New books! The smell of new books is in the air!
Well, they're not what one would call “new” though. It seems Philippa has found some books to borrow from the village library. A “new” set of books have just arrived at the request of the village school head, Geeta. Everyone's extremely happy about it. They've got a book about Eastern Herbs and also a guide to Potions of the Ages, for crying out loud! But no one beats an early bird, Philippa says. She must borrow the new darlings before the others do or else she'll never get her hands on them! Well, maybe for at least a week or so. Except for Dorian -- he never returns the books on time, or at all for that matter.

Remember the beautiful feeling of touching the pages of an old book, wondering just how many people have lovingly anticipated the stories within its pages? Or that simple, musty and kind of historic scent of it? And also, the excitement of opening a new book and feeling like you've found a new companion? All these are quite quirky and simple but they are part of this wonderful love I have for books. It's not only the stories, but the companionship and the "passport" I attain to far off lands and new people in adventures I know I could only have in books.

Books on the shelves, on coffee tables, on tables beside beds and sofas, on cabinets and underneath flower pots -- the beautiful musty scent of pages old and new linger in every room along with the faint perfume of flowers and rosemary. She buries herself within the pages of literature, stuck inside the adventures and thoughts of each and every story she reads, the memories and lives of the characters felt like they were hers as well. Every fact and speculation she thoroughly peruses, taking in as much as she could digest.  The books are both her escape and her comfort.

I haven't done much digital illustrations lately as I have been so busy with the holidays and some custom handmade gifts. It's such a thrill to be busy for both! But a few days in after Christmas, I've had this "itch" to continue doing this literary girl -- it's been a while since I first started on her illustration and I felt like it was time to finish her portrait. We kind of look a bit alike, but this was unintentional. Really! Haha! Are you guys familiar with the observation that an artist kind of looks like the ones she / he draws? Or maybe that there's a similarity between them among the tiniest details? I suppose it did kind of happen to us here. Haha!

Anyways, I'd love to share the brushes I used in this illustration. It's what Mingjue Helen Chen's been using which she linked on her tumblr. I have been using them for a bit of a long time now and I could say that they are the best! Here's the link and I hope you'd get "lost" in her awesome blog. 

http://jigokuen.tumblr.com/post/78660442498/some-dc-girls-redesigns-an-extension-to-the

Oh and since you are here, here's a tumblr blog about books and such that I have been following for such a long time now. I hope you will enjoy staying in this cafe / library blog.

http://teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com/

Cheers everyone and happy holidays!
:)