Showing posts with label explanations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label explanations. Show all posts

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Thursday Art Walk

 

In Which This Week's Theme Was...
VEGETABLE


This week I was given the theme "Vegetable" to make art from!

Actually, it occurs to me that I've never actually made it clear what each category means. In fact, I don't think I've ever formally explained the whole system...

Well, no time like the present!

I am, as anyone who knows me is aware of, not a particularly confident person when it comes to my skills, so I would feel really awful about selling full-on commissioned artwork. I don't have the focus or skill necessary to make someone's Original Character (OC) or a portrait, but I love having some sort of guidance so that I can't develop Artist's Block.

So I've introduced a system of... pseudo-commissioning me.

On my Ko-Fi account, you can leave a message when you donate. For one coffee (which is around 3 bucks USD), you can send me a message consisting of which category you'd like to see me tackle. Those categories are, as of this week: ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MINERAL, LOCATION, GEOMETRIC, and WORD. You don't get to tell me what I make beyond just those categories, but here is what you could possibly end up with:

  • ANIMAL
    • animal lifeforms, insects, arachnids, humans, or mythological creatures
  • VEGETABLE
    • plants or fungi
  • MINERAL
    • rocks, gems, crystals
  • LOCATION
    • landscapes, cityscapes, rooms, desk assemblages, maps, seascapes
  • GEOMETRIC
    • bubble art, abstract art, random shapes
  • WORD
    • any word of your choice outlined like my bubble art. No curses or slurs. No political slogans. +1 coffee per additional word. (So "RISE AND SHINE" would be worth 3 coffees)
Now, for an additional coffee, you can choose the medium from the mediums I have access to:
  • watercolor paint
  • colored pencil
  • marker
  • gel pen
  • ink
  • pencil
  • digital
Now that that's out of the way, (and if you're still with me,) I'd like to show you how this week's VEGETABLE request turned out:


"Fruits Of The Month" watercolor on paper; 2022


In this painting, we've got July fruits - mulberries, elderberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries - scattered across a gray background. It wasn't until I had already finished the background that I realized that gray might not have been the best color to choose, so I did something I've never really tried before.

I altered the background color with a layer of Buff Titanium in Paint.net!!!


"Fruits of The Month v2.0" watercolor and digital; 2022


Which do you prefer - gray or cream background?

This week's painting was really fun, and I'm glad I got to scan it. Unfortunately, I suspect our scanner is on its last legs, because if you try to preview a scan and then scan it, the scan never happens and you cannot try again because the scanner is stuck in a loop and you have to go all the way into the basement and manually quit the scan. Then you have to go alllllll the way back to your computer and restart it. Then it might work.

Thankfully it did work.

So what do you guys think? And what would you like to see next week?

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Talk About Tuesday

 

I'm Back From My Unannounced/Accidental Hiatus!


So... two weeks ago on Thursday was the last time I blogged. Oops! I promise, I haven't just been lounging around my house moping and scratching my ass.

It's not the *only* thing I do, no matter what Dedbert tells you.

I have, in fact, worked on crochet, but last Monday I was sick, and this Monday I got caught up on the workflow! I have a bunch of work to show off on the Secret Project, though... I'm not 100% sure how to write some of it down lol.

Tuesday was another "feeling crummy, constantly interrupted by cats & chores" kind of day.

As for art, well...

Last week on Thursday I was suddenly carried away on an adventure, so I didn't succeed in making any art, but I've got a lot of ideas I'm working on! Some for next month, some for this month!

I'm hoping that I can post a long Fiber Monday blog next Monday, but this Thursday I also hope to have a couple of finished pieces.

If I seem a bit fragmented, it's because I'm typing this while watching Adam Cole (Bay-Bay) play Outlast in another tab lol!

Okay, so what else is new with me?

Evie.

My cat.

I don't know if it's because she suddenly feels better or just because she's feeling her oats, but she has been relentless about wanting to go out lately. From dawn til midnight, it's just MEOOOOOOWWWWWW, MERRRRRRAAWWWWWW, MERRROOOOOOWWWW? MEW!

It's a lot.

She wants out so bad, but once she's there, she basically just parks herself under the birdfeeders and stares into space, wishing the birds and squirrels would come back so she can hunt them. She did manage to tumble the poor chipmunk, so now he squeaks indignantly whenever he sees me with her lol. He's fine, I don't think she batted him that hard, and he's been around since. She has slipped her harness, tried on a Kitty Holster (but the velcro was too stiff to be comfortable for her), and climbed two or three trees. She has also had to have her paws washed twice because they keep getting muddy!

I think I should probably get to work on my art so I have enough done for a blog on Thursday, so I'll let you guys go for now :)

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Talk About Tuesday 314: Battling the Blorb

In Which I Have A Problem

So... I'm typing this from bed. Haven't gotten up yet. Don't really feel like moving, even though I know I should be moving right now.

An Accurate Representation of Me
I feel lazy, comfortable, and cozy. I'm swaddled in a fuzzy swath of fleecy blanket. There's snow outside. I don't want to get up.

I know that makes me sound like a disgruntled grade-schooler (though they'd probably be fighting to get back to school at this point...), but let's face it. Some mornings, you just want to BLORB.

Blorbing is basically exactly what it sounds like. You laze around like a half-filled hot water bottle left on a couch to cool. No motivation. No desires. Just... floppy existence.

It's pretty nice, to be honest.

But it's insidious, because the Blorb can seize control of you in an instant. It's the force that makes you resistant to movement at any cost or any time. You have a headache, but the meds are all the way over there, and it's not that bad. You have to pee, but it's not that urgent, and you're comfy. You're hungry, but not that hungry.

And the next thing you know, you've been in bed for 17 hours, your bladder is about to explode, your guts are gnawing on themselves, and you feel like you've gone several rounds against Mike Tyson.

So yeah, Blorbing for a bit is nice (especially early in the AM before you get ready to Do The Work, as Cody Rhodes says), but you cannot succumb to the Blorb. The Blorb wishes to destroy you. The Blorb is your inner nihilist trying to deceive you into non-productivity.

How can you fight something that's so cuddly, though?

Well, mostly you do it by putting on clean underwear and grabbing some coffee. Once you're out of bed, the urge to return will be strong. You don't need to fight it 100% of the time, either. Naps are good for you. Just... try not to nap for 20 hours straight while it's light out and you could be doing other things (like bingeing on free NBC shows on their app, stress baking random recipes you found on the internet, spamming memes, or... gasp maybe actually working on something creative?!).

Today, I'll be fighting the Blorb in this manner. Actually, gimme a sec, I should go make some coffee.

...

That chewed up about an hour lol. Had some coffee and a few tasty tea biscuits plus conversation with my mother and kitty cuddles. I also discovered that the NBC app is currently free with commercials, so if you need your Quantum Leap or Xena: Warrior Princess fix, now's the time! Some of the transfers are much better than others, though, so if you're hoping to see Miami Vice, maybe stick with one of the paid streaming services, because I'm told it has a very bad judder on the panning shots.

So, yes, if you're facing down the day with zero motivation and you desperately want to lay there and do nothing, don't give in. Don't just reach for the remote and binge watch your shows without getting up. Go get coffee. Take a shower. Dress.

Then you can get back in bed and watch tv if you really, really want to.

But you may also experience some sudden inspiration to do something, which is great!

For me, peeling myself off the mattress and starting the day, regardless of how reluctant I am to do so, is the best way to get things done that need doing.

In my case, the "things that need doing" are writing, drawing, and crocheting. I won't be able to cook very much during this time, since my folks are home and they prefer to be masters of their kitchen. Ditto with the other kitchen I usually use for noodles. I do have a few things banked, but don't be surprised if Sundays are mostly very cheap or very simple recipes with little to no pictures for a bit.

As for the writing:

I've talked about the novel I'm working on a few times. I've already written one novella-length section, and I'm working on a second part right now. Part 2 is currently ~1.8k words long, and it has consisted mostly of conversation, a car ride, a near-miss with some equipment, a very messy merch table at a convention that isn't open yet, and more conversation.

Which is funny, because I have written exactly one wrestling scene in a story about wrestlers.

But soon, I shall be writing more wrestling scenes, and more conversations, and I'm pretty sure there will be a scene where someone angrily beats iron with a huge hammer because life is not fair and he's making a horse goddamn it.

It's a weird book, this book I'm writing.

I'll be working on it some more today. Hopefully I'll hit over 2k words before my second nap.

I'll be working on the blog some more, but I'm likely to be taking some time off from it in April so I can really focus on the novel.

Birb cannot live by Blog alone, after all.

Don't worry - I'll still be posting every so often in April, but the daily updates will likely not be a thing. It's hard to keep up with the gaming section, especially when so many games are long-term! And, honestly, it's hard to write about wrestling every week. I don't know how so many people do it daily. As for movies... honestly, I'm having a hard time focusing on movies right now. It may be a while before I've really got it together for movie blogging. It's not that I haven't seen any movies (I have), it's that I have a hard time watching movies. My brain is not latching onto the details.

Speaking of the blog, here's this week's plan:
  • Tomorrow I'll tell you how the Ghost Basho finished up, talk about how Pro-Wrestling is handling the shutdown
  • Thursday will be ART DAY!
  • Friday might be me talking vaguely about When Ladies Meet, but I don't know for sure.
  • Saturday might involve blocks and idling.
  • Sunday might involve noodles?
  • Next Monday should be more progress on DA Lady Sybil, but we'll see lol.
  • Next Tuesday, I will absolutely be on here to keep you up-to-date on my goings-on.
In fact, despite just telling you that regular updates are off for April, I can assure you that I will keep up with Tuesdays. Tuesday is my way to let you all know that my dorky butt is still on this mortal coil, that I'm still working, that I'm still hardcore about bread and books.

So even if you don't see much blather from me next month, feel free to come back on Tuesdays for your weekly dose of derp, and I'll keep you up-to-date on my literary goings-on.

Good luck inside, if you can be. Good luck outside, if you must be.

Enjoy Something!
FC