In case any of my dA friends/watchers want to stalk me elsewhere, my personal tumblr is [link]

I haven't posted any personal art there yet, but who knows, I might in the future...

I mean, can you change it back if you decide the new one "doesn't work"?

I'm thinking of getting a different username, mostly because my current one sounds too girlish/outdated. .__.

EDIT: Ohhhhhh never mind it's only available to premium users.

I don't like complaining about features that aren't available to non-premium users, but: really, Deviantart? You can't even offer a tumblr level of service to your non-paying users? -_-

I think I had some kind of mild psychological break sometime last week, I have a couple wisdom teeth coming in and that + fears about getting them out + having to wait like five days to see my dentist about it drove me slightly closer to insanity (or, at least some kind of severe anxiety disorder) than I was before.

I guess all my worry was for naught (or completely founded, depending on your POV) because it turns out I can't have my wisdom teeth taken out (at least not without running the high risk of screwing up my entire face) because their roots are abnormally close to the nerve in my jaw... FML. (Or at least FMTeeth). So I just have to wait and hope that they continue to come in on a straight path. :z

This is all kind of personal but I thought I'd let you guys know what's been going on with me. Anyway, before this journal becomes too grim, I have managed to work on some artwork since I last posted here (including finishing up some ancient drawings), and also took a trip to Providence a few days ago. I didn't spend as much time as I'd have liked to, but I managed to get some shots around town, so I'll be posting those here soon.

I haven't been doing anything productive lately, either artistically or with my life in general... I kinda feel terrible about it.

In case you were wondering why I'm so slow to reply/comment/upload things these days. >>;

'Cause I've been having a bit of drawer's block lately and have always felt regretful for not fleshing out my New England-tan characters.

I want to be careful though, avoiding making them sue-ish or playing into (too many) stereotypes about their states, cause sueish or highly stereotyped state characters tend to annoy me. I also want to avoid making them too much like other peoples' characters of those states, since there are some traits that seem to be prevalent among certain state-tans ... though in some cases, it may be unavoidable, given that those traits are based on facts or popular perceptions of states (like Massachusetts being well-educated or NH or VT being outdoorsy).

I know i haven't uploaded anything here in ages, but I'm still working on stuff. Maybe I'll post some WIPs, just to prove I've been doing things/make my gallery look less inactive.

Since I promised an art rant - awhile back I found a dA group whose name is something along the lines of "Real Art Club". This club is only for "real" art - which, according to the founder, is traditional art. You heard right, skilled digital artists, YOUR MEDIUM IS FAKE. A COMPLETE SHAM. And by making digital art, YOU ARE TAKING FOOD OFF THE TABLE OF POOR, STARVING TRADITIONAL ARTISTS, WHO CANNOT FIND WORK BECAUSE NOBODY RESPECTS OR WANTS TRADITIONAL ART ANYMORE, BECAUSE DIGITAL ART IS SO MUCH QUICKER AND  EASIER TO MAKE! I wish I was making that up, but the mission statement of this club pretty much said just that.

The most amusing thing about this club might be it's gallery though - half of it consists of raunchy pin-ups (all made by its founder) and assorted other naked/half-naked/provocatively-posed skinny, big-breasted, round-bottomed "traditionally attractive" women, since apparently T&A have to be present to make a piece of art "real" as well. This doesn't come as a huge surprise, though; the founder doesn't seem to be the most mature person in the world, as evidenced by the way he tends to reply to fair criticisms of the club with petty arguing and flaming.  

dA has tons of moronic groups, but I guess the condescension of this one just really gets to me. =____='

Also, what on earth is the deal with artists who upload thumbnail-sized pieces? I mean, I know some people are terrified of their *amazingly glorious artworkz being stolen by leet art hax0rz* but seriously ... if you're going to post a 200 x 500 pixel image, at least mark it as such in the deviation title. Call it something like "BEAUTIFUL SUNSET - TINY IMAGE SIZE!" so I don't waste precious time clicking on it, being disappointed, and thinking to myself "Man, this artist is a pussy". That gets seriously tiring after a few times.

How's your holiday going?

... If we don't take action to stop it.

Check out this site, and send an email to your congresspeople (it generates one automatically, you just have to sign it) - [link]

I have no idea if it will help, but it can't hurt.

It's been awhile since I vented here. Anyway...

Recently, I've stumbled across a few artists who've made comments about not wanting to tell people their "technique" or have responded to questions about their techniques (as in, "How did you do achieve that effect?") with snarky comments or telling the questioner something along the lines of "Just experiment and find out for yourself". If it was a matter of not wanting to take the time to explain their techniques (which is often difficult to do) or not wanting to make a tutorial, I wouldn't have an issue with their comments... but in the cases I've seen, it's been because they're "guarding" techniques.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? >_>

Are there really some artists out there who are so scared of art theft that they not only take safeguards to prevent their copyrighted images being stolen, but also refuse to talk about HOW those images were made? It's a bit scary to me, because what sort of society would we live in if people refused to lay bare the inner workings of their creations simply because they don't want others copying them?

Caveman #1: "I've invented written language!"
Caveman #2: "How's that work?"
Caveman #1: *gasp* "I'm not showing you, you'll steal my idea!" *tosses hands up, walks away*

Okay, that was a pretty lame and historically inaccurate way to illustrate my point, but you see what I'm getting at. And of course, there are countless artists (including professionals who've undoubtedly spent years developing their styles and techniques) who choose to explain their techniques in tutorial form ... but the arrogance of some people really get to me.

Speaking of arrogance... I recently read an artists' comment on a tutorial that included a line that went something like "Well, this is my old style and since I don't use it any more, I can show you how it works!" What was that comment about - coloring bishies in Photoshop or the newly-expired patent for the world's first viable cold-fusion reactor?! Seriously, Unnamed dA Artist, do you really think so highly of your techniques that you believe the moment people figure out how you did it you'll have a couple dozen dopplegangers churning out identical artwork? Reaaaaaaaaaaaally? It's rare for people to copy other's artwork from the "ground up", so to speak - most of the people who copy choose to just plain trace (MY GOD! WE MUSTN'T LET ANYONE SEE OUR ARTS! THEY COULD TRACE THEM!) - and frankly, if I made a tutorial and I found out somebody was copying it step-by-step, I'd be pretty damned pleased about it. THAT would be amazingly flattering to me (if not slightly creepy...)

I could go on, but I better end it here. (I have to save some rage for my next rant.) But I'll end on this note:

If you see something that in my artwork that you want to try, or a spot a technique you think you'll be able to use... ASK ME ABOUT IT! Techniques are meant to be shared, admired, and looked upon by other artists for guidance when they need inspiration or help, not horded to oneself for fear of theft.

I can't believe it, I lived in FL for years and our house never got damaged by a hurricane, but I move to inland NH and my home ends up in the middle of a huge flood. It won't be comfortably-livable again after getting filled with two feet of water, but I'll probably have to move back in until the new house is finished this fall/winter. : (

Spent five days literally wandering Maryland/Washington DC/Virginia/West Virginia by foot and train. (And a bit by car.) Monuments were visited, museums were browsed, historic sites were sighted, trains were tackled, dates were gone on, Appalachian Trails were walked upon, hobo graffiti was discovered, other peoples' food was eaten and the homes of gracious friends' and relatives' were invaded. By me. Suffice to say it was a good trip.


...


In dA news: Did you know I manage two groups?


If you're interested in computer anthropomorphisms - like OS-tans and related characters (hardware-, software- and website-tans) this is the group for you.


This group is for enthusiasts of vintage and historic computers. From the first computers, to Iron Age mainframes, 70s minis, 80s micros, and the personal computers of the 1990s, if it's old, it's accepted here!

/shamelessselfpromotion

Tomorrow I leave for DC, I'm going on vacation an adventure to my nation's capital. I'll be back in a week or so.