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/
We go back to the days when graphics are limited and we rely on good stories and gameplay to make a game enjoyable (well, not all but mostly).
Dogday This probably isn’t the best gameplay as it gets ridiculously hard (almost impossible without a walkthrough) but it featured several noteworthy features of the era. You can play an arcade game within the game and come on, who doesn’t like playing as a dog that scoops up soup for money? The dystopian and retro style graphics were also a fresh start.
Dragonriders: Chronicles of Pern This had potential to be a good game. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go any further. What stood out was the amount of interactions and how the character levels up a skill.
Anito: Defend a Land Enraged was definitely a great game although it was unfortunate that there was not much hype about it. The plot and storyline was its strong point and the depth of the main characters are enough to make you want to relate with them.
Who would’ve thought that this:
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
would eventually become this?
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
What would’ve happened if those games that had potential had soldiered on?
