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alithographica · 6 years

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Hello! I was just wondering, but how did you get so good at drawing? Do you take classes, or did you learn by yourself? I don't know if this question has been asked before, so sorry if it has and this is repetition. Anyways, I hope you're having a good day, and you really are an amazing artist!

Thank you! :D

I have taken classes. I did art in high school, I took a few classes in college, and I completed a botanical illustration certificate last year. It was very helpful to have that class structure and in-person feedback but literally everything I’ve been taught I have also found online or in books. The trick with the online stuff is that you have to figure out how to put it together yourself, and it can be hard to know where to start or who to listen to. For that reason I personally do like classes, but classes aren’t accessible or desirable to everyone so let me reassure you that they’re not necessary.

*If you do want to take a class, I recommend checking out your local botanical garden, museum, or art academy! There are lots of classes in unexpected places and they’re usually cheaper than university courses. I’m a little lukewarm on university art classes anyway as many art departments favor theory over technique—they teach you about Art™ rather than practical techniques. While it can be good to learn about Art™, it does precious little to help you draw well, as is the goal here. That is less likely to happen if you take your classes elsewhere. Anyway.

I’m working on making a few tutorials myself but I’ve have been busy with Inktober and freelancing and whatnot. Stay tuned.

Whether or not you take classes, my main advice is to draw a lot. Doodle dumb things. Sketch serious things. Draw things around you. I improve the most when I use references and spend time understanding them rather than just copying. I mention this for two reasons:

A lot of people have this idea that using references is cheating. Quite the opposite—references are essential, they help you understand how your subject works, and every single professional I know uses references extensively. Full stop. That’s probably not surprising in my work given that it’s scientific illustration, but I promise it’s also true of animators, creature designers, etc. If you don’t see one using a reference, it’s because they’ve already spent so long with references that the information is now burnt into their eyeballs.

Inspirational references are vital. I won’t lie, I spent a lot of my early years copying my favorite art (shoutout to Pokemon and Ciruelo Cabral, y’all got me through middle school). I now do the Professional Adult Version of that by just looking very critically at the work I admire and figuring out (1) why I like what they’ve done, (2) how they did it, and (3) whether I want to incorporate something like that into my technique. This has been a big part of my growth—don’t steal, but get inspired. Seeing how your peers work can help you figure out your own direction. (Slight promotional plug, but I run @original-art for this exact purpose—reblogging other artists whose work I like to have around.)

In short: I’ve learned from coursework, I’ve learned by my own experimentation, I’ve learned from other artists around me. I’ve spent a long time getting to where I am now and I still have a long way to go. It’s an ongoing process. I can’t overstate the importance of just working and giving yourself time to grow.

And for the record, just so this post isn’t all Wandering Nebulous Advice and questionable comma usage, the single book I’ve found with the most clear, helpful instruction is Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Support your local library or bookstore.

#Anonymous #words and etc etc #art advice #rotkiv77 that tutorial thing is also @ you I know you asked me about one like two months ago sorry ilu #it's coming

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fullfrequencycollective · 5 years

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What is the purpose of a small, independent record label in 2018?

That’s the question I’ve been turning over in my head these past few months. I think I have an answer, but it’s gonna take some explaining. Stick with me.

Why Bother Records, the record label I started with my best friend Christian back in 2015, slowed down considerably over the past two years. The last release I was substantially involved with the release of was the Halogens / Staten split at the end of 2016. After that, I used the name to help Justin Fernandez release Staten music in a much more hands-off manner. Things slowed down because I was a senior in college, preparing to full-time student teach the following spring, and thinking probably a bit too much about my “future” or whatever. It felt like just one more thing I had to deal with during a period when I had an exceptionally high number of things to deal with, so I put it on ice.

Now, in my second year of grad school, my fourth and final semester, nearing a career path in education that seems manageable if slightly creatively unfulfilling, I feel decidedly stable. A month or so ago, I caught the feeling that I should bring the label back. That’s when I started thinking about what a small independent record label looks like now, after the time I’ve spent away from one.

I guess it starts with what a record label like Why Bother does. When I was operating Why Bother a few years ago, after an artist agreed to work with us, I did a number of discrete things. I hand-produced cassettes that I was able to produce for cheap. I redesigned and laid out album artwork to fit the unique cassette layout, then took the art to the printer and cut inserts to fit by hand. I assembled the product. I did publicity for all of our releases.

So what was all of that for? What was the purpose? I think it falls into three categories.

1. I wanted to financially support artists.

I got the idea to make WBR a cassette label after reading this Pitchfork op-ed back in my very first week of college. A selection:

“Speaking of vinyl, which is an expensive gamble for a small label, I like that cassettes are inexpensive. I buy them in bulk from National Audio Company in Missouri for around 50 cents each, and jewel cases are about 22 cents each. Usually I end up doing my own artwork and labels. Runs of 50 or 100 are small by any standard, but if you want to do everything, they take more time than you might think. I don’t like the word “cheap” here, but I like the situation that not having to worry about money puts me in. It’s just a cassette. I don’t feel bad about giving them away to people. Most people I don’t expect them to even listen; I doubt they have cassette players. But I’m interested in those 10 or 15 people who end up trying. Those 10 or 15 people are more interesting to me than Soundcloud plays.”

Tapes are inexpensive. You can turn a profit from them much more easily than you can from CDs or vinyl. I think we usually broke even on a tape run after we sold 8 or so. Toward my desired goal of putting more money in the artists I liked’s pockets, I think the math works best with cassettes at this scale. So I liked that part of it as a broke college kid.

But there’s more to the story as well. That’s not the only reason. Another selection:

“Music released on cassettes doesn’t feel desperate or needy or Possibly Important. It tends not to be concerned about The Conversation. It resists other people’s meaning. That’s what I like about the cassette. It whittles down our interactions with music to something bare and essential: Two people, sometimes more, trying to feel slightly less alone.

…

I like the community of labels. It’s small, humble, not exactly well organized. You meet people in a stumbling, haphazard way, which is refreshing in the age of the targeted ad. Steve at Moon Glyph. Tom at Mirror Universe. Emily at Love Lion. Opal Tapes, Trilogy Tapes, Leaving Records. I usually have not heard of the artists, who usually do not have publicists “working” the record. I often buy five or six tapes at a time, whatever releases are available. Sometimes they come right away, other times they take three weeks and two of the cassettes don’t have music on them. I listen to cassettes on a small Sony boombox (with Mega Bass), usually when I do the dishes or get ready in the morning. The music feels like a secret between friends.”

That brings me to another important ideal:

2. I wanted to build a community.

Music communities changed my life. From those first Marlboro Rec Center Now or Never/Feverview shows, to hearing “Red Floral Dress” for the first time in a basement filled with my friends, to all of those weekends at the Asbury Lanes, to every friend I’ve made at grad school that started with some conversation about how Against Me! kick ass. All of those moments are what draw me to music. Music communities are the rope that tethers me to this world.

When WBR started, we had the Mayflower Collective. We had friends who were all into the same things. We had something. I wanted WBR to co-exist with that something. One of my most firmly-held beliefs is that there is power in numbers. We take what successes we’re blessed with and use them to lift the family around us. We take care of our own. To elaborate on that Springsteen reference:

“In art and love, one and one makes three. In music, if it makes two, you’ve failed, my friend.” — Bruce Springsteen

To make three:

3. I wanted to curate what I thought was the best of the best.

One of my more vivid memories from the NJ scene was On Your Marks’ album release show at the Lanes in 2013. Standing there, watching whatever band was playing, I looked around and noticed that the place was damn near sold out. That my friends who were just trying to play shows with their friends and write dope songs, had somehow convinced two-hundred or so locals to pay money to see them play. I tried to scale that in my head—how long until it’s the Stone Pony? Then Starland? Then the Arts Center? What was the ceiling?

That was the moment that I felt an obligation to show my friends off to the world. That was the moment that I decided that I wanted to write about music. I started my dinky little blog later that week to get some work done that summer.

I carried that mentality with me when I decided to start the label. “How can I show the world this awesome thing my friends did? What’s the best way of doing that?" I only ever reached out to artists who I genuinely believed in. The musicians making songs that I felt in my body. The people I knew were good people. I only worked with *music* and *people* that I had faith in. I can’t speak to how much money we would have made if we didn’t pass on a few opportunities, but it kept the drive going. It still does.

This is running long, so I’ll summarize here. I want to reboot the label with those three concepts in mind. I want to get to the base of them. I want to try something new. Full Frequency Collective is that something:

The new Why Bother Records will have two facets:

1. A traditional record label that will dub cassettes to financially support our artists

2. A podcast that serves to explain why I love the music we release so much

Because I don’t want to make money off of this, and instead focus my efforts on supporting artists and causes I believe in, Full Frequency Collective is primarily going to be subscription-based. I’ve launched a Patreon where subscribers can get in for $1 or $5 each month. They can get in or out whenever they choose, but I’m hoping some folks will stick around. I am aiming to release a tape from a Featured Artist every other month. The podcast is going to be weekly, with every other episode being subscriber-exclusive. After the manufacturing prices, hosting prices for the podcast (extremely low), and whatever unforeseen cost it takes to create this endeavor, all money from the Patreon will be split between the Featured Artist and a charity of their choice (pending my approval—we ain’t shipping money out to hateful causes and we ain’t getting scammed).

To elaborate a bit on what you’re getting for your money:

If you pay $1 each month, you’ll get access to the subscriber exclusive podcast episodes. The regular podcast will come out every 14 days and consist of interviews with the featured artist about the creative process, the making of their records, their artistic ideals, etc. I’ll also get guest on to talk about the world of music news, music we get down with, happenings in the arts communities. Kind of structured. The subscriber exclusive episodes would be something more like “Jake and I talk about Karl Marx and economics for an hour,” more freewheeling and off-off-topic.

If you pay $5 each month, you’ll get every tape we put out, every subscriber-exclusive podcast episode, a shoutout in the podcast each week, a copy of every zine I make, and the satisfaction of knowing that you’re contributing to both the arts community and charity.

Here’s the thing—

I know this is weird. I know this is not a “traditional” record label business model. But I think it works better. I think it’s a way to put money in the hands of artists who make the work I feel passionate about. I think it’s a way to give back to the communities that need us. I think it’s a way to put your music in the inbox of people who may or may not have heard of you before. I think it’s a way to combine the parts of the creative process into a larger, more complete picture, like the channels in a full-frequency stereo sound system. I think it’s a way to build a new type of community.

Thanks. You can subscribe here. If you have any questions, reach out. Let’s make something.

#day 1 #full frequency baby #it's finally launching #hell yeah dude #hellllll yeahhhhh dude

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flyonmylovee · 7 years

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I’VE DONE IT. I think I’ve decided on a birthday for Sora. Although I personally believe there may be some better fits than what Digimon’s given us canonically, I think I’ve settled on something I’m pretty happy with:

Birthday: February 20th, 1989 @ 11:30pm Sun Sign: Pisces ( but ! her birthday falls on a cusp ! ) Moon Sign: Virgo Rising Sign: Scorpio

First, let me talk about the sun sign. Although we really don’t know how long Sora was ignoring Taichi for before the events of Our War Game, it’s most fitting to say her birthday occurred slightly before then. I believe the Pisces water sign is a good fit because water signs tend to be emotional, private, moody, spiritual, feeling, and compassionate. Pisces is known as “the artist” of the zodiac and has a noted ability to be empathetic towards those around them. However, Pisces is a mutable sign. Mutable signs are adaptable, changeable, and communicative. While this can be true of Sora, I personally believe she also shares traits with Fixed signs. Fixed signs are determined, stable, and stubborn in their beliefs. I’ve read that ironically, fixed signs are the most likely to grow and change. They’ve also been described as the fire that keeps friendships and relationships going, and they have a preference for running things rather than starting them. Mutable signs may need to learn adaptability and how to survive change, and are known to gather and disperse information rather than trying to start or run things. I personally believe Sora is a combination of both.

Luckily for my analysis, February 20th falls on the Aquarius/Pisces cusp. While Sora IS a Pisces, she shares some qualities with Aquarius. Aquarius is a fixed, air sign. Air signs are noted as being hard to understand but easy to be around. They can be objective, sociable, open, honest, and rational, but can also be nervous, restless, unstable, and detached. These two signs combine into something called “The Cusp of Sensitivity”. Folks on this cusp are noted for being a peculiar mix of social and shy. They are spiritual, artistic, peace-loving, and friendly. The Cusp of Sensitivity is also thought to be the most intuitive cusp, making an individual on it especially compassionate. Still, Sora is a Pisces and shares more traits with that sign. Pisces folks have a tremendous amount of understanding but are often misunderstood themselves. They are sometimes pegged as being wishy-washy but are actually tuned into a higher purpose. They have a deep love of humanity and can be extremely successful when given the opportunity to express themselves. Pisces folks would do well with careers in the arts, teaching, or healing. They are sensitive to everything- criticism and other people’s feelings. They have a hard time saying no. They try to avoid harsh realities through escape or self-delusion, but often emerge from these short-lived ruts more compassionate than before. They prefer to feel their way through lives than follow some plan. Although sometimes appearing lost and vaguely directionless, Pisces folks have big dreams.

Now, there are certain aspects of this cusp that don’t fit Sora perfectly, but that’s where her moon sign comes in.

I headcanon Sora as having a Virgo moon. Not only does this work out with placing her perfectly on the Pisces side of the cusp, but I think it fits pretty well and counters some of the disagreeable parts of her sun sign. Moon signs are important in determining someone’s chart and are meant to represent one’s emotions and inner mood. Virgo is an Earth & Mutable sign. Earth signs are grounded, practical, cautious, and realistic. It may seem like almost nothing phases them, but when unbalanced, earth signs can become inflexible, lethargic, resistant to change, irrational, and experience toxic emotions. Virgos are the analyzers of the world. Those with Virgo moons enjoy the simplicity of life. They don’t need or want tons of attention, although they do appreciate recognition for the little things they do. Virgo moons find peace through having their lives in order and enjoy running errands, paying bills, and doing chores. They are routines biggest cheerleaders and are stressed out by change. They are also great counselors and have a fine eye, but often turn their criticism on themselves. Virgo moons sometimes suffer from low self-esteem and self-destructive habits. They are known to put up invisible barriers with the hope that somebody will break through. There is a subtle fragility about Virgo moons, and a discrete & guarded sensitivity that I think works in a perfect partnership with Sora’s sun sign. I believe her sense of anxiety stems from the differences we see.

Finally, that brings us to Sora’s rising sign. Rising signs are meant to represent one’s “social mask” or the way other’s view them. It accounts for first impressions and spontaneous reactions. I was a bit torn for this one, but ultimately decided on Sora having a Scorpio rising sign. Scorpio rising signs generally feel a need to know themselves, although they don’t particularly care to reveal themselves to others. They have a defensive wall and often wear a poker face around new people. Still, they give the impression that they have good judgment and are good at getting straight to the cores of people around them. They often seem like they’re looking right through you. However, for as much of a need as they feel to figure out other people’s problems, they often do not speak up about theirs. They are experts at letting you think you know them without actually revealing anything. Scorpio rising signs can be very mysterious. They can also have a bit of a temper if they are challenged.

Whew ! So, this could all completely change pending new information and my own continued learning about horoscopes (which has been pretty fun, tbh). I’d like to try and write out my headcanons for other characters once I have more time, but I’ll leave it here for now. Huge shoutout to @glassesandpassion for helping me figure out details surrounding Sora’s birth year and the Japanese school system. Apologies for any grammatical errors! I need to stop looking at my computer screen for a little bit lolol.

#zodiac;#birthday;#♡ I'm sorry Sora's not home but I'll tell her to call as soon as she gets back [OOC]#headcanon;#PAY NO MIND TO THE BIRTH YEAR AND SORAS CURRENT AGE ON THIS BLOG LOLOLOL

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