#in which i overuse the new thing i learned in photoshop | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

keenmarvellover · 3 years

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POSTS FOR YOU - 3

Some links to posts with valuable content you want in one place.(BASICALLY EVERYTHING IS THERE)

Suggestions and Recommendations are appreciated and accepted.

Last Updated : 31/03/2021

NOTE: Some of these post are written in a crude and unruly fashion. But they contain valuable tips, guidance and information. If you can't/don't want to read such posts, then don't read.

Mental Health

If you need distractions

If you are bored or just need to distract yourself, here are a few cool things that may help you.

How to check for Hallucinations

Either it is a auditory or visual hallucination.

Coping 101

A masterpost of down to earth resources.

Dealing with Executive Dysfunction

A Masterpost

In case anyone is having a bad night

A few sites recommended by users.

Health

How to identify a stroke?

For both men and women: the obvious and subtle signs.

Health care PSA for Americans

Bills and Hospitals is USA.

Endometriosis

A small masterpost of articles/resources related to endometriosis

How to do a Push-up

Some eaiser variations of push ups to help you build the strength to do a traditional one!

Beauty Tips

A method to remove pimples and pimple scars from the face.

Postpartum Bleeds and Postpartum Pads

What are postpartum bleeds. Read and reblog.

Checking for testicular Cancer

What to-do.

Artists

Calculate your commision prices

A tool which helps artists to see what should they really recieve for their hardwork

How to draw Manual Wheelchairs properly

If you're drawing it, draw it properly

Sound Effects

Released by BBC and Yellowstone and more.

Top 12 alternatives to Photoshop for Digital painters and Illustrators

Free alternatives

Writers

How does being punched in the face feel like?

A great reference for writers.

Resources For Writing Sketchy Topics

Now you can get straight to writing.

Reasons For Your Characters To Hate Each Other

Didn't know there were this many.

Writing Websites

Check it out and reblog to help other writers.

Resources for Writers

Short list but very useful.

Writing a summary

What should be included and how should it be written.

Tag your fics and give a wordcount.

List of triggers given.

Alternatives for 25 overused words in writing

Short but useful list.

Attention New Tumblr Writers

Some tips and instructions that will help you post your stories on tumblr easier..

Readers

PSA for people who use AO3

This for BOTH writers and reader.

Legal sites to download Literature

Classics, textbooks and more

List of Fantasy Books

Let's imagine again!!!

Skins on AO3

How to use it? Instructions here

Essays

Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of essays

A list of Online Libraries

Movies, Books, Audio Books and Music

Books

Of all types to read in 2021

Books with Gay Representation

A list of them

Books by Asian Authors

Some books written by asian authors that you should support because they’re really really good and overshadowed by their white counterparts.

Students

Chrome Extensions for Nurodivergent students

What should be included and how should it be written.

How to Practise Practically

Some basics on how to practice! FOR WRITERS AND ARTISTS too.

Video Essays on Random Stuff

By people of colour

Shorthand Writing

The shorthand which doctors and pharmacists use.

Vaguely academic things to do to keep yourself entertained

From Research binges to reading free books

Study Music Masterlist

Background sounds and music for studying.

Miscellaneous/Life Hacks

Tumblr Survival Guide

Everything I wish I knew when I joined Tumblr. Basically this is a collection of things that will make Tumblr easier to use :D

Abbreviation Cheat List

Abbreviations used on Tumblr and other sites

This Indie Designer Uses Her Online Shop To Showcase Looks on All Body Types.

Check it out and share.

How to get hired

Simple tips and rules to follow to increase your chances of getting hired.

How to fit a Day's clothes into a Compact Sock Ball

Try this for trips you only bring a carry-on to

Playlists to help pass the time

Listen to some music when you are bored

How to recognize Nazi and White Supremacist Symbols & Signs

Please learn and share.

What Fruits are in Season?

A Chart which shows the same.

Donating to a Food Bank

Wisdom from a Food Bank Employee

Where to find free Movies and Series Online

Lots of sites. Lots and Lots of sites. I am not Kidding. Now go and chill without netflix.

Save your Money

How to make detergent, Washing Soda and Wool Dryer Balls.

Save your Money (Part II)

The How-tos of Basic household chores. (They can be found online too)

How to darn holes and tears

A tumblr lesson

Safety

How do you protect yourself from being stalked online

By parents, exes and whoever you are trying to throw off.

Boeing 737 Max and its Dangers

Read on to know why it is a Dangerous aircraft and why it should be avoided.

The Cold Shock Response

What to do if you fall in ice/ice water in cold waterbodies.

How to keep warm during a power outage

Please reblog this and share for those stuck in cold or frezing places.(PART II)

Signs of a Abusive and/or Manipulative Partner

Every gender should read this. (Yes males too.) [ Part II)

How to stay warm during a Cold Storm

How to get out of hand binds of ANY kind

How to get out of a Coffin

What to do if your nudes are leaked

What to do if your nudes are leaked (Part II)

Signs your are in a Cult

How to check if it is a two way mirror

#safety #health #mental health #writers #micellaneous #students

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phungiphotography · 4 years

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June 28 2020

MAKING MULTIPLE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS OR GROWING THE ONE I HAVE?

Trying to grow your instagram account is not an easy thing to do. I’ve found the usual advice with promises of expanded following, farther reach, more interaction, and all that fun stuff. I’m going to compare what I’ve been doing to the things I’ve leaned this week and then overview what I’m going to change about how I use instagram. But, before we do, let’s backtrack a little bit and quickly go over the things I’ve leaned this week: the basic stages of instagram and what you should be doing in each one.

Starting

Establishing

Growing and maintaining

Starting.

It’s exactly what it sounds like. You’re new to instagram and photography and you should be taking photos of everything and posting a little of everything until you find something you like.

Hashtags ## are another things you should be looking at in this stage: What tags work for you and different subject matter (e.g., nature, street, birds, food, etc.). I’m not going to get into hashtags in this because from what I know and have learned, Instagram’s algorithm seems to change every four months, making tagging information dated quite quickly. The only thing I will say is that you should split your tags between General and Specific tags. Basically, General tags are tags that have a hit count of over one million and Specific tags have a hit count of under one million.

Yes, there is a lot more to hashtags than just this, but to be honest, I’m still learning them myself. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. The results vary and it can all be confusing. (If you want to read about my experience with tagging photos, let me know and I’ll make another post about it).

Establishing.

When you should start to establish yourself is up to you. I’ve been doing this for two years now and I think I’m just starting this phase. There are a few things professionals recommend to start doing during this time:

Make a posting schedule. This is the time and day you consistently post content (e.g., Monday at 10 a.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m.)

Theme and Style. This is the subject matter you post and how you colour grade it (e.g., Birds, nature, city streets, food etc.)

Branding. What do you do? What are you selling? Show your followers why they should be following you and why they should use your service.

Only post your best images. I think this one is a bit vague and kind of overused. If you’re selling yourself, you should always put your best foot forward. But keep it to what you’re selling! Your posts should relate to what you do. Anything else like personal posts should be put in your story and later in a highlight.

Engage with your audience. Before you post, let your audience know that you’re active and again after you post so when they comment and ask questions on your latest post, you’re right there to answer them.

Before and After shots & Behind the Scenes. This one isn’t for everyone, but if you do a lot of Photoshop work, you may want to have the finished image in front and then a swipe to see the raw/unedited file(s). Same with studio shots; consider a phone snap to show what your set up is like.

Be personal. If you’re trying to sell yourself, the client wants to know what kind of person they are hiring. So post some personal stuff to your Instagram stories. E.g., You with clients, social life, and pets. But don’t overdo it. Most people don’t want to go though fifty story photos of your life just to find today’s art post

Growing and Maintaining

What’s working and not working for you? If you are consistently posting twice a week and you’re finding that one day is not getting as much reach as the other day, then try changing it up. Instagram has a bunch of analytic tools for business and creative accounts including Audience View so you see what day your followers are most active and at what time (this does change all the time, so take it for what you will).

Trends & Mass Media. Giving the people what they want doesn’t mean you should be catering everything to your audience. Well, I mean yes, you should be, but you should also be posting what you like. If there’s a big news story or something is trending, try to post something that relates to it (e.g., sports, if your home team is doing well then post something about them)

Are you happy with what you're doing? If you answer yes, then continue to. If no, then you should take some time and reflect on what kind of content you are posting, and why you started taking photos and posting them to Instagram in the first place. If the answer is that you are unhappy because your following is small and you believe you are doing everything you can to increase it, then unfortunately this might be as big as your following gets. If you’re not happy with this, then you should once again reflect on why you started this journey in the first place. To express your self, promote your business, or just to get followers.

Now that I’ve summarized what I’ve learned form this week let’s compare it to what I actually do.

I consider myself to be in the establishing phase right now, but from the looks of it, I may still be a starter.

Schedule for posting. Not really. Right now I’m experimenting with sets of three posts that go along with my most recent YouTube video, but my following is also under 200 people right now so I’m not sure this is super important to me

Theme and Style. This is hard for me and why I’m considering making a second account. I don’t want to limit myself to just posting one thing and keeping a consistent style seams hard for someone that one day will shoot the city and shoot nature the next, and I know what you’re going to say “just colour grade it the same.” Again, personal problem: I like dark moody city posts and bright colourful nature posts and now I’m playing around with product photography and a lot of those are solid background colours (mostly white or black).

Only Your Best (Or the “bangers” if you’re hip on Instagram lingo). This is probably one I can start following more. Recently, I do feel like I have been posting only a few good photos out of the sets (remember I’m experimenting with sets of 3, and often with multiple images per post) so I could either make fewer posts with more images or at least make sure there is a great image in front of the other ones.

Before and After. This is something I’ve played around with in both posts and stories. Swipe to see before and again to see half edited and half raw, as well as trying a tap to edit for story highlights

Be personal. This is not something I’ve done very well, partly because my phone plan doesn’t have data so I can’t just post while I’m out and about taking photos and also because my day job is working on theatre and film props, which is not photography related at all and also full of NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements). I also have another account for this kind of stuff, so if anyone is really interested they can follow that.

I’m not even going to go into growing and maintaining because I don’t think I’m there yet. The only thing I can do right now is tailer some posts to the masses.

So what am I going to be doing? I still want to shoot everything because I like creating and I don’t want to limit myself to just one or two things. I will pick two days that I will post to my feed and if I want to share photos that I like but don’t have a place in my feed at that moment, they will just go in a story and maybe a highlight.

I’m also going to start keeping a consistent colour theme. It’s summer right now, so orange and yellow would be the proper colour to use.

I’m going to try this for four to six months and see what happens and after that, I may start a second account just for nature photos and the only reason I’m not starting one right now is because I feel like if I do, all I would be doing is mass postings or bombarding feeds with random quality posts since I don’t feel like I take enough great photos to be consistent. I’m also not travelling and you can only post so many photos of the same species of birds that live in your city, the few green spaces surrounded by tall buildings, or of the same local beaches.

Anyways if you made it this far thank you so much. You are awesome.

If you want to check out my work links below.

INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE

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punkcalf · 4 years

Photo

Oh Anon! I don’t know how old this because Tumblr doesn’t notify me at all when I get an ask but here is a little tutorial! [Assuming you talk about my gifs but the final few steps of my gif making and image editing are quite the same!]

Program used: Photoshop CC 2019 (Though the steps are probably the same in every version of Photoshop) Also I use a MacBook but since I wrote this tutorial without keyboard shortcuts it should be the same on Windows.

Without further ado; how to make a gif that doesn’t become blurry, under the cut!

Step 1: Import video frames from layers! Depending on how big your video is, this may take a while, let it do it’s thing!

[Step 1.5: Especially when I’m giffing big videos, like say movies, I like to cut the clips I plan on using. You can use iMovie or VLC, which I can make a tutorial for if you guys like! I find this makes the whole giffing process a little easier because I already cut all content I don’t plan on using)

Step 2: Pick a part of the clip you want to gif, frames ize is limited to 500 and can make your laptop / computer fans go buckwild so make sure they have some room to vent!, This step can take a while, so just let Photoshop do it’s thing.]

Step 3: Make sure you have a video time line. If it’s missing you can go to Window > Video time line.

Step 4: This will open up! And now the magic happens! First of all click select all frames. This is. important because if you have different delays your gif will look wild and not in a good fun way,

Step 5: Time to find what works! With all the fames selected click one of the down pointing arrows. Which one you pick doesn’t matter!

Step 6: Now I always select other, and set the settings to 0,06. I find it works best! Look how it looks with 1:

I mean that’s just way to slow?

This is with 0,01 but it’s still not what I want, so 0,06 it is. Honesty with this is just trial and error on what works for you and your source media, Sometimes slowing it down is actually what you want. The gif above this, for example can be used to look at the animation frame by frame.

Step 7: Now that we know how fast our gif is going to be we need to edit it. First pic is the same as before, I know, we just need it again but this time click ‘convert to video timeline’

Step 8: Now select all layers, right click on them and select ‘Convert to smart object’

Step 9: HARD PART’S OVER! Your window should look like this, you can drag the edges to make your gifs shorter! But there is still much to be done!

Step 10: Resize your image. I go with 700 by whatever, so make sure the size lock is ON. This way the width and height will match no matter what you do. You can do other sizes as well but since I usually make big gifs, 700 is my go to.

Step 11: And I guess this is why your images come up blurry, anon, this took me a while to learn but add a sharpen filter. It goes from meh.. to crispyyyyy. This step is important because that image went to hell and back so far and needs a little TLC, sharpen usually does the trick but be careful NOT to oven sharpen it as it will look.. well.. ugly.

Step 12: Now the fun part, and this is a free for all, adjustment layers, for my gifs, and images as well, I use two; Brightness and Contrast and a Curves layers. NOW PLEASE KEEP IN MIND; that this step will change the color of the image, so be smart and do not overuse this, always keep skin color in mind and stay as close to the original as possible. Don’t whitewash your gifs.

You can play around with the settings and judge what you like best based on your source material.

BEFORE ADJUSTMENT LAYERS:

Not bad but we can do much better.

AFTER ADJUSTMENT LAYERS:

WOAH, SO VIBRANT, SO COLORFUL!

Step 13: YOU. ARE. DONE! Time to save! You HAVE to do it like I did... Otherwise you get a static image.

Step 14: This screen will open, there are some things you need to keep in mind;

1. The size. The new limit for Tumblr is 7MB, but sometimes gifs bigger than 5MB will not move on mobile or desktop. It will either have a blank space or just shows the first frame. To see if your gif works, make a new post on Tumblr and select ‘preview on blog’ if it moves on your preview, it will move on people’s dashes! If it’s too big you can go back to the editing phase and shorten it.

2. The looping options. Set this one to FOREVER. If you do not do this, it will play once and then stop, unless people refresh the page!

AND YOU’RE DONE! ENJOY, CLICK SAVE AND GIF TILL YOU CAN’T GIF NO MORE!

I have never written an tutorial before so i hope you can read everything and understand, I like this method because it makes editing so easy! You can easily go back and forth between steps and it also makes it SUPER easy to crop your gif:

If you have any questions let me know!

#my gifs #gif tutorial #long post #image heavy #i used #who framed roger rabbit #wfrr #toon patrol #as a source for this #but you can do whatever source you need

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thelifestyleeditor · 5 years

Photo

I HEART WORK

Who are you: Chris Tonnesen

What do you do: I’m a photographer.

Where can we find you? Website | Instagram

Describe your work in 5 words? Food, interiors, travel, sweat and tears!

Can you tell us a little about what you do? I work as a freelance photographer and work primarily with food and interior photography. I am based in Copenhagen and most of my clients are from here, but I also work with international clients.

What took you on the road to being a photographer? It wasn’t a straight road - it took me a few years to figure out that photography was where I would find my passion. I recently looked at a 9th grade school paper on what I thought I would study and it said cookery. In high school, I always played around with my Mum's point-and-shoot camera, manipulating the images into obscurity in a hacked version of Photoshop. No one told me photography was something you could study, or in any way, was a desirable career path. So I went on to study in a business college - it lasted a year! That year I only kept my sanity because I bought my first DSLR camera and started photographing concerts on most weekends. At the end of my second semester, a friend of mine said she was moving to Copenhagen to study photography, and that was when it clicked – photography was something you could study, something you could do for a career! No one had ever told me that. So I quit college, packed my bags, and went to study it in Copenhagen. I ended up discovering that within photography there was a magical thing called food photography, this was my second click – I’ve not looked back since!

Where is your office/studio and what is the view out of your window? My studio is on the outskirts of Copenhagen, in the up-and-coming North West area – outside my window is an old factory-like backyard with a mix of mostly mechanics and a few small creative businesses.

What is the first thing you do when you get to work/a shoot? The first thing I do when I get to the office is sit down and meditate for 20 minutes. Spending the time this way helps me sort out the day, my energy, and start off with a clear view. After that I drink coffee, black!

Describe a typical day at work? There is none, which is amazing! I do typically try and get home before 6pm so I can relax and recharge – work/life balance is very important to me. I normally either have clients coming to the studio for a day of photography, or I am going on location. Otherwise, it’s an office day were I edit images from shoots, sort through emails, drink loads of coffee and do all the other work required as a photographer.

What cameras do you like to use? I have always worked with Canon, and for the moment I use the 5DSR with an array of Canon and Sigma Primes. My favorite is the 85mm/1.2L from Canon, it’s a little fiddly and requires some room to manoeuvre – but I love the sharpness and how it pulls everything together nice and tight. For travel I have a Fuji X-T2 which is a little lighter and easier to carry around. You feel a little less intrusive with it because it’s smaller, which can be great when doing travel photography.

What can’t you work without? My huge Gitzo carbon tripod with a gear head. It’s heavy and big, and a pain to drag around – but there is no obstacle it can’t overcome or table it won’t fit over. It can become almost 3m high and I will love it until I die of a broken back!

Why do you love what you do? Mostly because I get to work with the things I love mostly – food and photography. But also because I get to meet so many inspiring people, whether it’s the incredible stylists I work with regularly, the chefs in kitchens who rock their world, or people who are in some way experts within their own craft. In these meetings an incredible synergy can arise, and it’s such an amazing way to work.

One shoot you won’t forget and why? A few years back I went to the Faroe Islands at the end of November to work with Restaurant Koks. It’s the most dramatic place I have ever visited, and the rough nature reflected instantly on the trip – from the highs to the lows! The sun rose at 9.30am and set at 3pm, so there really wasn’t any daylight to work with and that was hard on me because it was early in my career. But those lows were lifted by the amazing highs of the beautiful countryside, the amazing people, both locals and the staff at Koks, and how amazing the photos turned out. It really was a rite of passage and it’s a trip I will never forget.

Who or what inspires you? At this very moment I am deeply inspired by the woods, all the brown and burned colours and tones. I can always find inspiration in nature and I try to connect with it as often as I can, whether by a stroll in a park or by diving into the cold oceans for spearfishing. But sometimes a direct inspiration can also force you to be inspired by the opposite. Mostly, natural light, soft shadows and toned down hues are my go-to, but sometimes I also get so tired of it that I just HAVE to do hard light and strong colours. Yin and yang I suppose!

What is the best advice you have received? It sounds stupid saying it’s the best advice, but my old master Line Klein always said, “Never discriminate the rich, if they want to pay you a lot, let them”! It can be hard to put a price on your own head, but it’s good to sometimes tell yourself that your work can be worth more than you think. Having a few well-paying gigs can free you up a bit to work on more fun and lesser-paid jobs.

One moment in your career you will always remember? The day I started as a freelancer and had to start from scratch, figure everything out and digging out that big green button that said GO. That moment where you realise this is it...that will probably stay with me for a long time.

What is the best part of your job? Getting to eat amazing food and discuss it with the chef right there and then.

And the worst? Answering a load of emails forcing you to look at the screen all day.

What’s your proudest career achievement? The book project ‘On Eating Insects’ with Nordic Food Lab published on Phaidon. A book created with the most talented people and with an approach that is more than consumerism.

Which phrase do you overuse? “We’ll make it work, don’t worry!”

What single thing would improve the quality of your life? Probably an assistant or student to help with the workload. There is always more to do than you are aware of - I always feel just a bit behind.

What have you learned the hard way? Small tripod and big cameras don’t match – they will topple over at some point!

If you could do another job what would you like to do and why? Coming back to that 9th grade paper – I would work with food, no doubt anymore.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a photographer? Follow your passion whether it be food or fashion – and work at it hard. Find some people you can work with – my career kick-started by working with a restaurant pop-up group for free for two years.

Can you tell us about any other projects you have in the pipeline? I have just finished shooting a vegetarian cookbook that has turned out amazing, its called Flere Kødfri Dage (More Meatfree Days), and a book on baking with Meyers. I am also doing a big commercial shoot in Oslo with Northern alongside my most favourite and trusted stylist Per Olav Sølvberg. I also plan on doing a lot more with wildlife chef Adam Engel, more food in nature please!

Any favourite Instagram feeds you are enjoying at the moment? I’m trying to cut back on Instagram, so I will have to decline to answer. Alternatively, I’m really enjoying reading the Swedish magazine Fool.

If you could be someone for a day who would it be? I’d be Christopher McCandless (he was featured in the film Into The Wild), just before he over-reached his abilities in Alaska – I think he must have experienced freedom like few do.

How do you spend your downtime? I love hanging out with my girlfriend...she is amazing! Going into nature foraging and cooking. I practice free-diving twice a week to wind down and because it is the most amazing feeling going into the ocean with nothing but a big breath. And late at night I melt my brain with HBO or Netflix!

Can you give us a great tip on how to take better photographs? If you are new to it, then try using indirect natural light which is easy to use and allows you to focus on your composition and technique, instead of a complicated light setting. Read up on composition; rule of thirds, golden ratio, dynamics and suchlike.

What would you like to be doing in five years time? Working as a photographer still...what else?! Maybe living very close to the ocean and forests.

If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it? I’d spend it with the people I love, the people who inspire me - getting fueled up on the stuff that isn’t work related.

What’s your personal motto? Photography isn’t life and death, we’ll make it work!

How would you like to be remembered? As a guy with a smile on my face, always.

Thank you Chris for talking to The Lifestyle Editor.

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courage-a-word-of-justice · 5 years

Text

Trigger warnings for rape and slavery in the Shield Hero commentary.

Double Decker 12

Deana’s actually kinda tsundere…that’s kinda amazing to see, really.

I noticed Doug’s phone says “Dr. Apple”. Haha.

Kirill’s special. But why? You never answered that, people! Update: It’s because his antibodies are an antidote for Anthem.

There appears to be a Shell logo on one wall of Derick’s bar…LOL. Shell exists in real life. Why do we want it in an anime, now…?

I laughed so hard when I saw the landlady with what remained of Seven-O, hahaha.

Travis and Sophie, huh? Is it a ship or a working relationship? Who knows?

Oh! This didn’t make sense until Derick declared the bus was a bar. Rigggggggggght.

Kirill, believe in the Doug that believes in you…or something like that…

Kirill’s holding two guns, so when Cooper says, “Put down the gun,” which one does he mean???

“And Then There Weren’t None!” – Parodying (Agatha) Christie again, I see? (Referring to Hyouka’s Why Didn’t They Ask Evans parody, Why Didn’t She Ask Eba?.)

Golden Kamuy 23

How did “pig food” in a sentence become so terrifying???

Why is Tsurumi’s head leaking???

*Sugimoto bashes the earless twin with his prosthetic foot* - Well, that’s one way to get a leg up on someone…okay, I’ll see myself out.

Merc Storia 11

If Orthos is complaining about rain, why is he a water-element unit in the game???

This show is gorgeous. Not to mention the backgrounds look like they’ve been ripped out of the game…

Aw, Orthos is kinda cute. Kinda tsundere. I wonder if he wanted to hear “happy birthday” from Raviol…?

Every time I watch through the ED, I think Raviol’s going “Geddof me!” to Yuu.

Zombieland Saga 12 (FINAL)

The Yuugiri slap returns!

The 21st of December seems to have been the original airdate of this episode…

Karatsu-jou is Karatsu Castle, quite obviously.

Wait…does this mean Kotaro Tatsumi’s real (last) name is Inui? Or was this a “I changed my name bcause my mother/I (re)married” thing?

There’s an end of episode segment…keep watching.

That was…such a non-ending! This definitely needs a season 2 if it wants to finish its storyline! Plus, Yuugiri, Tatsumi and Tae never got their focus episodes!

Gridman 12 (FINAL)

What the heck was up with that smoke cloud? It looked so real, and yet so out of place!

Ooh, I see Anti now has the ability to transform by himself…although I should’ve figured that out last episode, since I think that happened then as well.

*Anti gets stabbed with Alexis’s sword* - What the hck just happened to my garbage son??? (refer to This Week in Anime for how that nickname came about for Anti)

Eyy. So you’re saying Gridman was a magical girl robot all along? Haha…hahahaha.

So basically, it’s Boueibu LOVE! but with less meta. With lessons of mortality instead of the Kabuki Rule. Akane’s basically female!Kinshiro, right down to the hairdo…

Wow…someone really ran out of budget. It’s literally just a slideshow, but with black and white over it.

Oh, there’s actually a nice piano song in the background. So maybe I was wrong about the budget…? I don’t really want to go and watch the slideshow again, y’know.

There’s a random live-action segment at the end of this show??? Wuh??? What do I need to expect next, a talking meteorite??? (referring to Dimension High School)

Okay, seriously??? What was up with live-action Rikka???? I don’t get it… Update: Okay, so the live-action girl was Akane, not Rikka. That’s why it was so confusing…

Double Decker 13 (FINAL)

I laughed really hard at the explosions. Probably because I Photoshopped someone into a picture of an explosion and the scene with Kirill being shoved forward by an explosion reminded me of it…

I wanted Max to slap Travis, as weird as that might be for a show like this (but not for a show like Zombieland Saga). A punch in the gut’s good too, though.

“To be continued?” – Oh. Ohh. Ooh…Heh. I already knew there were some extra episodes, but at this point, there’s no ruling out a season 2, either…hmmm. I really wouldn’t mind a season 2, y’know.

Golden Kamuy 24 (FINAL)

For some reason, I’ve ben referring to Hijikata as “old fart” for the length of this episode (meaning “not long”). He’s an impressive old fart, to be sure, and he was hella nice-looking in his heyday, but in the age of Golden Kamuy, he’s still an old fart.

I thought “Say hello to my little friend” was from Scarface, not…whatever Tsurumi’s pulling here. (commnt made in jest with straight face)

Seriously, what happened to ruin Nopperabo/Wilk’s face, anyway?

Someone make me a Civil War poster with Golden Kamuy characters, stat!

Wait, so Kiroranke, Asirpa and co. are headed north to meet up with Kiroranke’s allies, which could cause a civil/national war. Hijikata and Blockhead Dick-sensei (forgot his name) are headed south due to the info they got from Inudou’s hut (the chapel). I’m pretty sure that’s what just happened, but…I could have missed a bit and then I’d be wrong.

“Send the beloved child on a journey” is a Japanese saying, by the way. That’s (probably?) what Sugimoto’s referring to when he talks with the boat captain (the elder Koito). Oddly, the elder Koito seems to drop the last O from “-dono”, which seems to be a Satsuma thing…?

Cells at Work Special Ep (Ep 14)

Oh, you can see the effector cell amongst the other T Cells! Hello there!

I remember studying stuff about how a cell divides…man, that was at least 2 years ago! You’re making me feel old…

*Helper T Cell appears* - Gaddangit, Kazuma! (from Noragami)

Merc Storia 12 (FINAL)

There’s just something too awfully cute about a brother leaving the “nest”.

Even birds need to learn to fly. I wonder why Orthos didn’t…?

Ah! It’s one of those low-level hooting monsters! I’ve seen them in the game but I don’t know what they’re called…Update: They’re called Goldories. Spoke too soon…

Well…that’s a bit frustrating. That’s the second non-ending this season…hey! I’ve seen that elephant in the game! Plus that slime! (LOL, I’m so easily distracted…)

Ooh, that non-ending. I’ll give it a piece of its mind by giving it an average rating on my AniList!!! Rah!!! Anyways, see ya later…for 2019 anime.

Shield Hero 1

First anime of 2019 and it’s this one. Hoo boy – I’ve read one chapter of the manga, courtesy of CR. It’s gonna get nasty down in here, judging by the buzz that seems set to replicate Goblin Slayer’s…

Oh…that’s not a very favourable opening, the “It was all a dream” opening. Sure, it was gripping and showd Raphtalia (saw her name in promo material from ANN), but f*** if it weren’t overused at this point in time…

I always thought Shield Hero started out like Fushigi Yuugi…speaking of which, is that no longer on Crunchyroll?

Motoyasu’s got his own spinoff, so I’m hoping I’ll get to know him well over the next 12 weeks or so.

I find it interesting that they put the heroes together to reveal they’re from different versions of Japan so quickly. I’m pretty sure that didn’t happen in the manga.

Honestly, that “NOOOOOOOOOOOo!” could be an awesome reaction GIF. Just sayin’.

Sigh…Myne, Myne, Myne…you and your ways with Naofumi…

(Trigger warning: rape discussion) See? As I said, I knew this was going to happen. The thing is that it played out a lot more clearly in the anime than it did in the manga. As much as I don’t like the trope of “rape as accusation” enough (enough to have never encountered it before), it would be hypocritical of me to say I haven’t used it before – it appears in Half-Paid Heroes. However, one year out from having written it (due to the #MeToo movement), I can only say “rape is so not on”. I do not condone rape, but from a storytelling perspective it’s the perfect trope to make a character look like a monster and it makes a clearly false accusation have more oomph behind it, so…let’s just say Shield Hero’s doing its job here, making me despise Myne and the system in this world. Besides, I only stand on the side that does the better story.

For some reason, Naofumi’s “You can shove it all up your a***!” demand reminds me of when I’m angry and doing unreasonable demands…which means it’s won me over now.

I just realised…there hasn’t been much music until now…

(Trigger warning: slavery discussion) Oof. Now they’ve gotten to a new low of depravity in this show. Naofumi’s probably gonna buy a slave…again, I don’t condone this, but I assume Raphtalia is here.

Yep, even without knowing past ch 1, I was right on the money. That’s Raphtalia!

Poppies, huh? The symbol of bloodshed. What a perfect flower for this show, which demonstrates Naofumi’s blood, sweat and tears…

As much as I don’t condone some of the acts done in this show, I see some huge potential. Even if it’s got controversy flying around it like flies, I’ll stand with it. Are you with me?

Boogiepop 1 – 2

Double length premiere…oof, this’ll be tough on my spare time. Lately, I’ve been told to clean up the house a bunch and doing all manner of other things, so it’s just eating up time on all sides.

OP start is…for some reason, never a good start. For some reason, I just don’t like it. Maybe that might be the fact I was taught to start with a compelling opening scene when I was a fiction writer, though.

The subber got so bored they even subbed the Dengeki Bunko logo in the corner…wow. (sarcastic)

For some reason, the art style reminds me of Banana Fish (or Parasyte). Must be the chara designs.

This seems to be coated in a fine film of 90s edge. Or maybe the early 2000s, because that’s when this really comes from. C’mon, Takeda doesn’t even seem surprised when his mouth hangs open!

Notably, Boogiepop uses boku.

Wait, I don’t get why Boogiepop is called that. They pop the boogie(men)? That right?

I started zoning out and fiddling with my wrist in the middle of this episode. That’s another bad sign…

Wow, that ending’s really minimalist.

Currently, this episode raises more questions than it answers. Its overall impression level is trending slightly towards the negative. There must be a double premiere for a reason, though…let’s move on.

Wait - Kirima Seiichi? Is he Nagi’s father??? How did I not notice that earlier?

That manticore business seems to be correct…according to Wikipedia.

This doesn’t add up. Taniguchi. Kirima. Maybe Taniguchi is the name of the mother/father and Kirima is the name of the other parent? Update: Spoke too soon on this point and a previous one.

Kirima’s OS appears to be Windows 10 with a few adjustments.

Wait, but isn’t Suema meant to be the girl’s surname? Or is it Kinoshita? Update: It’s Suema. Kinoshita is another girl.

This white-haired man is the one from last episode, right? I didn’t really recognise him since there’s always terrible lighting plus he was wearing orange then, but yeah. Can’t believe I didn’t connect the dots there either.

White-haired man seems to be like Anti from Gridman. I presume he’s Echoes…? Update: Yup, Echoes it is.

Egao no Daika 1

This sounds like it’s outside my field of expertise, but I’ve been proven wrong before with Planet With, not to mention Toshiki Masuda is a character called Huey Malthis. It seems to be pretty standard Princess and the Pauper fare though…

There’s just a bunch of tablets with fancy-looking English on them…the heck?

Is it just me, or did the mecha game have the solitaire success sound effect…?

Ooh, I sense animosity regarding Japan’s emperor abdicating within this show (in a metaphorical sense)! I could analyse this show to bits, maybe…

The CGI in this actually ain’t that bad. Then again, we are talking about mechs here…

Oh, end of episode segment. Keep watching…

Well, I noticed the characters go off model if you’re paying attention to something you shouldn’t be, but otherwise, it’s a respectable first episode…respectable, but fairly average.

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themagiciansreccenter · 6 years

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Author Spotlight: @highkingfen

Every week we are going to be interviewing a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

I am Cath, I’m 27 years old, I speak French and I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I met my husband on Tumblr, I love cosplaying and doing edits in photoshop. My main blog is @booksandanxieties and, my other side blogs are @themagiciansweirdface and @fillorymedia. I also co-own @neitherlandslibrary.

How long have you been writing for?

Since I am 12, there’s some french harry potter fic written by me in the dark web of ff.net.

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

I missed writing! And there was not a lot of fics when I join (Still remember there were only 15 pages on ao3)

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

Arielle and Fen, which is odd I am aware ahha! I adore writing about them because first, we don’t get to see them a lot and I love to explore what they could be and their story and I love writing about what it is to live in Filory and all of its lore, they are both great protagonists to do so.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

Lately, I have been fixed on 3x05 (life in the day) because I wrote an entire fic named The Golden Tile that is about the first five years of Eliot and Quentin in Fillory’s past. I love rewriting whole season with canon divergences. What if’s are fun to write especially in this fandom, the timelines make it easy to do it!

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

As some may know, I am currently writing an Unofficial The Magicians dnd book! ( @unofficialmagiciansdnd ) It is about 65% done. I have still some of the mechanics to write and a lot of lists to create (Such as a list of spells or a list of magical creatures)

I also write on the side Book 2 of The Golden Tile named Under Pressure. I finished the first fic with a surprise plot twist that was canon divergent, with the second book I explore the consequence; what if Eliot and Quentin found the golden tile 5 years into their quest and comes back on Earth 5 years older with Arielle and Rupert.

How long is your “to do list”?

Not so long, I try to focus on what I write and I tend not to think of other things. But I do have a Twin!Au with Fen and Q that I want to write and Book 2 of my Fenfic where we see her point of view during season 2 and 3.

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

That’s cruel to ask. I have two that I am rather proud but if I have to choose, I’d say The Girl from the World in The Wall (that I nicknamed my fenfic) which is the story of Fen before Eliot. We follow her from her 2 years old until she married the High King, learning his name on the altar.

I had started to write it after season 2, totally in love with Fen and mad that we didn’t know anything about her and mad at how the gang treated her. So I wondered what it was to be raised knowing you might marry a king. The word might is important since they didn’t know if Eliot would ever come. I wanted to explore how did she join the FU Fighter and why, despite her beliefs, she accepts her forced marriage. There was a lot to explore there so I started to untangle everything and ended up having to create lore for Fillory because we do not know much of what it is to be a farmer, knifemakers, peasant, in this land. I fell deeply in love with the lore and discovered in Fen a strong woman that decided to choose love and kindness, not out of naivety, but because it is the right thing to do.

When Season 3 aired, I’d finished writing the fic (it was a NaNoWriMo goal) and I was more than happy to discover that what I’d written actually fit what they wrote about her. I ADORE that we got to know her more and don’t get me started on her being an acting king.

P.s: Some of the lore in the Fenfic ended up leaking in The Golden Tile; I love tying my fics in one large universe.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

My fenfic, hands down. I wish they would read The Girl from the world in the wall to see where most of the lore and my love of Fillory comes from. Fen is underestimated in the fandom (Though less since season 3) and deserve more recognition.

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

I listen to podcasts all the time so when I write, I need silence. Music distracts me. I always need the thesaurus synonym because I tend to use the same word over and over or know what a word means but finding it imprecise. Which makes writing without internet hard, but now that I know its a must, I try as much as I can, to write where wifi is. Also, I can’t write if someone is in the room. Even if they are doing their own stuff. I don’t know why. Even when I was writing essays for classes it was like that.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

I had nothing really going during season 3 and then episode 5 happen and I kinda exploded. Knowing it was a self-contained story (the life having already been lived by Q and Eliot) I started to write while it was airing. It is at the end of it that I decided that the ending of The Golden Tile could be interesting if it was canon divergent; I’m excited to see what Arielle and Rupert bring into the group and if it will lead toward the same choice. Only time will tell!

Otherwise, I usually write One Shot during airing season time, that way I don’t have to overthink things if what I write is not canon compliant anymore.

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

My Fenfic. Maybe that’s why it is the one I am the proudest of. To have to create a whole character and yet stick to the canon was exciting. As well as reading as much as I can about Fillory. There was not a lot about it online at the time, so it had been meticulous research (I had the map of FIllory open most of the time I was writing just to be sure of the place I was saying were compliant. ) Before I never did much research before writing a fic, now it is one of my favorite parts

Are there any themes or tropes that you particularly like to explore in your writing?

Canon divergence, as you can see! I love to see the butterfly effect and how one thing can change the whole story. My first longfic Shake it off was about Eliot forcing back Quentin on his med. And that changed a lot of things! Yay for timelines that can make us say its canon!

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

J.K Rowling will always be important for my writing because her universe made me want to write. I read a lot of YA so I can say the author influence my writing because, through reading, I discover what I like and what I don’t which makes me better in the end.

Fanfic-wise, I discovered a lot of great author in this fandom and I hate naming people because if I don’t name someone they might be sad or get discouraged, and I don’t want that. I adore that we got so many writers and that the subjects are so different. It’s not only one trope on one ship over and over. Sometimes I read a summary and I laughed cause I wonder how the author came up with the idea! It made me want to be better and write more elaborate and less easy trope fics.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

Depression had kicked my ass with reading. I went from reading 92 books last year to 4 this year. So yeah, I don’t read as much, but I try to get back in, now that I am feeling better.

I just finished reading There there be Gerblins, a graphic novel of the first arch of The Adventure Zone podcast. It’s really good and funny. In fact, this podcast is part of the inspiration of me writing the DND book.

The Dnd book writing means that I carry everywhere the 5th edition of Dungeon and Dragon with me. It is not a copycat of it, but there are mechanics that are the same or, sometimes, they help me just figure out how to structure the book itself. I love the weird look I get when I go to Starbuck with it.

I just bought a new book by J.K Rowling name Very Good lives and I am excited to read it when I’m going in my next trip; a plane without wifi is a good excuse to read.

Fanfic wise; I usually binge. I wait a month or two and then read everything I haven’t read. But one fic I read the moment there is a new chapter is The Mess We Made by Rays. I looooovelove love it. A must read

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

Write first, edit after. Otherwise, you’ll edit the same paragraph the rest of your life.

that or

If 50 shades of gray can be published, you can do it.

they are my two mottoes.

Cringe time:

Are there any words or phrases you worry about overusing in your work?

oh, I have a ton of them. I can’t think of one example but sometimes I get stuck on a word on a paragraph and I am using it for like ever. Hense the wonder of thesaurus synonym website.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

A harry potter one, I probably can find it. I don’t want to. LOL

Rapid Fire Round:

Self-edit or Beta? Self-edit, trying the Beta for Under Pressure!

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes? COMMENTS FOR SURE I LIVE FOR THOSE. how many time did one comment make me continue to write! But honestly, anytime someone acknowledges they read my thing, I am happy and blown away. I forget sometimes, that people want to read my stuff.

Smut, Fluff or Angst? All of the above? Honestly? Depend on the mood!

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn? Depend on the mood too! Usually slow burn but sometimes a good Quick & Dirty is always good

Favourite season? 3

Favourite episode? Six Stories about Magic

Favourite book(The Magicians books)? The first one

Three favourite words? Bunny, kindness, writing

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

#author spotlight #author spotlight: highkingfen #the magicians rec center

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therealdanadistortion · 6 years

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We Don't Need No Education, or, Why I Believe Failure is the Main Ingredient in the Recipe for Success

I was a horrible student my entire youth and teen years. I refused to sit in a classroom or even attend class most of the time. I was rude to my teachers, restless in class, and I just didn't want to be there. By the time I was twelve, I got kicked out of my first school (for bad behavior—what else?). By fifteen, I was kicked out of the second.

It wasn't that I didn't want to learn; quite the opposite, I was a very curious kid. But I couldn't deal with the dictatorial system by which the school operated. Though I do understand why the world and especially kids need discipline, for me, it was just too much to take. All I wanted to do was go home, listen to music, and escape into the world inside my head. Or hang out with my friends. I didn’t want to be forced to do what I didn't want to do, or to be told what I needed, or how I should think, and I definitely did not want be graded for being smart or stupid.

School was a joke to me; I didn’t want anything to do with it. Many times I begged my parents to let me drop out of school, but my dad said, Dana, we don't ask you for much, we let you be who you are and most of the time we let you do what you want, but please, for mom and I, just finish school.

As a kid I don't remember ever complaining to my parents about being bored. There was a full, rich world that existed in my head, and I was often confused of what was fantasy and what was reality. In my early youth, I used to tell the kids in my class stories about stuff that never really happened. The stuff in my head maybe didn't happen, but I believed it did. I really wanted those wonderful stories to be true. Kids in class just thought I was a liar. I wasn't a liar, I just preferred to live in a better place where no one could hurt me, a world where I could fly instead of walk, a world where Barbie dolls were real humans and became your best friend. A world where the music was free (yes, that sort of turned true with the birth of broadband and Spotify). A world where I didn't have to sit in a classroom with thirty other kids who smelled bad or made annoying noises. A world where I wasn't being forced to listen to hours and hours of boring lectures.

I was very against the educational system, to say the least. The fact that I had to listen to one person, whether I agreed with them or not, and do what they told me, just didn't sit well with me.

As a consequence, I failed most classes except the creative ones (shocker). I was miserably sent home time after time, or had to deal with the principal calling my parents saying that if I didn’t change my attitude, I would no longer be permitted to come back to school. Which was exactly what I wanted (my parents however, not so much...). Failure is what I succeeded at when it came to school.

After being professionally diagnosed with severe ADD (they finally found a medical name for being a punk), I was sent to a special school. A school with other kids like me. Kids who wanted to listen to music and make things and explore the world on their own, in their own way.

My parents were always good to me—they just got me. I have always felt like they’re proud that I was different. They saw a little bit of them in me. They gave me freedom, they let me dye my hair crazy colors and wear red fluffy coats (even my fashion sense was a head of its time). They let me go to music clubs and listen to my favorite bands and travel to music festivals even though they knew the kids there were much older than me. They trusted me, and let me fail. I believe that's a huge reason why I trust myself so much to this very day. Even if I'm not confident about my path, I keep going, knowing that everything will be okay. I will make it okay.

As I grew up, I learned how to separate my dream world from the real world. But I never stopped escaping to that world inside my head. I realized that people could not go in there and see what I see, even if I tried to explain it to them. Eventually, I learned how to bring that world from inside my head to the outside world and share it with whomever wanted to listen. Whether it was through my photography, my writing, or starting my own clothing line, I realized that the options are endless.

I don't always share my inner world with others. Sometimes I go there by myself, through music, films, crafting, editing photos in my studio for hours and hours, or designing clothes. But I do spend a great deal of my head time learning new things.

It turns out the kid who never liked to study is now wanting to learn new things all the time. I take classes, watch hours and hours of tutorials on pretty much everything, and read books. I do it at my own pace, with no one telling me what or how to learn, or yelling at me that I’m a failure. And I couldn’t be more grateful. l realize I am very lucky to live in an era where information is available so easily and mostly for free.

People always ask me which photography school I went to. Well, I didn't go to photography school. When I realized that's what my passion was, I grabbed the camera I had (not a very good one), and just started taking photos. Though I came from a film background, photography was a whole new fascinating and complicated world I knew nothing about. It wasn't easy for me. I wanted to be great at it right away. But time has taught me that the cliché “easy come, easy go” is relevant to most things in our lives. I was hungry to learn about photography, and I gave it my all. And when I say my all, I mean MY ALL.

For nine years, music photography was my entire world. No matter how sick I felt, or how unmotivated I was, I shot 4-6 shows a week. Sometimes more, sometimes two shows a night. I shot 10-15 festivals a year, I traveled and toured and didn't stop for anything or anyone. Music photography was my heart and soul, and I learned in nine years what I wasn’t able to in thirty. I met some incredible people along the way, and I created an archive of photos that I couldn’t be more proud of. I had bad days and good days, energetic days and nights of no sleep. I worked hard, yet still got turned down by lots of people.

Getting turned down or not feeling successful or loved is never a good feeling, but I always think to myself what would've happened if I didn't keep on going. If I didn't trust myself, face my failures, and just keep my engine running over the tough roads. Where would I be now If I didn't keep on taking blank shots on my camera over and over and OVER again until I finally learned to get it right. There were many sleepless, panic-filled nights before shooting bands I really loved when I still wasn’t sure what I was doing. I just kept pushing through all the doubt with more and more hard work.

With practice, motivation, and patience, and yes, failure, I can now say with a big smile that the camera is my bitch. I know how to work it and get exactly what I want from it. Now that I can work the damn thing, I can let my inner creativity really shine and come out. I can explore and create new things without worry. I can try out new photography tricks, and I try new things a lot. Even with a limited amount of space and time, I now just really enjoy being a photographer. I have the confidence that comes with time and practice.

I never was taught how to edit photos; I taught myself. Slowly I learned Photoshop, then Lightroom. I trusted myself along the way as I developed my own look, feel, and style. A style I knew was mine. I don't believe in photography editing plug-ins. If I see another photographer using the “retro haze” pre-made plug-in, or a photographer overusing that celerity button without caring that it makes 20 year-olds look like they're 80, I will scream. Photography editing software plug-ins are meant for novice or hobby photographers. Professional photographers using plug-ins are being lazy—period. Plug-ins are for people who don't trust their own skills and don't believe they can be true artists. Just as a photographer would never let someone else take a photo for them, why would they let someone else edit their photos?? Taking photos is only 50 percent of being a photographer. Editing and styling is probably the bulk of the work for most photographers.

I guess what I’m saying is that I feel like some people are afraid of being who they are. Being afraid of failure is one thing, but if it wasn't for our failures, how would we become who we are?

Failure should push one to work harder. And I believe in hard work more than I believe in most things in this world. Working hard comes naturally to me, but it’s also my motto and my true way of life. Learning, getting better, being truly proud of yourself without having to rely on someone else's opinion can absolutely protect you against failure. When I feel like I failed at something, I get sad and hard on myself and take a moment to process that feeling, but then I jump right back in and move on to the next adventure….taking what I've learned from my mistakes with me along for the ride.

I always try to be honest about my failures and mistakes. Lying to myself about it is useless. I know deep inside when I did good or not. I strive to learn, I strive to get better. I strive to never give up on myself.

We can be great at whatever we put our minds to. I truly believe that. If we stop caring so much about what other people tell us to do, or how we should be, greatness can happen. If we stay focused on things we love and stop wasting time on things we hate, that’s our chance at greatness. And if we don't reach that highest peak, it doesn't mean that we failed. It just means that maybe it’s time to take a different path or a different turn.

I think that we don't always need to find the way. We sometimes need to let the way find us.

All we’ve got to do is let go, look, and listen.

So after running around for nine years giving photography everything I had, I have now decided to shift my energy to making things I love. I'm not saying I'm totally quitting, as I'm not a quitter. I also don't believe in making dramatic statements of finality. After all, music photography is and always will be my biggest passion other than music itself. But it's time for me to slow down, and and I've been shifting my focus to other things that make me happy.

I decided to open my own business, creating my own brand. It's called Distortion Unplugged, and it’s a tribute to things I love. It's inspired by music, photography, song lyrics, written words, quotes, visuals, and even films.

I'm truly in love with every single piece that I make. I’m proud of it and proud of myself. I'm proud that I never shut down the ideas and passions I had always welcomed, in spite of mistakes along the way. I never stopped encouraging myself to keep going, even in the hardest times where I felt I failed or felt unattractive or unsuccessful. I'm proud that I made myself be honest about how I felt and said what I wanted to say even when it wasn't always right. Even when no one was listening. Even if I wasn't good enough (yet) at what I was doing.

This is a great time in my life. My biggest passion remains learning and becoming great at things I never thought I could know or want to do. Creating fashion, mastering the kitchen, becoming kickass at SoulCycle, slowly getting back into writing after many years of silence. The things I want to learn are impossible to count. But I truly believe we all have the capacity to do it all. And that failure is not always failure. Sometimes, it's just a little obstacle on the road. Turn around, take a break, put things in perspective, and get back on the road. Never stop believing that one day you'll get to your destination, or who knows? Maybe a destination will find you by chance.

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awanqi · 7 years

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answering asks

to avoid that stupid mishap of things not loading when I answer and post asks, I’ll just make a mass post and answer them all here.

Hello! I wanted ask ( if you don't mind) if you have any advice or art tutorials for digital art! I wanted to start doing art digitally so anything would help! Also what computer or art software would you recommend? Sorry for bothering you and Thank you! Have a wonderful day!😊

You’re not bothering me! No worries :)

Gotta remember that just like any other way to make art, digital art and the programs are just a medium and a tool to create, so as long as you’re consistent with practicing and making an effort to grow and improve, you should see progress.

Some advice? I would say to not go crazy on the different layer modes that you may come across, such as overlay, multiply, or luminosity, stay simple, don’t overuse textures. I would recommend learning how to paint materials before using textures, like learning how to paint rocks before using some rocky texture.

As for programs: I started out with Paint Tool SAI, but then switched over to Photoshop a year ago because I thought you needed to know how to use Photoshop to get a job in the industry (I can now say that that’s not quite true; as I said above, the program shouldn’t define your quality of art) Does that mean one program would make your art better than another program? Not necessarily, it doesn’t matter which program you use as long as you’re consistent with using that certain program in order to familiarize with the tool, and with drawing, obviously. Personally I like SAI because it doesn’t make my computer lag, and it’s faster and more simple. Not to mention that SAI is more fluid than Photoshop. Photoshop used too much ram and had too many brushes that, in the long-term, inhibited my ability to learn how to draw or paint an actual object, like a tree or something. (But remember, that’s just me. I was just dumb and thought certain brushes would help me paint the way I want, so I downloaded a bunch of brushes. turns out, didn’t work the way I expected it too) Try out both if you want, it’s all up to you anyway!) oh wait, you asked me what I recommend... I’d recommend SAI. haha

Basically,

SAI: faster, simpler, blends more. Less tools.

PS: clunky, more tools, more layer modes. Doesn’t blend colors like SAI. It’s got more features, but that could be a pro or con. depending on who you are.

Canvas size: anything you want, I usually have 12″ by 20″, 300 dpi. It’s a big file, but more details are allowed.

Oh, and keep in mind the ram you have. 4 gb is just not enough for either SAI or Photoshop. 8 gb is... acceptable, it’s what I have and good for SAI, but not for PS. Anything above that would probably be stellar, but I wouldn’t know because I haven’t ever gone above 8gb. :( oh well

I also recommend watching speedpaints, with either SAI or PS, they help you understand, if only so slightly, how things work with painting or whatever, and maybe some new techniques that you could take and adapt to your own workflow.

The youtube channel Sycra was a really helpful channel for me when I was starting out, so is this particular video on color/value by Anthony Jones.

How did you learn to draw? You're so amazing at it. Love you!

Learn from old masters, I copied a lot to gain knowledge/experience in drawing stuff, practice. Drawing from observation. I draw (digitally) every day, because I love it. Thank you. Love you too <3

So your full name is Angela Anqi Wang?? That's such a badass name

I’ve been lying to you guys the whole time. My name is actually “Inigo Montoya You Killed My Father Prepare To Die.” I have 7 middle names

lmao but thank you, really. No one’s every said that to me before! fun fact, my first and middle names are redundant in meaning, “angel angel”. ridiculous. I love my parents

I love your art so much!!! <3 I was wondering what program you used for digital art? Your style is so smooth and amazing ahhhh *^*

your art is honestly breathtaking like props to you man 👌👌👌👌

Paint Tool SAI, and thank you! <3

Ok, thanks for sending them in. It makes me happy to have some sort of contact with you all. Love, awanqi

#anon #asks

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coppolafrancis · 5 years

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How I photograph jewelry on myself

When it comes to shooting jewelry on the body, some would say leave it to the youngsters or leave it to the pros. Judging from the images we’re bombarded with at every turn, a woman should never attempt the jewelry selfie after age 40.

Trust me, it’s easier to get a good image of jewelry on a younger woman. But I don’t always have one handy, and sometimes I feel like… I don’t know, maybe we need a little reality? After all, it’s women my age who buy and wear much of the jewelry I show on this site. Is there not a way to find the beauty in my own demographic – or even my mother’s?

A few years ago, I began shooting jewelry on my hand. There were pieces that begged to be shown in context. I’ve been shooting jewelry on this hand since 2006 when I reported on a famous Christie’s auction. Here is an unretouched, unfiltered example from my Instagram a couple years ago. I’ve posted so many shots of this hand since then, I should start a #mylefthand hashtag. My right hand holds the phone.

Yup, after years of lugging around a Nikon and then a Canon Rebel, I’ve been shooting these with my iPhone and sometimes a little clip-on macro lens. The multi-talented Monica Stephenson of idazzle turned me onto that gadget at a World Gold Council conference one year. Be warned: it will not only show every inclusion in the stone and brush stroke on the metal but every pore and crease on your hand as well.

Now that’s what I really look like most of the time: scowling in concentration at a screen of some sort. This shot was taken at the AGTA Spectrum Awards press preview last year. That’s the little clip-on lens I mentioned. My oh-so-professional photography setup these days? You’re looking at it. Total cost (minus iPhone): $35.

I drew the line at photographing my hand until a couple years ago at the Couture show. I’d been trying on jewelry then photographing it on the 20something women who work those booths, until someone offered to take it on me. A couple of those shots turned out surprisingly well. (A good sales assistant these days not only knows the inventory but also how to style a shot, work a smart phone, and shoot for the Instagram crowd.) I posted one from the show floor and it got a warm response.

Here’s one taken by a male sales staffer at Todd Reed’s booth at that show. Since I couldn’t ask him to model these jewels for me, I handed him my phone, and sat on a stool.

Granted, that is an amazing collection and most people were “liking” the jewelry itself. But I believe a large part of the success of Todd’s work is that it looks as good on the female body as it does in the case. And, y’know, that is what it was designed for: to be worn by a living, breathing, non-airbrushed female. To me, that is the true test of a piece of jewelry.

I used a filter on that shot to bleach out the shadows. See that brown patch on my hand? I was in such deep shadow, it looked like a birthmark in the original. Trade show lighting is wicked. (My advice if you find yourself shooting indoors under track lights: back up a bit and get out of the spotlight.) The right filters do wonders to even out skin tone without erasing all detail. I hate that fake blurred effect left by overuse of the eraser tool. I like that you can still see my freckles and the texture of my skin. My goal is to show jewelry not in the photoshopped perfection of a magazine ad but the way it looks on a real, live woman.

This image of me wearing jewelry by Colette was taken by the playful sales staff who work that designer’s booth. It too was filtered and cropped but not retouched. It takes a few shots to get one I can use, but guess what? It always takes a few, even when you’re photographing flawless youth. A good assistant knows to keep shooting. A really good one adjusts your hair a bit and suggests you move your hand up or down slightly or shift your body to the left, out of the shadow.

Here’s a shot of me from Couture 2017 wearing a new black-diamond collection by Antonini of Milano (with my own earrings by Shana Kroiz). At the time, I posted this with a joke about how beautiful jewelry can light me up even after being up all night on a red-eye flight. My eyes were glazed but the smile was real. People responded to the jewelry – and this particular jewelry was made to be worn, with a simple linen dress like I was wearing.

Now I want to address another kind of self portrait most of us have to produce at some point: the professional head shot. If you look at the upper left corner of this site, you’ll see my most recent. I paid a pro and it took many shutter clicks to get a usable image. I’m not real comfortable in front of a camera and she kept saying, “Big smile!” Some people smile beautifully on demand. Me, not so much.

Nevertheless, she ended up with some great images I could never have produced on my own. I recommend springing for a pro, if you can. That shoot cost $350, including a stylist who did hair and makeup. I’ve paid half that for quickie head shots at conferences, where you can get in on a group rate. The speed-shoot on the sidewalk with a handheld reflector works fine for me. Studios make me nervous.

But sometimes you just don’t have time or cash for a professional shoot, in which case… you can do it yourself. I produced my own head shots for years. As a busy magazine freelancer, I had to provide 300dpi (print quality) images at a moment’s notice whenever an editor needed to fill their contributors page. At first, I relied on one I’d paid for at a photographer’s studio, but it looked like a mug shot you’d use for a passport. I needed images that could run large and made you want to turn to my story – the one my bio was referring to. So I started taking them myself to fit the subject matter I was writing about.

I shot this against the stucco wall of my balcony with my camera set up on a tripod. I was facing the late afternoon sun on an overcast day. A remote would have made my job easier and they’re available cheap now but I didn’t have one then. I would focus my camera on the wall, set the self timer, and run madly around to sit facing the lens, trying to look casual. Not ideal! But no editor ever complained. I used this image for stories on art and travel. I thought it said: smart, outdoorsy, not too formal.

As I began to write more about jewelry, however, I felt I should have one that showed… jewelry, and didn’t look so severe. As Jera Lodge put it in my last post on this topic, I was going for “serious but not pissed off.”

So I set up my camera again and came up with this one.

If I’d known my hand would end up in the shot I’d have put a ring on it. A gust of wind blew my hair in my face just before the shutter clicked and I kinda liked the result. I remember the designer I profiled in the issue of Art & Antiques where this head shot first appeared sent me a message raving about it. I thought, wow, maybe I really can pull this off. You can see the difference in quality between this and the professional shot on my About page, but it’s not bad.

If you have to rely on one head shot for everything – your website, bios, social media – consider investing in a good one. But if you need to produce them on an ongoing basis and know your way around a camera, experiment a little.

My flesh is more textured than it once was and carries souvenirs from various mishaps and decades in the wind and sun. I’m well-traveled and I’ve had my share of sleepless nights. My hands have worked hard, soaked in darkroom chemicals, dug up a dozen gardens. Mostly, I’m just getting older, like everyone else lucky enough to stick around a while.

But I’d like to think I have a different kind of beauty now, just as you do. It’s a little harder to photograph but I’m learning and, fortunately, I know my way around basic photo-editing tools. I’ve been touching up images for decades. With the tools that come bundled on your computer or mobile device, you can easily crop and sharpen and saturate. Worse comes to worse, there are these things called “filters.”

Where jewelry is concerned, good product shots are crucial. But for the same reason I’m always harping on about wearability, I believe there is something lacking when you rely solely on product shots. They present jewelry as an object to be admired in the abstract. But jewelry is not something we hang on the wall or put on a pedestal. We hang it from our necks, ears and wrists, pin it to our lapels and stack it on our fingers. And by “we,” I don’t mean just flawless 25-year-olds.

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anyayr2fmp · 5 years

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Evaluation

What primary research did I do?

For my primary research, I had to pick a audience to base my clothing around. I decided to go for around teen-early 20′s for my age group and researched brands that i personally liked as well as my peers. I had asked for opinions around the class on what brands they liked, and what styles they liked and wore on a day to day bases.

I have also visited the Walkers art gallery in Liverpool, to view the different art pieces for inspiration for my project. While viewing the work, I came across a bronze statue of Eve from 1902. This is what gave me my theme of the Adam and Eve story.

What secondary research did i do?

A lot of the secondary research is based around the internet and books. I started looking at clothing magazines (Example, EMP clothing) to give me an idea on what I’d like my clothes to look like. I stuck with clothing that young adults/ teenagers would want to wear, as that was my target audience. After looking at magazines, I direct my focus online, looking at various brands, both main stream and unknown. With the help of a few peers, I chose a selection of clothing apparels online to review and analyse on my blog.

I also read up on a book about netting, to help me prosecute how my packages would look like and work. Websites such as pinterest had also given me more ideas, such as 3D apples from my logo. The 3D apple was for my display, and to help my point of sale.

How did my research help me to develop ideas?

My research, both primary and secondary, have shaped my designs and official outcomes. The walkers art gallery trip inspired my theme due to the Adam and Eve sculptures and paintings that had throughout the gallery. My clothing brand research had helped me figure out what people other than me my age would like to wear as well as styles that are trending as of late in the media.

What artists have I looked at?

I focused mainly on traditional tattoo artists as a lot of my clothing brand designs have a traditional tattoo style. A few of the main tattoo artists I looked at were Homeslice Joey and Sailor Jerry. I decided to expand and look at more different artists, such as Natasha Law, European.son.420 and Fried Cactus Studio. This is just to compare with traditional designs so I could possibly mix and match different designs with the art style

How did they inspire and influence my work?

My main inspiration from the artists I looked at was Sailor Jerry and Homeslice Joey. These two tattoo artists focuses only on traditional tattoo designs which is the main theme of my clothing brand. The two artists style inspired almost all my designs and influenced how I drew certain things and pushed my to experiment with my illustrations to create unique outcomes.

The non traditional artists I looked such as european.son.420 and Shepard Fairey inspired to me experiment with my traditional tattoo style, and add twists of different art cultures in them.

What were my initial ideas and how have I developed these ideas/ changes to final outcomes?

My initial ideas was to keep it strictly traditional tattoo themed, producing designs for;

3 beanies

2 long sleeve shirts

3 t-shirts

3 bandanas

3 lanyards

1 hoodie

Throughout my designing process, I decided to design only one beanie due embroidery issues, and five shirts as I had more illustrations I wanted to include and wouldn’t be able to fit onto 3 shirts.

One design was completely changed from a Eve floral design, to the snake pocket t-shirt. This was because of the design being awkward, and not fitting the shirt exactly how I wanted it. I decided to change the design into something simple and effective. With the snake head design fitting onto a pocket, it would match my apple slice pocket design. This makes the brand look more professional and helps the design look like its not out of place.

What materials and techniques have I used?

The list of materials I used throughout the project are:

Matte black card and thread

Gildan clothing

Fabric vinyl

clear vinyl

transfer paper

blank badges

fabric ink and mesh

The card was used to produce packaging and black tags. For printing on the clothing, a heat press was used to print illustrations onto my shirts using transfer paper and cut out fabric vinyl for solid coloured designs. A digital embroidery machine was used to also produce a shirt and beanie hat. A badge maker and spare 55mm badge parts was used to create my badge designs. Those badge designs were also printed onto the clear vinyl so stickers could be made as well. The rest of the shirts were produced using screen printing with the design burnt into the mesh and black fabric paint for the line art colour.

My most successful technique was screen printing. When done right, the screen print can come out as a solid colour, with little to no texture that a screen print usually produces. While transfer paper leaves the visible sheen and plastic feeling over the design, screen printing leaves no odd texture and makes the shirt look professionally done and doesn’t look cheap.

Another successful technique/ material was the fabric vinyl. This type of printing is used across famous brands such as Adidas due to its clean, sleek appearance. There is no plastic edges like transfer paper when heat pressing vinyl, and easy to print onto clothes.

Are my final outcomes successful? How/Why? Why not?

I believe my final outcomes are successful because they fit the target audience that I have chosen to design for. A lot of the clothing styles I have produced can be found in multiple brands like Huf and OBEY due to keeping to the trend of what the younger generation likes to wear.

Each outcome was carefully designed and was produced with the materials and techniques that best fitted the illustrations. For example, anything that had more than 2-3 colours was printed using transfer paper as vinyl and screen print are difficult methods to use when using a multi-coloured design.

I also decided to experiment with a lot of my shirts, such as upside down text to make my clothing look more unique to attract my target audience.

What new skills, knowledge, techniques and processes have I learned?

A new skill I have learnt is Illustrator. Before this project, I did all my illustrations in photoshop due to the brush customisation and flexibility. I decided to use vectors and converted to illustrator to produce my designs for my clothing brand. I’m now more familiar with the program, and will continue to use for illustrations instead of photoshop for now on.

I have also learnt more on using equipment such as the laser cutter, digital embroidering machine and the heat press. With this new knowledge, I am able to use each machine with little to no help and will be able to use in the future for other products and outcomes.

Is there anything I could have done differently to make my project more successful?

One thing that would’ve made my project successful was more posters. The posters would’ve been added advertisement for my clothing brand, and would’ve made my art exhibition display more eye catching. My reasoning from not creating them was how overused they are as outcomes, and I wanted to focus more on my designing and packaging for my clothing.

I also should have also focused more on the labels for my clothing, so my brand name/theme could be found throughout the entire collection of clothing. This is used in clothing brands such as supreme and Obey. It’s a good way of further advertisement of a brand.

Did I meet the requirements of the project brief?

the basic requirements of the brief was to create a clothing brand that is appealing to young adults in the style of traditional tattoo, using bold lines, minimal colours and detailed.

The style I have used throughout my project is solemnly based around traditional tattoo designs. A lot of the illustrations are bold and feature a very minimalistic colour pallet.

#eval

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anyafarrellyear2 · 5 years

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Evaluation

What Primary/Secondary research did I do?

For my primary research, I’ve collected business cards and other forms of promotion to analyse as well as ordering samples of business cards on Moo.com, a website that prints out business cards, postcards, stickers ect. We also had a talk in college from Our Milk Man Gary, a graphic designer who showed us how he promotes himself and the work he has done in the past.

For my secondary research, I did a series of research on different types of promotion used. I compared older types, such as postcards, and researched into them so I was able to compare to their new counterparts. I did this with business cards, bi-folded leaflets and postcards. I also looked into mascots/logos and how they’ve changed throughout the years and what makes them effective to this day.

How did my research help me to develop ideas/ form my final outcome?

My research gave me a better idea on what I’d like to create and what I’d stay away from. The more I researched, the more I’ve come to realize that some ideas are overused and mediocre. An example of this is how a rectangular shape is always used.

To pass this, i decided to push my limits and boundaries to create an unusual business card that still does its purpose as one. I wanted it to be fun and light instead of serious while keeping a professional feel to it. Though this would be harder to print, I think this idea works in term of being atypical to others receiving it.

I learned a lot through my research, such as how I would go about my odd idea and make it effective. My research led me to more ideas, which I later added on to my business card idea. This can all be seen in my sketchbook from how one idea can turn into another.

What artists have I looked at and how did this influence my work?

Because this project requires looking into little to no artists, I looked more into websites that print out types of promotions and companies. My colour pallet was partly inspired by Gary, the graphic designer that came in for a talk. His work inspired me to think outside the box and use a very limited colour pallet that compliments my work.

I also looked at multiple websites that does printing for postcards ect. This is to give me a better idea on the materials they use and help me think of concepts for my promotional items.

What were my initial ideas and how did I develop those ideas?

For my business card, my original idea was to do a two part card, where a gecko pops out of a tank. I later changed this idea to a pencil case as I had added to my design and had given the gecko a pen. After more research, I came across netting, and decided to create my own netting for a little box to act as the pencil case. I filled the little pencil case net with small pencils, to give it a authentic feel and make it seem more realistic and give it another useful purpose.

For my postcard, I wanted to keep more simple and polished. My designs changed very little during this concept because of the solid foundation I started off with. First, I wanted my gecko mascot to be in the centre of the postcard covered in paint with my signature yellow and pink colour pallet. I later changed the image to one of the drawings I have done prior, a gecko head with a speech bubble next to it. I decided to put all my information in the speech bubble and used that for my final outcome.

What materials and techniques did I use and why?

For materials, I used a glossy card to print everything from. I created each outcome in Illustrator with the help of Photoshop for sketches and line-work. I decided to use the glossy card because goes well with my designs, and makes it look more professional and made with quality instead of it being just printed out. The card was hard to work with in terms of using the scalpel to cut it out, but overall has a nice finish.

What inspired/ influenced my final ideas and outcomes?

Did I make any changes in my designs that altered my final outcome? Why?

The main changes I have done in my designs is adding a 3D pencil case by making my own net and filling it with miniature pencils. I also added a pen that the gecko is holding.

For my postcard, I changed the image on the front, from a fullbody mascot to just the head to keep it more simple and clean. There were little to no changes with my bi-folded leaflet, apart from layouts and moving around illustrations. I had a strong idea for it in the beginning of my design concepts so there was little change needed to make it any better than what I am capable of.

Are my final outcomes successful? How/Why? Why not?

I believe my final outcomes are successful because they are well thought out designs filling as their purpose. I believe my business card is unusual and more interesting than a regular rectangular shape. I also like the complimenting simplicity of my postcard and bi-folded leaflet. I think the colour combo works well, as it’s not any harsh colours and is soft.

Each design is consistent and compliments each other.

What new skills, knowledge, techniques and processes have I learned?

The main skill/ knowledge I have learned is how to properly use Illustrator. I created a fully coloured piece for the first time and transferred all my pixel designs into vectors. I’ve also learned how to design products for professional use. I’ve researched different types of promotion and layouts which really helped me for my work placement when designing for an actual client.

Is there anything I could have done differently to make my project more successful?

Although happy with my business card, I wish I had made it more simple and less complicated. When produced, it would take a lot of dedication and effort to form together, and complicates things even more due to the odd shapes.

I also wish I was better with the time I was given. I did too much research and less planning with the actual outcomes. If I had a timetable to organise myself, the outcome would be less busy and more of a simple nature.

Did I meet the requirements of this project and have I overall been successful in my final outcomes?

I believe I’ve met the requirements by doing the required research and comparing. I also did the concept ideas needed for this project and produced 3 outcomes at a high standard. I also did extra research to give me some extra knowledge while designing my outcomes.

#sp #spevaluation

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theheavymetalmama · 7 years

Text

CGI Isn’t the Problem

So Justice League just dropped their new trailer and, shocker, it’s extremely divisive. People either love it or hate it, some saying it looks incredible in scope and scale while others think it looks like a cutscene from a shitty XBOX 360 game. Some think it’s going to change the course of the DCEU for the better, others think it’s going to be more of the same dreary and portentous gunk that the previous three films were. But regardless of what side you’re on, both sides can all agree on one thing.

Cyborg looks absolutely dreadful.

Many are quick to point fingers at the overuse of CGI, and if you watched the trailer or subscribe to WhatCulture then you’re all too familiar with how DC and Warner have clearly learned nothing from Green Lantern.

youtube

I know, right?

Now I like ripping bad CGI and overused CGI a new one as much as any movie buff, but I’m not a practical effects diva either. I made a post a while back called “The Downside of Practical Effects,” and the short version is that practical effects are great because you can tell they’re actually there but when done wrong you can also tell that they’re fake.

So while you can debate how much money they’re actually saving with making Cyborg a CGI character instead of having their effects people craft the actor a proper suit of armor (which I think the guy deserves. What’s the point of all that pumping up if they’re just going to CG his body out?) the CGI itself is just one part of the larger problem. The problem is that Cyborg is so over-designed that the result is a mess of details within details that you can’t make out the...well, details.

I mean, just look at him. He doesn’t look like any version of Cyborg I’ve ever seen, comic, cartoon, video-game or otherwise. He looks like a scrapped concept of what that life model decoy thing from Revenge of the Fallen was supposed to look like before they went with Not Black Arachnia. His angles have angles on them, the sharp edges have sharp edges that grow into more sharp edges, he has sources of light coming from several different parts of his body giving the eye nothing to focus on, his face looks like it was photoshopped onto the metal frame, he’s so lacking in color that he vanishes into the background in several scenes, his torso consists of hundreds of moving parts that have moving parts underneath them that also have moving parts underneath them and moving parts throughout all other layers of moving parts and angles and sharp edges and light sources and BLECH! It’s an incoherent gibbering mess in the form of a robot! It’s all details, no design. All twists, turns, and curves, no shape. All complexity, no style. It’s like a bunch of people who hated each other started drawing a picture and then never stopped.

Compare this design to those of other Hollywood and movie robots that have stood the test of time. They’re elegant in their simplicity, taking definitive forms and shapes that we can easily identify and sum up in one sentence. Robocop, SWAT team guy wrapped in Detroit steel. Terminator, chrome skeleton with red eyes and a V8 engine for a chest. The original Megazord, big linebacker wearing colorful knight armor (sword and all) with a horned helmet. C3P0, your English teacher dressed like a golden mannequin. The Iron Giant, a...well, an iron giant. Even more contemporary examples like Baymax and Gypsy Danger are simple and identifiable by design. Compare that to what Optimus Prime looks like in the Bayformers movies, which has been the Hollywood standard for what movie robots look like today.

Can you sum that up in a cohesive sentence? I certainly can’t.

Getting back to the point, if the DCEU is going to insist on plowing through movies until one of them works then Cyborg needs a redesign ASAP. Why they didn’t take the version from the cartoon and update that one, as it’s the one the general audience is most familiar with and the easiest one to translate to film, is beyond me. While the needless use of computer generating something that fans recreate at ComiCon all the time escapes me (then again these are the same people who CGI’d a cape and a fucking domino mask, of all things) and is extremely exasperating, the CGI isn’t the core of the problem. The mindless, overly detailed design itself is why a unique, interesting character looks like every other generic Hollywood robot we’ve seen since 2007.

Still, making him all CGI was bullshit. In the spirit of WhatCulture, I call it a shit creative decision for wankers.

#Cyborg #Justice League #Teen Titans #CGI #DCEU #WhatCulture #shit creative decision for wankers

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blognotbydesign · 4 years

Text

Working Title

After a cursory read of Ian Lynam’s, ‘That’s Entertainment!...’ essay, because that’s all I could manage, I can safely say, ‘One is not amused’.

Firstly, what ghastly design, or lack thereof, and that typeface. I don’t care how he justifies its use, it’s beyond, just beyond disgusting. To me it’s akin to using Comic Sans and that’s saying something.

Also, why does every essay Mark sends us to read (if you can call it this) use so many overinflated words. Side note, I’ll work on a better description for these later. Before I can even read the text, I first have to decipher what every second word or so means... and the list is long, enough to be annoying. If you have a point to make just make it. Don’t beat around the bush I say.

In a vain attempt to understand what Lynam is trying to say, let me break it some of it down into plain English:

Out of the gate, Lynam’s references a neoliberal era: what is this, did or does it exist, or did this guy just make it up? More research needed here! According to Google dictionary, firstly it should have a hyphen between the neo and liberal, and secondly here’s their definition...

Neoliberal adjective relating to or denoting a modified form of liberalism tending to favour free-market capitalism.

Lynam then sets the premise of his essay by stating, 'the sphere of cultural production and assorted economies attached to graphic design consistently ignore intellectualism as operational methodology'.

The puppeteers, the ones running the cultural show and fat cats with all the money who are in charge. This is what I take away from this sentence and it worries me somewhat. Everything is life is orchestrated, this much I know to be true. It’s scary when mentioned in anything remotely graphic design related. The two notions seem at polar ends of the spectrum of corruption and greed... or are they.

Intellectualism noun the exercise of the intellect at the expense of the emotions.

Next Lynam’s goes on to quote Jeffery Keedy's eponymous 2013 essay which describes global style, on an emotional level, as something that ‘sublimates quotidian boredom’.

Sublimate verb 3rd person present: (in psychoanalytic theory) divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity.

Quotidian adjective of or occurring every day; daily.

We’re numb to the cultural content that surrounds us, immune to its effects and becoming increasingly aware of its lack of substance? I don’t know what either is trying to say, but this my interpretation anyway.

Ennui noun a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Extraneous adjective irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.

Fordist policies aka Fordism is a tag used to characterise the post-1945 long boom experienced by western nations. It is typified by a cycle of mass production and mass consumption, the production of standardized (most often) consumer items to be sold in (typically) protected domestic markets, and the use of Keynesian economic policies.

It’s odd, considering its more gruesome descriptive nature, but the next paragraph struck me: ‘The political poster today is the semantic equivalent of a bloated corpse floating in an aquatic environment... There is a body, but there is little to distinguish it as unique, much less rebellious in nature.’

At this point in time, 70+ years since graphic design became a recognised discipline, have we simply run out of ideas? When you think back over the course of art history, are we not caught in a perpetual loop of repeat, regurgitate and refresh? Nothing is new anymore. No idea is original.

Semantic adjective relating to meaning in language or logic.

‘Graphic design itself is increasingly fractured and graphic designers must be adept at more skills and specializations than ever before.’ My response to this: as a designer I must become a jack of all [art] trades in order to succeed, and I feel the weight of this pressure.

I disagree with Lynam’s summation that 'designers are more free than ever’. Not when taking into account political correctness and what not. I do, however, feel the tie of my workstation, or more accurately, laptop. I am certain it is preventing rather than aiding me becoming a truly great designer. Yet I cannot escape it. The pressure is always there to learn all the design programmes and packages, become an expert in them and thus a multifaceted designer in order to succeed in the industry.

Polyphonic adjective producing or involving many sounds or voices.

And living, existing, and experiencing life in the midst of a global pandemic, a time that will later become of great historial importance, Lynam’s words that ‘the possibility of actual freedom from control is nearly nonexistent in the contemporary moment’ could not feel more acurate. Forgive my brief meandering into the realm of conspiracy theories but something is afoot here. Whether it’s design we’re talking about or daily life, we are all being controlled by the powers that be, the one percenters or the whatever you may wish to call them. Very little lately feels like freewill and is more akin to an expected response to a predetermined situation?!

It’s funny how many articles and blogs, videos and what nots are being thrown our way to encourage us to use our time in lockdown to play, be creative and constructive when, as Lynam puts it ‘the Information Economy [had previously] destroyed boredom by occupying citizens' time while simultaneously deskilling them’. Now the one thing we do have in spades is time and many, like me, are using it to get back to basics. It’s no laughing matter how easily we are all controlled in this way - to work or play or work again.

Another frightening side note, when someone like Lynam points it out... because I hadn’t stopped to think about it before... Adobe has a virtual monopoly on specific software. With no competition or barely any, economics aside, how does this encourage creativity. In my humble opinion, it doesn’t and cannot.

Ontological adjective

1. relating to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being."ontological arguments" 2. showing the relations between the concepts and categories in a subject area or domain.

We are all controlled. Simple. Even down to our creative responses. Just look at Pinterest and Behance, Instagram and other social media platforms for example. We see something, the latest trend or fashion, we mimic it, we embrace it, we try to make it our own but in essence this isn’t what’s really happening, and then we repeat the process all over again and again.

Ostensible adjective stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

What others think to be true, is in fact highly likely the opposite. I know this makes me sound like a crazy person yet I cannot help but think it.

Raison d’etre noun the most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence.

We create reasons to exist. Whether it be to go to college, get married or become a designer, in my case. Without a reason, there is no reason to exist. I mean what is the point to life?

If it is all about money, which largely it appears to be, then as a designer I’m a bit stuffed. While the ‘value of design [may be] increasing socially’, it’s economic value is not. Too many people think the can become or are designers simply by using Photoshop and selling bits on Etsy. It diminishes the importance of my degree, the value of design and being a designer, the years it will take me to become a bloody good one. But hasn’t this also happened in the wider art world? Many think they are artists, painters, sculptors or potters when they are not. Not even remotely to the likes of Michelangelo or Da Vinci status.

Reading an exert from ‘an as-yet unpublished essay by Randy Nakamura and Ian Lynam', a realisation that I am about to begin working in a defunked industry is dawning on me with statements such as ‘The ubiquity of the overused catchwords “creativity” and “innovation” are perhaps the surest indicators that a culture is in decline' and ‘...how is it even possible to talk about creativity in a way that is neither insipid nor irrelevant?’, and ‘Innovation, creativity’s idiot cousin, is in barely better condition.’

Add play to creativity and innovation and these words are the very basis of my own arguement that in order to be a good, if not great, designer - to create innovative solutions to many of life’s problems - we need to adopt a more playful attitude. I, therefore, cannot agree with Lynam’s statement that ‘almost anything can be considered the product of innovation’. Hard work does not help you innovate. It is but one element in a melting pot of skills and attributes, that not everyone has I might add, needed to cultivate innovation.

With a list of suggested reading and various, rather random, downloadable PDF’s as a last and closing thought to Lynam’s piece, I am left with a complete opposite feeling of being entertained.

http://entertain.ianlynam.com

#ianlynam #entertainment #thatsentertainment #oneisnotamused

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photographerguide-blog · 5 years

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Wedding Photographer Shares A Ridiculously Simple Photography Trick And The Results Are Stunning

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Wedding Photographer Shares A Ridiculously Simple Photography Trick And The Results Are Stunning

If you haven’t yet mastered the inner workings of a camera, simple photography tricks can help you a great deal. Recently, wedding photographer Mathias Fast has shared a zero-budget hack how to improve your portraits by adding reflections, and it will take every beginner’s shots to a whole new level.

The secret is simple. A phone screen. Using it as a reflective surface, people can easily get rid of undesired elements entering the frame or add intrigue to a simple composition. “I’m hardly the first person to use it but “discovered” it for myself at a wedding one day when I was photographing the bride getting ready,” Mathias told Bored Panda. “The bridesmaids had their phones lying on the table and I saw the reflections they were creating. I realized that at the right angle and distance I could incorporate the reflection(s) into a photograph while disguising the fact that they were coming from a phone.”

Mathias has been shooting professionally close to 6 six years now. “A phone is almost always in my pocket which is why I find it such a handy tool to use,” he added. “I try not to overuse it (like with anything it can get gimmicky if used too much) but definitely incorporate it a couple times throughout a wedding or portrait session. Sometimes the effects are subtle, sometimes they are much more dramatic. My goal is always to have the viewer pause for a second and try to figure out what is going on in the image.”

Fast also pointed out that this trick isn’t limited to phone screens. “When I’m photographing, my eyes are constantly being drawn to anything remotely reflective that I can use to frame the subject with. Counter-tops, windows – I’ve even used the surface of my watch to bounce some interesting light into a scene.” Scroll down to check out how it works and if you want to learn more, fire up these 10+ Genius Camera Hacks That Will Greatly Improve Your Photography Skills In Less Than 3 Minutes.

One guy has discovered a genius way to make your portraits look dreamy

Image credits: Mathias Fast

And this zero-budget hack doesn’t require Photoshop as well

Image credits: Mathias Fast

The only thing you need is your phone

Image credits: Mathias Fast

“Start by holding your phone on a horizontal plane to the bottom edge of your lens”

Image credits: Mathias Fast

“As you look through the viewfinder you’ll see part of the scene reflecting onto the lower part of the image”

Image credits: Mathias Fast

“Simply adjust the phone slightly (while still holding it close the edge of the lens) until you see a reflection that you like:”

Image credits: Mathias Fast

Here’s the result!

Image credits: Mathias Fast

Here’s what people thought about the trick:

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