Today, thanks to a sore throat, I’ve discovered that rice bowls are also great for ice cream. To honor this discovery, today’s short feature will be on that subject (rice bowls, not ice cream. Maybe some other time.).



A little update on the very off-season calendar (at least at this rate it should be ready for the end of the year). I've decided to use scans of some crumpled sketchbook paper to create frames for each of the pictures. My goal is to have a unique frame for each image. I've included a sample for you here.


As a sort of spin-off from the calendar, I have begun compiling a resource of crinkled paper, focusing on the edges so that borders can be made for pictures. Some of the resources will be entire pieces of paper, the rest will be GIMP brushes (.gbr) made from the edges of paper (so mix-and-match should give a large variety). This should be finished just as soon as I get bored with tea-staining paper, ripping it up, crumpling it up, and scanning it. If this seems like a resource you would use, please feel free to give some feedback. Also, if you're a photoshop user and are interested in the brushes, let me know if there is some other type of file format I can put them in that would make them easily converted to PS brushes (or whatever program you happen to use). I'll try to get some samples together in the next week.

Expect random guides on GIMP features that are mostly lacking here on dA over the next few weeks.

I’ve once again started trying to get back into drawing with actual pencils, as opposed to having the computer do the work for me. I thought it might be a nice, relaxing thing to do during study breaks. So far, it’s had an interesting effect on my studies: I become so frustrated with trying to sketch that I decide to go study some more instead! Apparently, I find a blank piece of paper rather intimidating. And then there is that feeling of “where to start?” and the fear of screwing up. I’ve also discovered that I apparently press down too hard, or something, because everything seems to be the same color, regardless of what pencil I use. I’m toying with the idea of purchasing harder pencils to maybe account for that. I’ve suddenly found it rather convenient to have a sizable art department on campus…

If you’re interested, sketches that I’ve recently done will be posted on my other account, ~LiZnReSources. Feel free to look and leave feedback.





_{CSS images are from NASA}