probably high school. The pencil sketches would smudge and I hated that I couldn’t get the lines to stay crisp. Back then, I was trying to draw more realistically, and I’m not good at that, I knew that early on. I was more interested in the story and the characters in my artwork than perfecting the form. Plus, I really have the WORST handwriting/penmanship, so in school I needed a nice fine tip pen to even attempt to write anything legibly, well that’s if I wanted to actually take notes to study with. And since most of my notetaking in school primarily consisted of doodles and daydreams, drawing with pens became my favorite way to draw.

Ponytails Sketch.  

Brain drop Sketch.  

Geometrical fade Sketch.  

Sunday Hat sketch.  

Neatness was definitely not a priority when I drew, and it still isn’t when I’m freehand sketching. I loved the texture of the pen scrawling & scribbles, and building up the dimensions with varying my pen pressure on the paper.

Nowadays I work primarily in pen, but I try to be a little more clean with my strokes and more decisive with my pen marks. I use pencil lightly to sketch my ideas, placement, expressions etc. then I add in the permanent lines.

From here, I color in with my markers or I scan the image & add color in Adobe Illustrator.

Bree. marker illustration. 

Rosy  marker illustration. 

Garnerstyle. digital.  

When I draw in a freehand manner with my pen, its generally in these curvy and semi connected shapes. I can do this for hours, throw on some music, or a podcast (We Hate Movies, The Read, MmHmm Girl, 2 Dope Queens, This American Life—my go-to broadcasts) or I pull up Seinfeld reruns on Hulu and zone out. I draw them as just outlines, sometimes as part of a zentangle or I spend time coloring them in with fine point sharpies.

Freehand pattern.  

Freehand pattern.  

When I create, I use pen primarily and it's the medium I am most comfortable with.

What do you think about drawing with pen? Would you try it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Sign up now for my newsletter, Curls & Markers! Coming in August. Be the first to receive news, discounts, and sneak peaks at work in progress!

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XOXO

-Kierston

Coming Soon: a very KG Adult Coloring Book!

I'm plowing through a lot of Micron pens these days, as I crank out illustrations for the coloring book. I hope to have at least 20 pages of detailed scenes to provide hours of coloring enjoyment. Get your markers, colored pencils and/or crayons in formation! 

Half of the book will be portraits with patterned backgrounds, similar to my Hair Obsessed Series from 2015, not as detailed however.  http://www.keghaznavi.com/#/hairobsessed/

Coloring page in progress.  

The other half of the book will be everyday scenes, bike riding, chilling on the couch, house party, picnic and more. 

A glimpse at a few finished pages... 

I'm about 3/4 of the way done with the illustrations and I expect that I have a few weeks of work to do before its complete. Want to know when this will be available? Sign up for my newsletter, coming in August to be informed, get sneak peeks, discounts etc.:

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You can also head over to my etsy shop, Keghazillus, fav it & take a look at the other stuff I make, paper dolls, earrings pins.  

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/KeghazIllus

I hope to have a lot more coming your way!  

-Kierston  

Picnic page in progress...