So which first, rant or state of the art? We'll go art. It's in a state. Next...Yes, I'm in a feisty mood. Shocking! I think I'm doing very good on my daily challenges. I have really pushed myself out of that comfort zone and have come up with stuff that I never thought I could do. The "peanut gallery" (aka hubby) said I underestimate myself. I can't really argue. I am still working on what I have now dubbed "the biggun". The detail is pretty intense. I have some very good ideas for what's to come on that piece. I wanted it ready by the weekend that just passed, yeah, no way in the fiery pits of Dante's Inferno was that going to happen. I'm going to say it would rank on the 7th or 8th gate. It is coming along very well. Way outside of the box for me and I am enjoying the work that I'm putting into it. Can't put even a remote date on when it'll be finished. This week is going to be a bit busier than usual.
For the challenges I have been using the Golden Ratio and sometimes even the dreaded and feared perspective. Which isn't all that dreaded and feared when you do it digitally. It makes it so you can't make a bad line. Bad line, BAD! **swats bad line with a newspaper** ((note: I do not condone corporal punishment in any artwork, just give it a time out and call it a day)) That being said it really is giving me some learnin' skills. I admit it, perspective is my weakest link. I get the theory in my head, but something goes amiss when my hand tries to do it. Now I have the strict meanie pants perspective tool to keep me in line (pun probably intended). I plan on using that part of the program until my hand catches up to my head...then I'll see if I can't get some images out of my head.
As for character design, that is coming along a lot slower than I assumed. (Serves me right for assuming!) I specialized in character design as a traditional artist. I think there's a lot of factors of the why it's not going as smoothly as I had hoped. I am not the same artist I was a few years ago. I'm trying to force things that are not really the style I've grown into. Finally, I think most of it is that pesky fear stuff. Stupid fear. I will overcome. While I have nothing saved in this department, I will keep trying until I overcome my issues.
Rant time! This rant is brought to you by the people that are on Twitter. Now, before my minions that follow me from Twitter get their panties in a bunch. This rant is NOT about you. You minions are the shining example of how Twitter SHOULD be. No, this is the more insidious nature of Twitter. It actually may not be, I cannot say 100%. I can say it what I have logically deduced and it makes sense on the why. Do I agree with it? Absolutely not. Okay here goes:
I got some follows from some minor-ish, medium league, musicians, authors, etc. These folk had a lot more followers than who they were following. I thought, how cool they like my art, perhaps we may be able to work together at some point. I was noticing my Twitter follower count was going up and down like a yo-yo. I am still Twitter impaired. So I decide to look at what was going on. Then I saw a pattern. I saw the somewhat "bigguns" had unfollowed me, but I'm still following them. I thought to myself, "self, did they follow me in hopes I'd follow back, then unfollow me to pad their stats?" I am on a total assumption that yes, that is the case. If you notice that celebrities and very prominent artists have a whole lot more followers than whom they are following. I got all "Polly Pissy Pants" at this and spent two hours removing people from Twitter. I may not remember what happened yesterday, but when it comes to my art, I remember everything. If I am right about it that is a douche move. Insidious. I am not playing that game. So, from now on, another weekly task has been put on my list. I'll be checking my Twitter out and watching. Like a troll. I know the people I followed, and they just didn't follow back. That is fine. What I'm ranting about is the people that followed me...then unfollowed to what I assume is pad their stats...because they are in the mid-range of success. I know that social media stats are huge to almost-celebrities and celebrities alike. It's like some rite of passage. Me?
My thoughts on the stats...is they are important in the way that I need to know where you all are coming from. Are you finding me on Google, on Twitter, Facebook? I do like to know where you are finding me, so I can help more like you find me. The actual numbers...they are just that numbers. When I'm followed on Twitter (FB is a bit harder to do this because they change the page every week to something different, that is a rant in and of itself), if I don't follow back, for some reason. I have my code of who I do and do not follow. I do send a message of thanks, not an automated one. I would like to think when I take over the world, I will still be able to thank the new minions, personally.
On that note, my minions, there are a few new minions out there. Welcome to the insanity that is my noggin'. Buy eye drops, get a lot of coffee. It's an odd world you stepped into. I hope entertaining and informative. See you all on hump day!!