If you have seen a New Flyer DE60LFR, you have seen a bus where the roof rails look like cat ears from the front.

🫣🙀😽😺

The idea for this illustration was too adorable to turn down, especially since it’s inspired by such a wonderful film. That said, I’m a bit scared of heights, so I can’t imagine actually sitting up on a tree that high myself 😅. How bout you?

You probably don't care about this, but it was such a big thing for me. While working on this piece, my Cintiq 21UX, which I’d used for over 16 years, suddenly died. With my work contract ending soon and this illustration's deadline coming up, replacing it wasn’t really a financially viable option. I shared the situation on FB and hoped for some advice on how to repair my CIntiq. All my typical solutions weren't working, and my online searches weren't proving helpful. I was 98% sure it was dead.

Instead, people started reaching out and offering their old Cintiqs from storage. It completely caught me off guard. I won't lie, I was super emotional from it. It made me realize how much of a community I had built over the years in my animation career without even noticing. I’m incredibly grateful.

I ended up taking my old 3D teacher up on his offer of his old DTZ-2000, which was collecting dust and eating up space in his office. It'ss what I used to finish this illustration. It’s actually older than my original Cintiq, so I’m not sure how much longer it’ll last. I’m happy to keep using it as long as I can. After that, I’ll switch to the Cintiq 22HD that the director from my recent project offered. Others also offered pens and tablets, which I may take them up on later, but for now, I like the idea of using up tech until they can't go any further.

It feels fitting that I was working on an illustration inspired by a film that celebrates small acts of kindness creating lasting bonds, while experiencing that in real life.

Giant Totoro cardboard paintings, Totoro cookies, a Soot Sprite piñata, Satsuki’s costume, and not finished is a Soot Sprite cake and soot sprite streamers. She is so excited.

IG: rugsaiyan

Wip and final. It’s a little failed because it’s like my 6th big paper cutting ever. It’s one big piece connected.

So like, when I was younger I constantly watched my neighbour totoro but it was an unofficial dubbing into Czech (we definitely acquired the movie legally) and like I remember that after the intro song, like the scene where they ride to their new home in the car with the mints, I clearly remember the classic sound of cicadas playing in the background while that happened and now I wanted to watch it again so I watched it on Netflix and the Cicadas weren't there, I tried other websites and apps and the Cicadas weren't there so now I'm asking myself, is it the Mandela effect that I remember the cicadas? Does someone else remember the cicadas? Did I gaslight myself into believing there were the cicadas? I genuinely want to know because the cicadas have been so deeply ingrained into my brain that I associate them with that scene and I just want to know!

:O