jg-abuyuan-art

[jg-abuyuan-art]

I started a Let's Play channel guiding players through the colonial Philippine world I've been working on on-and-off over the past decade or so now. Check it out.

Check out my video overview of San Simeon where I give a tour of the main city. I didn't want it to get too long so i cut it off at the half hour mark; the rest of the province will have to wait until the second video. Comparatively little to no actual game play despite what it says on the tin; I am bad with titles.

Enjoy, like, subscribe, *say aggressive things in the comments, and do whatever it takes for me to get a trickle of coin from this nonsense.

*Please defy the stereotype and don't actually do this.

[jg-abuyuan-art]

There's a corollary statement that makes fun of the ubiquity of the statement: Kawawa naman si Batman, siya palagi ang bahala ("Pity Batman, it's always up to him.") One could easily imagine the Filipino community in Gotham just saying this unironically instead of in jest.

I feel like more people should know about the Filipino phrase bahala na si Batman. quite literally, it means it's up to Batman. on a more figurative level, it means that you're leaving something to God/fate - metaphorically represented by Batman, of course.

big event that you haven't prepared for but you're going anyway? bahala na si Batman. major exams coming up and you haven't reviewed yet? bahala na si Batman. about to do anything remotely risky/luck-based? bahala na si Batman.

anyways, I just think it's hilarious that Batman is now a part of our culture through this saying. is this a thing in other cultures/languages too? let me know!

[jg-abuyuan-art]

We've had cold-adapted animals adapt to zoo environments here before (there's another zoo with black bears and skunks much closer to where I am, and another one with a puma) so I'm not entirely ruling it out that bison can also do the same. That said, the tropical weather has done a number on Manila Zoo's animals that the keepers were very worried about keeping them out to long, but at the same time the Cebu Safari Park is also in a forested area, and the infamous tropical heat here is less severe in forests than in cities to the point that people *notice* the difference.

A lot of factors are in play and I personally didn't see their habitat so I'm not entirely sure how they managed it myself.

Also, in tags or something, is this something you know offhand or needed to look up? Could you see one without driving?

[jg-abuyuan-art]

There are American Bison in the Cebu Safari Park the last I checked, which means that I, a person from the Manila region, must go through the process of booking a flight to the island province of Cebu and a hotel to stay in, get to that hotel, then get to the safari park on time to be able to see them. Not counting the bookings, the fastest I can reasonably go is about two days.

Fun fact: I know this because my family and I went to the safari park and because my brother wanted to go ziplining, his side of the family missed out on much of the zoo my brother-in-law and I managed to check out. Although we all missed the African hoofstock that weren't giraffes, they were able to see the bison on the way there, while my brother-in-law and I didn't.

GIF by various-cartoon-awesomeness

(I think I told my brother to never ride a zipline in a zoo ever again, especially if we arrived late).

Also, in tags or something, is this something you know offhand or needed to look up? Could you see one without driving?

[jg-abuyuan-art]

"Hello yes I would like to ask how much a five-peso Slurpee costs."

<record scratch, realizing that I meant to say "did you have five peso Slurpees today>

"It is very hot today."

<Shopkeeper nods in agreement at the heat-stressed college kid.>

[jg-abuyuan-art]

City Shots 9 (2024)

As part of my brother and I's excursion to New York City, we (or more precisely, he) went window shopping at a series of high-end shops at SoHo, then proceeded to hop around card shops in Greenwich Village in search of a basketball card featuring his favorite player. We were able to secure it to my recollection, but it took a lot of walking.

Again, my memories of New York appearing on screen (which is either Vancouver or a Universal Studios backlot, if we're being completely honest) is burned into my memory and being able to walk in a New York City neighborhood was quite surreal in the balance of familiarity and strangeness.

Greenwich Village in particular struck a chord with me as it goes a little beyond the mainstream, to use a hipster turn of phrase. True I enjoy wacky detectives, motormouth web-slinging teenagers, and sewer mutants as much as the next average person, but this particular bit of resonance with this NYC district had nothing to do with any of those flights of fancy. Greenwich Village was the site of one of my favorite short stories, The Last Leaf by O. Henry, and of key scenes from August Rush, a contender for one of my all-time favorite movies.

I was, sadly, unable to make the pilgrimage to the arch where the movie's scenes took place.

Camera: iPhone 11

Date: 15 June 2024

Location: SoHo and Greenwich Village, New York City, United States

Usage: By request

[jg-abuyuan-art]

City Shots 8 (2024)

The second in my series of photographs of New York City, which I finally got to visit along with my brother two months ago. These are the opening shots of my trip there as I arrived with my brother, cousin, and cousin's girlfriend. It was an overwhelming sensory experience that felt both novel and familiar at the same time. The touristy financial district was our first stop and is the featured heavily here. Time constraints kept me from taking pictures of Lady Liberty or exploring any of the buildings inside.

In my previous post, I asked the audience if they could notice a common compositional choice I made in many of my photographs. And here it should be evident in this set. I love taking pictures of buildings and greenery side by side. While I can and do take dramatic pictures of buildings by themselves, the ones I tend to like most were the ones with trees mixed in. I've a longstanding love for nature and cityscapes and capturing buildings alongside their greenery appeals to me.

It may also serve as a subconscious call for the union of these two things long held to be antithetical. Nature and urbanism can should coexist in the same space for the benefit of both. Human beings, after all, are still a part of nature, and we shouldn't try to separate ourselves from it.

Camera: iPhone 11

Date: 15 June 2024

Location: Battery Park, World Trade Center, and the Financial District, Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States

Usage: By request

[jg-abuyuan-art]

Vertical Empire (2024)

During my trip to the United States, my brother and I went to New York City to go sightseeing, with my cousin from New Jersey and his partner acting as guides. These photos represent the latter part of our trip around sunset. We hadn't the time to enter some of the sights ourselves due to time constraint. Some destinations had to be enjoyed from below.

This, of course, meant that vertical lines and three-point perspective are a key component in my shots. New York City, the city of dreams and memes that features heavily in a child's imagination was a surreal sight to behold, at once alien and (often pungently) familiar. Tall skyscrapers packed in a single space are not unfamiliar to me, as are streets caked in urine and filled with people even on a weekend. Still, it hits a little differently. One factor besides the is that some of the architecture is more varied, with some examples being as old or older than my grandparents.

The Novum Caput Mundi was one of the first cities to truly reach for the skies in North America since the Mesoamerican pyramids, and I can definitely see why the vertical sights captured the imaginations of people from across time.

Taking center stage, of course, is the highlight of the trip: the Empire State Building, the art deco building that is nigh synonymous with the word skyscraper at over 102 storeys tall. The title dovetails to this building's name, the state's nickname, and the tagline of one of my favorite retro games: SimTower.

Camera: iPhone 11

Date: 15 June 2024

Location: Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States

Usage: By request

[jg-abuyuan-art]

City Shots 7 (2024)

I went back to California to see my grandfather again and in the time I spent there in between visiting him, I once again took to the streets to take pictures of the interesting vistas Los Angeles had to offer. I had more leeway this time as it was the first time I spent much of the trip alone.

Most of the buildings featured here are structures I didn't feature the last time I was there (and fittingly were in the way of the places I managed to visit in my itinerary). It was here and in New York City that I discovered a preferred compositional style when taking cityscape images. Can you guess what it is?

This is the first album on my Tumblr to use more than one camera.

Camera: iPhone 11, Canon EOS 4000D

Date: 5 and 6 June 2024

Location: Koreatown, Miracle Mile, and Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States

Usage: By request

[jg-abuyuan-art]

A bit of both, as needed.

To paint large areas, I use the fill bucket, while I use freehand to fill in details or to mark the area to be filled in with the bucket later if the outline isn't enough.

I only use freehand near exclusively when making a landscape painting with no hand-drawn elements.

a question for my fellow digital artists

i personally like coloring stuff by hand because i feel like it gives me more control, but i was wondering what other artists do!!

(reblog for reach!)

[jg-abuyuan-art]

Oh, I definitely can, and have been able to for at least the past 20 or so years. I started by being able to heat up gravy packets and, of course, cook instant noodles in a stove. Today, I can cook a modest variety of dishes (mostly by frying), though until recently I had treated cooking largely as a hobby instead of a survival skill since i lived with other people.

I'm curious. Reblog this if you know how to cook

I don’t even care if it’s macaroni, ramen or those little bowls you stick in the microwave. Please, I need reassurance that most of the population on tumblr WOULDN’T STARVE TO DEATH if their parents couldn’t fix them food or they couldn’t go out to eat. 

[jg-abuyuan-art]

I'm holding a mid-year sale from today until the 24th of May, then opening them again for the same price from the 22nd of June through July 31. I'm opening an initial 5 slots but will open more depending on the demand and my ability to finish.

Only the mentioned items are on sale (maps and paintings are still regular priced).

[jg-abuyuan-art]

When I first moved out I planned to have one, but after that I kept putting it off. I've put all interior decorating ideas and furniture purchases on hold for the next few months due to major life plans though so whether it stays that way is up in the air.

read something recently that said a majority of people don’t have a wall clock these days, thought it was interesting since I’ve always considered it an essential and functional piece of home decor.

[jg-abuyuan-art]

City Shots 6 (2024)

One of my long overdue personal trips was one I spent in the Old City. I've made plans to visit the place before but due to unexpected upheavals (with me moving last year and all), it took until Lent 2024 for me to actually do so. If you haven't been following me, I have a longstanding interest in historic Philippine architecture which had its roots nearly 10 years ago when I started building colonial-themed houses in the Sims 3.

My trip was, like the one in 2022 before it, made during Lent. Unlike in 2022, however, I traveled alone, which gave me plenty of opportunities to explore Plaza San Luis and its neighbors.

I only had time to explore the area around Plaza San Luis and three of its museums (only two of which I elected to share). Inasmuch as I would want to take pictures of the rest of the city's museums (including the ones situated at Fort Santiago) and the other structures around the district, I ran out of time and energy due to how mercilessly hot the day was.

Like with my previous post, more information is shown under the cut.

Camera: iPhone 11

Date: 26 March 2024

Location: Plaza San Luis Complex, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines

Usage: By request. Noncommercial only.

The Old City of Intramuros (meaning "Within the Walls") was the nucleus of modern Manila, built over the flattened remains of the fortress city-state encountered by the conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1570. The city was the crown jewel of the Spanish Philippines and was once the home of the city's elite. Today, the city's residents comprise mostly of students and informal settlers, with the majority of people being tourists and the people who work in the businesses supporting the tourism industry.

Many of the sites in the city are in various states of ruin and restoration, very few of which besides the walls being the original structures at all. Most of the buildings in the city (including the entirety of Plaza San Luis) consist of reconstructed replicas. The Casa Manila Museum (the large yellow structure) isn't even based on a structure from the Old City but is a rebuilt building from a different district altogether.

The only building from the era that survived to be restored is San Agustin Church, the oldest surviving colonial stone structure in the country. Much of the Old City was destroyed toward the end of World War II.

[jg-abuyuan-art]

City Shots 5 (2022)

My opportunities to visit heritage sites have been few and far in between, what with recent upheavals and major life milestones coming about. Unlike in the 2010s, where I could make these trips on a whim, things were different in the 2020s. Up until I earned enough to go on trips on my own, I largely traveled with my family, especially during the pandemic. The images taken here were taken during Holy Week, when my father agreed to do our annual Visita Iglesia in the Old City of Intramuros.

The shots were taken using two phones (an older phone was used in some shots as a precautionary measure against thieves). Due to the afternoon heat, my family could only go down one road rather than pray through all the stations scattered in the district. Despite this setback, I had enough time in between prayer to take a modest selection of images of the reconstructed and themed structures of the city.

This is the first of two parts. View the second post here.

Important historic notes (including one about the street art) below the cut!

Camera: iPhone 6 and iPhone 7

Location: Plaza Roma, Luna Street, various side streets, and the Plaza San Luis Complex, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines

Date: 14 April 2022

Usage rights: By request. Noncommercial only.

Only one building complex, the San Agustin Church and convent, truly survived the bombings of World War II. Older historic buildings (including the Manila Cathedral and the Ayuntamiento de Manila) had to be rebuilt. One building, the Casa Manila Museum, was a reconstructed structure from a different district altogether.

Some of the newer buildings were also made to superficially resemble 18th and 19th Century colonial buildings. The district's current administration mandated that all new structures in the city must be in that style to preserve its atmosphere. The result is not quite an authentic historic district but what feels sometimes like a theme park version of one.

Featured in the parking lot street art is Manila's heraldic animal, the "sea lion," a chimerical mix of the front parts of a lion and the tail of a fish (not to be confused with the animal of the same name). The coat of arms of Manila, which included this creature, was first bestowed upon the city by King Philip II on the 20th of March 1596. This is not to be confused with the Singaporean merlion, which is a chimerical beast with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, first used in 1964.

[jg-abuyuan-art]

Well, I can read analog clocks just fine (being born in the 90s does this to you). I started preferring digital clocks later in life but like analog clock faces as an aesthetic. On top of that, I do hold that analog clock faces have their purpose, though most of them that i do know do not involve my daily life.

If you mean "type" as in using an analogue typewriter and its derivatives efficiently, that's outside my wheelhouse, but typing in general... well... you're reading this, aren't you?

To a limited degree, I can read a little Latin (speaking in languages where loanwords ultimately derive from Latin helps), while actually speaking it is beyond my capabilities. I am taking up Latin on Duolingo if that counts.

[jg-abuyuan-art]

While I am a homelander and my surname is indigenous, I'm Mestizo with presumed Chinese (inferred from my features) and European (slightly less obvious, but more or less confirmed) heritage so there's definitely a few immigrants and colonizers somewhere up my bloodline. I just don't know when since the furthest I traced back my ancestry was the mid-1800s and on the side of my family who were from the local nobility (principalia).

* didnt know how to sum this up well but like from what generation was the most recent person to immigrate to your country from, from your direct line (parents, grandparents etc) so if your mother’s parents immigrated and your father immigrated directly then it would be a parent (your father)

pls reblog for sample size etc

follow for more occasional useless polls :)