Damn.

I'm pretty sure I had an idea for an awesome blog post.

That was a day or so ago.

Completely lost now.

...

Anyways, spent most of yesterday browsing through conceptart.org.

Man.

So many fantastic illustrators.

So much good advice.

A quick tidbit that I picked up which should have been OBVIOUS but had eluded me until now was the obvious tonal values of colors correlating to the tonal values of grays!

What this means is that if I apply it right I should be able to do a tonal sketch of something using only gray values in order to build up volume quickly and efficiently.

Then, substituting each tonal level for the color at that level, I should be able to let the picture virtually decide what colors get put down and how.

I've tried this before but always gotten strange results, in large part because I largely ignored the inherent values of the colors.

Mind you, I haven't put this to the test yet, but it all seems to work out in my head.

Also made some awesome new brushes by taking black and white images of various cells and crater formations and then changing them into brushes in photoshop.

...

damn.

that awesome blog post is still eluding me.

ah well.

After being at Mayela's party last night, I've come to the conclusion that having a constantly active barbecue going would be absolutely awesome.

and oh so delicious.

...

Something very nice has been happening lately.

Freshman year clouds have come back.

To clarify, huge beautiful clouds that I used to see a huge amount freshman year and then sort of haven't seen since.

Almost went out and spent the day drawing them today, but I kinda got distracted by my brother and various air conditioned activities.

haha...

I feel almost embarrassingly happy recently,

maybe it's just the clouds?

ah lab hours.

long, slightly uncomfortable, and absolutely free.

for some reason I'm always compelled to take a half an hour nap either before or after I go to work.

Back!

Canada was awesome.

Seeing some old old friends and some old friends and some new friends, dancing on a crazy all night dj boat with 700 other people, drinking *delicious* home made beer, eating some great french foods and some great not so french foods, spending inordinate amounts of canadian dollars on alcohol of various kinds, and in general just enjoying the last few days quite a bit.

Hell I even got some reflectin' time in!

And I've come to the conclusion that this summer has probably been my most productive/worthwhile summer so far.

Now that's not to say I haven't had summers before where I've enjoyed myself quite a bit, or summers where I haven't done more "work" (ha).

But I feel like I've gotten actual growth out of this summer in a social, mental, and even technical way.

I don't know why exactly, I guess a variety of reasons, but this time I was motivated to do things the way I felt I wanted to, and for once that wasn't just sleeping in as late as I could get away with.

All I can say is that this next year is going to be *thumbs up*.

also.

My brain is finally making sense to me again.

More than ever before maybe?

Ah well, a few more years and I'll absolutely be able to see if what makes sense now is a real truth and not just a beautiful fake one.

And although the cynic in me might feel that all things will probably fail, it's not like life can't be fuckawesome right?

:D

I'm off to canada tomorrow!

...

I dunno!

RETURN OF "THE THING".

Mr. Meyers would be so proud.

In other news...

I'm awesome!

*High Five!*

Dooms and 'Bot go exploring!

Horay!

sadly my tablet is back at the factory...

so I guess I'll do some doodles for you at the labs?

I'm tired now.

but I'll edit this post and actually write something tomorrow morning.

ta

EDIT:

wait, I totally lied there.

So in light of the current state of my brain I'm thinking about performing a small lobotomy.

I'm sure removing about quarter of it wouldn't change too much about me anyways.

And even if it did, at that point would I even really care?

Anyways, it's not like my hands don't do most of my work independently from my mind these days anyways. I'll just give them a few of my old sketchbooks and they can go at it. Hell I've got enough creative friends, I'm sure they wouldn't mind tossing them a bone from time to time.

zero higher brain functions = total peace of mind.

and that's always a good thing right?

*cronch cronch cronch* Half sugar, half wheat.

Don't have to wait till tomorrow.

Three hydrogen bombs, scythe made of a friends metal bones, a virus with the idea of god in his mind and the power to match, and Offertorium: Domine Jesu playing in the background.

All sites down.

...

*pang*

8 hours, 7.5 to give.

Are you trying to prove something with eyes like that?

You want a taxi? Haha. YOU WANT TAXI?

Fuck. Wipe eyes, wipe nose. Breathe out slow.

Well this is a hollow happiness isn't it?

Didn't I just talk about not doing this? Can't even stop myself.

Keep dreaming about traveling. But although the place is always beautiful I keep being preoccupied with the stupid detail of getting there.

friends. Friends.

As you read, judging. Or not maybe.

A tiny circle with an outer metal ring, and a peg in the middle. The peg is very small. A frictionless ball bearing sits snugly, but not tightly, in between the peg and the inner wall inside of the circle. It starts to move quickly around the peg in one direction. At a certain speed it cannot be stopped.

A two dimensional letter.

Knowing *exactly* what to do, and then not having the willpower to do it.

toothbrushes. guh.

Three fingers at the back of the throat.

Wake up every day with the weight of dreams forcing me to dwell.

...

This has been three minutes of typing muddled memories for your enjoyment, and for something else probably.

Just got back from visiting Dan in upstate new york land.

Pretty fucking awesome place man.

Black sand beaches are always cool (although the sand does get pretty hot), and rollercoasters on that scale? woah.

Alex came, we saw the dark night with a few of Dan's buddies, and just sort of wandered around (in between beaches and rollercoasters).

Great movie, very relaxing time, interesting people, and now back to work and some more drawing.

I've gotta wake up pretty soon so I'll just leave it at that.