Life with Raven at AAU

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I think it is time for me to blog about my life with Raven Symone and how it all came up to this whole shebang at AAU. Its actually pretty enjoyable, and I'm taking it one day at a time. I see her more and more as a friend then just a celebrity. 

While you heard about the first day she waltz into class, my mind was not on it for class. I was way too focused on her being the fact that was her in the class and being a celebrity. But as the days went by, I got little by little used to her being there. We did share a few stares and smiles but not one and one personal conversations. Most of the class at first seem to never cared.


The day I found out we were going to do other class mate portraits, I knew I wanted to do raven. I was the person who was willing to paint her image.  So the day of we had to take pictures, I was just posing like a silly girl I am with my glasses. As soon he said start, Raven was the one who picked me. I was pretty much surprised. We both had fun taking our own pictures. She like my poses and my personality, and I captured what I could, which was two photos. I admit I wanted to do the one where she had hands, if I had the time.

It was also hilarious one day that people took pictures of her. After lunch, I just walked in and everyone was talking to her knowing she was raven. My teacher, Henry Yan also did a selfie. He replied, "Its for my daughter."

So really the portraiture is where we really open up and I wanted to invite her to food trucks nearby. The first time, she said no because she had to make some calls. The second time, she was really willing.  So she is really talkative and a very nice person. She actually smokes, but it was not as bothering as normal cigarettes. She was wiling to talk about her family and I was too. By the second time, i was really willing to invite her to places and stuff. I opened up the conversation asking, "Do you like anime?" And she said yes! Anything anime and official, its solid we are kind of friends. So the talk of video games, anime, really open up the opportunity to really get to know raven personally as a friend and not freaking out like a celebrity. I think I like that idea. She a nerd and she really wants to go to comic con, AX and etc. I gave her a list of conventions she could attend and who knows, If i get her enough, she is willing to come to one of these conventions. She did tell me why she went to art school, and why she pursued art school. I don't know if I should say everything, cause it might be a bit personal, but she seems a good heart about us artist, and she really just wants to get better, then just sell under her name. That not the whole reason, its just kind of how she feels about artist.  So, pretty much I am now used to her being there and always thinking, that cool she is a celebrity and her life has been interesting. 

Of course the last step of true friendship or business owner is exchanging stuff. I'm going to ask her tomorrow about getting my painting and getting her personal contact information.

Back to the painting. So after the photos, I was telling myself alot I have to do this painting right and ahead of time. However, Laziness ensued and things interrupted me. It was pretty much the whole weekend before I could help raven do paintings. But I still did some preresearch. Day and night, I looked through youtube videos learning about what people do in oil painting. I felt such a beginner, and Henry did not explain or I can't remember that he explained a whole lot about oils. So I had to watch alot of videos and stuff to do this portrait. Using web academy, watching alla prima masters like Zimou Tan, watching youtubes, and etc. Finally I felt I was ready, and I wanted to try the impasto technique, but to intensify colors to match her warm personality. It was really risk because he didn't require it in the assignment, and its my first time doing something like this as my teacher does do impasto but switches between back and forth. I use adobe cooler and a photo reference to see if I can use red, orange, blue, and her hair color. There was a double split complementary color that worked out just like the photo I saw. Alot of the class was afraid of saturated colors. So I started the painting and as usual, I hated the colors and what she looked like. Originally, i was trying my best to use brown as the dark area but it looked awful. I was trying to stay away from my signature ultramarine blue mixed with burnt umber, but I had it to come back since it created some depth. I used the light blue white in the background as the basis of my background.  IT was very annoying at first that it was getting muddy, but after realizing just layering a ton more paint, allows to bring back the saturation. I learn also some techniques about making the hair with the fan brush, and stippling the side burns with a pallet knife. When I was finished which was 4 in the morning, I was satified enough. I was scared what the teacher and raven thinks.

The next morning, as usual, I was like a guard Dog with that painting. I commute an hour to school. As soo as I arrived in with the painting, RAVEN LOVED IT!!!. And my teacher did too. The only critique I got was to desaturate her dark side, but that was it. I took a picture, and then Raven proceeded with her phone to take hers. She loves the words Cool beans and she was excited that it capture her personality. I was really happy and was willing to work on my paintings.

So today, I log in on Facebook and I see she finally post it. I was reading to fast and saw all the nasty comments about my painting, but as I scrolled down more and more, alot of people liked it. 48,376 people Liked this photo and its amazing. Thats more then my photos of Ghirahim Eating Salad. More important, maybe more opportunities will roll in. 

Over all, this life with Raven thing is pretty cool. I hope to do more things with her in the future. I understand alot in a way about her celebrity life as meeting my favorite artist is about the same thing. Like I have said, I think I was luck not watching the show at all growing up. It help me be more brave to talk to her and sit with her when she wanted to at lunch time. I was also shocked no one met her, but I realize she makes a ton of calls and she still works even at school. So now I have a good friend to hang with and see her at more conventions.
© 2014 - 2024 maejonin
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DirenKei's avatar
that kind of crazy you have a class with her! so your painting was one the she posted on her facebook the other day!>! (i a was a little annoyed cus she didn't put the artist name >w> cus it was a nice portrait! i wanted to know what it was)yeah people need to know she is just a student like use...aslo be honest if i saw her...i doubt I'd know it was here she looks very different from when she was on tv also i am just bad at faces

keep up the good work!