Today we celebrate more than the beginning of a new chapter. I am blown away by your kindness and generosity. Everyone has been so lovely.

It's been three years in a new country and new city, but I already carry so many friends ( close and virtual) with me to my new location. It only makes me grow as a person an artist even more. 

Thank you so much to those who donated and in a few hours made my goal possible. 

To those who donated $20 or more, I will mail a personalized copy of NFB volume II ( first copies and edition). 

We met the goal, but you can still use this app to make pre-orders of Notfrombrazil Volume II ($20)

I will be publishing it July and shipping your books in August.

I can't wait to make more and share more with you.

Thank you for the Holy pony moment today between the coughing, the medicine, the packing, the checklists, the dust, the running away from spiders, the packing of all cutely before time ( we still need for the next six days...) making this goal was a great start!

So... Yeah! Thank you! ! You know who! Yes you!

"Buy me a coffee!" because there is no app for "buy me an ice cream" instead.

I have to thank the team of "Buy me a coffee" for giving artist and fans a secure and easy way of supporting out art. With just a simple button have the option of sending me $3 to my PayPal.

This motivates me and shows I deserve a coffee for my efforts so far : D Thank you!

A special thanks to the people who since last Friday used the app and helped me to come closer to my goal.

If I meet my goal soon, I will publish Notfrombrazil Volume II earlier than Summer. YAY!

All with your help I can also continue to post longer free episodes on notfrombrazil.com official website. A good way to celebrate 3 years of 500 free webcomic episodes so far.

All orders and thank yous are packed and ready to send. For more personalized signed books or portraits contact me directly : vanessabettencourtart@gmail.com

Here is a treat! Free Polly and the Black Ink 

free printable stationary... because I love snail mail.

Write to your friends or write to me I would love to get to know Polly's fans better. (subscribe and answer to the newsletter to request my address).

Nothing like getting unexpected mail with fan art to brighten my day. 

I was just about to announce my new space on my official website for a gallery of Polly and the Black Ink when I got these beautiful drawings!

Notice how the young artist made a draft and planned the work first, this is too precious!

Thank you so much! 

See all the art I got today... click to enter gallery.

When I am not making cartoons for Notfrombrazil, I create funny flyers and posters for individuals or companies advertise their events.

The next one is for the Cinco de Mayo Party event hosted by the theater.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you design the flyers?

A: I gather all the clients information and list of needs for the event.

Usually they already know my Notfrombrazil cartoon style and humor and they trust me to come up with a composition that expresses all their needs. Then, I send them the draft and they suggest changes if needed. It's a team work and my goal is to make the best end product. 

The more information I get from the client the easier it is to come up with something that pleases everyone.

Any other questions contact me: vanessabettencourtart@gmail.com

We had a great time talking about our process of construction worlds and characters for novels and graphic novels.

Thank you so much for coming to see us and for all your input. And Alexandria Library for having us. (Some of you made into the funny pages - click cartoon)

Next event will be at Awesome con - check the event section for more detail.

Notfrombrazil climbing the ranks!

It's an official best seller graphic novel in Humor & Entertainment Category!

Looking at this past weekend's reports. This feels awesome. Thank you so much! Got your copy? Free with Amazon Prime.

Não do Brasil a escalar os tops! 
Ao olhar para os relatórios deste ultimo fim-de-semana. Muito obrigado a todos!

Ja tens a tua cópia?  Leitura grátis para quem tem amazon prime.

Collect and Organize. What do you collect for your work? Are you keeping those favorite recipes organized?

Build your library to quick access and get inspired.

I have lots of notebooks and sketchbooks with relevant information that saves me time from searching online for the right and appropriate term.

Today I am updating my onomatopoeia collection so I can use it while I create my graphic novels and comics.

Visual sounds are always funny and give a lot of motion and action to the graphic novel panels and pages.

For those who are not creating art, keep a journal of your memories and thoughts.

What are you working on?

15 #Colors  (What if I'm color blind?)     #dreamuary2018

I never liked colors.

I liked to draw characters and object in black and white from a flat piece of paper and show it to no one. I would not go to fancy stores to get my supplies. There were no such stores where I lived. I used the coal from the fireplace or my grandmother's morning coffee to paint.

I created only for myself.

Years later I became a teacher for the first time. Only then, I learned the value of colors. 

Every morning I would have different hues in front of me that changed with mood or life events. It was my first year as a teacher and some of these children were taller than me and had never learned to spell their names, but they were versed in ways of life that no one their age or my age or any age should be. 

They had no interest in the beauty of our language, poetry, literature, grammar rules or following the syllabus... Why would they? Mostly the exercises in the textbooks asked them to write about their life... to confess, to make it real, to leave proof on a sheet of paper and sign it at the end.

I began to see their colors dim. 

Every day a little bit more monochromatic and dull. I put the textbooks aside and I brought art and music into the classroom. I reached for each one of their doors. I fought to open it one by one and visit their worlds. I showed them new words, grammar rules, poetry, taught some to spell their name for the first time and gave them tools to express their true colors. Behind my classroom door, we built a safe world where they could be. I had to break a few rules, but I'm sure I've learned from them as they learned from me.

And then the police came and took one of them away. 

I stopped being a teacher for almost five years. I came back to a class of six-year-olds years later to find some vibrant innocent colors, some... not so much... 

More doors to open... I accepted the challenge this time armed with colors, art and hope. Hope to be amazed by the promise of greatness that some already showed, and to be able to fight horrible secrets that were already there to unveil in some of the children...

Always with the understanding that good work had to be done besides teaching: I am, You are, He is... 

Titcher "how do you say banana in English?" 

I dedicate Polly and the Black Ink to all my students.

#fightingdepression #forabetterworld

To participate: doesn't have to be a drawing, post anything you want to share that relates to the daily themes that might inspire you, be part of the community and say hi - Make it kid-friendly, please.

Facebook group: Dreamuary 

Instagram hashtag dreamuary2018 - everyone is welcome

The new group #dreamuary January challenge has been a great way to spend January. It's been a very happy January with fantasy creatures, pencil drawings, laughter and a way to know people better. 

January has became more interesting.

Join us and let the daily theme inspire you to share.

Starting the year sick, but with a very Special Christmas long episode… very long) dedicated to all of those who always stayed close all year, no matter how many oceans or continents keep us physically apart.

I confess that I did embrace technology.

I was able to talk with my friends in Europe, see what presents some were getting, the X-mas trees in their city, their Christmas decorations, what they were having for Christmas meal, share moments of laughter (anytime).

I don’t feel that I belong to a city anymore, or that I can live isolated.
When we are young our bedroom is our world, we grow up and school becomes our world, then the city where we live and work, I can say that I have friends in every corner of this planet. I treasure them, From Portugal to Brazil… Spain, Canada, Germany, Belgium, France, UK, Finland, Brunei Darussalam, Peru, Japan… because now I’m in a long distance relationship with all of you.

If you’re kind, then you’re welcome to be part of this connected family. Join us.

This year I painted a very special postcard that I like to send to friends, family and fans who actively supported my art during the year.

I can see by their thank you texts that some arrived with a few stamps and ink on the painting. Oh, well... Lesson learned! Envelopes next time! T_T

The Ieru (HYAY-roo) inhabit the western regions of Somana, separated from the heart of the Republic by the mountainous Erentian Divide. For the most part, the Ieruscan (hyay-ROO-skuhn) people are nomadic tribes, who roam the steppes and deserts of Ierusca by horse or by foot.

The Ieru are a darker-skinned people, with a culture and language unique from the Somanan, Aeman, and even Aesidhe peoples. Somanan and Aeman records prove that the Ieru inhabited the continent before them, and Aesidhe oral histories support the same. It is clear that their people were once more widespread, particularly on the southern portion of the continent, but were gradually pushed back by Somanan settlement and military action.

Read full article here.

It's been a long journey since chapter I.

The editing, formatting and illustrating process of each chapter took more time than writing and imagining the story but it will worth the wait.  

Every project and book becomes a path of wonderful discoveries and creation of fantastic unusual characters and their worlds. I can't wait to share the final project with you, but for now here is a bit more of my work in progress. 

And so it ends. The last volume of Polly and the Black Ink will be soon be available to you.

I always have a rough time saying goodbye to projects.  On the other hand, the journey just began for many. Now it's time to share this story that carries so much of my soul with the rest of the world.

Polly Mason accepted the responsibility of her abilities knowing the price. She has no regrets.

Join her and open one last door.

Polly and the Black Ink is an all-ages graphic novel full of adventure, discovery, imagination, fantasy, friendship and a lot of teamwork (with the help of a lazy sidekick cat) on a journey to fight an epic villain.

540 pages - 5 volumes 

Missing a really cool Christmas present? 🎄🎁 🌟
Get Polly and the Black Ink Graphic Novel for a super adventurous and fantastic family Christmas time! An all-ages superhero story that will keep everyone hooked.

Get the books from Amazon or ORDER directly FROM ME and you'll get personalized signed volumes, a thank you postcard and FREE SHIPPING if you buy more than one volume. (USA available only).
Only $20 each volume.

When I lived in Lisbon, I had the opportunity to work with a Portuguese publisher to draw the Portuguese covers for Kristin Cashore's books  (Graceling and Fire)

I had lots of fun painting these covers, but Fire was my favorite. 

Sometimes I buy a book that I already own, because of the new covers. That happened with my Harry Potter collection.  I just loved the new covers so much that I had to get them on my shelf. 

Kindle Cover Reveal:

Hi, Vanessa here:

As you know, I've been remaking the cover for Heir of Scars I, Part I: Ghosts of Heiland. The very beginning of the story. The process took me a few weeks to sketch and paint. 
I was almost at the end when I realized the cover didn't have the right feel. After painting such realistic Adria for the paperback cover, I established a new tone for the series.

Artists are probably the people who are less prepared to deal with social interaction and talk to the public. We're the ones that decided to stay indoors and create instead of going out. It's a lifestyle, but it means we don't build as many social skills as needed. 

Times change and it's expected from the artist to show our process, our story, to be part of the art and make fans part of it too. We have to put ourselves out there and hope for the best.

It's our passion for our art and the respect that we have for our fans that lead us to fight these horrible monsters and deal with our social anxiety in loco. 

We practice in front of the mirror and try to come up with better ways to present our work and ourselves, but there is just so much we can predict and practice after all. 

I can say that my years working as a teacher improved my ability to communicate in public a lot.

My cute little students allowed me to be expressive and to be myself. They didn't judge me and as they were honest as children can be. They taught me a lot.

Talking to adults is a bit different.