Obscure beats are a sign of the rain.

Well hello there.  =]

I'll open with the now-obligatory 'It's been a while, internet!'. I just find it so hard to keep up with everything lately. =3

So what's been happening to me since the last time I blogged? *checks last blog*

I've been very busy, still working with Keep It Secret! to create all sorts of cool kawaii stuff. One of the most exciting things that has happened is this:

Keep It Secrets furry little mascot, Tanuki, has been made into a cuddly plushie!

I have to say, it's extremely humbling to have something I designed and created made into something physical like that, especially by such an awesome company. I've been working with Keep It Secret probably for around two years now, and i'm so very glad for all the help they've given me. I've had so much fun with them too. =]

Tanuki will soon be available to buy; I believe there will be a Limited Edition run, so if you're interested, better keep an eye out! I'll be posting on my facebook page when he'll be available, and any other updates.

Another exciting piece of Keep It Secret news is that for the past two months or so, I've been working with them and two other people; Tartan Kawaii, a lovely Super Kawaii Blogger, and another talented individual (whose personal name I won't mention, lol). But you can find his app page here.

We've all been working very hard to bring you this:

It's a game! Kawaii Dash is a fast paced race where Tanuki needs to get to the Post Box in time to mail your package! It's very addictive, and you can post your times up on Facebook and Twitter. If you get a fast enough time, you can even win physical prizes! When you share your times on social media, you're automatically entered into a monthly prize draw in which you could possibly win more Kawaii goodies! How cool is that?

Kawaii Dash is still in Beta, which is why we need people to test it! So if you have an android phone, please let us know what you think. (Obviously, the Beta version is still a work in progress, so no prizes will be sent out with this version, but eventually they will be, so get practicing!) =]

So that's Tanuki and Kawaii Dash! I've also done a few adverts for Keep It Secret which are published in NEO Magazine quite a lot.

So that's pretty awesome too. It's nice to be able to say i've been published in a magazine every month or so, haha. Definitely going in the right direction. =]

Okay, now, unrelated to Keep It Secret (although, they ARE great)...

I've been doing a little bit of work for local bands and venues. I did a couple of posters for a bar in Camborne, which I need to re-do this week for another gig. 

I also worked with a local pirate-themed band called Pirate Copy, who seem to be doing brilliantly at the moment. They asked me to create the artwork for their first EP; The Shape of Piracy to Come.

As much as I love drawing manga and kawaii illos, it was actually really fun and refreshing to draw something so different. I'd love to work with them again in the future. =3

I've also drawn a logo this month for the most lovely Stephanie Demelza B, who is a very talented fashion designer. She hasn't unveiled it herself yet though, and I never show anything until my clients do, so I'll wait until she does before I show you. I have to say though, I was quite pleased with it - one of my favourite little logo illos i've done. =D

I've also been trying my best to keep up with my own artwork. My personal life is very hectic right now, and since things aren't going too well for me on that side of things, it's good for me to vent it all through doodling and drawing.  Some of the most recent things i've done:

Hmmm, what else...?

Oh, I will be attending Exeter Comic Expo on the 1st this year. I'll be selling the usual things; prints, badges, bags and prints, but I thought that this time I might offer quick coloured Chibi portraits? It's going to be subject to how my arm feels around then, but I should be able to do it. =3

Oh, at this point I should probably explain what I mean by that. About a year and a half ago, my arm and wrist started hurting a lot whenever I used it. I got it checked out and I apparently have quite bad Repetitive Strain Injury and Tendonitis on my right hand. Obviously, this makes a big impact on my work; I can't complete commissions as fast as I used to since I need to rest my arm a lot, but nothing can stop me drawing so I'm powering through. =D 

So the main thing i'm working on now is getting more products to sell at Expos and online. I have an online shop: studiomoonlil.bigcartel.com if anyone is interested. =D

So I think that's it for now. Maybe next time i'll update this blog before the need arises for a mammoth update like this one, haha. 

I saw you in Heaven and learnt of your glory.

Konnichiwa!

Firstly, I apologise for falling off the face of the earth! I've been unbelievably busy lately. I now have two part time jobs; i'm still working at Wetherspoons, but now I work in a funky little milkshake shop! I have to say, i'm a lot less stressed out nowadays. Apart from when i'm worrying about my car! >_<

But enough about that. You want to hear what i've been doing since... the last blog post. April?! Wow, i've really been slack about this, haven't I?

Okay, so...

Since April last year... i've been working a lot more with Keep It Secret! I've really been enjoying working with them - I even attended a couple of Expos this year thanks to them. One was helping out on their stall selling Kawaii Gifts and Asian Candy, and the other was actually selling my own stuff! (I'll get to that in a minute though. =3)

Their mascot, Tanuki, is still going strong! Here's a pic.

Isn't he cute? I'll be drawing a lot more of Tanuki, which is awesome. ^_^ I've had a lot of fun working for KIS. =D

Also, this... last year just gone... I worked with Tony Haven again, doing the cover artwork and inside for his new album. It was a massive project! I think I remember mentioning it some time in April last year, it was that massive! But it was a lot of fun. Very challenging, and really good to do some things that I hadn't really pushed myself in before. I really feel like I got a lot out of this project, and it's definitely something I would like to do again. =D

You'll have to wait until March to see the finished project (I can't wait until it goes live!), but in the meantime, here's a sneaky peek:

I also did another EP cover for my friend, Roger Heathers. It wasn't as huge a project as Tony Haven's album, but it was still fun to do. =] You can download his EP for free on his Bandcamp!

Okay, so, what's this about selling at Expos, I hear you enthusiastically ask? WELL. It just so happened that I was asked by Fantasy Events to design a logo for the very first Plymouth Anime and Comic Expo! 

So, I did, and as a result, I got to exhibit my stuff on one of the stalls. I heard about it months in advance, which gave me enough time to get a lot of stock together. I now have badges, necklaces, prints and keyrings to sell! I even bought myself a screen printer for xmas, so very soon i'll have canvas bags, T Shirts, you name it. You can find them all at studiomoonlil.bigcartel.com. =D

 

There's actually another expo coming to Plymouth soon too! It's on the 28th of April, at the Copthorne Hotel again. The first one was so much fun, if you're a fan of comics or anime, you'll definitely want to catch it. You can find all the info on their event page, here!

One other bit of small(ish) news. I wasn't going to let anybody know yet incase it didn't go the way I want, but I figure since I have other things in the pipeline now that i'm holding very close to my chest, it won't matter if I let this little one slip. ;)

I've actually applied for The Prince's Trust, in the hopes of securing some kind of grant and advice to set up my own business. I have an interview on Valentine's Day to see if it's something I want to do, but they seem to think my business idea is something worth turning into a business. This is just one of the cards that I have on the table right now, so i'm not pinning too much on it, but it's definitely something to be hopeful about! 

So... to be honest, that's all I can think of for the time being. This is turning into a bit of a novel anyways, so i'll end it here. So... I hope you like the new site. This blog will definitely need a bit of updating - you can't actually get onto my website from here yet. It'll definitely get done, but i'm in need of a hot bubbly bath right now, so it'll have to wait. =]

In the meantime, check it out at www.moonlil.com for now, and let me know what you think! I love feedback on all my work; it lets me know that i'm heading in the right direction!