#also first full project in procreate dreams!

[karetyto]

This December - Desertduo PMV for an overdue secret santa :D

[qfzeeph]

love love love seeing Kijo Togami headcanons on the byakuya tag AAAAAAAAA and honestly it got me inspired to share my own!!!!! heheheheh I kinda homebrewed the Plot Twist™ and new lore regarding... certain things... from Project Raincode into this so if you don't want spoilers for that I don't recommend clicking the read more. Though that being said it's very much a homecooked-homebrewed version of it so it's also not reflective of what's canon in the universe also. The plot twist IS still talked about however!

so a lot of my writing for Kijo is centered around my own lore (which contains a lot of oc x canon because hehe funny i have no self control) so I'm mainly gonna be focusing on the stuff that isn't super duper specific to that. Also, all of this takes place in the Non-Despair Timeline.

So first of all, tl;dr on my funky version of the Homunculus Project is that some people either became homunculi via injection of DNA or they could have a body double. Body doubles could either live alongside the host OR have their consciousness transferred into a homunculus body. Typically, only high ranking people were offered the latter option. Also in my take on it, they found a way to negate the sunlight sensitivity and the Amaterasu Corporation cut corners that unintentionally made it so all of their subjects to have the issue. The Unified Government's experiments also successfully prevented permadeath, but they didn't know the effect was only short term and after a certain number of years "dying" would result in zombification.

•Kijo was one of the very first people to have his consciousness transferred into a Homunculus body, since he was extremely eager to become even more perfect than he already was. He was a huge backer and part of the project as a whole, seeing as the Togami Conglomerate has such a prominent place in the global government.

•One of the head scientists, a french DNA sequencer, was also one of the very first people to do this as well. She was able to do so despite not having the same status as the billionares because she contributed so much to the project. She decided to work on the project because she was born infertile and wanting nothing more than to have a kid of her own, and being transplanted into a new body was, at least in her mind, the only way to achieve that dream.

•Kijo overhears this and has the idea of procreating a homunculus child. Homunculus children at this point were being given to non-homunculus surrogate volunteers (basically how everyone else who went to Hope's Peak got to exist. It was never a school for the gifted-it was secretly a containment zone for all of the test tube homunculi babies aside from "Lucky Students" like Makoto and Reserve Course students.) She agrees since it's everything she's ever wanted, despite knowing that one day she'd have to give him up when the time came.

•The Woman would be allowed to bear Kijo's child, and he was predetermined to be the heir of the company. However, the traditional competition and inheritance contest had to continue as normal in order to maintain the illusion that there weren't genetically modified children in the family. Her son was never to find out, and him and his father were to rule to corporation for eons to come while also spreading homunculus DNA and offspring to those deemed worthy.

•Byakuya's mom never told him that he was basically destined to win. She raised him with love and care and all the formal training any Togami child would normally have needed to compete and be worthy of the title. It pained her to see him go, but she got to experienced the thing she'd always wanted.

•Byakuya doesn't find out ANY OF THIS until his dad "dies" (since the project ended up being faulty and nobody knew that the immortality effects did not stop the body from giving out on itself,) and subsequently gets reincarnated as a zombie within a day. It crushes him, he is full of angst and confusion, like imagine your whole life you believe your talents were earned not given, and they turn out to be given instead of earned (this is actually where more of the oc x canon lore comes in because my character also suffers from genetic modification, and her altered DNA is what cancels out the effects of his altered DNA. We have an in-joke in my friend group that Chere gave Byakuya radiation poisoning and that's why he's allowed to live almost painlessly lmfao) that and like, imagine knowing that one day your body is gonna just give out on you and you'll wake up the next morning as a zombie. that's kinda scary man ngl

•tl;dr: Byakuya Togami is a superhuman because his dad and mom are genetically modified superhumans. His dad wanted to play god and raise a god heir. Byakuya did not choose this path and now has to suffer the consequences of it. Byakuya is also the ONLY homunculus child that was born from two homunculi, all the others were surrogates. That's why he's the Ultimate Perfection ;) ...this probably doesn't make much sense and is like SUUUUUPER fucking out there and weird but I'm posting it anyway I'm tired of being a coward

[tailblazer-firewolf]

the silly fursona

just my little shark gal

i should come up with a story for her at some point but for now she is a mystery

ive got another story cookin up rn as a main project that i think yall will enjoy

also new animatic tomorroe, first full animatic in procreate dreams!! ive been waiting for something like procreate dreams since i started animating so thank you procreate team, its so worth the $20

animatic link

[2023-604-joshualowe]

20 Objects

I found that there were three categories: hobbies, design tools and essentials.

Design Tools

Wacom Tablet

The Wacom tablet is significant because it is my design journey's first tool. In high school, they provided us with Wacom tablets, so I used them in many of my designs, and I see it as a factor in how I fell in love with design. I could express myself through digital drawing with the tablet.

MacBook

With the design world being digital in the 21st century, the Apple MacBook is the foremost essential item in my inventory. I bought it when I started university, and it is my primary tool throughout my degree. Whether it's exploring Behance or graphic design subreddits, my whole design process has been online.

Music

These earbuds are an essential item in my inventory. I listen to music daily: while on the train to university and doing my work. It helps my productivity, and I need background noise to focus while working. It also helps with my design work; listening to music while designing helps me find inspiration through different music genres.

Sony a6000 with Sigma 30mm Lens

I have a love-hate relationship with photography. I love the photo outcomes but must improve my photography skills. This is my first ever camera, I saved up all my money to get it while in high school.

Sketchbook

Ever since I was young, I always loved drawing. I have many sketchbooks full of illustrations, from Power Rangers to my dream house. At university, I learned that multiple scamps and sketches are behind every design. Dumping my ideas in my sketchbook is the best method in my design process.

National Geographic

National Geographic is my first glimpse into publication. My dad is a life member of National Geographic and has received them since the 80s. Before I was not too fond of reading, so I never paid attention to them, but now, with my passion for editorial design, I will read and take inspiration from them.

iPad

My iPad is an essential tool in my inventory. Ever since I was young, I loved drawing, but now, as a graphic design student, I can implement them into my designs. I enjoy using Procreate and doodling, it is a suitable method in my design process, an alternative to a sketchbook.

Posters in My Environment

To expand my vocabulary, I take pictures in my environment. Every day, I walk down Queen Street to Britomart to catch the train home and look at event posters and billboards. If I see something appealing and exciting, I will take a picture of it. I have a whole album on my phone of pictures.

Josef Muller-Brockmann Publication

This is one of my first assignments. It is a magazine in the style of and about Josef Muller-Brockmann, and this assignment was the beginning of my publication journey. Using the grid system style and deep diving into publication, I discovered a newfound love for typesetting and the grid system.

Sun Wukong Publication

This is my most recent assignment, it is a storybook about the Chinese folktale Sun Wukong shown in a modern design. Considering the cultural and time period aspects, I used a Japanese binding method and a more yellow stock of paper. This is the first book-style project I have done.

Hobbies

Football kits

I have been watching football all my life, and the primary identifier of a football club is the kit. Football kits are a constant source of inspiration with their designs from retro to new. Football clubs commonly express themselves through their kits. This is a kit for my football team, Manchester United.

Football Balls

Football is a constant source of inspiration. Things like football balls and football kits change every season. For example, tournament football, like the World Cup, has balls inspired by the host countries' culture and designs. This football is from the recent Women's World Cup in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Australia.

New Page Design

New Page Design by Wang Shaoqiang is a must-have for people passionate about publication/editorial design. It has countless layout examples and provides foundations for editorial design, including paper size, typographic units, the history of typography, etc. I have learned much from this book, and it will further my understanding of editorial design.

Grid Systems

Grid Systems is a book by Josef Muller Brockmann, one of the most influential designers. It is a must-have and is an essential book in my arsenal. It gives you many examples of typography: sizing, leading, how to use grid systems and the gold ratio. It is the first design book I have brought myself.

Video Games

I have been playing video games all my life. Many people find games fun or as an escape, but I see games through design. I like modding with the designs. For example, the game I like to design is FIFA. I have spent hours creating my own kits and badges.

Threaded Publication

Threaded Publication is a publication that showcases designers from all around but also focuses on designers from Aotearoa. Many lectures from AUT are showcased in the publication. This is the first design publication I have received. It is inspiring how many lecturers I see around the WE building here at AUT have their work showcased in this publication.

Essentials

Cup of Tea

Most days, I drink a cup of tea, and it is the perfect companion when designing. Tea originated in China, dating back to the 3rd century BC. It is a common pastime in Asian culture, most times, I have it with my mum and dad at the dinner table, talking about our day, so I associate tea with community/family.

Mechanical Keyboard

I'm a massive fan of mechanical keyboards, especially with the design. From the colourway of the keycaps to the design of the backplate, I like the design aspect of mechanical keyboards. This is my keyboard. It's a cherry blossom theme Ducky Miya Pro keyboard, and it is the first I bought myself. 

Glasses

My glasses are an essential item in my everyday life. I have worn glasses pretty much all my life, and growing up I never considered the style of my glasses. With a newfound eye for design in recent years, these are the first I have considered the style and design.

Yum Cha

Finally, the theme of this poster is Yum Cha. Yum Cha holds cultural significance to me because my mum was born in Hong Kong. I have never been to Hong Kong or Asia, so it helped me keep in touch with the Cantonese culture that my mum grew up in.

[rodpupo7]

Reflection of the day 30/05/22 - 02/06/22: Self Promotion and Collective Zine

This Monday we started working on the self Promotion projects, which include a website, a CV and a card.

I had already started mine a few weeks ago, on the platform known as Figma. And during that period I was adapting it to be something more like me. Because at first I had done something colorful, and full of details on the pages, but the professor said it didn't have to be that way, being able to make a simpler design. So I opted to work in black and white which seemed like something that suited me best.

My Figma website is almost ready, I just need to organize my portfolio properly, so that it is presentable to people.

Other than that I started working on my CV, putting in some of my basic information like skills, exhibitions I attended, and also a small bio.

As a photo of the CV, I put a black and white illustration that I had made of my face, to put together with the site bio.

And I thought I agreed, since the color of my CV is also white.

As for the business card, I'm still not sure how I'm going to do it. I'm thinking of using my website logo as the cover of my card, but I think it would be better to choose some black and white illustration, to show the person who would have the card, what my style is.

On Tuesday I continued to work on the collective zine of dreams. I had done an illustration about a dream I sometimes have, that I would be levitating. And I imagine that everything around me looks strange, like something lysergic, totally shapeless and colorful.

So I spent the day working on this illustration, trying to make myself levitate and the background fully colored. All illustration was done in Procreate, and I did it in black and white, while the background was already colored. I did this to maintain the fidelity of the previous drawing where I was in black and white.

This totally insane background was based on the colors and scenarios of comic artists Dave Gibbons and Jack Kirby, who used to use strong colors, looking like a kaleidoscope.

Finishing the illustration, I decided to make an animated gif with it, it went up and down, as if it was floating.

I still need to make the illustrations of desire and memory, and I'll see if I can make them tomorrow to deliver on Thursday.

On Wednesday I continued to work on the zine's illustrations, focusing mainly on the memory dream.

I had doodled several drawings of old memories I had. Like, for example, when I lived on a farm, which to this day I remember when I rode a horse and lived climbing trees.

But I didn't think they were drawings that appealing or at least interesting to put in a zine.

So I had an idea after doing some research to clarify ideas. And I found a Brazilian illustrator called Bruno Miranda, where he makes heads of people coming out of their heads with colored waves, as if they were a metaphysical representation of a memory.

And so I decided to use this idea as inspiration for my drawing. Where I drew myself once more, with my head open and this wave of colored memory coming out of my head. Where this wave at one point made it look like someone running.

Perhaps the strangest and most pointless drawing I've ever had the pleasure of doing. It was a totally experimental design, and with an idea that I didn't expect to use.

On Thursday, we all joined our illustrations on the collective zine website. The site was practically set up, it just needed a few touches to make it presentable to the public.

Unfortunately I had not been able to do the illustration of desire, as I had not had time to think of something interesting. So I focused on trying to finish my website, as well as finishing my CV.

I was really excited to finish the site, because I had been messing with it for a while, so I wanted to get it out of the way so I could focus on other things. At the same time I tried to help colleagues to put the illustrations on the collective zine site, trying to organize them, and trying to create a composition. Each page of the zine had a kind of text, metaphor about dreams.

In the end, our site was very interesting, but we were asked to change the homepage of the site, because we could improve it in some way. Maybe making each door have its own identity, so they don't look so much alike.

[renee-writer]

Arranged Chapter 49 Frank Meets Murtagh

AO3

He knows that if he is looking for Jamie, he will head to the pub, not knowing he is an expectant father and husband. Claire had given him a picture of Frank so he knows who he is looking for. If it is the same bloke from earlier, he will know anyway. He walks in and looks around, spotting him right away. Good.

He walks up to the bar and orders a drink sending one to Frank after making note of what he was drinking. Then he waits.

It doesn’t take long. He walks up to him where he sits at one of the small tables. “Why?” he gestures to the gin he holds. “Look if it is any type of come on, I don’t swing that way. I know it is more common here.”

Murtagh laughs. “Christ bloke, so is hospitality obviously. I don’t either but you are new here. I recalled you from Mackenzie’s and thought you could use a drink. It is a hard adjustment.”

The lad has the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry. It is. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

“Have a seat.” He invites. Frank sits down across from him. “Murtagh Mackenzie.” He offers his hand.

“Frank Randall.” He accepts it.

“So, have you found the lad you were looking for?”

He takes a sip of the gin. Shaking his head, he answers, “No unfortunately. He is just a means to find my wife anyway.”

Murtagh looks interested. “Your wife? You’ve a wife here?”

“Well yes, in a way. She was my first. Found to be infertile and sent here. I was assigned another but she didn’t catch either. I was re-tested and found also to be. I figured since we are both here, we might as well be together as re-assigned since we were married.”

“I see. And this Jamie?”

“He is with her. I get that woman have needs but it would be better if she meet them with me. After all, here we needed stick to a schedule with both unable to procreate.”

Murtagh has to force himself not to respond. He can still feel the roundness of her baby under his hands. “Well, she has to be working somewhere as does Jamie. Maybe she will be assigned to the same job as you or he will.”

The bloke’s large drink of gin tells Murtagh just how much he hates where he was assigned. Interesting. Now just tell me where. “No, she isn’t there, thank God. The paper mill is no place for a lady. Now those like Leery.. she is a lass I meet at the employment office,” he takes another drink, “she has her own reasons to find Jamie. Says Claire stole him. I am sure he just wished to see what it was like to shag a lady. Probably had only had slags like Leery. But she works there too.” He takes another deep drink.

Murtagh has found out more then he ever dreamed. The more he drank, the more he talked. He gestures the barmaid over and orders another gin. Frank nods his thanks. “Do you have a plan to find them?”

“Leery is working on something. She is trying to find out where Fraser lives. Claire is shacking up with him. Something she wouldn’t think about doing before. This place has changed her.”

“It tends to do that.” Under the table, he is texting this information to Jamie.

“Yeah, went from a professor to a bloody mill worker. From living in the best part of town to living in a drug and prostitute invested flat, full of bugs on f*cking High street. At least it is well named.” He laughs darkly.

“That it is.” Murtagh now knows where he lives, where he works and, that he is working with that troublemaker, Leery. Quite a lot.

“But, I will find Claire and we will move into a better neighborhood. I will find a job worthy of me, and we will make a life here.”

“That sounds like a solid plan. Let me see you home. Public transportation is dangerous this time of night.”

“Alright. Seems Fraser isn’t coming tonight.” No Murtagh thinks, he is wrapped up in Claire as the celebrate their wedding. He just lays some pounds on the table and helps Frank out.

He wasn’t lying. He lives in the worst book of flats on High Street. Someone was being punished for lying, Murtagh thinks as he stumbles up to the door. He makes sure he is inside before ringing Jamie.

[bnha-scenarios]

Okay, so, first thing first. The second half of September and the whole October has been a wild ride.

Apparently this game blew up on TikTok (and probably some other platform or something?), and now I could see that there are tons of you who downloaded the game. That's just... so... unreal, at least to me. I didn't think this project would get so much attention. Even now, I’m still waiting to wake up from this dream 🙃

Anyway, if you’re new here: welcome! Sit back and relax, ‘cause this is gonna be a long ride!

I want to take this opportunity to say that due to the amount of comments, especially on itch.io page and my Tumblr, I won’t be always replying personally one by one to everyone anymore. I'll still try my best to answer questions and all, but I think by now everyone's common questions should already be answered in the FAQ page. So, moving forward, questions I have already answered inside that page will be ignored.

Still, I want you to know that I do read and treasure every single one of your comments. Thank you so much for your encouraging words, support, and suggestions! I'm sorry I can’t reply to those writing in languages other than English and Indonesian. While I can throw simple comments into Google Translate, every now and then the translator butchers long sentences and gives me garbled translation which I can't understand 😥

  ☕️ Special Thanks ☕️ 

I'd like to also take this chance to say, many, many thanks for the coffee, you all amazing, generous people:

M.L. | Dominique | Genki | Sara | 1 Anon

Even in this hard time, you’re all so kind. Again, I can’t really do much, but as my way of thanking you, your names will be put under Special Thanks in the game ♡ 

Alright, now, to the real essence of this post: progress update.

My work had been pretty demanding nearing the end of this month, and it made me get really sick of doing coding in general. Still, there is some progress on the game, and that’s good enough for me!

More details below ↓

Character Sheet: You / Player / Main Character

Before I get to anything else, let’s talk about ‘you’ first, shall we?

Although the main character's name is changeable, if you don’t wish to pick a name for them, ‘Suzuki Kaede’ is set as the default name.

Why Suzuki? I figured I would just take from one of the most common Japanese surnames.

Why Kaede? I chose it because I wanted a common Japanese unisex name, because the main character themselves is supposed to be gender neutral. So, the name came up as one of the results in Google, it has a somewhat nice and neutral meaning (maple), and I find that it sounds pretty nice, I decided to use it.

To reiterate, throughout the game, I try my best to not mention any physical characteristics and avoid elements which leans heavily to a specific gender in the story. All the characters in the game will also call you with your last name, and only neutral suffix (-san) is used at first. But you could get an event where you would be able to pick how the love interest will call the player, starting from that point in the story (on top of neutral options, there will be choices with gender-specific suffixes which you could pick if you want to). Other than that, all characters will always refer to the MC as ‘they/them’.

Now, moving on to the thing which people has asked about -- the player's Quirk. Here's a text version in case you couldn't see it in the image above for some reason:

What happens when a woman with Enhanced Learning quirk and a man with Camera Vision procreates? A child with exemplary learning ability and a pair of exceptionally observant eyes, apparently! The hereditary Vision you got from your father enables you to focus or scan an object or landscapes. With all the cues and information from your eyes, it seems that you're able to analyze and 'see' particular details of your object of interest in the form of numerical data. Due to the mainly passive nature of your quirk, you have to rely on the traditional weapons for offense, which might not be useful at all depending on your opponent's quirk. It's a plain and nonoffensive ability which isn’t so suited for a hero according to most people, but whatever - you’ll show those noobs the power of a gamer!

In other words, the information in 'Stats',  ' Weapon Proficiency', 'Special Moves', and even the 'Affection' meter, are actually part of the MC's Quirk. This also means, the more you hone your Quirk, the more it could affect your gameplay. I'll talk about that on the Gameplay section below.

There is one thing that’s kind of related to the MC's Quirk and I wanted to clarify. Bakugou did call you this in the demo, and yep, you might have guessed it: “crosshair eyes”. Reticle, crosshair, whatever you want to call it -- it’s that symbol you usually see in the center of your screen whenever you play FPS games. This is the only physical feature of the player's character that I specified (and yes, canonically, Hatsume has a pair of similar looking eyes in the original work). In relation to this, the icon for ‘activating’ your Quirk matches the same symbol.

Gameplay

Introducing: Stats, Special Moves, and Video Games!

Stats

There are 5 basic Stats for all of the characters in the game (brownie points if you recognize where they're taken from!): Speed, Technique, Power, Intelligence, Cooperativeness.

Your own Stats start off low, but you will be able to increase it by doing various activities, such as studying, playing games, winning on Heroics lessons, going to certain places, etc. Different activities raises different Stat, and you're free to choose which particular Stat you want to develop.

What are Stats being used for?

Certain Stat will increase a certain character’s affection, though it won’t be as much as if you hang out with that character.

There are certain places which you can only unlock when a specific Stat reaches a certain point. I’ll talk about hang out places and characters’ schedules in another post.

Weekly one-on-one training matches in Heroics lessons will test a specific Stat or Special Moves each time. Depending on who you chose to become your opponent, that specific Stat will determine the outcome of that match. On one hand, winning these matches can increase your Stat, but on the other hand, there are also special events you could possibly unlock when you lose. Again, I’ll probably talk more in detail about this in another post, since I still don't have the coding part down, so things might change.

Special Moves

Every hero has a Special Move in this universe, and so does the player’s character! While they might not be as flashy as All Might’s iconic United States of Smash, some of your Special Moves will have a direct effect on the gameplay. For example, a certain Special Move could unlock more answer choices for certain scenarios. Another Special Move could be activated to give you hints on how many affection points will be added to a character for the available choices.

You have a total of 5 unlockable Special Moves, and it will be up to you to use this feature: do you spend your time trying to unlock all of it in hope to make your gameplay easier, or ignore them completely in favor of balancing your Stats while pursuing the affection of your chosen love interest? It’s your choice!

(More brownie points for you if you got the reference in that picture lol)

Another use for Special Moves would be in the Heroics lessons, seeing as it might test how your Special Move fares against the opponent you picked.

Video Games

I would say that this particular element plays quite a big role in this game, since the MC learns and develops themselves by playing games. While you do have a set of games which you’ve owned, you’re able to purchase new games from the Video Game store. I would recommend doing this, as there are some neat ones which will help you greatly in your playthrough. But if you're not interested to explore them, that's fine too!

Each video game has a different effect, and it’s up to you to discover them! Or, perhaps, you could unlock a Special Move that allows you to know what effect each of the game has? 😉

What are Video Games being used for?

Most games will only increase specific Stat(s), but there are also others that can unlock Special Moves.

There is one game which helps you to unlock Stats or Special Moves of your classmates, which you can use in the Heroics lesson to pick a suitable opponent based on your current Stats.

In addition to all that, there are 2P games which require more than one person to play, and you could play them with your romance target when they’re available. On top of building your Cooperativeness, choosing the right answers during the gaming session will increase that character's affection.

Others

The basic functions behind some activities like studying, buying video games, and playing video games are done. I will probably move on to code the functions handling the Heroics lesson’s battles and the behind-the-scenes of when the player chooses to go to certain places.

I've also finished the two main custom screens, which is the Quirk and Games page. If I have time and the motivation, I'm guessing I'll be adding the two other additional screens I had thought of doing. We'll see.

Assets

This part is my nightmare, because I’m a perfectionist who’s far too picky when gathering resources…

But no assets = no game, so I did find several assets which I did like. This includes backgrounds, audios, background musics, and some sprites I was planning to use for developing the phone call function. I’m not going to list down all the things I found here, because I don’t think any of you would be interested in a long-ass list, but here’s an amazing background picture which I stumbled upon searching the dark abyss that is the internet:

Full credits to the artist: https://arsenixc.artstation.com/

Writing

I would have to say there isn't too much progress on this side yet, but I did decide on some story elements I want to insert into the game and scripted in a few scenes for the first day. I also managed to code in the dialogs for some common activities / places, like the video game store and a small part of school lunch time.

Honestly, I should probably create a sheet to identify how many scenes I would have to write? So all of us know the progress for this part of the development? ..... Let's see how it goes when my OCD flares up...

Disclaimers

All assets included in the devlogs are not mine, and credits to the asset owners / websites will be included in the game! My Hero Academia / Boku no Hero Academia ⓒ Horikoshi Kouhei

[nocornersuns]

Drawing for the Elementary Art Curriculum - Pack of Super Simple Drawing Pages

Over the last few months I have been making these how to draw worksheets to pass out for specific projects.  Covid19 constraints has made it difficult in the art room to share things like drawing books, printed photographs, and folders and folders and folders full of the drawing resources I have used in the past.  Hence, "Drawing for the Elementary Art Curriculum" was born!

                                  It began years ago with Zoo Animals, Farm Animals, and Sea Creatures.  I made some drawing pages by hand for these projects I often do with Kindergarten and First Grade.   Then, I started thinking about how I teach those kids how to draw fruits and vegetables for projects like still life drawing, and Arcimboldo faces.  For years I've stood at the board teaching how to draw cave animals, and dinosaurs.... !

I started by making a list of things that kids are either learning from me how to draw step-by-step, or using my drawing books, folders, and photographs to help with a project.  I got to work making the pages on ProCreate.

I actually haven't done a project with the Zodiac Animals.  I came up with the idea in January, but didn't finish it till April!

I teach a  Rousseau inspired jungle picture with first grade. 

I used this page in third grade for a Basquiat project and I've used it in second for the silhouette landscape.

I teach an Under The Sea picture in Kindergarten. 

It's been several years, but I used to teach a farm animal landscape every year and it was so cute.

I actually used this with first grade, but it would be better for second or third.

Another oldie I would teach to first grade at the end of the year after they visited the zoo on a field trip!

This one is new and for a new project.  I taught "Surreal Sandwiches" with fifth and sixth this year. Check out the link for my unlisted project video.

Early in my career I started doing an era specific art history project with each grade, so at the end of their six years in elementary school they would go through ALLL the fancy art eras.  Of course, kindergarten would start with Paleolithic Cave Paintings.

I do an op-art project and Notan project with fourth.  This page is simplified and helpful, but man - leaves are hard for kids to draw.

This is my guide when teaching some Thiebaud inspired still life.

As mentioned above, this one is perfect for still life and Arcimboldo fruit faces.

The Vegetable page is also hand with the Arcimboldo faces and still life.

Australian Animals pairs well with the Aborigine Dream Paintings!

Drawing Woodland Animals and Drawing Sleeping Woodland Animals go together for some winter scenes I've done with 2nd and 3rd.

And finally, Spring Things - this is an oldie I would use for a Spring Landscape.,

The entire bundle is on my TPT store for only $18.  I know, there are mixed feelings about buying and selling things on TPT, but I have a lot of free things on there too.  Check it out.

I have at least THREE more incomplete pages that are just waiting to be part of this bundle!  Flowers, insects, and musical instruments are in the works.  Any other you can think of?

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[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “Freaks” Part 1

Y/N is a metahuman with several peculiarities, but one could say the weirdest is her heart: it is gated by four locks that make it impossible for the woman to fall in love. Also one could say she’s manipulative, cunning and ruthless. Sounds familiar? Maybe that’s why The Joker is the perfect candidate to help her finally get something she always desired: a one of a kind heir.

“Yoooo-hoooooooooo, Mister Jooo-kkkeeerrr!!!!” Bane skips along the poorly lit corridor since it’s almost 11 at night and the Arkham inmates are supposed to be asleep. Yet they’re not: the ruckus woke them all up and now they are standing by the glass walls facing the hallway, wondering what the heck is going on.

The real Bane sighs, completely unappreciative of you borrowing his physical appearance.  

“Hey, cut it out!” he admonishes as Y/N passes by and she decides to stop for a moment.

“Hello there handsome,” you swing your hips while walking towards him and The Riddler snorts, entertained: his cell is right across so it’s not like he can miss the show.

“If you’re going to mimic me, don’t do stuff like that!” Bane hisses through his mask, irritated.

“Apologies honey,” you wink and continue. “Far from me to purposely chop your masculinity to pieces,” but seductively sway on the tip of the heavy boots, taunting more because... who’s going to stop you?

“Seriously?!” Bane growls and you cut him some slack, transforming into The Joker for a few seconds.

“Jeez, don’t get worked up,” you smirk and blow the green hair off your face. “I’m looking for this guy, I know he’s here too.”

“Why are you looking for him?” Killer Croc punches his fists together, hoping he can twist your presence in his favor.

“I need him for breeding purposes,” you serenely admit as The Clown Prince of Crime rolls his eyes three padded rooms up from your present location.

“I told you before I can help with that,” Harvey Dent flips his coin in the air, not understanding why his offer was rejected numerous times.

“Me too!” The Riddler grins. “You should forget about the man that repeatedly refuses your advances and pick one of us,” the mastermind gestures at the cells containing prisoners willing to take on the task.

“I want him,” you revert to your human form, Mr. Freeze gasping with admiration: he’s been a fan for the past two years. “He’s the only male I’m compatible with for procreation on this continent and nobody else will do.”

“How do you know?” Deadshot addresses the burning question.

“I just know, ok?” you pout not wishing to get into details. “That’s why I’m here to bail him out. I helped his men clear the area so we can rescue the father of my future baby.”

“Ugghhhh,” a displeased and very loud protest is heard from The Joker’s cell.

“There you are,” you light up with the happiest smile and abandon the captives held in pretty boxes lined up on the south side of Arkham Asylum.

“Hey Y/N,” Jonathan Crane smacks his lips, “if you get me out of here also I’ll give you two millions.”

“I’ll give you double!” The Penguin shouts and Bane promises:

“I’ll give you three!”

The offers keep on pouring in and the shapeshifter is not a person to say no to easy money.

“Might as well,” you press the yellow buttons outside everyone’s incarceration chambers, leaving the best for last.

“Hiiii Mister Jooooker,” you drag the words and he grumbles, squeezing past you as soon as the glass slides enough for him to emerge from the cell.

“Shut up!” he barks and you couldn’t care less about his crabbiness.

“Your crew is waiting outside,” you giggle and turn into Frost, escorting the grouchy Clown in the direction of the exit you know it’s safe to take.

“Would you look at that?” The Shark teases, not being able to contain his laughter.

“Holy shit!” Panda tries to keep it together yet it’s impossible: the real Frost gives them a dismissing glare, annoyed Y/N is lovingly holding The Joker’s arm as they come down the stairs, definitely engaged in some sort of argument.

“That’s obviously not me!” Jonny mutters and there are more disrespectful remarks from the henchmen patiently waiting for their boss.

“It’s still funny as hell!” Richard underlines and swallows his sentence when Y/N posing as Frost kisses The Joker’s cheek.

“One more sound out of you jerks and I’ll bash your brains in!” Jonny threatens because he’s sick and tired of Y/N playing charades at his expense.

Thankfully you switch to your old self immediately after but the team is glad they’ll have something to tease Frost with in the weeks to come. Although it can be overdone: under the apparent calmness he has quite a wretched temper.

“Delivered as agreed,” you cheerfully announce to his gang and follow J even if he’s not thrilled about it.

“Get lost!” he angrily stomps, pushing you away when you grab his hand again.

“Stop being so rude!” you remodel your body after his and he takes a deep breath, staring back at another fabulous J courtesy of Y/N.

“Stop mimicking me!!!” he sneers and Panda comments in a low tone, convinced he’s far behind to safely say it:

“Two Jokers. God Forbids!”

A couple of goons nearby snicker and the amusement abruptly halts when you raise your voice:

“I heard that!!!”

“Huh?” J inquires.

You just lift your shoulders up, not wanting to distract him from what he has to focus on: making sure he fulfils your demand.

The First Lock  

“You’re still here?!” The King of Gotham comes out of the bathroom, intensely drying his wet hair with a towel. “I thought that by the time I’m out of the shower you’ll be gone.”

You gaze at his naked body, reckoning it’s a nice coincidence to be compatible with such a beautiful specimen. Could be much worse.

“Why don’t you want to help me?” you ask and The Joker is aware what you’re referring to. “I’ve been begging you for a year; I must emphasize I’m losing hope and I will probably have to move to another continent in order to find a new prototype that could give me an heir.”

“Not my problem. Why do you want a kid?” he tosses the towel on the floor and digs around in the closet for a pair of boxers.

“So I won’t be alone,” the disarming reply makes him tilt his head to analyze the stubborn metahuman that pesters him on a regular basis about crap he doesn’t give a damn about. “The storm is coming,” you shift the subject when the lighting strikes the dark skies in the distance at 1:23 in the morning.

J gulps, uneasy: he saw the 6 feet creature for a split second and it certainly startled him.

“Apologies, Mister Joker,” you try to fix the mistake because it’s evident his reaction is below excitement standards. “The fire bolt must have projected my true nature. You only tolerate the pretty side, don’t you?” the sadness in your demeanor confuses J. “They all do…” Y/N whispers to herself. “Is this better?” you transform into Poison Ivy, then Cat Woman, then a random blonde girl with big boobs; by the seventh option The Joker had enough.

“Cut it out!” he finally finds his favorite underwear and you stand by the bed, opting out to be your human self for his sake.

“Can you please help me?” a disappointed woman pleads since he’s getting ready to go to sleep.

“Why would I help you?” The Joker snaps, hoping you’ll disappear from the premises and let him rest at the mansion he found refuge at after breaking out of Arkham.

Your eyes get teary and he never saw you show any type of weakness before; it’s sort of uncomfortable even for him.

“Because us freaks have to stick together.”

“Speak for yourself!” J gets mad at your affirmation and doesn’t know how to react to the tears rolling down your cheeks. “Mmmmm,” he debates, deep in thought: the insane Clown was captive for almost three months and a half and they surely don’t allow any conjugal visits in that shithole. Not that he has anybody in particular that would come to tend to his urges.

“If I help you,” the sudden switch in mood makes you pay attention, “will you quit bothering me?”

“Y-yes, of course! I swear!” you wipe your eyes, full of hope for once. “Since we’re a match it will only take one time! I’ll make it worth your while, I promise.”

You watch J take off his boxers and don’t blink when he yanks you in his arms, afraid he might change his mind: he’s not the most well balanced individual on the planet.

“No kissing,” you dodge his lips. “I only need the technical stuff.”

He gives you a cold stare, fed up with the infernal plague:

“You don’t get to make any other requests!” The Joker pulls you into a passionate kiss that unexpectedly shatters the first lock of your heart.

“Wait, wait…” you part from his soft lips, kind of drunk on the intimacy. “Did you hear that?!”

“Hear what?” he shoves Y/N on the bed and slowly crawls on top of her.

“That deafening noise.”

“Nope,” J purrs while carefully listening anyway. A strong thunder shakes the ground and he grins: “I heard it.”

“Not that, it was something else,” you attempt to explain and he buries his face in your cleavage, protesting the unwanted dialogue: 

“After chewing my ears for months, less yapping would be nice!”

You smile, delighted to have tricked The Joker with your fake tears; you sure counted on him being trapped inside the Asylum without any feminine presence to grace his existence and it payed off in the end. Making yourself available when nobody else is around brought the desired outcome: Y/N always gets what she wants.  

************

The Joker moans in his dream, unhappy with your wiggling.

“What is it?” he cuddles up to your body and it feels soft.

“I’m pregnant,” you yawn and he puffs in disbelief.

“Already?... We had sex a couple of hours ago.”

“U-hum,” you say and let him caress your skin, unaware your true essence peeked from behind the human shell. “It shouldn’t take too long. By morning I will have my heir.”

“That fast?” J opens his eyes since the pillow talk is actually interesting.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice I’m different,” you hum with your eyes closed, exhausted from the energy you have to channel into the tiny life growing inside your womb. The soon to be mother is so impatient she won’t skip accelerating the process at the expense of her own vitality.

“No kidding,” The King of Gotham mumbles, smitten with the apparition peacefully dozing off in his arms. The storm outside is wreaking havoc and each time lightning illuminates the blackness J can inspect the delicate feathers covering your body: when he touches you they change colors, red butterflies flying out of the pressed skin. He curiously pokes one and the illusion shatters into glowing dust resembling small fireworks.

The Joker has no clue that he is the first soul to ever see you like this; earlier he didn’t have the opportunity to comprehend what he saw, but he’s sure taking advantage of the situation now to understand what he’s looking at.

“Oh,” he touches your tummy that seems to expand with each passing moment: something is moving and he foolishly smirks without realizing.

Whatever is developing inside Y/N he helped create and strangely enough he can’t wait to see the result.

************

The Second Lock

J drags his feet on the wet grass, watching you admire the sunrise. He woke up and the bed was empty: made him wonder if you vanished without a trace. Yet there you are, waiting for him in the backyard since you figured you owe him this much.

“Mister Joker,” you chuckle, holding something wrapped up in a blanket. “I’m off to my house: thank you for participating in this project,” the indifferent metahuman blurs out: it’s the only speech she prepared. “I requested that everyone owing me money from last night should send it here,” you gesture at the huge duffel bag at your feet. “There’s 35 million dollars in here, all yours as a thank you for helping me.”

“Hm?” he crinkles his nose, insulted at the gift. “Do I look like a prostitute?!”

Why is he getting angry?... That’s a lot of money for a one night stand.

“They get paid for sex, don’t they?” he enlightens the puzzled Y/N. “What’s that?” J nods at the bundle you gently rock.

“My baby.”

“You gave birth?!” he forgets his hurt pride, not believing it’s already done.

“Yes, about 45 minutes ago,” you kiss your daughter’s forehead and her innocence makes your chest tightly constrict before the second lock of your heart is broken to pieces. “Did you hear that?” you interrogate the man you don’t need anymore.

“Hear what?” The Joker rushes to glimpse at the newborn as you step back, discontent he’s trying to take her.

“That horrifying bang! How can you not hear it?!”

“I have no idea what you’re rambling about,” he forcefully snatches the baby from Y/N’s embrace, grunting at her resistance. “Gimme, I wanna check out what I made!”

He parts the blanket aside and…

“Waaaaah,” the mesmerized parent holds his breath:

The sweet angel has wings embedded with neon green feathers, the same shade as J’s crazy hair.

“Are you done?” you attempt to reacquire your treasure and he slaps your arm.

“Little bird…” J runs his fingers along her wings and the mini-metahuman fusses a bit, already establishing a connection with her dad.

That’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid before it’s too late.

“Mister Joker, I have to go, ok??!!” you seek to remove the baby from her father.

“Stop bothering me!” he sucks on his teeth and begins striding towards the mansion while the panicked Y/N runs behind him.

“What are you doing? Give her back!”

“What should we name her?” The Joker ignores your outburst, totally struck with this overwhelming emotion washing over him.

Oh no, she’s already getting under his skin!

“WE?!” you shout, exasperated. “This is MY descendant!”

“You said I participated in the project so she’s half mine!” The Clown implies the obvious.“I think we should name her Emma, I always liked that name,” he adds to Y/N’s dismay. “Pretty bird…” J shuts you down as soon as you open your mouth to protest, stroking his daughter’s feathers.

He’s already addicted and this is a complete disaster!

“I’ll tell my boys to get baby supplies,” he decides without taking into consideration any opinions you might have about his plan.

“Why?!” you cringe at the proposal simply because The Joker is not part of the equation; but your daughter is already bonding with him and that’s something mommy can’t break: she has her own will and set of abilities enabling her to already make choices. You’re not sure why she’s making him believe he could be included into a two party family; there’s no space for a third, otherwise it would be a three party family and that won’t work.

“Don’t you need supplies for her?” he enters the master bedroom where the infant was conceived only hours ago.

You’re still on the patio, fuming at his absurdities.

“No, I have to go home! I’ll take care of it! Listen Mister Joker, I’m not expecting anything from you! ” you underline the truth and his witty response baffles Y/N:

“I was sure expected though to get naked and have sex right after escaping Arkham, huh?!” and The Joker protectively covers his daughter’s ears, his messed up brain figuring out she shouldn’t hear that. “Where’s home anyway, huh?” the tirade continues.

“That’s none of your business!” you shriek and he repositions Emma in his arms, preparing to lecture her mother when he gets distracted by the growth spur.

“Did she just get…bigger??!!!”

“Yes,” you join him in the middle of the room, explaining things you shouldn’t because frankly you should be at your residence by now. “She’s using capabilities inherited from me in order to speed up her evolution and then take a break to recharge around one year old landmark.”

“Fascinating,” J gushes while placing Emma on the couch: the baby is napping, not bothered by the quarrel anymore. “Wait here; I’ll go instruct my men on what we need.”

This is the limit to make you lose your marbles.

“There. Is. No. WE!” you thud on the wood floor and The Joker watches you get taller and taller until you can barely fit under the vaulted ceiling, electing to show him what he’s messing with. The metahuman transforms into the nightmare she really is: dark and sinister, covered in black feathers with sharp, long claws and fangs ready to tear apart the human trespassing a fine line.

That’s not what The Clown saw last night: you keep the beast caged but now IT needs to come out, otherwise he won’t understand the seriousness of his circumstances.

“You are not needed!” your heavy steps make the ground shake. “You are not wanted!” you corner The Joker between the table and the couch Emma is resting on. “Don’t stay in my way or you’ll regret it!!!! I’m taking my daughter and we’ll go: don’t try to stop me or I’ll kill you!!!” and you bend over to snarl in his face, prepared to shred him to pieces.

Eerie silence while J is gathering all his strength to put up with the fucked up events leading to this moment.  

“You two can’t go,” he straightness his back, so stiff one could think he swallowed a broomstick.

“Why not?” you smell his skin, antagonized.

The Joker tries to look as imposing as possible but he’s still half your size; nothing else in his mind besides some words of wisdom he’s about to repeat:

“Because us freaks have to stick together.”

You unravel your tusks, displeased with his strategy:

“Speak for yourself!”

That went down the drain fast, J thinks while the hideous mug a few inches away from his face doesn’t bulge. His eyes wander off to the sofa and he gasps:

“Where’s the baby?!”

A sharp claw points towards the ceiling and he looks up only to notice Emma snuggling in her blanket.

“Oh my God!” his eyes get big. “What is she doing there?!”

“Snoozing!”

“She’s gonna fall!” The Joker circles around you, worried about the angel.

“She’s not going to fall; she’s comfortable,” you huff and reach to caress her.

“Where are the wings?!” J glares at the gigantic mother tending to her peculiar offspring.

How many people have witnessed such bizarre sight? NONE. And yet The Clown is asking questions without a trace of disgust or judgement; only pure curiosity.

“They’ll come and go, she can’t fully control them yet.”

“Can you…can you turn into your usual self?” he suggests. “You’re very ugly like this and it’s spooking me out.”

“Do you know you’re interested in us because she’s making you?” the monster bites without using her fangs. “You’re useless, yet she wants you around.”

“Oh yeah?” The Joker’s attitude escalates despite the sticky context. “You’re useless also since you chased me until I slept with you; she exists thanks to my help! You should be ecstatic!!”

“Money is not enough?!” you gradually switch to the Y/N he’s familiar with even if you’re still mad.

“I have money,” The King of Gotham pretends not to be relieved by the welcomed transmutation.

“Then what do you want?” you attempt to compromise for your daughter’s sake.

“My birds,” he calmly admits.

You debate on his stupid reply: is J deaf and didn’t catch the memo?! He might be because he keeps on telling you he didn’t discern the odd, loud noises you heard twice so far.

You are not aware it would be such a blessing to hear those sounds again: it could mean the unconventional family Emma is trying to keep together might actually work.    

Also read: MASTERLIST

Diyunho(.)tumblr(.)com/post/153664676321/joker-x-reader-masterlist

[andiroo42]

Free and affordable creative software for photo & video editing, design and illustration.

If you’re a creative and you don’t have a lot to spend on the latest software, you still want decent tools that will make life easier. Here’s a list of free and low cost software options that won’t make you a slave to outrageous pricing schemes and monthly subscriptions. All of the paid products listed here (except one) have retail options for under $50. Try them, see if they fit into your workflow and maybe they’ll find a new home on your hard drive and in your heart.

*Many of the applications listed here are open source meaning that the code base is available for anyone to tinker with and customize to their liking. It also means that fixing bugs and adding new features relies on the willingness of developers and often times the donations of users. Please support your favorite open source projects!

Photo Editing/Raster Graphics

Free:

Gimp (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Adobe’s Photoshop has long stood as the go to for photo editing, illustration and desktop publishing but their bloating app size and subscription based model doesn’t work for everybody. Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program, GIMP closely resembles Photoshop and is totally free and open source, nailing down the basic feature set you’d expect for editing photos along with some pleasant surprises.  https://www.gimp.org

Krita (Windows, MacOS, Linux): This app caters specifically to raster or pixel based illustration with unique drawing features, a streamlined interface, a great selection of brushes and customization options. It also has traditional 2D animation features.  https://krita.org/en/

Paid:

Affinity Photo (Windows, MacOS, iPadOS) : Serif’s Affinity line of products do a great job of giving a pro toolset without the pro price tag. Their one-time purchase price is super affordable. At first glance it may not have the same feature set as other packages, but on closer inspection it just does it in a different, perhaps even more efficient way. Kinda like if Lightroom and Photoshop had a beautiful baby without all the bloat. Check out their other entires on this list (Windows, Mac, ) https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/ Note: Affinity will often have discounts depending on the season!

ArtStudio Pro (MacOS, iPadOS): Closest thing to Photoshop on iPad I’ve ever seen, even more so than the newer iPad Photoshop app. Has plenty of pro features without feeling overwhelming. http://www.luckyclan.com/apps

Pixelmator (MacOS, iPadOS): a sleek, speedy alternative that focuses on integration into the Apple aesthetic. Great for editing profile pics and video thumbnails.  https://www.pixelmator.com

Procreate (iPadOS): Procreate for me is the definitive illustration app for iPad. It’s simple, intuitive and has the fastest drawing engine in the west. https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id425073498

Vector Illustration:

Free:

Inkscape (Windows, MacOS, Linux): I’ve always see Inkscape as sibling to Gimp, and certainly as the definitive open source replacement of Adobe Illustrator. The basic tools overlap but with some different terminology. You’ll definitely want to check this out if you’s like to make infinitely scalable artwork for logos, illustrations and mathematically perfect artwork. https://inkscape.org

Vectornator (MacOS, iPadOS): as a new comer, it does things a bit differently but has a super user-friendly interface. What it lacks in features it makes up in style. https://vectornator.io

Paid:

Affinity Designer (Windows, MacOS, iPadOS): Designer is unique in that it mixes vector graphics along with pixel brushes. I’ve used Designer for large scale illustrations and it doesn’t break a sweat. I appreciate it’s ability to handle raster effects like drop shadows, glows and blurs without losing performance. Definitely a game changer if you want to say sayonara to Adobe Illustrator and don’t mind the absence of some features. https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/designer/

Print Design/Desktop Publishing:

Free:

Scribus: (Windows, MacOS, Linux) This entry is on the infrequently updated side and I haven’t used it in a while, but it’s worth a look. From it’s site, it’s “a desktop publishing (DTP) application. Scribus is designed for flexible layout and typesetting, and the ability to prepare files for professional quality image setting equipment.” https://www.scribus.net/downloads/unstable-branch/

Paid:

Affinity Publisher (Windows, MacOS): Publisher is the best replacement for InDesign out there in my opinion. Besides being able to import InDesign files via IDML, one of it’s strongest features is StudioLink: an on the fly, in-app switching to Affinity Photo and Designer (if you own them already), bringing to it all the features of the suite. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/

Video Editing

Free:

Kdenlive (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Kdenlive is probably the most well-known of the multi-track open source video editors and comes full of features you’d expect from professional software. It’s got a great community and good documentation. It also runs well on aging or low-spec machines. https://kdenlive.org/en/

Shotcut (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Shotcut is an intuitive editor that is frequently updated and feels like iMovie with a Premiere Pro aesthetic. Easy to edit transitions, color grading and above average green screening and compositing effects make it great for someone needing flexibility without the learning curve. https://shotcut.org

Olive (Windows, MacOS, Linux): This one is a newcomer and shows promise. It’s got surprisingly decent text editing features, compositing and animation features. https://www.olivevideoeditor.org

Paid:

Da Vinci Resolve (Windows, MacOS): As non-open source, proprietary software, the free version of this video editor has it all: 8k editing, color correction, visual effects and audio post-production in an easy to use package. While you can purchase the full studio version for a pretty penny, the free version is available with a few limitations. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

HitFilm Express (Windows, MacOS): HitFilm Express is a great tool for aspiring filmmakers who need to incorporate solid visual effects. It’s unique in that they offer a free base app and a sliding pay what you want scale, but spending more gets you extra features and you only pay for what you want. https://fxhome.com

BONUS: 3D Modeling/Animation/Creative Production

Blender: (Windows, MacOS, Linux) Blender is the biggest, most well-funded open source project around with a huge community of users. As an entire 3D-production suite, it includes modeling, sculpting, texturing, compositing, physics simulation, 2D animation tools, video editing, a real-time renderer and host of other features aimed at the creation of 3D artwork for motion and still images. It’s got a steep learning curve but plenty to keep happy for the price tag: zero. Download the current stable version at http://www.blender.org For the latest builds, go to https://builder.blender.org

Opentoonz (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Opentoonz is a dream come true for 2D traditional hand-drawn animators. Based on the original “Toonz” software, it’s been tweaked by Studio Ghilbli and was released to the public as open source in 2016. The original OpenToonz is available here:  https://opentoonz.github.io/e/index.html   I recommend the further customized Morevna branch: https://morevnaproject.org/opentoonz/

Pencil 2D (Windows, MacOS, Linux): If you’re interested in traditional 2D animation, Pencil 2D is a lightweight app that’s easy to use. It has basic features like vector tools and sound import, but I like to think of it more like an animation sketch pad than a pro-level production tool. https://www.pencil2d.org

Andrew Carroll is a freelance graphic designer in Allentown PA that focuses on logo and illustration design for ministries and small businesses. When not pushing pixels you can find him volunteering with Simplicity Outreach, an urban community center and hosting the Adventist City Ministries podcast. See his work at 42design.co  Instagram

[tinymixtapes]

Sigur Rós announce limited-edition vinyl releases, reveal shitlóað of new information for upcoming Norður og Niður festival

As promised, Iceland’s favorite experimental rock sons Sigur Rós have announced additions to the lineup for next month’s sure-to-be-spellbinding Norður og Niður festival, the multifarious music/dance/art/film shindig that the band is curating at Reykjavik’s Harpa Concert Hall from December 27-31. In addition to the already-announced artists (which include the likes of Mogwai, Julianna Barwick, Sin Fang, Dan Deacon, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields), the Sigur Bros have further-aroused our sonic procreation devices with the inclusion of L.A.-based producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, German ambient trio Tangerine Dream, Icelandic dance legends GusGus, and Vaccines’ bassist Árni Árnason, who’ll be taking to the stage on opening day to showcase some of the psych-fuzz “muzak vibes” from his new solo project. Also, it was revealed that the festival’s opening ceremony will feature Sigur Rós’s orchestral collaborator Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson in a one-off performance with rímur chanter Steindór Andersen and Páll Guðmundsson on traditional Icelandic stone marimba. We’re not sure what kind of an arrangement that will end up being, but beneath the aura of those mystical Northern Lights, you can bet your most resonant marimba stone it’ll be a goddamn treat. Additionally, the great Alex Somers himself (soundboard guru/mixer/multi-instrumentalist) will be producing tracks from a collection of antique gramophones each night after the Sigur Rós set, so you’ll definitely want to check that out…if, of course, Sigur hasn’t blown your soul into an alternate dimension of time and space beforehand. And FINALLY, perhaps more importantly than all of this festival lineup announcement stuff, is the news that several super-limited edition vinyls will be released over the course of the four day festival. Notably, Jónsi himself will be releasing Frakkur, 2000-2004, a collection of solo recordings that were cut from several albums’ worth of previously unheard material (check out the record’s untitled opening track below). Icelandic multi-media artist Sigga Björg Sigurðardóttir will also be creating original sleeve designs for the first 100 copies of the record, which will be available on-site at the Harpa Concert Hall. Other rare and previously unreleased vinyls that will be unveiled at Norður og Niður include: • Sigur Rós Route One - an album created with “groundbreaking generative music software” during the band’s 24-hour drive around Ring Road on winter solstice 2016 • Liminal Remixes - a Jónsi, Alex Somers & Paul Corley collab featuring never-before-heard ambient versions of classic Sigur Rós tracks • All Animals - the deleted Jónsi & Alex EP that was released shortly after Riceboy Sleeps (this will be the record’s first-ever vinyl release) • Alex Somers - a brand new album of unreleased music from the Sigur Rós producer/collaborator All of the above titles will be launched at Norður og Niður and released in limited, 100-run editions with handmade and color-coded sleeves, in addition to a limited online release that will take place shortly after the New Year, during which the records will be available in the Sigur Rós webstore. Also, there are still a handful of single and/or full four-day passes available to the festival, so if you’re fortunate enough to have an opportunity to attend this probably-once-in-a-lifetime event, you’ll want to jump on over to the official festival website ASAP and see what’s still available. NORÐUR OG NIÐUR DAY-BY-DAY SCHEDULE (more[!] tba): 12.27.17 - Reykjavik, Iceland - Harpa Concert Hall BLANCK MASS ALEXIS TAYLOR (HOT CHIP) DIMMA MAMMÚT KRISTÍN ANNA ÁRNI HILMAR ÖRN HILMARSSON, STEINDÓR ANDERSEN & PALL GUÐMUNDSSON ALEX SOMERS NELLY BEN HAYOUN (presents ‘DISASTER PLAYGROUND’) 12.28.17 - Reykjavik, Iceland - Harpa Concert Hall KEVIN SHIELDS (MBV) GUSGUS TANGERINE DREAM MARY LATTIMORE KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH ALEX SOMERS KÓRUS KJARTAN HOLM & CALEB SMITH JO BERGER MYHRE & OLAFUR BJÖRN OLAFSSON DEAN DEBLOIS (presents ‘HEIMA’) 12.29.17 - Reykjavik, Iceland - Harpa Concert Hall MOGWAI PEACHES DAN DEACON JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON ICELAND DANCE COMPANY* DUSTIN O’HALLORAN JULIANNA BARWICK JFDR HUGAR ALEX SOMERS SIGRÚN BRASSGAT Í BALA DANIEL BJARNASON (presents ‘UNDER THE TREE’) 12.30.17 - Reykjavik, Iceland - Harpa Concert Hall JARVIS COCKER STARS OF THE LID SIN FANG, SÓLEY & ÖRVAR SMÁRASON ULRICH SCHNAUSS ICELAND DANCE COMPANY* AMIINA MR SILLA GYÐA ALEX SOMERS LIMINAL SOUNDBATH EIRIKUR ORRI OLAFSSON HILMAR ÖRN HILMARSSON (presents ‘THE SHOW OF SHOWS’) * New choreographed work set to music of Sigur Rós. http://j.mp/2k7Ko16

[soloragoldsun]

I’m Not Quitting You

Simmons hated how much he shook as he got off his ship and stepped onto the familiar moon once again. He looked around. Everything looked just about the same, from the ruined waterpark to the two bases. For a moment, he closed his eyes, imagining that they were all there, just goofing off and having a good time. In that moment, he fully understood why Grif had refused to leave.

He also wondered if coming back was really such a good idea.

“I don’t like you. Any of you.” Those ugly words echoed in Simmons’s head, making him wince. Still, there was no turning back. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward what used to be this place’s Red Base.

He had met with surprisingly little resistance when he voiced his decision to go back for Grif. Most of the protests had come from the weird, knockoff clones, who were convinced that they all had to stay underground while they figured out what to do next.

“He’s probably dead already,” Temple had insisted. “We need to focus on targeting the UNSC and protecting ourselves!”

Tucker had also not been thrilled. “Dude, you’re seriously gonna ditch too? Nice to know we’ve got such a loyal fucking group!”

Simmons wasn’t particularly close to Tucker, so he was able to easily push aside his guilt. What he hadn’t been prepared for was Sarge, who had let him go after a minor token rant about desertion and insubordination. In a defeated voice, he had muttered: “Do what you gotta do, son.”

A few years ago, being called “son” by Sarge would have evoked the deepest sense of happiness imaginable. Now, it just filled Simmons with sadness and regret. He asked Donut and Lopez to take care of their leader while he was gone.

Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, Caboose had been the most understanding out of anyone. “It is okay,” he had said cheerfully. “You need to help Grif. He is your friend.” When Tucker had spoken out against it, Caboose said simply: “We can still rescue Church, but I think that Grif needs Simmons more than Church needs Simmons. Simmons will bring Grif back, and we will find Church, and everyone will be happy!”

“Caboose, I don’t know if we’ll be coming back,” Simmons had said. “Grif might not want to, and…I’m not going to leave him.” He knew this was true. He couldn’t leave without Grif. Not again. These past few days had more than proven that.

Caboose had been unconcerned. “Pfft! Of course you will come back! We are friends! Friends always come back!”

Simmons hadn’t had the heart to argue with him.

Now, he stood in the doorway of the Red Base. Empty food containers littered the ground, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Of course it’s a fucking pig sty. Jesus, I’m gonna need to do some serious cleaning here.

It was while he was wondering just how big of a dumpster he would need to build that Grif decided to enter the room from the attached kitchen. He froze, his stance the only thing hinting at the utter shock that dominated his mind in that moment. Of course, he recovered quickly and asked: “What the hell are you doing here?”

Simmons winced at the hostility in his tone. “I, uh…”

“What, did your little quest to find a dead man fail? Well, tough shit! This base is mine now! You guys can all hang out at Blue Base!”

“It’s just me,” Simmons mumbled.

“What?”

“It’s just me,” he said, just a little louder. “I’m the only one here.”

At this, Grif faltered. “Are they dead?”

“No.”

Grif hated how relieved he was to hear that. “Well, that’s a surprise. I figured at least Donut would’ve gotten himself killed at this point.”

“Oh, would you stop for just two seconds?” Simmons snapped, strangely emboldened by Grif’s familiar, dickish attitude. “The UNSC is targeting everyone involved with Project Freelancer, sim troopers included. We met another group that’s been dealing with repeated attacks. I figured I’d come back and warn you. You know, so you wouldn’t get killed while sitting here stuffing your face all alone on this fucking moon! You’re welcome!”

Grif gaped, then let out a short, humorless laugh. “Typical. Even in retirement, assholes are trying to kill me. Why the hell can’t I catch a single fucking break?”

“Look, I get that you’re tired,” Simmons said. He meant it too. He fully understood why Grif had left the group, even though he hated that their friendship somehow meant so little.

Their friendship… Memories of that day in the Temple of Procreation rose in his mind, and he quickly quashed them down. “I’m tired too. I wish this could all just be over.”

“No, you don’t,” Grif snorted. “You’d be happy to follow Sarge off a fucking cliff if he asked you to.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh, it so is.”

“He didn’t want me coming back here!” Simmons snapped. “So, ha! I don’t do everything he tells me!”

This caused Grif to pause. That was true. Sarge definitely wouldn’t have wanted to spare one of his own men to simply send a warning to Grif. “Okay, so what gave you the balls to go against him?” he asked, his voice taking on a slight hint of interest. “I kinda want to know how that went down.”

Simmons stared at the ground, not wanting to relive his departure from Red Team. “I needed to see you,” he said, his voice coming out way softer than he had intended.

“Huh?” Grif blinked, suddenly at a loss for words. Something about the tone of Simmons’s voice was making his chest hurt. It was a familiar pain, one he had tried desperately to ignore for years.

For a moment, he was in the Temple again. Simmons was curled up next to him, head nestled in the crook of his neck. The cyborg half of his face was warm from resting against Grif’s bare skin. That was the one time that pain had actually gone away.

Then, the effects of the Temple faded. That sense of fear and awkwardness returned. The two had separated, refusing to look at each other. The pain in his chest returned tenfold, and Grif vowed never to speak or think of it again.

“I said I needed to see you,” Simmons repeated. “I’m not leaving without you.”

Grif felt his heart growing steely again. Of course Simmons was trying to get him to go back to the others. Of course he didn’t really get it. Not this time! he thought. This time, I’m actually doing what’s right for me. No more getting dragged around the fucking universe to find a Blue who won’t fucking die. No more getting yelled at by Sarge. No more!

“I’m not going back!” he said firmly. “I already told you: I’m done. I quit.”

There were those ugly words again. Simmons felt tears welling up in his one human eye. “Well, I’m not quitting you, asshole!” he shouted, his voice coming out as half a sob.

Again, Grif found himself unable to speak. The sudden sharpness of Simmons’s voice actually made him take a step back. He blinked, not sure what to say.

Thankfully, Simmons had plenty to say. “I’m not quitting you!” he repeated. “Not now! Not after all these years! I can’t do it.” He shook his head slowly. “I can’t do it without you. I know that now. It wasn’t Sarge’s approval that kept me going all this time. It was bitching about every little thing with you, yelling at you when you didn’t clean up your fucking room, knowing you were there during every battle.”

He looked directly at Grif’s face, hoping he was meeting his eyes through their helmets. “That’s why I’m not going anywhere without you. If you decide to go help the others, I’ll be right with you. If not, I’ll be right here. We’ll probably want to work on cloaking this place a little better, though.”

Grif listened to Simmons’s speech, completely stunned. For the first time in a while, he felt hot tears welling up in his eyes. Was he dreaming? He had to be. Throughout his life, no one had ever put him first. Someone else had always been more important than him, whether it was Kai, Sarge, fucking Church…

Unable to vocalize this sense of shock, he instead resorted to his usual insulting attitude. “What, are you becoming my personal stalker now?”

“No! I…” Simmons could feel his face becoming wet with tears. He didn’t know how much more of this he could handle. “I’ll leave. If you want me to, I’ll go. Just tell me this: Did you really mean it? Do you really…hate all of us?”

In that moment, Grif could feel his mental walls crumbling. He hated that broken undertone in Simmons’s voice. It was too fucking painful. “No,” he found himself saying, his voice losing all of its usual sarcasm and edge. “I don’t hate any of you. I want to punch Donut in the fucking throat most of the time, Tucker is too high and mighty for his own good, and don’t even get me started on Sarge.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But…I don’t hate anyone. I…I don’t think I can hate you.”

Simmons felt his chest lighten almost immediately. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice cracking a little.

“Yeah,” Grif muttered, coughing to hide the tears in his own voice. “And, I don’t want you to go.”

That was all he needed to hear. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Simmons nodded. “Okay,” he said, his voice still shaky. “Well, let’s see about cloaking this place from the UNSC. I actually had some ideas involving converting the basement to a full-time-”

“Take off your helmet,” Grif cut in. He was done. His chest felt like it was going to implode. If he didn’t act on this, he’d go crazy. He and Simmons literally had an entire moon to themselves. There was no Sarge. No mission. No immediate danger. He was out of excuses.

“Huh?” Simmons felt his heart stutter at the tone in his friend’s voice. “Why do you want me to-?”

“Just do it,” Grif muttered. Before I lose my fucking nerve.

Simmons paused, then complied. He unclasped his helmet, pulled it off, and set it to the side.

Grif fumbled with his own helmet, practically threw it to the ground, and closed the distance between them in less than a second. He registered the stunned look on his best friend’s tearstained face before he grabbed his shoulders, leaned in, and pressed their lips together.

Simmons let out a gasp against Grif’s mouth. Then, his knees turned to jelly and he wrapped his arms tightly around Grif’s midsection to anchor himself. He shut his eyes, parting his lips for Grif’s insistent tongue. He tasted cheese whiz, crackers, and flat soda, and it was fucking perfect!

There were no pheromones this time, no weird Temple pulses influencing them. This was just them. Just Simmons and Grif, two people who met by chance and were never destined to be apart since then.

Grif’s heart thudded loudly as Simmons twined their tongues together. He gripped the maroon soldier’s shoulders tightly, terrified that he would disappear if he loosened his grip for a second.

Simmons squirmed a little, trying to move back enough to undo his armor’s gloves. He managed to remove the one over his human hand, and pressed his palm to the side of Grif’s patched, partially tan, partially white face. He stroked his friend’s cheek, feeling the spots where Grif’s skin turned to the skin Simmons had given him after that incident with the tank so long ago. During the first few days, he had mused that he was forever a part of Grif. It turned out that weird, literal sentiments meant little.

This, on the other hand, meant everything.

Grif gasped at the gentle touch to his face, and nuzzled unabashedly against Simmons’s palm. He dared to open his eyes, and was immediately floored by the look on his friend’s face. Simmons’s one green eye was still watery with unshed tears, but was gazing at him with this weird, foreign, tender expression. Even his glowing red cyborg eye seemed to be flickering with emotion. His lips were upturned in the happiest smile Grif had ever seen.

New tears sprang to Grif’s eyes and trickled down his cheek, and- Oh, shit! Simmons was leaning in and kissing away his tears, and this was just too fucking much to deal with!

Simmons peppered soft kisses over Grif’s face, tasting salt with each touch. He wiped at the extra tears with his thumb, brushed his lips against his friend’s eyelids, then moved down to his mouth again. This time, he took control of the kiss, making it slow and sweet.

Grif felt the urgency and desperation from before fading as Simmons swept him away in a softer, gentler kiss than the first one. His hands moved downward so that he could wrap his arms snugly, but not too tightly, around him. He felt Simmons’s hand moving back to play with his hair, and wondered if it was really possible to feel this happy.

They eventually drew back enough to stare at each other. Their breaths mingled as two sets of half-lidded, mismatched eyes blinked slowly. Then, simultaneously, grins spread across their faces.

“This is really fucking gay, dude,” Grif muttered, raising a playful eyebrow.

Simmons burst out laughing. “No shit!”

Grif’s grin widened at the sound. It occurred to him that he hardly ever heard Simmons laugh, even after knowing him for so long. He was glad that he could be the one to make it happen. He rested his forehead against Simmons’s, feeling cool metal and warm skin. “Don’t go,” he murmured.

Simmons closed his eyes, letting out a contented sigh. “I won’t.”

After a moment, Grif asked: “So, should we take this to my room?”

Simmons gave him a deadpanned look. “Have you cleaned in there?”

“Uh, define ‘cleaned.’”

“Didn’t think so. We’re taking this to my room.”

“Doesn’t matter to me!”

Simmons rolled his eyes. “You know you need to clean up there, right?”

“Stop nagging! You’ll ruin the mood!” Grif snapped, though his voice held no true bite at this point.

Simmons snickered. “Fine. You get a pass for now.”

“Good.” Grif was already undoing the clasps of his armor. “Let’s pick things up where we left off.”

“I thought we weren’t ever going to mention that,” Simmons teased.

“Shut up.”

They still needed to figure out how to hide from the UNSC. They still needed to talk about what they were going to do next and clear the air around several subjects. There were a thousand feelings, facts, and actions that needed to be addressed, but that didn’t matter just then.

Just then, they were going to say “fuck it” and be selfish for a little while. At least Grif would be living up to Tucker’s expectations.

[thrombosys]

Epilogue: Myth & Society - Part III: The Hero Today

From ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’ (1949)

By Joseph Campbell

•••

THE HERO TODAY

The democratic ideal of the self-determining individual, the invention of the power-driven machine, and the development of the scientific method of research have so transformed human life that the long-inherited, timeless universe of symbols has collapsed. In the fateful, epoch-announcing words of Nietzsche's Zarathustra: "Dead are all the gods." One knows the tale, it has been told a thousand ways. It is the hero-cycle of the modern age, the wonder-story of mankind’s coming to maturity. The spell of the past, the bondage of tradition, was shattered with sure and mighty strokes. The dream-web of myth fell away; the mind opened to full waking consciousness; and modern man emerged from ancient ignorance, like a butterfly from its cocoon, or like the sun at dawn from the womb of mother night.

It is not only that there is no hiding place for the gods from the searching telescope and microscope; there is no such society any more as the gods once supported. The social unit is not a carrier of religious content, but an economic-political organization. Its ideals are not those of the hieratic pantomime making visible on earth the forms of heaven, but more of the secular state, in hard and unremitting competition for material supremacy and resources. Isolated societies no longer exist except as areas to be exploited. And within the progressive societies themselves, every last vestige of the ancient human heritage of ritual, morality, and art is in full decay. 

The problem of mankind today, therefore, is precisely the opposite to that of men in the comparatively stable periods of those great coordinating mythologies which now are known as lies. Then all meaning was in the group, in the great anonymous forms; today no meaning is in the group – all is in the individual. But there the meaning is absolutely unconscious. One does not know toward what one moves. One does not know by what one is propelled. The lines of communication between the conscious and the unconscious zones of the human psyche have all been cut, and we have been split in two. 

The hero-deed to be wrought is not today what it was in the century of Galileo. Where then there was darkness, now there is light. But also, where light was there now is darkness. The modern hero-deed must be that of questing to bring to light again the lost Atlantis of the coordinated soul. 

Obviously, this work cannot be wrought by turning back, or away, from what has been accomplished by the modern revolution; for the problem is nothing if not that of rendering the modern world spiritually significant – or rather, phrasing the same principle the other way round - nothing if not that of making it possible for men and women to come to full human maturity through the conditions of contemporary life. Indeed, these conditions themselves are what have rendered the ancient formulae ineffective, misleading, and even pernicious. The community today is the planet, not the bounded nation; hence the patterns of projected aggression which formerly served to coordinate the in-group, now can only break it into factions. The national idea, with the flag as totem, is today an aggrandizer of the nursery ego, not the annihilator of an infantile situation. And the numerous saints of this anti-cult – namely the patriots whose ubiquitous photographs, draped with flags, serve as official icons – are precisely the local threshold guardians whom it is the first problem of the hero to surpass. 

Nor can the great world religions, as at present understood, meet the requirement. For they have become associated with the causes of the factions, as instruments of propaganda and self-congratulation. The universal triumph of the secular state has thrown all religious organizations into such a definitely secondary, and finally ineffectual, position that religious pantomime is hardly more today than a sanctimonious exercise for Sunday morning, whereas business ethics and patriotism stand for the remainder of the week. Such a monkey-holiness is not what the functioning world requires; rather, a transmutation of the whole social order is necessary, that through every detail and act of secular life the vitalizing image of the universal god-man who is actually in all of us may be somehow made known to consciousness. 

And this is not a work that consciousness itself can achieve. The whole thing is being worked out at another level, through what is bound to be a long and very frightening process, not only in the depths of every living psyche in the modern world, but also on those titanic battlefields into which the whole planet has lately been converted.

But there is one thing we may know, namely, that as the new symbols become visible, they will not be identical in the various parts of the globe; the circumstances of local life, race, and tradition must all be compounded in the effective forms. Therefore, it is necessary for men to understand, and be able to see, that through various symbols the same redemption is revealed. “Truth is one”, we read in the Vedas; “the sages call it by many names.” A single song is being inflected through all the colorations of the human choir. General propaganda for one or another of the local solutions, therefore, is superfluous – or much rather, a menace. The way to become human is to learn to recognize the lineaments of God in all of the wonderful modulations of the face of man.

With this we come to the final hint of what the specific orientation of the modern hero-task must be, and discover the real cause for the disintegration of all of our inherited religious formulae. The center of gravity, that is to say, of the realm of mystery and danger has definitely shifted. For the primitive hunting peoples of those remotest human millenniums when the sabertooth tiger, the mammoth, and the lesser presences of the animal kingdom were the primary manifestations of what was alien – the source at once of danger, and of sustenance for those primitive peoples – the great human problem was to become linked psychologically to the task of sharing the wilderness with these beings. An unconscious identification took place, and this was finally rendered conscious in the half-human, half-animal figures of the mythological totem-ancestors. The animals become the tutors of humanity. Through acts of literal imitation – such as appear today only on the children’s playground (or in the madhouse) – an effective annihilation of the human ego was accomplished and society achieved a cohesive organization. Similarly, for the tribes supporting themselves on plant-food; the life-rituals of planting and reaping were identified with those of human procreation, birth, and progress to maturity. Both the plant and the animal worlds, however, were in the end brought under social control. Whereupon the great field of instructive wonder shifted – to the skies – and mankind enacted the great pantomime of the sacred moon-king, the sacred sunking, the hieratic, planetary state, and the symbolic festivals of the world-regulating spheres. 

Today all of these mysteries have lost their force; their symbols are no longer of interest to our psyche. The notion of a cosmic law, which all existence serves and to which man himself must bend, has long since passed through the preliminary mystical stages represented in the old astrology, and is now simply accepted in mechanical terms as a matter of course. The descent of the Occidental sciences from the heavens to the earth (From 17th century astronomy to 19th century biology), and their concentration today, at last, on humankind itself (in 20th century anthropology and psychology), mark the path of a prodigious transfer of the focal point of human wonder. Not the animal world, not the plant world, not the miracle of the spheres, but man himself is now the crucial mystery. Man is that alien presence with whom the forces of egoism must come to terms, through whom the ego is to be crucified and resurrected, and in whose image society is to be reformed. Humankind, understood however not as “I” but as “thou”: for the ideals and temporal institutions of no tribe, race, continent, social class, or century can be the measure of the inexhaustible and multifariously wonderful divine existence that is the life in all of us. 

The modern hero, the modern individual who dares to heed the call and seek the mansion of that presence, with whom it is our whole destiny to be atoned, cannot, indeed must not, wait for his community to cast off its slough of pride, fear, rationalized avarice, and sanctified misunderstanding. And so every one of us shares the supreme ordeal – carries the cross of the redeemer – not in the bright memories of his tribe’s great victories, but in the silences of his personal despair. It is not society that is to guide and save the creative hero, but precisely the reverse. “Live”, Nietzche tells us, “as though the day were here”. 

[laikaanimationtamara]

Tamara Blackette - BAW03.1 Project Proposal

Group Proposal

Veronika - The Story, Purpose & Projected Outcome

Our project centres around the Soviet Space dog, Laika, and our artistic interpretation of what she might have experienced -- or how she might have seen her experience -- those hours while she was in space, in an environment she had never been before. We intend for this to be a stylised 3D animation with 2D elements of roughly 3-3:30 minutes in length, with a strong musical score and followable plot. We are aiming for a well-blended, impactful final product that will allow people to connect more emotionally with the history around them and perhaps challenge at least our own ideas of what animation, especially 3D animation, can look like.

Holly - Art Direction

Star Sailor-1 uses a mix of 2D and 3D assets to create a unique art style. Lighting, colour, and texture play an important role in the animation. High contrast lighting creates a powerful and serious mood and helps elements stand out when using painterly effects. We use painterly effects to create a dream-like feeling and communicate with the viewer whether Laika feels grounded in reality or not. Space Sailor-1 uses colour to show the change in Laika’s condition; when Laika goes into space the colours are cool blues, purples and greens, these colours slowly grow warmer to reflect the heating up of Laika’s capsule. Keeping styles consistent between all team members has been achieved by setting guidelines to follow. For example, with 2D paintovers, we all use the same brushes and keep constant communication with each other to make sure we’re on track.

Levi - Sound Design 

Within the piece, the team hope to have a strong sense of Sound Design that plays a major role with the narratives storytelling. To achieve this Team Laika have partnered with a composer to create an original composition that encompasses exactly what they want in terms of feel and flow. Working with a composer means budgeting in a commission fee. Neo Te Aika (composer) agreed to be paid $100, however as a group we have decided to pay him $150. This includes a tip and is to reflect the short notice. This piece will work in conjunction alongside other sound design elements E.g Russian radio segments to help convey the story in place of dialogue. 

Scarlett - Roles & Teamwork 

As a group, we are split into roles, with Veronika and Levi focusing on story and character and Scarlett, Tamara and Holly focusing on worldbuilding and VFX. Story and character team members have created a fleshed-out story, storyboards, animatics and other 2D, 3D elements. Worldbuilding and VFX team members have been creating 2D, 3D assets such as rocket models, building models and shadow dog models. We are also working on VFX within animation such as water, clouds and starscapes. Communication will ensure the team is working in a cohesive style throughout the animation. We are using programs such as Discord, HacknPlan and a shared Google Docs to communicate.

Tamara - Production Schedule & Pipeline

In terms of the Production Schedule and Pipeline, we are currently slated for the Final Cut of the animation to be completed on Friday 13th November. We will then have the 16th-20th of November to finish our Graduation Exhibition resources. All Assets and VFX are slated for completion on Friday 25th September to allow most of October for the remainder of Rendering and the 2D Paintovers. As scenes are assembled they will be rendered so as to not slow down progressing them forward into painting. The Compositing, Compiling, Final Sound Design and Editing are slated for October to be developed as we complete sections of the animation. During October we plan to design an Exhibition display for our Graduation 

Our Pipeline has changed several times throughout Pre-Production and Previsualisation as we have developed and tested the concepts. We have predominantly used Maya and Blender for the creation of the 3D Assets which will then be taken into the Adobe Suite and Procreate to create the stylisation outlined by the Art Direction. From there it will be compiled and edited together using predominantly After Effects and/or Premiere Pro. 

Individual Project Plan

For the second semester I will be modelling, animating and rendering any remaining assets and visual effects needed to complete the water wave sequence of our Star Sailor-1 animation using Maya by the end of September. The Water Wave sequence consists of four main sections: Laika looking through the capsule at the particle waves, her running alongside the waves, the waves crashing into her and then the wave rolling over the capsule with her looking at it. As I complete assets and sections, I will then be using the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to digitally paint over the frames in 2D to achieve the desired Oil Paint texture effect. My personal goal during the Production of the animation is to continue improving my knowledge and skills in creating VFX and 3D assets. As a result of digitally painting over the frames in a 2D Oil Paint style I will also be able to grow my digital art skill alongside my 3D skills. 

In the 2D paintover I wish to retain the Noir lighting style I did research into last term and was trying to replicate in the 3D assets I was making. As a group, we decided early on during Pre-Production that we wished to have high contrast High Key lighting and so far in the Previsualisation stage I was using Maya & Arnold lights to start this in the 3D scenes. I will still add the lights to the scenes the way I want them and then manually further emphasize the lighting in the paintover by increasing the contrast between the lights and shadows. This way I can see what the lighting will generally look like and I can increase the intensity/effect without adding further lights. This mini-pipeline for the lighting was what I did in Term One when I painted over my render of the Sparrow sequence. So far I have the 3D elements and constructed scenes for all the sections except the waves crashing into Laika. I constructed those scenes during the Previsualisation stage using Scarlett’s Rocket Exterior with my Internal Frame and Veronika’s Animatic model. Currently, I am waiting on the final Laika model to do final VFX adjustments and camera placements for the first two sections and create the wave crash section. In the meantime, I have conducted a Brush Test as I am going to be using Photoshop where the rest of my team will be using mainly Procreate and I’ve begun painting the final section’s background as I created the full 3D scene and effect for it during Previs last term. I have been using another Photoshop layer in the Colour Burn/Multiply mode over the top to help me see where to place the base shades with higher contrast to enhance the shadows and highlights.

As a group, the deadline for creating scenes and assets has been set for the end of September to allow most of October for Rendering. Once scenes are rendered we will be painting. I would like to complete the four main painted backgrounds/static element pieces one per week each Saturday across August, leaving the wave crash for last to give Veronika more time to complete the Laika model without hindering my progress. This should leave me September for making the wave crash scene, rendering and painting the moving VFX that changes with the frames which will mainly consist of the particles in the waves. This way I hope to remain at a consistent pace and if I need to step in and paint Laika in any of my sections to assist Veronika’s workload, then this will allow for slight leeway or delays. From the end of September onwards, I will also be assisting with the final compositing and editing of the animation as we complete scenes. This will likely mostly consist of Colour Grading and Lighting assistance/touch-ups and any final adjustments. I have offered to help Levi in creating the final Exhibition presentation we hope to do and I wish to create a Trailer for the animation.

(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Vh2wZKjnzU1mzH-sq329uWStwmSnln7lcvxYt9NiETE/edit?usp=sharing)

Additionally towards my Worldbuilding and VFX Major, I will be writing my Investigative Project essay on “Advancements in Special Effects”. I’m planning to cover older and modern practical effects, digital effects and programs used to create them. Through this, I hope to educate the rest of the class through the Seminar on my learnings about how both Practical and Digital Effects have evolved through time and the best programs to use to achieve our specific stylisation for Star Sailor-1. I hope to apply any techniques and deeper program understanding that I learn from this additional research into my sequence as I create it.

[sentrava]

Artist Spotlight: Dutch Visual Artist Pleun Van Dijk on Creating Art at Roskilde Festival

London-based Dutch artist Pleun Van Dijk describes herself as a “researching artist;” someone who explores the world around her through observation, experimentation, and analysis that is then reflected in her multimedia work.

As an exchange student at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Denmark felt like home to her; this tender feeling has followed her ever since. Pleun has collaborated with Roskilde Festival on the “Human/Non-human” exhibition. She also staged a performance called “Replika” where visitors could watch how performers continuously repeated the same movements while working on a human production line.

Through various artistic mediums, Pleun tackles important issues such as body positivity, beauty standards, skin perfectionism, sex, and youth.

We spoke with Pleun Van Dijk about her connection to Denmark, her work at Roskilde Festival, and what inspires her:

Tell us about yourself, your connection to Denmark and/or Scandinavia, and the Roskilde project.

My fascination for the rapidly changing world around me is endless. By analysing and observing moments of transition, I try to generate new thoughts and thereby show a different perspective on a topic. Although my inspiration sources are very diverse, the main focus ever since my graduation from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2016 has revolved around the question: “What does it mean to be human?”

I lived in Copenhagen for a year when I went on my exchange to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design. I have always been attracted to the north and Denmark made me feel at home from the first day onwards.

This feeling hasn’t changed over the years and is one of the reasons why it was so great when Roskilde Festival invited me to join their exhibition. It’s an honor to present my work in Denmark, and an exceptional chance to develop and execute a new concept.

      You work in different mediums; how do you choose the medium for the project

Coming from a multidisciplinary background, I’m always eager to discover new mediums and tools. I enjoy the freedom to work in different fields, which allows me to choose the medium that communicates the new concept in the best possible way. In some cases, the story is best told through a video. In others, I give the audience a more comprehensive experience with an interactive installation.

    Who or what inspires your work? What are you challenges and joys in the creative process?

I consider it important to be present. That’s more difficult than it might seem, since we are part of a world changing so rapidly that we almost can’t keep up with it. Before placing my work in context, I find it important to understand the world around me and ground my thoughts. I try to conceptualize the “now” by analyzing and observing moments of transition within society.

After investigating the new developments, I take them a step further into the future and transform them into a speculative scenario. By taking new thoughts out of the abstract and shaping a possible (or impossible) outcome, I hope to give the viewer the opportunity to anticipate these new developments.

Going through a creative process is wonderful but also full of unexpected challenges. One of the most difficult, as well as amazing, parts is to create something out of nothing. Some projects start with a given set of guidelines, others are completely open. You have to jump in the water and make sure you don’t drown.

An idea never suddenly occurs to me: I need in-depth research. I need to plant a seed and create a context for the concept to grow. That first phase is one of my favorite parts because it allows me to discover and explore unknown grounds.

To translate the concept into a visual piece is the next big challenge in this process. It’s something I’m still struggling with. I want to express everything in one project, but every time I realise the impossibility of this desire.

      Your project “The Body Garden” deals with the investigation of the human body waste. What does the body waste reveal about people?

In “The Body Garden,” I’ve researched different perspectives by collecting my own body materials for a month. Then I went into a lab to extract what normally stays hidden. Every day we are being exposed to an almost endless stream of photos and images of clean and polished bodies, stripped of anything that might make it look grotesque. This gives us the illusion of a finished and controllable body, but that’s not reality.

The human body is in a constant state of renovation. Everything that lost its function will be pushed off, therefore we constantly shed skin, hair, saliva, snot, and sweat.. With “The Body Garden” I explored the potential of the body becoming a garden. We mainly see our leftovers as a valueless waste material. Would this still be the same in a context where we lack of natural resources; for example, on Mars? What is the regenerative potential of growth on our body?

      How do you feel about body-based propaganda? How can we oppose the fashioning of the body?

We are constantly confronted with the desire for perfection and the idea that youthfulness is superior. We can’t stop the process and we also can’t escape it. The main thing we can do is question it.

The “perfect human” only exists in the context of the “normal human.” Whenever the “perfect” becomes the new “normal” our desires change to match it. The dream for perfection will be a never-ending one.

    In “Transcience” you say: “pleasure is the new norm” and “the definition of sexuality is often being mixed up with sexiness.” Can you discuss further?

The social relationship between sex and reproduction has changed. First there was sex without reproduction it now we’re shifting towards reproduction without sex. We don’t have sex with procreation as the main result and therefore the focus is on pleasure.

We often mix up sexuality with sexiness, where sexiness is more focused on the beauty standards of our visual appearance. Sexuality expresses the experience, feelings, and stimulations from the inside out.

      In your project “Reborn,” you questioned if we are capable of reconstructing ourselves. What were your conclusions?

“Reborn” is one of the two graduation projects I did at Design Academy Eindhoven. I explored if our idea of evolution still fits in modern society. This resulted in a series of five sculptures as well as a written thesis.

The word “evolution” is often connected to the idea of improvement. In my opinion, this is a questionable way of thinking. We are so eager to move forward, but there is no progress, there is not even deterioration. There is only change.

We often forget that we are not an end result of evolution but just a phase in between what we have been so far and what we will become in the future. By deconstructing and reconstructing the human body I wanted to show the possibilities of the human as a modular system. This gives us the opportunity to anticipate new developments before they sneak into our lives.

      How do you envision humans in the future?

A relevant, interesting, but impossible question! What we can say is that the scientific and technological developments are going so rapidly that it’s almost impossible to stop them.

According the story of Icarus, we shouldn’t fly too high and shouldn’t fly too low. The solution to a problem is fundamental to improvement but has often more consequences than the solution it solved. That’s why I think we have to discuss the possible outcomes and effects on society before scientific development is proceeded.

So even though it’s impossible to fully envision the effect of our alterations in the long term, I consider it to be important to discuss. We need to decide what we want and carry responsibility for the generations to come. Artists and designers can help us to comprehend the new developments by transforming them into speculative future scenarios.

      What message were you trying to convey with your Roskilde Festival “Replika” performance?

About a year ago I was asked to create a new work for the “Human/Non-human” exhibition at the art zone of Roskilde Festival. It was a beautiful chance to go back to Denmark, experience this amazing festival and create a new work. It was a unique opportunity to get not only a good platform to present in, but also a budget to develop the piece with the guidance of a personal curator.

In “Replika – staging a human production line” I continued on the topic of human evolution and focused on the idea that every little change we make will have a huge impact over a long period of time. Starting from a realistic representation of a human baby, I looked at evolution as being “a copy of a copy of a copy.”

I designed the process not knowing what the exact outcome would be. Small variations between the first two sculptures could lead to a large mutation further on in the production line. “Replika” is an ongoing project; the last sculpture will never really be the last one.

See more of Pleun Van Dijk’s work on her website and Instagram.

Artist Spotlight: Dutch Visual Artist Pleun Van Dijk on Creating Art at Roskilde Festival published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

[enough-finance]

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