Ode to the departed...
One of my grandmother's name was Anita she taught me to fight to the last breath. The other was Claudina she taught me to reach higher. My American grandma Libby taught me humor... ... and that we should print funny cartoons the size of posters and hang them on the bathroom wall.

Here is one of them as a doll. It's a hobby to help me take a break from work until I start fighting again.

I use scraps, rags and anything I find that I don't want to wast. 

You can see more dolls here.

Portuguese:

Ode aos que partiram...
Uma das minhas avos chamava-se Anita. Ela ensinou-me a lutar ate ao ultimo folego.
A outra chamava-se Claudina e ensinou-me a alcancar mais longe. 
A minha avo americana Libby ensinou-me humor...
... e que devemos imprimir comics em tamanho poster e pendurar na parede da casa de banho.

Happy Lollipop Day! 

Aunt Sarah came up with new recipes for the most delicious and brand new Pollypops named after Polly! 

Make your Pollypops with this template. Share your work with us.

Polly can't wait to see it!

DIY templates here.

  Beyond the Cliff & Courage 

 This is the first chapter illustration of my next project (epic fantasy  novel of little insects with giant courage). 

 They are fearful and they will finish their quest no matter what. 

 Working really hard on three projects at the same time.

 Finishing formatting Notfrombrazil Volume I to print this next August with new characters and comic pages never published before. If you were part of our story in the first years of our relationship you will be a character in this book. Others will show in the next volumes.

 Final edits on Polly and the Black Ink Volume IV and starting to illustrate the chapters of my next novel.

You will be able to get these books on amazon or grab them from me personalized signed copies with secret gifts.

Polly Mason Cross Stitch Art!  What a delight!

   Cross stitch is a very delicate work of great detail and perfection when creating an image stitch by stitch in aida canvas.  

Carmen Simões owner of Retrosaria Pontos Cruzados  executed this work with such perfection as she always does with all her commissions growing her business around the world.  

I have been following her art for quite a long time and I'm so glad that she surprised me with this amazing gift.    

A version of   Polly and the Black Ink Cover Art embroidered. 

Would you like to embroider your own Polly Mason? Now you can. Find the  pattern here and the list of supplies.

I will be adding more poses and   soon so don't miss out and stay close. Paws next?  

Don't hesitate to share your work with me. It would mean the world to me.

You can send it directly to my email: vanessabettencourtart@gmail.com or post on the social media (Facebook and Instagram) and tag me (@vanessabettencourtart).

Polly is excited to see what you can do and so am I. I love all kinds of art and craftsmanship.

I wish to see my characters executed in all sorts of different medium.

Holy Pony!

❤️💛💚💙💜

Summer might be one of the times that I work the most during the year. Planning and executing all the new projects for next September and keep old projects going. 

Here's a W.I.P of what's to come. Redrawing, coloring and adding extra new (never published before) cartoons to NotFromBrazil that will be available as a First Volume next September.  

If you were part of our life in the beginning of our story, you will be definitely a character in the first volume or next. 
Stay close! Don't miss a thing!

To get an email reminder every Friday with the direct links to the newest episodes, please subscribe to this site or to www.notfrombrazil.com

Polly Mason has a secret. She can see people turning grey and the world crumbling as the Black Ink takes over. 

Her superpower it to find our door on The Other Side and enter our imaginary worlds. She visits our personality, finds the core and protects it from the Black Ink with magic crayons, explosive marbles and glowing gems. 

To open the door she needs a key. Something that she can borrow. What is your key? Your favorite plushie? A game piece? A cookie? And what does your door look like? Covered with flowers? Covered in chocolate? Made out of foam or shells?

Make your own door and share it with us. Polly can't wait to visit your world.

Template here.

Polly Mason fights the Black Ink with colors, explosive colorful marbles, rainbow arrows and rare crayons. 
Edward Waldo Forbes might have been her ancestor. From 1910 to 1940 he collected pigments and colors of the world, more than 2500, and stored them in what today is the best and unique museum of rarest pigments and colors Forbes Art Museum located in Harvard University, USA.

Each color has its amazing story and history. Lapis Lazuli, one of my favorites, was used on Tutankhamon's mask and became more expensive than gold.

Artigo sobre o colecionador de cores.
http://www.hypeness.com.br/2016/04/conheca-o-homem-que-colecionava-cores-e-o-museu-que-protege-os-pigmentos-mais-raros-do-mundo/

Gloomy Sunday Nigh...

A week has passed since the excitement of Awesome Con Dc 2017.

Don't you just hate the days after?

Wait... I'm I turning grey? Polly!!! (I hope she finds my door soon.)

For now... The only way I can fight the emptiness is to start preparing the next event.

Awesome Con 2017 Artist Alley had many important guests this year. Starting with Stan Lee and David Tennant... and ending with the presence of old friends from previous events.

Special thanks to those who visited our booth and supported us by getting new art and new books or simply to say hi and take some photos. We enjoyed every moment.

The event was extremely family friendly, and the result was a fun Sunday with new young fans.

We talked about Polly and our love to draw. We exchanged ideas about upcoming animations, games and summer graphic novels. I'm glad to have a few more fans from whom I hope to see fan art and drawings soon has they have promised me.

They had fun and that makes me extremely pleased, moreover because Polly Mason and Paws had an important part in their smiles. 

Polly and the Black Ink is an all ages graphic novel, drawing adults too who immediately realize the potential of the story.  They categorize it as a great and interesting concept altogether with very original artwork and style.

Prints available here.

Books available on Amazon.

 The story becomes more complex. We find ourselves following Polly Mason into mysterious and parallel worlds full of fantasy and populated with people's ideas, dreams and personalities.

Who or what is the Black Ink? How can it be stopped? Can it be stopped at all?

Heir of Scars epic fantasy novel book I by Jacob Falling was equally a success. Many are right now following Adria Idonea. The princess who refused to stay in her tower. Adria rebellions against the king, her father, and joins her uncle in the forest to become one of the Aesidhe.

The indigenous tribe welcomed her, and she becomes a Hunter... a Healer... until a promise must be kept and she must decide if her place is with the Aesidhe, fighting her father's knights or back home... 

The new art includes the collection series of The Whispers and The Watchers. Prints available here.

Books available on Amazon.

Next events here.

And of course it wouldn't be a truly comic con convention without the best cosplayers.

🌟💜🌈🎨

Happy Garfield Day.

It has been an important influence since I was a child. Here's my mash up Garfield and Doctor Who to spice things a little.

I recorded the pencil sketch and digital ink that I will upload to my YouTube later.

A celebrar o dia de hoje com todo os meus fans portugueses que tanto sofreram... sofrem... ou ainda irão sofrer com o estudo d' Os Lusíadas, mas que para sempre lhes ficará na alma o orgulho. Feliz Dia de Camões e Feliz Dia de Portugal.

Celebrating Portugal Day and Luís de Camões - author of the epic poem Os Lusíadas - Day.

Holy Pony! Polly and the Black Ink Volume III is out! 

Like I announced on the past interview (see last blog post), Volume III paperback Heroes or Villains is now available.

You can get your copy here.

Polly and the Black Ink graphic novel and I returned to the local independent bookstore Hooray for Books.

Special thanks to Ellen for having me in her fantastic and always updated store again. (They always have events happening all the time  - check their schedule.) I will be returning there next September with new Polly volumes.

Polly and the Black Ink Volume III: Heroes and Villains book III is coming out soon. What a better way to celebrate it than a free workshop, teaching the audience to draw their hero or villain from scratch.

Basic shapes make different characters.

I use a lot of round and oval shapes to make them look cute. With squares and straight lines I can create more heroic and stronger characters, and for villains, I reserve harsh and sharp shapes.

In the real world she wears a plush backpack cat, but on The Other Side, the cat (Paws) is alive and her sidekick in the fight against the black ink.

I wish we could stay there all day and talk about the other characters. Some are not even human like Paws, Jay, Walfie, Manny, Mr. Grey, Allyson, David, Jax, Owen, Claire... How different their shapes and color scheme make them different from each other.

Thank you, Parents ,for all the good humor and input. Everyone shared their favorite books, animations, movies and characters. Thank you for getting copies of my books.

Somehow I ended up sketching Pokemon, dragons and Star Wars characters in the end and offering them to my awesome audience.

But that's what drawing is about: starting with the best references, learning and sharing.

I hope we can do this again soon. Stay close, don't miss out.

Subscribe to the website to get only important news of upcoming events and book releases.

Also thanks, Michael Rhode for your time and for getting both volumes.
You should check his blog ComicsDC

"Psst! Pss! Are there dragons... in Polly and the Black Ink books?"

 Well... shhhhh... maybe? : )

Project: Polly and the Black Ink Graphic Novel

Polly's new attic room.

She doodled on the wall and she's getting ready to paint it.

This will be one of the 4x6 prints available at the next artist alley.

Stay close. Don't miss out!

See more Prints.

Project: Polly and the Black Ink graphic novel

Character: Sarah Mason. Polly's aunt. She has her own baking store and she's very creative with her recipes.

I bet the candies are also amazing!

Project: SAVE THE FROGS DAY!
My friends, there are frogs in danger right now. Today we remember our amphibian little friends and how important they are to the ecosystem and we do something about it! Help or donate.

http://www.savethefrogs.com/day/

They have a list of things on the website (click volunteers) with ideas on how we can help, like sharing or printing their posters to show at school... and educating people about it.You can make a difference.

Character: Allyson from Polly and the Black Ink

Project: Tell a Story Day!

It's National Tell a Story Day! Read or share a life story with friends or family!

I remember when I was very young my mom read a bedtime story from this book every night before going to bed. Here you can see the story for the 27th April.

A boy sees the animals and the rain outside. Life goes on. It rains all day and he is the only one warm and dry. I would be out there with the birds and the other animals. I love rain.