#and my last painting was super washed out I wonder if studio lighting was a contributing factor ._.

[z-irce]

Obzesst with this new led light bulb

purchased a 2-pack after reading this post about lighting and I need more. MORE LIGHT.

(Summary of post: you want lights that are CRI 90+ and 5000k color temperature.)

[entergamingxp]

Bravely Default 2 — Here Are My 10 Takeaways from Playing the Demo

April 14, 2020 1:30 PM EST

Bravely Default 2 is my most anticipated title of the year, and playing the demo left me with some thoughts about what we’ll see from it.

With zero notice, Nintendo released a Nintendo Mini Direct at the end of March, featuring updates on many anticipated titles. One such title just happens to be my most anticipated game of the year, Bravely Default 2, and with that news came a surprise playable demo.

After the Direct, I went “directly” to the eShop and downloaded the demo and spent a few hours playing through it. Here are the main takeaways from my time with it, much of it very positive.

To Brave or to Default, That is the Question

Fans of the previous two entries on the Nintendo 3DS will feel right at home with Bravely Default 2. The series’ trademark Brave and Default battle commands return, allowing players to either spend future turns all at once and leaving them vulnerable, or saving turns up for later use. It’s a brilliant system whose simple premise adds far more depth and strategy to your typical turn-based RPG combat. It feels just as good playing it now as it did when I first picked up the first game and experienced it for the first time.

A Painted Wonder, Now in HD

The painted cities and landscapes of the original Bravely Default were beautiful on the small dual screens of the 3DS, but now with them finally being able to be displayed on an HD display or TV, they indeed are stunning. While we have only gotten a small taste of what is in store in BD2, if the city, island, and dungeon we did get to explore are any indication of the quality, then we are in for a real treat. The shimmering and ever-so-slight distortion in the city instantly helps you feel the stifling heat of the desert town. The painted backgrounds add so much character and charm, and I can’t wait to see what this new world has to offer.

A New Cast for a New Age

What I find most appealing about Seth, Adelle, Elvis, and Gloria–the heroes in this tale–are how different they seem to be from the previous cast. I love Tiz and crew, but knowing that I get to meet these brand new characters on this fresh adventure just has me giddy with excitement. I feel that there will be more depth to the characters; Seth, for example, is a sailor that washed up onshore. That alone offers much more space for character backstory than an innocent shepherd boy who loses his family. I wonder what skeletons these characters have in their closets and what sort of foes they will be facing off against!

Studio REVO is Back, and it Shows

For me, the most significant blow in quality between Bravely Default and Bravely Second was the soundtrack. While still good, the soundtrack of Bravely Second just never seemed to have the same grandeur or impact that that Default had. That is why one of the hypest moments from the Default 2 reveal was that studio REVO was back to make the music once more. Playing the demo, I will happily admit that on more than one occasion, I just sat my controller down and enjoyed the music. The small taste in the demo was enough to fill me with the same pulse-pounding epicness that the first game did, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the tracks.

Missing Battle Settings – Gone for good, or just not ready for the demo?

Players were initially surprised when Bravely Default gave players the option not only to toggle battle speeds (one of, if not the first RPG to offer the feature, which is now far more common), but also giving you control over the encounter rate, and whether or not you would gain experience, job points, or money from battles. This control lets everyone tailor their experience to fit their unique play style. Going back to the Bravely Second demo, these features were present there, so I find it strange that in the demo for Bravely Default 2, these more precise controls were absent.

With battles no longer being random as the monsters are now roaming the open landscapes, the lack of options over resource gain is brow-raising. I’m hoping that these options will be present in the final game and are only not yet functioning; if not, I will be somewhat disappointed. I loved that these toggles gave me the option to max out my job classes–and earning all the class skills–without worrying about dramatically over-leveling my characters in the process. I would even love to see the encounter settings return too, perhaps just adding more or fewer monsters to the maps that you could run into. It made it great for grinding!

Just Hold On A Second…Oh, wait…

It looks as though players will no longer be able to utilize the power of the Bravely Second: the mechanic, not the sequel to the first Default game. This Bravely Second ability allowed players to instantly take a turn during combat by spending points accrued while their 3DS systems were in sleep mode. By pressing start, you could pick a character to pull off an emergency heal, a wicked super attack, or even summon a friend. During the demo, there wasn’t a single mention of this ability (or even hinted at), so it remains to be seen if it will be making a return. I, for one, hope it does: it saved my butt once or twice and was restricted enough that it didn’t become overpowered or spammable.

The Missing Explorer – Save points have gone the way of being generic

The crimson-wearing adventurer I have come to love since the days of Final Fantasy: 4 Heroes of Light that I told my stories to is strangely absent in the demo of Default 2. I found using a character for the save point just added to the already overflowing charm of the games, and to see that the savepoint was replaced by a generic glowing object in the demo was a bit of a bummer. I doubt that this point will warn me when things are about to get dangerous or sell me goods. However, I’m keeping my hopes up that the explorer will be swapped in for the release version.

When’s It My Turn?

An alteration to this new game’s battle system is that you no longer assign all of your characters’ turns at once. In the last games, you gave commands to all of your characters, and then they acted, then all of the enemies would act. This time around, however, the turns of enemies and allies are mixed, and you don’t assign commands until that specific character’s turn is up. What would be helpful to go along with this change, though, is if Default 2 utilized some manner of turn-order graphic, similar to that found in Final Fantasy X, that will give players information on whose turn is next. This would be exceedingly important in planning strategies during challenging boss fight encounters.

Where’s My Auto-Battle?

Where oh, where has my auto-battle gone? Oh, where or where can it be? This is similar to my worry about the battle settings, but I find this one to be much more worrisome. I can live, albeit begrudgingly, without the battle settings, but if the auto-battle toggle has been removed with Default 2, I’m going to be mad. You are given a choice to replay your last commands you gave a character; that’s great. But why do I have to tell them to replay it every single time their turn comes up? This is where auto-battle came into play in the previous games. Set it to auto, and from the moment all battles start, it would just keep replaying the same commands that you assigned them last. It was perfect. They already have a repeat command in the demo, and the repeating function was, once again, in the Bravely Second demo: just let me make everyone keep doing it without my input. Still, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will be in the final release.

Let’s Cut the Introductions Down a Bit

There were two main issues that I had with the demo. First was the missing auto-battle option, and the second was how long it takes for you to get into combat. After the battle whoosh happens, you see your team of heroes stepping up into position followed by the enemies. In the first Default, the time it takes for you to gain control over your party is roughly three to three and a half seconds. In the Default 2 demo, this almost doubles, taking six seconds, and yes, I did time them both. This isn’t a loading screen either: it is just characters walking up and squaring off against one another. This needs to be sped up: keep it more in line with the times of the previous games, please.

Bravely Default 2 was and still is my most anticipated game of the year. That’s saying something in a year that just keeps getting crammed with more and more S-Tier RPGs to steal my time. After completing the “story,” maxing out each of the characters’ levels, mastering all their jobs, and completing all the side quests available, the demo has only reinforced in me how much I have missed this series and desperately needed a new game. While the demo isn’t without its flaws, it is just that: a demo. I love this approach that Team Asano is taking with releasing an early demo to get feedback on. Octopath Traveler showed how much of a benefit that feedback can be, and I can see this only results in a better end product here as well.

I eagerly await news on the release date and still pray to all the crystals that Nintendo will grace us with an HD Switch remaster of Bravely Default and Bravely Second one day, too.

Bravely Default 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch sometime later this year. You can download and try the demo yourself, which is free on the Nintendo eShop.

April 14, 2020 1:30 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/bravely-default-2-here-are-my-10-takeaways-from-playing-the-demo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bravely-default-2-here-are-my-10-takeaways-from-playing-the-demo

[loriglessner]

Spring seems to be struggling to get here in the Northeast, but that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about summer teaching trips, hiking and painting in the great outdoors. I love to travel and fortunately for me, I do a lot of it as a result of teaching workshops. As you have learned from many previous posts, especially the last two on artists hikes, my favorite way to experience new places is to hike them and paint as I go. It’s important to me to not only record what I’ve seen via photographs, but to also record the essence of the place through my own marks. Please understand that these are just sketches, not masterpieces, they help me to keep my artist brain in tune when I’m not in the studio and they serve as memorable references for larger paintings. While I’m teaching a workshop, it’s sometimes difficult for me to get out and hike, so my favorite thing to do to wind down is sit in my hotel room and sketch. All of the materials I’ve listed in this post are inexpensive, lightweight, and fit neatly into my backpack, carry on bag or suitcase with plenty of room to spare. They are also TSA friendly so you can take take them with you when flying. Whether you’re a hiker, a teacher, a commuter or a tourist, like to sketch indoors or out, if you’re planning a trip and don’t want to lose your creative mojo, this list will be a help to you. Additional product images, examples of my sketches and how I use these materials are below each product description. Again, my sketches are not masterpieces. Be kind. ; )

Piccadilly Open Bound Sketchbook

An essential for any traveling artist to take along on a trip is the sketchbook, of course. I was introduced to this wonderful book through a workshop student last summer. There are so many good qualities I love about this book, the most important being that it’s compact, lightweight and can accept a variety of media, including water. Also important to me is that due to it’s open-bound binding and with a little breaking in, it lays flat without that distracting spiral between the pages most sketchbooks have. It also has a handy pocket to hold postcards, plants or anything else I collect on my travels. It doesn’t have a closure like other field sketchbooks, but that is easily remedied by a homemade tie, mine being a lovely piece of raffia. I don’t really like the word ‘SKETCH’ on the front, but that is also easily remedied by a little camouflage. Unfortunately, this book has been discontinued by Barnes and Noble, where I purchased it, but you can still get copies of it through Marketplace sellers here.

  Koh-I-Noor Watercolor Wheel

I love watercolor for quick sketches and have purchased a few portable watercolor sets over the years, but this stackable set of 24 colors by Koh-I-Noor is definitely my favorite. I found it in a museum gift shop near the children’s art supplies so I wasn’t expecting much in the way of quality, but I was totally blown away by the color intensity when I did my first tests. If you’d like to see a more comprehensive comparison to better quality watercolor sets, watch this short video. I’m no watercolor expert and I’m sure I don’t need a whole 24 colors, but I love having them at my disposal if I want them. I’m used to working with gouache, so I’m always searching for white when working with watercolors and this set has white! It really doesn’t work the way gouache works, but I like having it there for that little bit of opacity I always seem to need. It also comes with a handy mixing tray that screws right on top. This set fits perfectly in my pack, but it might be a bit bulky for some, so just unscrew the stack and only bring the colors you need. The set is very inexpensive compared to most portable 24 color sets, so if you’re daring you can go for the mega 36 color set available here or the colossal 48 color set here. The 24 color set is sold by many online stores and you can compare prices if you Google, but if you’re in a hurry just click here.

ArtGraf Water Soluble Graphite Disc

ArtGraf is simply brilliant for all that it offers in the way of water soluble products. I was first introduced to their products by way of their water soluble graphite pencils and sticks that I love. When I was in the art supply store purchasing more, I found that they also make water soluble graphite products that they call ‘discs’. The disc is more like a block, it’s shape inspired by tailor’s chalk and comes in many colors. I first purchased the Carbon Black disc, it’s rich velvety black almost simulates sketching in straight Sumi ink. I loved it so much, I bought the earth tone set and just love it for sketching the desert landscapes I gravitate toward when searching for hikes. The colors are so rich and complex, I can achieve a wide value range just by changing the amount of water I use. Although I would love to, I can’t take all of the colors with me, so I always have the dark brown disc in my pack. Its as rich as the black, but not as harsh and simulates the earth tones a bit better. Just like the black I can achieve a wide range of values and it’s great for simple sketches when I don’t have the time to break out my watercolor set. The discs are sold individually or in sets through many art supply stores, but for online convenience most of the products are sold by Amazon here.

General’s Sketch and Wash Pencil

When I work in any medium, I’m always about adding the line, the mark and in my case, lines and marks add up to many tangled swirls. For me, working in watercolor is not about painting in detail, it’s broad, blended swaths of color that yearn for a little detail-and swirls, of course. This pencil allows me to add those details in lines ranging from very crisp to a thin wash. The pencil works like any other watercolor pencil by either adding water after drawing or dipping the pencil in water first, the latter being what I prefer. What sets this pencil apart from most other watercolor pencils is the rich black line I get when it’s wet. Most black watercolor pencils seem to start strong and then fade out when wet-this one does the exact opposite, starting out a lighter gray when dry and then getting more black when wet. Its the perfect tie together finish for a bright watercolor sketch. It’s available at most art supply stores, but I purchase mine here.

Pentel Aquash Water Brush

What to do with all of these watercolor art supplies, you ask? The answer is, purchase a good water brush! I’m embarrassed to say that I purchased my first water brush in 2016 when yet another workshop student introduced me to these wonderful things. At the time, I had never heard of them and also had a difficult time finding them even online. Fortunately, they are pretty much everywhere now and come in a few brands which I have tried. My favorite is the Pentel brand because of it’s quality tip that I can’t kill no matter how hard I use it and I don’t have to hurt myself to get the water out of the brush. I purchased this set (not from this merchant), being wooed by a bigger pen with a variety of tips. Unfortunately, the tips soon fell apart, the water either came out in a waterfall or not at all and I had to squeeze the pen so hard to get the water out, it would break my painting rhythm. Although the Pentel brand is a bit pricier and looks smaller, the brushes last, they’re easy to use with an even water flow per squeeze and surprisingly hold more water than the larger brushes. My favorite, most versatile tip is the medium round, it gives me a broad stroke down to a fine line. I can’t do without this brush and carry one everywhere, even in my everyday purse. Just a side note-if you’re flying and taking this pen with you, make sure you have emptied it of all water or TSA will confiscate! Purchase both Pentel individual brushes and sets here.

Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen

There are no limits to the love I have for this pen. It’s super black, versatile, comes in a variety of sizes and writes beautifully on any drawing or painting surface. When I’m out hiking, I use it to make quick sketches, write field notes, add depth to my pencil sketches and details to my watercolor sketches. I have the extra small, small and fine point pens and use them all in the studio, but always have the small size in my pack. Read this post for more about this pen and to see a series of drawings I did with it. These pens are sold individually at most art and craft stores and online, but I found a nice assorted nib 4 pen set here and a mega set with all kinds of interesting nibs here.

Eberhard Faber Design Ebony Pencil 6325

I love drawing with pencil, I could do it for days. The problem is that it takes me about that long to draw anything because I use so many different kinds of pencils and leads, constantly switching around to get the right value. Unfortunately, I can’t bring them all with me in my pack, so this pencil is a great substitute for many of those pencils. It’s hard enough at the tip for fine line and soft enough to achieve a variety of values, from very dark to very light. The best part about it is it’s ultra velvety smoothness, I’ve never seen or felt anything quite like it. The smoothness enables me to draw in many smooth layers without annoying skips and dark spots. It must be kept sharp to achieve fine line, so instead of ruining my pack with a messy sharpener that takes up space, I use my trusty pink pocket knife every hiker girl should have and the pencil elements go back to the earth from whence they came. Unfortunately, these pencils have been discontinued but they are available from a variety of Marketplace and Ebay sellers if you’re patient and search. I found a good article that mentions other alternatives to this awesome pencil-I haven’t used any of the pencils mentioned in the article but there are substantial reviews to read for most of them.

I hope that this article was helpful and introduced you to some products you may not have been aware of before reading. As always, I look forward to your comments, questions and suggestions-the comments section is located at the upper left sidebar of this post. Please let me know what your favorite portable materials are, I’m always looking for new products to try.

Stay tuned for my next post which offers 3 Essential Questions to ask yourself when critiquing art, either your own or another artist’s work. When I was a professor at Tyler, these three questions helped simplify critique and went beyond the typical critique discussions to analyzing the overall impact of the work and what compels the viewer to respond to one work over another. Whether you are a professional artist or a beginner, this article will help you determine what makes an interesting work of art. See you soon.

Are you an artist who loves to travel? In this post, I share with you 7 Essential Art Materials so you can be Art Prepared for your next trip. Spring seems to be struggling to get here in the Northeast, but that hasn't stopped me from thinking about summer teaching trips, hiking and painting in the great outdoors.