Yellow umbrella girl

I started using different programs to make my art. I used to use either straight Illustrator or straight Photoshop but recently I've been experimenting using the aforementioned two plus Painter. I like Painter for my sketches and also line work. Beats Photoshop anyday in my opinion. I use Illustrator for almost all my work. Photoshop has become an adjustment tool to correct color and add effects.

Anyway, this is a picture I started in Painter. The linework was done there. Then I uploaded it to Illustrator where I added the colored parts. Then I probably finished it in Photoshop. I liked it but it seemed a little too "cartoony" to put in my website portfolio. I dunno, I like the look of the flat colors and dark lines so I might use the technique again.

Sorry for the lame explaination about how I created this. I know some people are interested in that type of stuff (like I am).

Married life so far...

What can I say? Married life so far isn't very different from "single" life before. Having lived with my husband a couple years before we were married (*gasp*) and having dated for over 10 years since we were in high school, I must admit that there was no real "transition" period.

I was never one who enjoyed the single life. Well, maybe I shouldn't say that since I haven't been single since I was 15, and what does a 15 year old know? I just wonder what single people my age think about settling down.

Anyway, it's so funny when people still ask me "so what's married life like now?" All I have to say is it pretty much feels like the same thing as before. Never had to make the big "move" out of the parents' house (thank god I never moved back home) and since we'd been together so many years we learned to deal with the little things each other did that annoyed us.

Not to say I'm disappointed that I never got to experience all the exciting things newlyweds do because I'm not. I enjoy having known my husband for so long. I think when you commit to a relationship and fall in love you really start to grow up. You aren't really allowed to be selfish anymore. You are part of a whole, a couple, thus you must make certain sacrifices for the other. We give eachother our needed space and we're not all needy and clingy anymore (haven't been for years). We have fun during the times we spend together but still allow the other their personal space and time. I feel that my happiness is connected to his, so making him happy can only benefit myself.

Yup, married life suits me just fine. I know that there is a whole lifetime full of experiences ahead of us, but for now I think I'll just enjoy the present.

I love Japan

Ok, sure I'm Japanese (ethnicity, not nationality) but I really love Japan and its culture. I recently visited Japan with my husband for our honeymoon and it was beautiful. The people there are so different than us. It was really fun.

I had done a series of images featuring geisha before the trip. Here is one of three images I created.

A brand new start!

Hi, I trashed all my old posts (sorry to anyone who actually read and commented) but I was so lax about actually posting. Hopefully I'll be able to make 2 posts a week. I am trying my hand at freelance illustration and hope someone out there will see my art, like it, and hire me!

I do have a website, www.katunodesigns.com, which has more art and info about yours truly.

Anyway, please visit, at least once a week (since I'll try post at least two new posts a week). Thanks!