At least, for me, it is. I've been doing a lot of artwork lately- none for show, really (save for a bunch of character commissions and gift art I posted up on my DeviantART- warning, nerd levels are high), but a lot of practice stuff. I've really started picking up on things that, in the past, I had a lot of trouble with. Like those little extra lines on the face that give it that extra little bit of realism, or a little refresher on human musculature. I've been trying to sort of ween myself off of Illustrator so much, working more and more with Photoshop and my Wacom Bamboo tablet. I've also started practicing on my shading, because that's something I have MASSIVE problems with. Like, you wouldn't even believe how naturally bad at shading I am. Especially the face, oiiiii. Because of that, I work almost exclusively in flat colors, and it leaves my work looking a little on the plain side.
I'm also working on getting back to my roots a bit, trying to get my hands on as many Hanna-Barbera cartoons as I can on DVD (which, so far, is none). I really wish I had cable or sattelite, I really only need six channels- Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Showtime, HBO, Comedy Central, and USA. Between those and a collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays, I'd be set. But for now, I make due with Hulu and YouTube. Barely. But lately I've been flashing back to shows like S.W.A.T. Katz, Captain Planet, Denver the Last Dinosaur, Yogi Bear, and all the other amazing Hanna-Barbera cartoons I grew up with. I just finished watching the first two seasons of Dexter's Laboratory (because, quite frankly, I cannot force myself to watch seasons 3 and 4, it's just awful), and I'm probably going to move on to Powerpuff Girls here soon.
Oh, speaking of retro toons- They've got Captain N: The Game Master on Hulu! That just blew my mind, I loved all the Nintendo shows on way back when- Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., and Captain N were all huge favorites of mine when I was real, real young, so it's a massive dose of nostalgia for me. Check them out if you get the chance! Hulu really is a lifesaver for me :P
I have been in a little bit of a rut lately, though. The constant routine of my life is driving me crazy, and I spend so much of my time alone these days that I start to get a little on the emo side, unfortunately. My three closest friends right now aren't really available for hanging out most of the time- Caleb works two jobs, Sam lives in Manhattan, and Monica lives in Dallas. It's been a rough week, and a lot has been on my mind with very little relief. It's all very overwhelming.
Still, I'm doing my best to keep my head up. Sam has been great about putting up with my bitching and ranting, letting me vent when I need to just get it all out.
In the meantime, I haven't slept in 24 hours and can't sleep for at least another eleven, so I'm going to have to consume massive amounts of caffeine today. Tally-ho!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Spring is Here!
I keep switching back and forth between happy and unhappy. So, I guess you can say I feel happy, but unfulfilled. I think that fits best.
Firstly, Spring Break was a bust. Monica's friend Britt bailed on us last minute and we ended up not able to go, so we were all pretty damn disappointed. I mean, it wasn't so bad- Caleb and I went and spent the day in Topeka, spent a lot of money, and had an absolute blast, but it would have been nice to get to see Moni. Still, things between her and I have been pretty decent. We've had a spat or two, which is natural- a relationship over this sort of distance is far from easy- but we've managed to keep strong through it all. When my dad pays back the money I lent him, my friend Sam and I are planning on making a weekend visit to Dallas to see her, so there's at least that to look forward to.
In the meantime, my life has been balanced between school, and videogames. Dragon Age 2 has become my escape from the world, and I'm absolutely adoring it. I loved the original Dragon Age, and the transition into a new mode of gameplay for this one just made me love it even more. It's nice to be able to do more than just click something and say "Okay, go attack that. And then maybe throw a fireball at it, if it doesn't die fast enough." I've been rocking a mage character, and went into the Force Mage specialization, plus loaded him down with a bunch of lightning spells, so I'm basically running around as a friggin' Sith. It's loads of fun.
School is... not so fun. In fact, I'm getting sick of it. It's not just the difficulty, I could work beyond that if I had to. It's the fact that I feel like I'm not actually getting anything out of it. A year as an art student, and I don't feel like I've learned a damn thing. I mean, as I've raved about before, I love the community that all the art students seem to have together. But in a classroom situation? I'm still waiting for somebody to actually try and teach me something.
It's not like it sounds, I'm not going all "I already know this stuff, learn me somethin new, teach!" Actually, it's the exact opposite. It's like they're assigning things that I really don't understand completely, and they're giving really no instruction as to what they're actually wanting me to do, or how to do it. My Intro to Drawing teacher failed me, on account that none of my drawings were "finished." Which is a load of BS. But I use that as a testament to the fact that the teachers I've had? With ONE exception, so far, they're all looking for what THEY like. They don't seem to actually care about what sort of art I enjoy doing, or what I see as aesthetically pleasing. It's about what sort of art they enjoy, and they expect their students to pander to that. It's really annoying and I'm getting sick of it. It's getting to the point where I'm considering changing majors to something else, like Theater or Communications (or whatever you would consider TV and Broadcasting stuff). College is supposed to be about getting the skills you need to one day get your dream career, not try to please a bunch of professors who don't think that what you like is all that cool. I mean, to almost all of my art teachers so far, when I tell them that I want to get into animation, they actually scoff at me! Like "What? That's not real art." You have no idea how aggravating that is.
Through it all, I have my friends- and lately, my little brother- to help me get along. Between Caleb, Sam, Monica, and Christian, I find a way to feel like I'm still a whole person and not just some unsatisfied ghost floating around in the basement. And I know that I'm blessed to have them in my life.
Firstly, Spring Break was a bust. Monica's friend Britt bailed on us last minute and we ended up not able to go, so we were all pretty damn disappointed. I mean, it wasn't so bad- Caleb and I went and spent the day in Topeka, spent a lot of money, and had an absolute blast, but it would have been nice to get to see Moni. Still, things between her and I have been pretty decent. We've had a spat or two, which is natural- a relationship over this sort of distance is far from easy- but we've managed to keep strong through it all. When my dad pays back the money I lent him, my friend Sam and I are planning on making a weekend visit to Dallas to see her, so there's at least that to look forward to.
In the meantime, my life has been balanced between school, and videogames. Dragon Age 2 has become my escape from the world, and I'm absolutely adoring it. I loved the original Dragon Age, and the transition into a new mode of gameplay for this one just made me love it even more. It's nice to be able to do more than just click something and say "Okay, go attack that. And then maybe throw a fireball at it, if it doesn't die fast enough." I've been rocking a mage character, and went into the Force Mage specialization, plus loaded him down with a bunch of lightning spells, so I'm basically running around as a friggin' Sith. It's loads of fun.
School is... not so fun. In fact, I'm getting sick of it. It's not just the difficulty, I could work beyond that if I had to. It's the fact that I feel like I'm not actually getting anything out of it. A year as an art student, and I don't feel like I've learned a damn thing. I mean, as I've raved about before, I love the community that all the art students seem to have together. But in a classroom situation? I'm still waiting for somebody to actually try and teach me something.
It's not like it sounds, I'm not going all "I already know this stuff, learn me somethin new, teach!" Actually, it's the exact opposite. It's like they're assigning things that I really don't understand completely, and they're giving really no instruction as to what they're actually wanting me to do, or how to do it. My Intro to Drawing teacher failed me, on account that none of my drawings were "finished." Which is a load of BS. But I use that as a testament to the fact that the teachers I've had? With ONE exception, so far, they're all looking for what THEY like. They don't seem to actually care about what sort of art I enjoy doing, or what I see as aesthetically pleasing. It's about what sort of art they enjoy, and they expect their students to pander to that. It's really annoying and I'm getting sick of it. It's getting to the point where I'm considering changing majors to something else, like Theater or Communications (or whatever you would consider TV and Broadcasting stuff). College is supposed to be about getting the skills you need to one day get your dream career, not try to please a bunch of professors who don't think that what you like is all that cool. I mean, to almost all of my art teachers so far, when I tell them that I want to get into animation, they actually scoff at me! Like "What? That's not real art." You have no idea how aggravating that is.
Through it all, I have my friends- and lately, my little brother- to help me get along. Between Caleb, Sam, Monica, and Christian, I find a way to feel like I'm still a whole person and not just some unsatisfied ghost floating around in the basement. And I know that I'm blessed to have them in my life.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Freedom of Faith
Recently, a video on YouTube was shared with me in which a girl praises God for the destruction in Japan, saying that it was the Lord sending atheists a wake-up call. You can imagine that I was appalled by this girl's blatant and outright disregard for human life, purely because she disagreed with their spiritual beliefs. While I was later informed that this video may have been part of some elaborate hoax on the girl's part in order to get attention (no official word yet on whether or not this is true), the sad fact is, there are indeed people in the world who think this way. Of course, most generally, this stereotype falls on the Muslims, due to their seemingly fanatical jihads, which often cause the deaths of dozens- even hundreds- of innocent people.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Christians, who are stereotyped as being the first to condemn people for any common sin that they themselves have likely committed. Now, anybody who's ever met more than one believer in the Christian faith can tell you that this stereotype doesn't apply to all Christians- or even most of them, for that matter. But there are individuals out there, unfortunately. Just as in every religion, each person believes something a little different, and as horrifyingly vile or completely absurd as it may seem to you, the fact is that it makes total sense to them, and they're only doing what they believe is write.
That being said: NOTHING will EVER justify the spilling of innocent blood in any way, shape, or form. In the law of both Man and God, killing an innocent will bring you nothing but punishment, not reward.
I understand that many believers of other faiths believe that in taking the life of a so-called "infidel", it will put them on the fast track to Heaven. Well, while I try to be as understanding of other people's point of views as I can, the fact is that you could never convince me that it was okay to kill somebody else unless it was the only way to keep them from killing somebody else. And trying to tell me that thousands of innocent people who either died or lost their homes completely deserved it simply because they had different beliefs than you will achieve nothing but to convince me that you're a monster. That's just how it is.
Intolerance is a severe reality- intolerance of Race, Gender, Religion, Social Status, and who knows how many other varieties. And the sad reality of it is that this is never going to change. Sure, the world may develop greater or lesser levels of understanding as time goes on, but there will always be at least one person out there who will simply hate somebody for being different. But if there's anything that makes me feel better at this, it's that there will always be people out there that will hope and pray that I'm wrong.
Just felt like getting that off my chest. :)
The Countdown Begins!
Just a few days left until the big trip! Caleb and I have been working our butts off getting this smoothed out beforehand, which for me has included getting as much artwork done for school as possible. Once it's all done, handed in, then handed back, I might scan some of it and share it with the interwebs.
Yesterday I stopped by the bank to get all the money necessary in the right places, and today I'm going to get a haircut, buy some new clothes and maybe a pair of boots, and get my laundry done so I can get everything all packed up. Tomorrow night I'll crash on Caleb's couch- might go out for a beer or two, but I doubt it- and when he gets off work we'll have a bit of a movie night and maybe do a bit of writing and brainstorming for Beyond Human, but ultimately call it an early night, more than likely. Then, sometime Saturday we'll head out to McPherson to meet the girls, and continue on to Colorado! Denver or Bust!
I'm extremely excited, because this is my first vacation without my family- a big milestone for me. It's also the first time I've been out of Kansas in a matter of years, now. Years. How depressing is that? But still, I'm excited. Denver with my best friend and my best girl? It don't get a lot better than that.
Still, I really hope the hotel has a hot tub...
Yesterday I stopped by the bank to get all the money necessary in the right places, and today I'm going to get a haircut, buy some new clothes and maybe a pair of boots, and get my laundry done so I can get everything all packed up. Tomorrow night I'll crash on Caleb's couch- might go out for a beer or two, but I doubt it- and when he gets off work we'll have a bit of a movie night and maybe do a bit of writing and brainstorming for Beyond Human, but ultimately call it an early night, more than likely. Then, sometime Saturday we'll head out to McPherson to meet the girls, and continue on to Colorado! Denver or Bust!
I'm extremely excited, because this is my first vacation without my family- a big milestone for me. It's also the first time I've been out of Kansas in a matter of years, now. Years. How depressing is that? But still, I'm excited. Denver with my best friend and my best girl? It don't get a lot better than that.
Still, I really hope the hotel has a hot tub...
Monday, March 7, 2011
It's Official!
Today, after months of talking, thinking, and connecting, Monica and I finally decided to try out a relationship. The distance is gonna be a little rough for me- I'm in Kansas, she's in Texas- but if things go well, we'll get to see each other as often as twice a month. Later tonight when she gets home we'll be making it Facebook Official (lol), but let me just say that this definitely turned around an initially awful Monday.
This also means that, come Spring Break, I'll be spending a week in Denver with my girlfriend, my best friend, and his blind date (sorta). You really can't ask for better than that.
So, just wanted to let y'all know that I'm now dating one incredibly sexy psychologist. Yayyyy!
This also means that, come Spring Break, I'll be spending a week in Denver with my girlfriend, my best friend, and his blind date (sorta). You really can't ask for better than that.
So, just wanted to let y'all know that I'm now dating one incredibly sexy psychologist. Yayyyy!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Design Retcon
I was pretty deep in a state of stress-induced insomnia last night, so, with nothing else to do, I started working on redesigning the look of the blog. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how therapeutic it was. It was me doing what I love, being faced with problems I could easily solve, with results I could instantly see. I was so glad to have the chance to do it.
In other news, yesterday the Technographic team had another Beyond Human meeting- and this one went FAR better than the last one. Things are really going to come around, and I'm glad that I have a great team of people I love working with to help me through this process.
I'm hoping to make a few more changes to the blog soon, like switching up the Reviews page into categories for Movies, Comics, and TV- something I've been wanting to do for months but have been avoiding like crazy. In the meantime, I have a few last minute changes to a comp paper on the concept of Character Design for Animation I need to worry about, which is due today, so I'll see you all later!
*Last minute note: The sketch on the banner is by Marcus To, current penciller for Red Robin, a great artist whom I've had the pleasure of chatting with once or twice. Figured I should name-drop so people don't go thinking I drew them myself- I'm nowhere near that good.
In other news, yesterday the Technographic team had another Beyond Human meeting- and this one went FAR better than the last one. Things are really going to come around, and I'm glad that I have a great team of people I love working with to help me through this process.
I'm hoping to make a few more changes to the blog soon, like switching up the Reviews page into categories for Movies, Comics, and TV- something I've been wanting to do for months but have been avoiding like crazy. In the meantime, I have a few last minute changes to a comp paper on the concept of Character Design for Animation I need to worry about, which is due today, so I'll see you all later!
*Last minute note: The sketch on the banner is by Marcus To, current penciller for Red Robin, a great artist whom I've had the pleasure of chatting with once or twice. Figured I should name-drop so people don't go thinking I drew them myself- I'm nowhere near that good.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Kickass Movies Comin' Out
Battle: Los Angeles
Sucker Punch
Bad Teacher
Check these out. Gets me all tingleh. Can't wait until trailers for the new superhero reboots (Spiderman, Superman) come out, plus the one for The Dark Knight Rises.
Sucker Punch
Bad Teacher
Check these out. Gets me all tingleh. Can't wait until trailers for the new superhero reboots (Spiderman, Superman) come out, plus the one for The Dark Knight Rises.
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