Expected visitor (2015 repaint)

I wanted to try out a new brush I downloaded (thanks wlop for the awesome Brush) and used Astrid 2014 as my test piece. I just kept going and going and before I knew it, the painting looked waaaay better than before! So I'm reuploading it. Enjoy! 

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Ast has a mysterious friend. True to my "Annual Astrid Painting" this one is LATE as usual! Late as it may be, though, finishing the "January tradition" in December is completely legit.  

I do a new painting of my original elf character Astrid every new year (usually at the start but sometimes I have to be flexible). 

My goals are:
*Outdo the previous year's painting
*Set the bar high for next year's painting
*Make something I'm proud of  

I had ambitious ideas for Astrid 2014 in January but a bad work situation at the start of the year followed by my departure from said job followed by a return to school (coding bootcamp woot!) and then a complete career reboot kind of derailed progress. 

Inspiration returned as soon as that job (and that career as a whole, to be honest) wasn't a part of my life anymore. Funny how that works.  2014 started terrible but ended as quite possibly the best year yet. Painting's easy when things are good!

Dirty glass texture credit: www.flickr.com/photos/pinksher…;

What I've learned since last year: 
*Unhappy job situation = bad/no art  Man, what a dry year it was....
*I find it easier to make an interesting composition with 2 figures instead of just 1
*It's okay if the paint looks rough... in fact, I think I like it better with chunky brush strokes!
*9 times out of 10 I use a blue palette - I really need to branch out a bit lol

Goals for next year: 
*Don't be so hard on myself, this is just a hobby and life's short!
*Make something aweeeesssommme!

Annual Astrid Series: 

2013: Winter's Peach
2012: Four Witches
2011: Can I eat it?
2010: Waking the White Queen
2009: Sixteen Miles
2008: Astrida's Practice
2007: Astrida Dreaming
2006: Astrid's Violin
2005: Astrida Xenix 2005

^^ Check out the early ones if nothing else, I'm so happy at how much I've learned in a decade!

As always, here's to another great year of art. 

Old version:
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