#this is how ive always felt and it is so refreshing to see it depicted

[not-my-digital-footprint]

Boys Gilding the Lily Shall Die

[repliiku]

hi. hello. i have things to say and it felt wrong to not say them directly to you !!!

i have been freaking out for hours now frankly. every time you put pen to paper you manage to draw the most gorgeous jaw dropping stunning beautiful masterpeice of a Person ive ever seen. it is genuinely baffling to me how beautiful these characters are in your style. i think what really draws me to it is how odd they look? they are out of the ordinary. dare i say queer. im sure some people without any thought might just say they are downright ugly. none of these weirdos are conforming to any sort of physical standard and it is so refreshing see someone embrace that sort of thing so openly and so unceremoniously!!! i hope i am not reading too far into it and my perspective is somewhere near your intention. i am a very avid fan of the idea that most if not all characters in homestuck are queer and neurodivergent in some form of manner and i really connect to your art in this aspect. it's not something that's being pushed, it's just. thats how it Is. that's how they are. and you capture that so honestly for me. golly it makes me feel a type of way

hope this isn't too weird haha thanks for being an artist!

Thank you so much for this it really lit up my day !!! I was trying to think all day yesterday about what I’d say cause I knew whatever it was would be lengthy. But you got it completely!!! I’ve done the conventionally on model art in the past and it just got repetitive and boring. Past few years esp as I’ve been figuring my own queerness out and being around my friends more I’ve just found so much more joy in drawing these place holder characters in series,

as people I see. There’s a much freedom in these little stubby sprites I was really excited to finish the series and give them fully fleshed out designs.

Because it’s not just my art it’s In homestuck itself. Characters like Sollux, Jane, and Jake are 3 characters who’s whole descriptions depict them as “unconventional” yet these 3 are sought after by the whole damn cast, they are the big swoons and hunks. Characters described as fat with prominent buck teeth and overbites. These features are mostly seen as ugly in fandom art but like you said it’s just real, whether others like it or not. I love drawing characters that are like me, my boyfriend, my friends, and other queer people in general!!! This hasn’t always been the most appreciated by others in the past and as much as I have my own problems with the hs community it is nice to know this space has been the most accepting of my art :)))❤️❤️❤️ it means the world that you and others are able to feel so deeply about these little sketches and doodles I do. It gives me inspiration when I haven’t been able to find it much lately.

[ninjapaste]

dude your art is so GOOD!!! Do you take any classes or have any tips to share? that resource post you reblogged the other day was helpful but i've felt so stuck in my art. I don't know if you have anything u learned that just made something click for u or anything like that?

Tysm anon!!!👍

In terms of your questions, I apologise i advance for the long answer im about to give and possibly things you already know haha:

I guess in terms of what classes i take, Ive gone from GCSE to A level Art and design (Fine art), and both courses have helped me to learn the importance of observation studies.

However, its moreso all the art i practice in my own time that has played the biggest part in my art improvement journey. I adopted art as a big hobby around 2018, and really ever since then I tend to draw/create for myself every day, however big or small it may be.

I guess my first tip would be to indulge in a 'sketchbook' or space to work in freely, it could be any form but the importance is that its personal and can be picked up whenever. I find that having a sketchbook to draw in has really helped with productivity and creating new ideas. I think you can go into a sketchbook space with any mindset and it can work wonders, like for example if you wanted to focus purely on challenging yourself, you can do that! If you just, want to doodle without thinking, go ahead! After all, its a sketchbook for you and nobody else, so go wild!

My next tip would definitely be, when you are feeling stuck in art, to take inspiration from a wide range of different things be it in real life or on the internet, a building or a really cool tree, since I find it defintiely fuels the creation of new ideas/concepts that can provide a path out of that creative rut. I guess to an extent there may always be periods where you have that 'I have no idea what to draw!' Feeling, and thats okay! Sometimes its refreshing that helps the most. But I often see that the solution to being in a rut is usually REFERENCING, wether it be trying to accurately draw the anatomy of an arm or if I just saw a cool design/pose/style on Pinterest and i drew a bunch of wacky characters from it. In fact, I find that places like Pinterest or Resplash are such good resources to hone imagination and generally most art skills by looking at and drawinf from all the cool images (and get some of that inspo!). And if im not using Pinterest, im usually using an art book as reference! (The itsv and splatoon art book helped me so so much lol)

On the topic of REFERENCING, its mega important! Depending on imagination/memory feels pretty good at times but its always beneficial to have image references in your process when you find its good to have them. I woudl always recommend having a reference when drawing poses/expressions/anatomy because the more you use them, the more you learn about how an object like a face muscle, a torso or even light behaves and looks and the easier it is to draw/depict them.

The next tip is uh YOUTUBE, or any account/person who's art inspires you in particular. I found that certain channels like Ethan Becker, Marc Brunet, Marco Bucci and more have helped me the most to gain confidence in drawing and learning how to practice it better. Of course, theres a lot to learn from a plethora of other channels too, even ones that dont specifically promote themselves as teachers! Also, if theres a certain style/art approach or an artist that appeals to you, study it in any way you like! Analyse an artist's work or ask/find out about their personal process (or even watch a speedpaint/art stream)! Sometimes it can be a big inspiration booster and skill boost to do just that (plus the 'artist' could be any piece of media/thing too!! Like a game or something).

Ok ok last paragraph haha, on the topic of your last question. Thinking back, its hard for me to define any specific moment or thing that gave me a 'click' moment. Its more like a process of growth that starts with learning and understanding a new thing, then familiarizing myself with using it successfully/'correctly' by studying and practicing, so that eventually its like muscle memory or easier to use in my work.

Hope this helps!!! If theres anything else you want to ask, dont be afraid to dm or send another ask!!

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: Cecily by Annie Garthwaite

In recent years, I’ve found that I really enjoy reading about real women whose stories have not been previously told or that somehow didn’t make the general body of history that is common knowledge. I had honestly never heard of Cecily Neville before reading this book and I am now wondering why.

Cecily Neville is born into a noble family and at the age of nine was promised to her father’s ward Richard Plantagenet. In the years that followed, Richard rose through the ranks to dukedom with his headstrong, defiant wife firmly in his corner while Cecily bore Richard 12 children. Seven of them lived including two future kings of England, Edward IV and Richard III. Throughout the bloody Wars of the Roses and incredible political upheaval, Cecily remains a powerful figurehead and inspiration to women everywhere.

Considering that this was not a love match when they were thrown together as children, Cecily and Richard’s relationship is beautiful. They clearly adore each other and are a formidable team. There is no talk or suggestion of Cecily taking a back seat and concentrating her efforts on being a wife and mother. They stand firmly together to defend the House of York and I think the fact that they each allow the other to flourish without any kind of restriction prevents any resentment from creeping into their marriage.

Of course, plenty of people around them have their own opinion on Cecily taking such an active role in her husband’s cause. Cecily is great at shutting these critics down and I felt myself smiling at the parts where she proves that she has just as much right to be in on these meetings as the men do. It’s so refreshing to see women from centuries ago having the courage to take action against the world. Especially in periods as far back as the 15th century, women are depicted as powerless victims whose lives just happen to them. Cecily would never stand for that approach to living at all and it’s fantastic to watch.

In order to secure good marriages for her children and strengthen the bond between York and France, Cecily spends time ingratiating herself with French nobility. In doing this, she forms a wonderful friendship with Isabella who she gushes over inspirational women with. Although we don’t get to see much of their friendship in real time, there is a lovely, playful kinship between them. Isabella introduces Cecily to new ideas and perhaps shows her a side to herself that she otherwise would have never known.

There are also little glimpses of gossip sessions between women that reminded me that actually some things have always been and always will. Their discussions on the men that they admire and the men that are repulsed by reflect conversations that I know I’ve had with my own girlfriends. It’s such an easy, carefree scene and I think I wanted more of these in the book. I wanted to see Cecily simply as a woman rather than as a mother or a warrior, which are the two personas she uses most often.

Of course, Cecily loses five babies over the course of the narrative and each one is marked with her feelings about these little deaths. Her closest nurse Annette is a great comfort to her during these times of grief and helps her to understand it. There is a point where Cecily wonders how she isn’t used to the pain of losing children by now and concedes that it’s not something a mother ever will or should get over. These moments of utter sorrow and heartache give Cecily a warmth that is sometimes lost when she is scheming against her enemies. 

There are some beautiful descriptions of parts of England in the book too. This simple pause is the calm before the storm that brings horrendous violence and great tragedy. It’s a lovely, engaging way of adding rise and fall to the story and this part in particular paints an atmospheric, forboding image in my mind.

Cecily is a great illustration of a hidden war that was being waged during the Wars of the Roses. A war that the women were fighting to advance their own husbands and families as far as they could. There is extreme slander thrown and a lot of power moves played that have almost been erased from the history books, due to men reaping the glory from these ruthless tactics. 

There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this book and at times, I was a little confused as to who everyone was. This meant that I had to look up various names online and read their stories, so that I could clarify everything. An unexpected side effect of the book is that I can easily see where George RR Martin got a lot of his influences. I knew that A Song Of Ice And Fire was based on 15th century English history but I wasn’t entirely clear on which parts. Now, I can easily how he created many of his characters from the real people in Cecily’s story.

Overall, this is an absorbing book and sheds light on a thoroughly interesting figure who has been lost in time. She isn’t wholly likeable, which sometimes made it hard to connect with her, but perhaps she isn’t meant to be! Perhaps this is supposed to simply be an honest depiction of a ruthless but loyal, determined woman.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite will be published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on 29th July 2021.

[claud-iad-blog]

Session IV - VII – The Free Flow Seminar

The Free Flow Seminar offers us BA students an opportunity to gather feedback and discuss potential BA topics while simultaneously getting to know our mentors better. The two day seminar was spent at the Atelierhäuser am Waldrand in Gockhausen. Amidst the forest and surrounded by farm animals, the wheels of the BA thesis project was set in motion.

Day I - The Fog Thickens

Foggy Ideas Before the Free Flow Seminar, I had spent some time looking into potential BA topics. I considered the subject of sleep, after having read the book “Why we Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” by Matthew Walker (2017; Scribner) over the summer holidays. The book emphasised how important sleep actually was and how today’s society neglects its significance. I instantly felt drawn to this topic, as I am much interested in solving problems that may have a positive impact on people. Parallel to that, I had been in discussion with Stefan from Scientific Visualisation. We’ve participated in several interdisciplinary modules over the last two years and have found that we work very well together as a team. With this in mind, we are both interested in collaborating. We had only just recently picked up the conversion and had kept the subject open so far. But with the necessity from his side to work with a scientific collaborator, I was concerned that I may end up becoming the “tech-bimbo” whose sole job is to transform the project into an interactive exhibition or alike. Over the last few weeks, other ideas had also accumulated due to the theory modules. That Apple AirPods are being used by young teens to spy on others was a topic that I had not yet heard of and shocked me immensely at first. Maybe this could also be something worth looking into - in what form, I was not yet sure of.  However, nothing had yet been set in stone. And with these few foggy thoughts in mind, I attended the seminar, not knowing what to expect.

The Walk The main activity of the first day consisted of a 2 hour walk. Its purpose is to encourage first conversations with mentors and other students; to ignite and develop first sparks of inspiration. I initially expected the walk to be somewhat awkward and forced, having to approach the mentors and talk to them about our basic ideas. But I was surprised to find that it was not the case. The conversation flew rather freely and comfortably, a refreshing approach to initiating a tête-à-tête with a mentor.

The conversations I had were very thought-provoking. I brought the subject of sleep to Joëlle and later on to Luke. Their comments were encouraging, but somehow didn’t reassure me. I realised then that I hadn’t yet been able to figure out what exactly I wanted to achieve with the topic. I was still stumbling in the dark. Now, retrospectively perhaps, I think I could sense some uneasiness towards the topic at the time. There was nothing to dislike about it, both Joëlle and Luke encouraged it, but nevertheless, I didn’t feel more confident in the topic afterwards. In fact, by the end of the day, my insecurity grew. Towards Luke, I also shared the idea of dealing with the AirPods-espionage. He instantly showed a lot of enthusiasm, saying that it’s a very interesting topic. Instead of depicting the surveillance by governments and companies, I could shed light on the communal surveillance - that by our friends, neighbours, acquaintances and strangers. It’s not necessarily a new phenomenon (listening to other conversations by pressing your ear against a door for example has always intrigued us), but I could show how modern technology enables us to conduct surveillance more easily.  I, myself, started to share his enthusiasm. Shortly afterwards, however, I wondered whether it was too abstract - or to be more specific, maybe just a bit too abstract for my liking. I  realised then that I wouldn’t enjoy following an abstract BA thesis topic. Naturally, some freedom for experimenting and discovery is of necessity for a creative process. Nevertheless, I am leaning towards following a topic with some set target on its horizon to which I can set my course. 

Once having returned from the walk, Joëlle shared two different types of advice to the whole group:

“Consider what you want to learn over those months. Are there new tools, methods or knowledge that you want to acquire?” 

“Keep in mind what you want to work as later? In the past, some students have found job opportunities via their BA work.”

Both of these comments really resonated with me. So far, I had focused on finding a topic which I could see myself enjoy working on for 6 months. But I had completely disregarded the fact that six months are a long time and offer a great frame to try out new things and to learn something from scratch. And in that moment, I suddenly felt completely lost. My thoughts and feelings were in total disarray. It’s not that the talks hadn’t helped me. In fact they’ve been really useful, however, not in the way I had initially expected.

Lost With this new sense of being lost, I sat down to participate in the next exercise: we were instructed to continue our discussions with students and mentors alike with whom we’ve not managed to have a chat with yet, while simultaneously sketching these out on paper. As I felt rather discouraged, I became rather reserved, mostly also because I didn’t quite know what to say. I desperately felt like I needed to sit down by myself and sort my dishevelled thoughts. 

Nevertheless, I managed to chat to Martin. Having just been influenced by Joëlle’s previously shared advice of doing something “work-related”, I expressed my experience and interest in human-centred design, innovation, design sprints, design thinking and service design. I explained that I would very much like to continue pursuing these aspects, but couldn’t quite imagine how. Martin pointed me to a previous BA project by Nora Gailer and Mona Neubauer called “Pop-Up Forum”. They had worked closely with developing methods for communal discourse - he advised me to look into it, saying that such formats can also be followed as a project. To a certain extent, I felt a bit reassured by this suggestion as it showed me that a purely “method-based” approach could be something to consider too. Additionally, Martin recommended me to think backwards. What would I like to exhibit at the BA exhibition in June? How should it look like at the end? Maybe that could help me to find my path and interest.

Day II - Stuck in Mud

The second day of the seminar was intended for delving into the topics and ideas previously discussed the day before. This wasn’t of much help to me. Over the last 24 hours, I had pretty much discarded the two topics of sleep and the AirPod-surveillance. The former because I no longer felt confident in the subject itself, the latter because I considered it too vage for my liking (maybe this was a bit too hastened but I believe it was my gut feeling that urged me to do so). Nevertheless, I participated, half-heartedly did a performance and later on wrote a few lines upon the subject of sleep. But I felt stuck. I desperately needed to spend some time to look over everything that I had gathered over the last few hours. 

Post Seminar - The Fog Breaks

During the seminar, I felt like I was going backwards than actually forwards. I returned home with questions instead of answers. A thick fog had settled over my thoughts. But since then, I’ve had some time to reassess my ideas and impressions of the seminar. I’ve come to realise how helpful the first day especially was. Sure, I had no topic to show afterwards but I’ve managed to identify some criteria for myself:

Having a topic that I enjoy working on is a good incentive, but I think it shouldn’t be the only criteria on which I should base my search on for the BA thesis. 

I am more and more inclined to follow a project with which I can learn something new. Six months are a great period of time to acquire new skills. In concern to what I had just mentioned above, this could be a second incentive.

I’ve come to realise that I don’t want to deal with a subject that is too vague. I need something to look towards to throughout my process. Maybe Martin’s suggestion of thinking backwards could help me there.

I should trust on my gut feeling. If I’m uncertain about something already now then I should probably not go for it.

Use current interests as a foundation for the BA thesis. Focusing on something that already interests me should help me find a topic that I’m motivated and encouraged to pursue. 

If you’ve managed to read through all this blog entry on the seminar - congrats! I myself am surprised how much I had to write on the seminar - while writing, I suddenly realised that there was much to think about and share. Therefore, writing has helped me quite a bit. I’ve revisited my uncertainties and confusions, have reshuffled questions and answers and managed to structure them more clearly for myself. I can tell that the fog is slowly lifting, but it will still need some time until it’s fully gone. But honestly, I am happy with that.

Big thanks to Fiona Good for allowing me to use some of her pictures. 

[conflictcrafter]

The Unexpected LAMAW of Madayaw and The lamaw that is deped

the department of education has, and rightfully so, included retellings of the Darangen in the English 7 curriculum learning modules (but wrong pictures!). during one of our classes, particularly in section Gladiola, we talked about the epic and how the Meranaws in the time of the Darangen has put premium on physical appearance over anything else.

whenever we touch the Meranaws in my MAPEH 7 (2012-2014) and in my English 7 classes (2014-present), i'd always tell them about the Kapagipat, among other cool Meranaw stuff, to illustrate how magical and ritualistic and creative and cool the Meranaws are. i had to do this because a considerable number of my students are Maranaws and those who are not will have had the mis-educated, illi-informed idea that Maranaws—Muslims in general—are people to be avoided. i'd always tell them the opposite: that Islam is a religion of peace, and all my Muslim friends are nice and generous and very approachable; i'd always tell them, too, how unfortunate i was to not have been born in an ethnolinguistic group, still connected to its ancient traditions. but i digress.

ive seen and studied the works of Madayaw Cultural Ensemble, among other cultural dance-theatre groups in Davao. and since their piece Singkil sa Laya performed in SM Ecoland back in the infancy of Sayaw Mindanao sometime in 2011, their "tribe in focus" would, except in very rare cases, be Islamized ethnolinguistic groups (Meranaw, Maguindanao, Tausug). no problem with this.

but the plot is done over and over only in different characters and settings. their staple is always like this: a pair of lovers, disturbed by a bitter third party; man fights the third party; pair of lovers marry. this happened for quite some time that i'd marvel at the times when madayaw would not win, and be internally outraged when they do. ive somehow sensed that all they did was show glitz and glamour: no advocacy, no plot, no depth; with only one goal: to fool the eyes of some unaware luzon-based judges—ergo, win. (there. ive said it.)

at first glance of this piece, i told myself that it's gonna be the same thing since 2011. theyve hit the formula. and now this is their forte. and theyre never going to outgrow their motifs. it's lamaw (leftover food). napagkainan na.

but as i was watching it, (insert curse word here) kalami sa piyesa! i was slowly liking the piece every minute as it went. it was like being introduced to lamaw—at first abhorring it for its name—but later discovering that lamaw is not only leftover food but also an effin refreshing delicacy (lamaw is a multilingual homonym and homophone having polar gastronomic meanings depending on which of the philippine languages one is using, making lamaw physically and lexically "lamaw." hello, buwan ng wika na surface level lang pagpapahalaga ng karamihan! hello, schools! but again, i digress.)!

it depicts, in a sense, an etymology of the trance-dance ritual Sagayan: what's its purpose—the Kapagipat, which i always mention to my students—and the rationale behind the skirt-and-hat-wearing male baylans who perform the ritual. in detail, i laud this piece because:

1) it is ritual-centered. it picked rituals (Kapagipat and Sagayan) and established a narrative around it. not the other way around. by doing this, the ritual is preserved, and not the narrative. both should be preserved but it's the ritual that needs preserving now as it has been relegated to the background. and with that, the rituals' meanings and intentions becomes obscured in the long run.

you see, the Sagayan is one of the most obscured trance-dances in our cultural performance history. Sagayan is mostly seen during Meranaw / Maguindanao weddings and it has since been ascribed to such weddings. hence, if a cultural dance has a lemba (wedding celebration) commonly at the conclusion of the piece, it will always have at least two sagayan performers. culturally, it's intention is to ward away bad spirits but choreographically, it's only there to add a sense of cultural precision. nothing about its importance and its true meaning.

but this has put the Sagayan back to Kapagipat. this piece has educated us about the ritual trance-dance and why it looks like that. it has, so to speak, made an etymology of the dance. and this creative and educational decision transcends mere performance. this transcends Sayaw Mindanaw.

2) it attempted to show today's relevant social issues. specifically—

2.a) gender-roles. the process of transferring the mantle of Sagayan practitioner from female to male shows that males and females may share roles and must be open to the fact given the gravitas of circumstances. in the piece, the female baylan was at first defeated by the tonong-possessed person in her effort to cure / exorcise him. to defeat the tonong, she tricked it by making her male companion be the baylan, donning him with female clothes and a headdress that covered the face. in their second encounter, the tonong was confident that it was still the same baylan, only to be overwhelmed and defeated by the female-disguised male baylan.

the Meranaw community has, in the surface, clear-cut, black-and-white, male-female gender roles and it is not to be dismantled or to be ridiculed as this is their norm. but they are also fluid enough to recognize that sometimes gender roles must be reinvented to solve a crisis, and it is this utilization of gender clear-cut-ted-ness that brought resolution to the narrative.

furthermore, this shows that even before philippines was philippines, cross-dressing has been a thing already. and it's rather strange to feel strange about it.

2.b) preservation of community; depression, and suicide to the individual. prior to becoming a tonong (spirit to be appeased), it belonged to a living human body that has experienced depression and who has eventually committed suicide. he has experienced the community's rejection and misjudgment as shown in the second act.

on surface level, it tells us that villains are created by society. and as a society, we have a role in shaping and influencing the decisions of individuals. whatever we do to others, it returns to us. we reap what we sow—making their planting and sowing dance routine more than just petty choreography, it has served a very symbolic purpose (learn, peasants. mao ning art).

on another level. the society's alleged "discrimination" is not something shocking to the ancient Meranaws. you see, in Darangen, Prince Bantugan, being extremely handsome, has won the hearts of many women and men alike, and he is often being favored by the people more than the generally good but not as handsome king, Mabaning. the Meranaws in the Darangen are notorious in describing how monsters destroy villages, and it should not be a shock that ancient Meranaws may ascribe this monstrosity to unfortunate persons who happen to possess faulty facial features. this is merely an instinct to preserve community rather than a community hell-bent to discriminate with no reasonable logic.

as modern audience with no Meranaw background, we get the moral of non-judgement; for Meranaws, they get the moral of preserving community. i must commend Madayaw if this was a conscious artistic decision because (insert curse word here) this is genius layering.

3) it escaped the lamaw trap. like what i said earlier, i have become tired of seeing the plot of the pieces of Madayaw. to me, they have settled, like dust at the bottom of undisturbed water. personally, i feel that they only mostly win because they look so good and shiny. and this is what happens when artists never grow. they stick to what is proven effective, without exploring something new. this is what kills the artist if they cling too long to their aesthetics. isa lang ako sa mga naunang naumay.

but this is nothing i have seen before. like what i said, it has focused on the rituals, and made the narrative complement the rituals. not the other way around. this is already very intelligent. this piece has therefore escaped their tiresome kasal-kasal motif, which to me was effin lamaw.

now, they have evolved into the LAMAW (yes, all caps). this level is achieved (objectively by the artist and subjectively felt by the viewer) when something expected to be artistically low suddenly proves itself as something very highbrow. i say all caps LAMAW because to me, this is the most important level of artistic expression (more about this in the future kay gabuhat kuno kog akong kaugalingong art manifesto alongside verfremdung ni bretch, ostranenie ni shklovsky, surrealisme ni breton, ug uban pa. haha murag korek).

what im trying to say is that they have at last grown and they have grown magnificently with this piece. this has amazed and re-educated me. (insert curse word) nabusog yung mata't utak ko.

i commend the overt inclusion of spiritism in the piece, which i first saw in Sayaw Mindanaw back in 2013 in Saliyaw's first champion piece.

speaking of Saliyaw, another dance-theatre / folkloric group in Davao, i must say that no other group so far has exceeded their creativity in presenting new motifs in the cultural performance community. to note, they started the aforementioned spiritism / netherworld motif; the focus to Sama, an ethnoliguistic group in Davao that rarely receive the spotlight (although this can be argued, but i personally think that the resurgence of appreciation to the Sama has been brought about by Saliyaw's focus to the tribe back in 2014); and the multicultural motif evidenced by their 2017 piece that included the mutual influence of Bagobo-Klata culture to Japanese. creativity-wise, Saliyaw has done more.

take this with a grain of salt.

it is just so appalling that masterpieces, such as this, among others, are not common in educational institutions. and to be brutally honest, it goes down to the interest of the admins and teachers if they so chooses to discuss these extra things in classes. if this does not interest schools, the study of culture and consequently our appreciation of our identity goes to the gutters.

we, especially the schools in the cities, have been lazy in representing whatever sense of culture we have left in our locale. we have not moved on from black tights and leotards with malong sash to represent the Islamized ethnolinguistic groups. to appear cultural, we put malongs everywhere, not even bothering to educate the students which malong motif is appropriate for which occasion. we rarely take initiatives to encourage students who belong to cultural minorities to showcase their identity. worst, we add to the horrible mis-education that Muslims are bad and Atas are ugly and Lumads are uncivilized through our throwaway statements. and sometimes unaware teachers do that (insert curse word).

the efforts of cultural performers during Kadayawan and throughout the year is not trivial. it is an effort to preserve our identity and an opportunity to atone for our misjudgments towards ethnolinguistic groups in the land that we have grabbed from them.

i may have said something about the art of a cultural group but i still respect them as cultural bearers and as they also put forward the true essence of cultural performances: to educate and to make us appreciate our local culture and identity—which very rarely happens in majority of educational institutions.

farce, no? ~~ video here http://bit.ly/2P0dOgL image source  https://www.facebook.com/sunstardavaonews/photos/a.716755768378759/2440892695965049/?type=3&theater

[jesliey]

Character Design Questions that i really just wanted to do because they looked fun

Tagged By: No one. I do what I want.

Most of my characters started in D&D but ill list em all for context:

 Aliphos Gardwin, effectively ex-military Ranger from a what is now a frozen wasteland. Hes like a puppy in my eyes.

Anastasia Shepard, actual military. From my ME binge days. Probably the only one who’ll ever have an actual solid visual depiction

Alistair Shepard, twin brother to Ana. Technically not my character, but he punches things and hes such a dick i love it.

Unit 2038, mass produced celestial war machine with severely stunted emotional development. Had a REALLY long nap a while ago.

Firo Schwartzstein Avanezo, sleazy brat who likes to pickpocket and flirt. Closer inspection might catch a glimpse of some of that old money in his blood though.

Morgenstern, funny how dying from several impalement wounds makes a demonic deal for vengeance seem like a good idea. Might know Aliphos eventually im still pondering that...

Sacha Julian N’Doul, THE RICH PRETTYBOY IS JUST HERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME

THIS IS REALLY LONG SO UNDER THE CUT IT GOES!

Who’s the oldest character of yours that you still use?

oh man i dont really use them as much as id want to...im not a great writer so i dont really do anything with any of them until something comes up like a d&d game for instance. Id still use all of them given the chance.

Aliphos is the one i can always fall back to though, ive had him the longest

Who’s the oldest character of yours, defunct or not?

Im gonna go ahead and assume this means physically. Pretty sure its Unit...either Unit or Firo. Ones a robot, and the other doesnt age, but i dont exactly remember whos older...

Pretty sure its Unit

Has creating a character ever made you realize something about yourself?

There hasnt been a “realization” per se...

Each character ive made has been some kind of manifestation of what i was feeling creatively at the time, with the exception of Aliphos. Hes straight up my first character who i made not realizing how self-inserty he was all the way back in grade 9 of highschool.

Any minor characters that have either taken over or branched off into their own stories?

See now this ones a bit more interesting because i didnt really have a side character until very recently. Sacha is a backup character for the wandering mess that is the party Morgenstern belongs to, and he acts as chief sponsor after they saved him from bandits. He isnt SUPPOSED to come into the spotlight of the adventure, but he will if Morgen becomes otherwise unavailable

Do you prefer to make human, animal, monster, or _____ characters? Why?

Well i mean “human” is very loosely defined here but yeah. These are characters i know and relate to best and im not a furry, so “human” it is!

ignoring the fact that only four of them are actual humans, and one of those four isnt even mine

When creating a character, do you come up with the visual concept or the written concept first?

written concepts, easily. when im sitting down trying to make a new brain-child theres a list of questions that goes through my head to get a better idea of what im going for.

where did they come from? what is the most important thing that has happened to them this far? how do they react to waking up on just a regular day? what is the most common thing they feel both physically and mentally? how do they handle being in a group of other similarly skilled people?

i find that answering just these gives me a better idea of what im working with than trying to get a picture going before having at it

Do you have characters that you know you’ll never use, but can’t bear to get rid of/recycle?

Im honestly having a hard time envisioning using Ana anywhere. shes a bit of an alcoholic downer, and she doesnt play well with others. Morgen doesnt either, but hes currently in use and even then i have to creatively stretch his personality quite a bit just to keep things rolling

i dont like the idea of just getting rid of characters though. a few of them have died. multiple times in some cases. continuities are a thing that doesnt really exist for me, but it is hard to find a scenario where those two in particular would click in well

Is there a character that embodies your good traits, or traits you wish you had?

Aliphos is generally up-beat most of the time, and Firo and Sacha love a good time more than anything else. in general, theyre my more happy characters and i like holding onto that.

Is there a character that embodies your bad traits? Several characters? Which ones and what traits?

Ana and Morgen are definitely some pretty negative characters at their cores. Morgen less so simply because i felt like i was in a bit of a creative rut and i wanted to try something new, but Anastasia came around back at the end of highschool during the Depression Years™ and it shows...

Morgens definitive characteristics are nonchalant detachment and disdain and anger, where Ana is a depressed alcoholic with a death complex. Theres nothing happy here.

Is there a character that explores your interests or fetishes (orrrr is that just all of you characters)?

The most interesting things i can do with my characters is something that i think is unexpected of myself. I had Ali for YEARS before i tried making another character, and while it was fun making a new one, she boiled down to a drunk depressed version of what came before. The more varied and exploratory i can get with my characters the better. 

One of my best experiences with a character was developing Unit. I played out the inner conflict of realizing you are able to take a hold of personal freedom now that you know you can have it while simultaneously not wanting to because youre still holding onto the faith that the higher powers know whats best and you should still be awaiting further instruction. those instructions would never come, and Unit is just another forgotten soldier stuck fighting the war, but it was SO MUCH FUN to play out the moral dilemma and ponder the philosophy! that was such a new experience for me, and i loved it! so i made a point to try and spice it up with whatever i try and make next

If you have characters that embody certain traits of yours—good or bad—has writing them changed how you view those traits? Has it affected you in any way?

In truth? not particularly. i just sorta vomit ideas out onto my characters and whatever sticks sticks. i pay no real mind as to what those ideas mean. its just fun to me.

Do you fantasize about being any of your characters, or are you more detached?

Oh there is no way i can play a character and stay detached...

When im in it? Im in it.

Do you create playlists for your characters?

HELL YEAH I DO. SPOTIFY iS A BEAUTIFUL THiNG.

When writing for specific characters, is there anything you have to do to get into the right mindset?

I will ask myself all the same questions from above as when i come up with the character design, i listen to their playlist if i made one yet, and i picture whatever it was that they just got through experiencing.

a quick crash course refresher on how this character ticks.

Which character is your guilty pleasure?

Oh Sacha easily....hes the first character i think ive made where his entire backstory is hes from a rich family and he likes to try new things. Theres no intricacy here, hes just a simple start to a character and hes fon loving. Hes super refreshing to play around with.

Is there a character of yours who’s a real struggle to write/draw? Why do you think that is?

Award for hardest to work with is probably going to Firo. I just wasnt as invested into making him as i have been for other characters. When i think of characters id like to play around with, hed be on the bottom of the list purely because he has the least amount of my interest

Which character is the easiest to draw/write?

The self insert. Next question.

Is there anything you really wish you could do, character-design-wise, that you feel is outside your current skillset? A concept that you wish you could pull off but are uncertain about?

BRO LITERALLY EVERYTHING. I love coming up with the concepts and flushing them out as i go along, but i am not the greatest at writing and they all just sorta stay in my head. also i cant draw. its a bad time for everyone involved.

What’s more important to you: visual design, unique personality, a trendy character aesthetic, etc? If you’re not sure, then what’s the first thing you usually nail down in a character?

well the first thing i always nail down when i think id like to entertain the thought of a character is their origin. so in a way i guess the aesthetic? though as i said above i like to keep things anything but trendy

Do you ever plan to do anything (comic, animation, etc) with your characters? Or are you just happy to have them?

dude i would love to make something big out of my characters! the problem becomes then that i would need someone who is as in sync with how i perceive my characters to be artistically inclined with, because god knows i cant do shit out here. until that day arises? in my head they stay.

[alishahoath]

Final Project | Show Me What You Know

Description of your concept: 

I’ve created a vibrant video clip in order to provide the viewer with a sub-conscious, brain stimulating experience. The “person” dancing in the clip resembles my passion and appreciation of dance. I specifically selected this person because I have a reoccurring fascination with silhouettes and stick figures in my works. I noticed my love for these types of figures has to do with influencing a viewer to characterize the person freely, this allows them to associate their own feelings and attributes upon the figure. I then decided to place the figure in its own type of cognitive realm, or mind, meaning my choice of “place” was a brain. I chose the brain as my favorite (theoretical) place because of my love of knowledge. I also thought this would contribute to the sub-conscious experience I was seeking. The versatility of the brain would allow me to depict my imagination and creativity throughout the video’s scene in a form of visual art. Then for my favorite “thing” I chose to incorporate the Twilight zone just because I was always so fascinated by the shows introduction as a child. I thought it was extremely mind opening. For this reason I placed the introduction of the Twilight zone throughout my video creation in order to make the viewers feel intrigued and slightly mysterious.

What formal elements did you use 

Ive used Line, shape, color, value, space, balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, and pattern

How does your work exemplify what you have learned in Intro to Digital Art

I  have exemplified just about every digital tactic I have learned in Digital art, I utilized photoshop cutting out a floating sphere which traveled through the video plane, creating a mashup or remix with different clips, hand drawn illustrator (GIF like) animation which I learned to create from our GIF creations, changing color saturation and editing certain clips on photoshop, and general Premiere Pro knowledge to assemble the entire video. 

Summarize your experiences with Digital Art in this course

This class has been nothing short of a challenge for me, if I had to compare my computer skills to anyone prior to tis course it  would have to be my grandma because I had very little knowledge of how any type of digital art, let alone computer programs worked. I struggled with this course more than any course I have ever taken because it  forced me to strengthen my greatest weakness, technology. Today, I am so happy I pushed through because I've learned so many things that I  will continue to use for the rest of my life.

What were your favorite & least favorite projects & why? 

My favorite project was project 4 because it was the easiest and most enjoyable for me to learn. I had always watched video clips on the internet and wondered how they edited the videos to look so good and after learning how to do it  I have a great appreciation for video editors and animators. My least favorite was project 1 simply because It was my first time using a computer in that type of creative way. 

Which project(s) were most successful & why? 

I believe this project, (project 5) and the one prior (project 4) were most successful because I will continue to utilize video making throughout my career and life. I already find myself wanting to create random vacation videos and marketing videos utilizing premiere. I think these projects were the best for my type of visual creativity. 

What did you learn about digital art this semester? 

I  learned that digital art is HARD. Every piece I have made has taken me days and relentless hours of work staring at a computer screen till my eyes can't handle it  anymore. I learned to appreciate the people who make digital art a part of their career because it takes a very special technologically inclined brain with extreme patience.

What more would you like to learn about digital art? 

I  would like to learn more of the shortcuts of editing videos and graphics, as I dove deeper into my digital art creation, I began to search youtube videos to learn how to do simple things like make objects move fluently across the screen, every time I researched a new tutorial such as this, I would learn how to do new short cuts for example pressing C to cut a video.

How has working with a computer as your medium enhanced your creative practice?

My work can be much neater when created from a computer, it also can be seen, and appreciated easier through the use of the internet.

What did you learn about the process of creating works of art?

I  learned that the process can be extremely frustrating and lengthy to a newcomer, but is well worth the hassle because it is a work that will never tarnish such as a painting or drawling it can be stored and shared for centuries.

Did you find in-class critique meetings to be a helpful tool for this course? Why or why not?

Yes, I thought it was extremely helpful to see what my classmates were doing and how they explained their process. Often times I could learn from their pieces/ their creation tactics. I also loved getting feedback from different people with different perspectives.

Did you find Spark to be a helpful tool for this course? Why or why not?

Yes I liked having a visual accumulation of my creation process. I also loved the image collection aspect of spark because all of the images were great quality. I always tend to look up images as inspiration either way, so being able to put multiple on the screen side by side was very helpful.

Did you find Flipgrid to be a helpful tool for this course? Why or why not?

Yes I  felt better connected with my virtual classmates, there were times that I’d come into critiques feeling more comfortable because I'm surrounded by familiar faces. I also likes how it allowed us to practice our verbal skills rather writing which was a refreshing change.

What suggestions if any do you have for improving this course? 

Flexibility with canvas submissions. At least half credit when an assignment was posted on time on something like flip grid or tumblr but was neglected to be submitted to canvas.

What does your completed tumblr portfolio for this course express about you as a student & a creative? 

I think it expresses that I like to use a predominantly pastel color scheme, that I  am a happy person who enjoys classic music, and that I am hardworking and well organized.

What grade do you expect on your final project & why? 

I expect a 100% because every piece I turn in is my best work. I’ve put days and countless hours of work into this project and I’m really happy to see how far I have come. I have learned so much and will continue to learn now that I'm more confident in using computers. I worked very hard on approaching the Person, Place, and Thing concept in an extremely creative and theoretical way.

What grade do you expect in this course & why?

I would love to expect an A in this course because I want to get the reassurance that hard work pays off. Half way through the semester I was contemplating having to drop the course because I simply couldn't not keep up with the pace and computer skills. When I drove to visit the professor during her office hours I left inspired to make a change. I made this class my number one priority and learned to love seeing my tumblr portfolio grow and my pieces get better and better. I just want to be able to say I did it I made the greatest comeback in grade history. haha