Happy Independence Day, Malaysia! Gracing this blog with a Kingfisher photo that I took with my Fujifilm XT-30 camera.
I took this shot while I was still recovering from ICL – my first photo since the op. My vision is unfortunately still blurry and not as sharp as it was before the surgery. It has been over a month, hopefully it wouldn’t continue for too long without full recovery.
This year has been full of bad news, so I would like to share a photo of this cute magnificent bird. I also decided to share this photo because the red, white and blue colours reminded me of Malaysia’s flag.
For those wondering what ICL is, it is a surgery similar to LASIK, but with newer tech and is non-invasive. It is called Implantable Contact Lens. The operation is generally safe but recovery rate depends on the individual. I did both eyes at the same time.
It’s not just the art industry that falls into the trap of the ‘Herd Mentality’, it’s basically what plagues Mankind. We are more sheep than shepherd. Fear has a strong hold in our lives whether we deny it or not. People are afraid to explore because of the fear of the unknown or perceived failures. Yes, some of you may argue that it has been tried and tested, which is why we remain in the comfort zone. But only by going against the social norms and comfort zones do breakthroughs happen. Often, common issues get dismissed and overlooked.
In the art industry, we have what we call the ‘Popular Vote’. This may seem normal but in its essence, it is encouraging the herd mentality. Say for example, would you vote for something that you like (e.g. a favourite character) over something that is better in art execution and originality? To expand on this, let’s say both are your favourite characters. One looks more realistic but is copied from a reference and has sloppy colours. The other is not as realistic but is created from scratch with nice colours. Most people tend to go for the more realistic one. This is a classic trap of ‘Style Over Substance’.This is why ‘hot air’ continues to exist and fool many. The ‘eye candy’ without any substance.
Many artists face this dilemma of drawing something original over copying a popular reference in order to get recognition by the hoi polloi, the majority with no artistic background. I may or may not be broaching a taboo subject but this is a brutal industry. Even people with artistic background can fall into the trap of voting their favourite. However, it’s not unusual to see a disagreement between the art critics and the general masses.
So how do we resolve this? Observe and learn, resist the ancestors of Man’s instincts of fight or flight. It may be useful in the past but not in this case. In this day and age, thinking things through are often more rewarding.
This is a continuation of the sketch from this post: 16mins Sketch
After further brainstorming, I decided to change the gender, age and species to a clumsy female youngling. I wanted a challenge. Neither acknowledged by humans nor Archaeopteryx, it has to learn how to live in the dangerous world.
I guess this falls into the survival genre.
It is not easy combining two species that have anatomies from both extreme ends. The way the human joints bend are the exact opposite of how the Archaeopteryx’s joints work in various areas.
Below are 5 applications that can make your life easier when using a PC. Personally tried and tested 🙂
Seer – Ever fancy MAC’s convenient preview feature with the click of one button – the space key to be exact? Then, take a look at Seer: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ccseer/
The 5 mins sketch above is a quick study on different types of houses.
Right, I have always done quick sketches but I just realised that my definition of a quick sketch slightly differs from the generic term of what a quick sketch is:
1. A hasty or undetailed drawing or painting often made as a preliminary study.
2. A brief general account or presentation; an outline.
My definition of a quick sketch
A drawing done as quickly as possible with mistakes and all but the outline and overview of the drawing can be easily recognised and gets the message across.
Hi guys! I have started working on a personal illustration again (after goodness knows how long haha – too busy yeah). In the meantime, what I’ve observed as a web design trend in 2014 was plenty of parallax websites.
I’m not saying they aren’t creative, it’s just that someone with a short attention span like me or just happens to have shitty internet, will not appreciate them as much and just want to get the nitty gritty details in a flash.
Hence in 2015, my prediction of web trends (to name a few) is as follows:
Parallax websites will still increase but probably not as much hype as it was in 2014
Simplicity is key; designs that are suitable for all screen sizes, responsive ones will be evident.
Typography. In the past due to limited web technology, there can only be so much choices for fonts until now. Larger text too. People are complaining about their eyesight. Jokes. Google Fonts will be your best friend: https://www.google.com/fonts
Emperor’s New Groove – It’s funny, it’s nice but not many has heard of it
The Rescuers – Animation is superb, so is the story yet not many knows this
Wreck-It-Ralph – Heartwarming and something different
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – Inspirational; four-legged creatures aren’t easy to animate but this looks beautifully done
Balto – Strong animation, motivational story.
Overrated (Seen too much hype and fan stuffs on it)
Frozen – Sure, the animation is beautiful but the story isn’t worth the hype (or this is probably due to the singing). The story felt similar to Brave.
Rise Of The Guardians – It felt childish, definitely not recommended for adults. Animation and graphics are great. Typically, all other guardians look like weaklings as opposed to Jack.
Brave – all over the place and predictable story, cliche main character
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it. I just don’t think it is worth that much attention.
Kungfu Panda – Insulting stereotype with an unappealing main character and predictable storyline.
