Hello there! Supposedly this should've been done before the year ended, but perhaps an update at the start of the following year might be a good idea too.

Now to recall to the best of my knowledge what transpired since my last update.

Remember when I said was working on a big project? I needed more time to work on it, but it was finally finished during the 1st quarter of the year. Though, still can't say anything more due NDA, but I really wish I could though! Hopefully this would be the year for its reveal? I'm not really sure since it's out of my hands now, only Kronii can tell.

Speaking Kronii, this was also the year that I got into vtubers. Who would've thought the vtuber scene would be this explosive. Gura is cute. Holostars best bros. Started learning Japanese too so I could watch the live streams and at least have hints of understanding with what their saying. Knowing Japanese also has its other uses, like consuming golden Japanese media locked by language barriers. Imagine become fluent and unlocking a whole new world of media to consume. Though another use of the language for me is also to prepare for the possibility of doing Japanese animation work, just in case.

No, I haven't done anime work yet, but I have just began working for a western ongoing series. I think it should be safe to say what, but I think I'll refrain, at least until I can show my name in the credits.

As usual, I'm still learning, still practicing, still studying. Also due the recent super typhoon that hit, I've been forced to sit down and read my books since I was left without electricity (still am btw for 2 weeks currently. 3rd world country goes brrrr). I have finished reading The Animator's Survival Kit, something that I really should've read much earlier on. I used to dismiss it since all I ever thought was why do I have to read a thick book when I could just think that animating is a proper analysis and understanding of movement. Just observe and understand where the forces come and go, and you're good to go. Though maybe there's some truth to that, but after reading the book, there are just a lot of things I wouldn't have figured out and took note of without proper reference from the old masters.

Another book I'm reading is Force Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators. I have yet to finish reading it, but my take from it is that I now pay more close attention to my every stroke, making sure they all clearly flow towards a direction through each other, and that the forces enacting on the lines are proper as to what I aim to achieve. On the downside though, I feel paying more attention has made me slower. But maybe I'll pick up speed again wants I practice this way of thinking further. So far, these books have had more use to me than I have expected. Here's to more reading to come.

As for Newgrounds events, I've taken part in 2 of them this year. 3 years later after my participation of the Summer Animation Jam of 2018, I've been summoned to be a judge for the 2021 reiteration. Theres some nostalgia to be felt in the thought entering full circle from being a participant to being a judge for the event. That past event was also the one that helped me break into the Newgrounds community, so there's a nice thought. There are still a lot of things for me to learn before I could consider myself judge worthy, but still thanks again to @BrandyBuizel for having me among the esteemed panel!

And then there's the Secret Santa event. Thanks to @Xinxinix for hosting, thanks to my Secret Santa @cherubkisses for recreating my OC, and thanks to @Kofina for providing an OC I had fun recreating!

Before I decided to join Secret Santa 2021, I was watching this Japanese youtuber and artist Saito Naoki, and in this video he was challenging himself to recreate a pre-exisiting character he has never seen before (Genshin Impact characters) using only limited descriptions of these said characters as reference. I was really impressed with his way of thinking, insight and decision making, a clear show of his experience, and that was something that I very much wanted to emulate. And with the Secret Santa, there was this excitement of receiving a random character that I can make do as a will while applying what Saito Naoki does. And so, we are here!

Speaking of Genshin, that's also a craze that I got sucked into as well since its release, and delightfully so.

I think that should be all for now, as far as I can remember. There's this thing where people say "Manifesting blah blah blah-" and it happens, so I'm giving it a try. This year, I'm manifesting making big bucks. Literal buckets and bundles of sweet stacks. God knows I need it.

Here's a drawing of Deku saying don't give up.