Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Update

Just updated my deviant art site. See what has been worked on the past couple of weeks: brokensummer.deviantart.com

Ciao!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Final Version of POP Practice Piece


Here is the finished version of the POP Promo piece. I really could take this further but I decided that I want to work on something else. Like I wrote before, the grid was totally whack so the piece is a bit elongated when compared to the original. (C) Ubisoft

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Ah DeviantArt...

It has been quite a while since I have updated this little corner of my life. Yet there has been a lot of work put into this corner that has yet to be seen.

So far I have been working on a copy of the promo art for the new cross-platform Prince of Persia (c) game from Ubisoft. It is a pencil drawing on 18"x24" poster board. I really wish I took some pictures of it or at least scanned in the initial work and the WIP stages. I can honestly say that after putting in about 22 hours or so that I am starting to see there is great potential in my skills as an artist. I will post this up most likely in a week because it is so darn big it'll take a bit to scan it in and I want to put up as much of a polished piece as possible.

I am using the grid method and then sketching by hand by eye-balling everything. Both of my instructors, Tim and Megan from The Artist's Corner (http://www.LiquidLeadArt.com), have been most gracious to critique, instruct, and generally scrutinize every stroke and tortillian blend. I am sad that my initial grid was off thus making everything elongated; but it still looks good. I am especially pleased with it because I have never done anything like this before and I am actually drawing! I really feel bad about talking up a piece without anyone being able to actually look at it. But then again, I have had less than 150 page views in the 7 or so months I have been on here so I don't think anyone will actually care that it's not up.

In the mean time, I want to give a shout out to one of my favorite artists, Adam Hughes (http://www.JustSayAH.com). If you haven't seen his work, you really need to see his stuff, he is phenomenal! If I could describe his skills, I would have to say that it is scrumptulescent. From what I understand, he does most of his work via traditional pencil/ink/paper, etc, then digitally colors with a mouse. Yeah I know, a mouse! I told one of my fellow art students about him and his mouse work, and her response was "Drawing and coloring with a mouse is like using a brick!" Then I showed her some of Mr. Hughes's work and she was dumbfounded! It is almost as if Mr. Hughes's hands were blessed with cloven tongues of fire; his pieces are like visual symphonies. Very Inspiring.

Also, I recently purchased a used Cintiq 12wx and it is amazing! Looking at other artists' use of the tablet and what they are able to produce gives me ideas of how I might be able to use the tablet. I have Painter X as a download copy from one of the local universities and it has the manual in PDF format but not the physical one. I don't know if you have ever tried to find the manual but Corel only sells the manual; they do not have one you can order for a nominal fee. The manual costs $50 plus tax/S&H but it is cheaper to print it off yourself. So I decided to go to one of the local universities' student print shop and print off the manual in black and white at 5 cents a page, then bind everything. This would have cost about $24, half of what Corel would charge me. Well, I have never had any luck with this particular department, even as an undergrad and even as a high school student. But I thought, "It's been a few years, all of the bad employees are gone and there are bound to be new employees who have better customer service skills than the others..." Yeah, try that one out you could fertilize the lawn.

I took my file on a jump drive and tried to print off the document to a specific printer. One would think that there would be a print window that would have you specify where you wanted the file to go, any double siding to select, etc. Instead there was no print screen and my file went immediately to another printer. I was shocked! No double siding. No Black and White option. I ran quickly to the printer the file was sent to and tried my best to stop the print job; I didn't want to pay for something I didn't want. Much to my dismay, no matter how much I pressed the "Cancel" button, the printer kept printing. I was really worried. But what shocked me even more than my mistake was the fact that the people at the help desk did the little they could to help. There I was, frantically smashing the cancel button with my fingers, and the employees looked up from their screens and said nonchalantly "Oh, did you need the print job stopped?" No, I just make scenes in public because I was neglected as a child.

The good news is that the printer printed everything in black and white. The bad news is that I am now the proud owner of an in-print copy of the Corel Painter X User's Manual. In two volumes. In the end, it cost about $31 which isn't all that bad when you think about it. I still saved money doing it my self and now I have plenty of paper for note taking

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Amidst Turmoil and Despair...

There have been a lot of talk recently about Proposition 8. Much of the news of recent has been involving dissatisfied voters with those churches and groups involved in the coalition for Prop 8. Of most notable are the bigoted and railing attacks on church buildings of The Church of Jesus Christ, as well as the Church proper. With many members of the church stating that they are leaving the church, maybe as a sign that they are trying to prove their views are right and the church leader's views are wrong, or that this is a scapegoat for more grievous reasons, is not evident.

I find it very interesting that there is so much disparaging anger and hatred towards those who demonstrated their legal and moral right to vote in something they believed in. There is no difference between the voters who were for Prop 8 and those who were against it; a bill was placed before the state voters and the right to vote for or against was cast. In this case, the votes for were more than the votes against. And like an angry child, furious that his/her way was not given, people are lashing out against those who supported, in whatever degree, their opposition.

And the media is having a hay day, twisting the truth of the matter to rigamarole status; news media like Utah's ABC 4 News try their best to sensationalize the facts and the truth to incite further anger and mistrust. Being LDS, this particular news story seems to hit more home than in other stories. I am outraged that people, both straight and gay, are reverting to childishness to demonstrate their disgust that they did not get their way. To these people, I say demonstrate your legal right, under state and federal magna chartas, to petition lawmakers and voters to change what you think needs to be changed. This is what those people who supported Prop 8 did. There is nothing more and nothing less than this. Beating up, terrorizing, inciting property damage and the like only demonstrates to the rest of the world and society that you cannot be civil and thus revoke your legal responsibilities and rights as an American citizen.

God also wants us all to be civil with one another and respect other people's dispositions. And what happens when one person's disposition encroaches upon another's disposition? Well, we also live in a country were its constitution allows for people to adjust and define the laws through established legal means. This same constitution was given to us by God so that we can govern ourselves in communities and societies. There are other ways to express your frustration from the polls than by destroying property and injuring your fellow man and woman, both physically and verbally. This is America, even the United States of America. Start acting like a Citizens and and not militant guerillas. We all can be more than who we are, that is what the American dream is all about.

As for those people who are now former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, your leaving of the church is nothing new. In the Gospel of John, the Savior taught the people the importance of feasting on the Bread and Waters of life. When He taught that one must eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, some were confused, some were offended, and "many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more (John 6:66 (51-68)." We read in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ that there were many people who left the churches because they did not agree with the church (all of Mosiah 26). Leaving God's Kingdom on earth will not stop the work from progressing; it will not change the mind of God, nor will it prove anything except how unsteady are the hearts of the children of men (Helaman 12). The issues at hand are nothing new; they have been on the face of the earth since before the days of Sodom and Gomorra and God has strong feelings about these issues.

Will disagreements ever stop? As long as people have an opinion, no. Will we see the contention melt away? That is up to all of us.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

They were always real to me...

I will be updating this soon. I have a lot to talk about and so little time. I will also update my other blog.

This is a video found from Transformers.com (R):



Saturday, August 2, 2008

St. George Trip



We just got back from a wonderful trip in St. George, Utah. We spent 3 days and 2 nights in the very hot (dry heat!) desert oasis. There, we spent time with Callee's family as well as with each other. I dare say that we did come away closer to one another, yet there is always the tendency to slip back into old habits; I hope we do not slip back into old habits, especially when there was a lot of growth and progression.

That being said, one of the most memorable parts of this trip was the family discussion. During the discussion, Callee's father, Dallan, wanted to express his heartfelt concerns regarding where we, as a family, are going, and how to get all of the family there. Dallan mentioned that he is very amazed and dumbfounded at the amount of evil creeping into the lives of the Saints. It is nearly the point in this world's history when wickedness will enter into the lives of the youth of the Church. I couldn't help but think that what is important is to be at the ready and keep a weather eye out for when the storms touch down. I do not have children but want to be not just prepared, but knowledgeful of options, what to do, how to handle, and have the courage to proceed during each storm. I hate to think that my children will go astray, seeking out forbidden paths that lead to waters of filthiness, and that their journeyings could have been prevented had I done something different, or not done something period. It really makes you think, laying out the eternal perspective.

Callee and I want to put forth a foundation for an eternal family now, before we build up a posterity unto ourselves. To do this, we are going to do many things now and in the future. I would like to strengthen the tent pole of our family tent by putting up pictures of the Savior, temples, doctrines of the gospel, etc. The daily reminders are what can trigger thoughts and feelings, emotions, memories of what the Lord has done. I find it interesting that Alma the younger was told by the angel to "remember the captivity of [his] fathers." As you continue reading throughout the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, those who were able to overcome all things kept in remembrance the captivity of their fathers and the great things the Lord did for them. I guess this is also another starting point for us. As you can read, the family meeting went very well and was productive.

The rest of the trip was very fun. We got to see The Dark Knight again, this time in regular format, and I have to say, it was better the first time. I have a theory, that the first time you watch a movie is more for eye candy and entertainment, than for fully understanding and appreciating the movie. I picked up a bit more this time around. First, I discovered what Commissioner Gordon said about Batman at the end. He said that Batman was not a hero but a watchful sentinel, a Dark Knight. He said that Batman was not the hero that Gotham needs but the hero that Gotham deserves. This means that the hero you deserve is the hero that is best suited and matched for you, who will help you to grow. The hero you need is the hero that will fix your problems for you, leaving little room for you to learn how to overcome your problems. Batman is about striving to create a world where there is no crime. This can only occur if the people choose this path and actively pursue. In the movie, Bruce says that Harvey Dent did more good at cleaning up the streets of Gotham City than Batman did, and he did it without a mask. But Batman was the catalyst of putting hope back on the streets, as well as allowing a way for people like Harvey Dent to step up. This is the significance of Batman and why he is needed. I love this movie. I am excited for the third installment!

When we drove down there, I was sick and Callee took on the daunting challenge of driving 5 hours straight while I lay near helpless in the seat beside her. On the way back, Callee was the one who was sick and I got to drive. My arms are achy from the driving and I can't imagine how Callee felt, being stuck in a car, with an achy body and pounding headache, and having stomach problems. In the end, it worked out for the best. We are safe at home and resting now. On this trip I prayed often that everything would be fine, as well as what His will was for me on this trip. I know that Heavenly Father healed me on this trip and watched over every car and everyone. Heavenly Father does live, Jesus in the Christ, they both appeared to Joseph Smith, and the Holy Ghost testifies of this.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Random SNL Clip



I love Mounted Talking Tiger!