Perpetual State of Learning

All The Stories I’ve had to Put on Hold. Lot’s of...

Mon, 06 May 2013 22:24:00 -0400

All The Stories I’ve had to Put on Hold.

Lot’s of concepts and project creation below

Just to get them written down.

(I timidly remind you that these are not available for use. Thank you :) )

Name: Another Story

Medium: Written (A trilogy of novels)

Genre: High Fantasy and Sci-fi

Description: Seven kids find each other in the future after being transported from six different eras. The reader followers two children in particular who come from our time, Ike and Myra. The group is guided by Ren who appears trustworthy, but also rather wishy washy with an agenda they can’t read. In order to get back to their own time, they must find the machine that brought them there, a device that will de-age a person, but takes time from a random person from a different time in return, transporting them to the future and making them age faster.

This was originally created as a series of slideshow-style comics on a site called Rate My Animations but the medium was restrictive.

It is built to make a commentary on the tropes of fiction, particularly high fantasy and sci-fi, and each of the characters becomes a common fantasy character archetype before the end.

Why It Was Shelved: Despite 20 videos, half a novel of writing, and around 4-5 years of work, it occurred to me that I lacked knowledge in the eras assigned to each character. I also kept working with no clear resolution to the first book in mind, and was, quite frankly, and amateur writer.

Name: Leaders of the Masked

Medium: Online novel (Trilogy again) consisting of text, images, music videos, original music, and added commentary

Genre: Sci-Fi (ish)

Description: In the years leading up to a world war, one country has cut itself off so completely from the outside that it has sent away people that were not born or who had parents who were not born in the country. It also creates a injection for all women that prevents any offspring of two different races from being born.

At least that was the attempt. Several children were born with the traits of born parents visually separated from each other. Prominently, their skin is usually patterned with two different tones.

Most children are taken away, and the remaining group struggling to survive underneath disguises are slowly making their way out of the borders and into the surrounding forest.

Three children named after their appearance: Night, Foxx, and Corvin, create a community for these refugees, whom are predominantly teens.

It’s enough of a struggle to deal with concepts of identity and relationship when the earth slowly freezes over into a cold war.

This takes place after our time, but before the events in “Another Story”. It is both a mature prequel and a sequel.

Why It Was Shelved: At first the problem was that Another Story really functions as a prequel/sequel, and it just made more sense for that story to be written first.

Then there was the problem of actually creating the content. While I can spin a yarn just fine, the mechanics of good writing are still rather alien to me. I make a lot of mistakes. I’m an artist, so images are no problem. However, the original songs are written and ready, with no musicians to perform them and no one to edit them. And I still can’t afford Adobe Flash or other animation programs, so videos are outside my capabilities as well.

But the biggest problem is that this story deals with some very touchy issues. For one thing, I’m just not sure how people would take the concept of mixed-race people being very obviously mixed. Is that insensitive? How about the names? Should someone with mostly-dark skin really be called ‘Night’? Is that racist? Should I make a commentary on it? If I’m white myself, do I really have a right to approach this issue at all?

Not to even begin with my accidental political statements and the sticky issues of growing up, romance, and how exactly war works.

This has had a lot of effort put into it, most of the story has been created in my mind, but it’s just very complex.

Name: Copper Tales

Medium: Written

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Punk

Description: Created as a side-story to Leaders of the Masked, these stories compliment the ideas of what it takes to be a leader. It takes place before the events in Leaders of the Masked, but is after our own time.

It follows the lives of three individuals who live more than a decade after a global war has degraded the landscape. Crumbling buildings have been restructured with a new copper-hued metal and intense weather occurs frequently, particularly tornadoes.

The political climate consists of individual colony/cities. Each one has it’s own system of government, if any. However, several of the more powerful cities try to worm their way into more power by convincing other colonies to adopt their policies. Spies and rebels try to keep things ordered, with limited success. The means of gaining power are getting more aggressive.

Elyta is pursued after a failed bomb attempt leaves her injured and separates her from her family. She becomes a vigilante of sorts, travelling wherever she is needed and can help keep the various colonies from creating a war.

Bo was saved from the bomb by Elyta, and he too travelled before settling down and becoming a student. His family belongs to a system of spies and another attempt on his life forces him to a new home on the outskirts. He joins a rebel group where he becomes an important member as well as becoming dependent on a pair of leg braces.

Jeal was mentally injured by the Queen of her colony (to whom she was a personal servant) and begins to suffer severe short-term memory loss, but gains a powerful fighting ability. She joins a rather harsh, no nonsense rebel group who tolerate the her dangerous quirks in order to have her fight for them.

Why It Was shelved: As you can see, this is quite a bit complex to squeeze in as a side story. I was thinking I’d create a companion piece for it after Leaders of the Masked was completed, but I don’t know if I’m patient enough. Frankly, I don’t know what to do with it and I’m not sure I have the time for it right now.

Name: And Life Goes On

Medium: Comic

Genre: Slice-of-Life

Description: Myra (Another Story) has older cousins just starting University. They also happen to be twins and also happen to be going to the same place.

Esther is a cheerful and optimistic artist who has learned to take advantage of whatever bizarre situation presents itself. (Like being accepted to a program she never applied for.)

Job has gotten use to his life becoming a series of mishaps and extremely unlikely events that only seem to ever occur to make his life difficult. (Like his teacher’s computer bursting into flames when Job needs to ask him a question.)

Len is Job’s friend who appreciates deadpan humour and can get Job back on track.

The plot would be divided to focus on each of the two main characters in turn before combining for bigger arcs.

To tie it into Another Story, all of Myra’s family on her mother’s side have the same signature bangs and each have a strange attribute. Esther: Opportunity, Job: Making good out of bad, Myra: Quickly adjusting to situations (really, really quickly), Victor (younger brother to Esther and Job): Finding the best solution, etc.

Why It Was Shelved: After turning this into a webcomic when the lengthy plot-oreinted nature of the story made it difficult to publish in my school newspaper, I decided that it was the one project I could afford to severe to concentrate on other things. I could only get a page out a week, anyways. It was exhausting. Quite a few pages were made, however.

And you know what? Even after only about a year, it still looks pretty old XD

All of the previous projects are a part of the same canon.

Name: Laceless

Medium: Animated Music Band

Genre: Music..and, uh, animation

Description: A band of four anthromorphic animals who are cute and colourful, but present rather mature songs about life and tough situations. The characters are simplified in design, but the movements are very natural and look almost bizarrely real.

They themselves are knowledgeable that they are fictional, and come from a fictional world, but they still act like a real band. They have personalities, pasts, strengths and weaknesses, and goals, but they simply understand that they are not real. They would conceivably do tours (with 3D technology), make appearances and do interviews, make music videos, and create albums.

Yes, I have already written several songs for them.

Kit: Kit Fox. One of the lead singers. Plays keyboard and keytar. Very enthusiastic with good stage presence, but a little too sure of himself. Likes to come across as both playful and menacing. Is really a pushover in actuality.

Kate: Cat (maybe tabby). Other lead singer. Keyboard. Writes most of the music. Recently recovered from depression. Rather moody but learning to be good spirited.

Eama (A-Mah): Lemur of undetermined species. Lead guitar, but also bass when it is called for (which is most of the time, to her chagrin.). Very hyper and bubbly. Likes to convince others to cheer up. Easily distracted. Is actually quite intelligent and is annoyed when others treat her as slow or loopy.

Zeb: Zebra. Drums as well as electronic effects. Tends to be the one who actually puts together and edits the finished tracks. Quiet, but not shy. Patient. Is the oldest by a couple years, and also the more mature.

Why It Was Shelved: This just requires talents and skills I don’t have, as well as cha-ching I don’t have. One day I hope to pitch it to a company who can produce this nonsense, but it would be kind of hard to see it changed by the very ideals in popular culture I’m trying to condemn (cheap music, dryly marketable musicians). I thought of making an ask blog for them, but I just don’t have the time right now. I did manage to make a 3D model of Kate, though.

Well, I think that’s all of the big ones. I think most of the others aren’t stories but more like, t-shirts I wanted to make and plushie designs X)

A question. That's what.

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:33:46 -0400

What is this?

I think I had promised photos. Oops X)

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:56:00 -0400

I think I had promised photos. Oops X)

Personal challenge for imaginary project: - 3 characters ages...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:50:47 -0400

Personal challenge for imaginary project:

- 3 characters ages 8-10

- 1 girl 2 boys

- Setting: Glow in the dark mini golfing
(clothing reflects that.)

- For full page - style comic

Because I was determined to make her bangs look proper, and because I was using her to settle on a style, I’ve been working on that girl on and off for a year now. I just sketched the ideas for the guys today.

I have a horrible habit of building on top of a single sketch instead of trying a variety of things using different sketches. That’s what happened with the boys. Still not convinced that I like their clothes, body shape, or that second one’s head structure.

Next mission: Find the power cord to my scanner.

Character design, a journey. (And still not satisfied)

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:39:00 -0400

Character design, a journey.

(And still not satisfied)

The ice storm of 2013 was surprisingly pretty.

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:00:44 -0400

The ice storm of 2013 was surprisingly pretty.

LOL Prosopagnosia: Wow...I just realized

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:17:49 -0400

LOL Prosopagnosia: Wow...I just realized:

lolprosopagnosia:

perpetualsol:

I probably have a mild form of face blindness,

and I want to be a character designer.

Boy, I am an interesting individual.

There are actually quite a few artists out there who focus on drawing people even though they have prosopagnosia. It’s certainly made more difficult,…

Yah! High five for not being alone on this!

It’s very mild, because I can certainly tell the difference between faces, it just takes more…effort to remember them properly. And forget names, sheesh.

But maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoy drawing people. The need for focus helps me concentrate. Also, spending time drawing the same person over again helps me remember. I enjoy being able to at least know a handful of fictional characters, even if I have trouble with the real ones.

queenfujoshi: toramiyo: Some great and simple tutorials from...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:01:38 -0400

queenfujoshi:

toramiyo:

Some great and simple tutorials from DerSketchie on DeviantArt

They have more tutorials in their Gallery so check them out!

Saving this for the pants portion.

ooh, reblogging to use later

Drawin’ maself like a narcissist

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:59:00 -0400

Drawin’ maself like a narcissist

Wow...I just realized

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:53:48 -0400

I probably have a mild form of face blindness,

and I want to be a character designer.

Boy, I am an interesting individual.

Lookit at who I get to draw a thousand times. Upcoming art...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 23:31:46 -0400

Lookit at who I get to draw a thousand times.

Upcoming art project. Hopefully with future photos. Involves storyboarding (woot!)

Well, at least I won’t lose any.But seriously, since when...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 23:29:31 -0400

Well, at least I won’t lose any.
But seriously, since when does pencil lead do this!?

For Orchestra: I'm Deaf In My Right Ear

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:21:02 -0400

For Orchestra: I'm Deaf In My Right Ear:

fororchestra:

I’ve been keeping a secret my whole life. It’s the single thing that I keep closest to me than anything in the world, to the point that most of my family doesn’t even know.

I’m completely deaf in my right ear.

Since I’m exposing my income, myself, my feelings, and my tribulations then I might…

If I had it my way, something like this wouldn’t have to make you self-conscious. Sure it’s a pain in some ways, but it doesn’t make you any less of a musician. It doesn’t change your identity as one all that much. My view of you has not changed, I’m just more aware of your creation process, which is why I followed you in the first place.

And maybe we can be in agreement that the whole “let’s have a voice switch ears mid verse” thing is an old gimmick.

chutohanpa: Art&Animation by Todd...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:14:37 -0400

chutohanpa:

Art&Animation by Todd Lockwood
http://www.tolo.biz

That first one O.O

Oh man! I had a similar dragon-designing experience to yours actually; it started as a pretty generic looking fantasy-ish dragon, but it didn't fit the sci-fi theme of the illustration so I remodeled it off of a spinosaurus! Props for unconventional dragons! I really like your skeletal one.

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:21:00 -0400

Aw thanks! Ya, I just thought it was super funny I hadn’t drawn a dragon in a while, and we both happen to post some within the same afternoon X) Dinosaurs are super handy reference points for dragons, yours came out real nice!

So I'm wasting time in drawing class...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:29:57 -0400

…borrowing my friend’s pen and ink, and drawing a dragon.

I’m teasing about how cutsey-Disney he looks when my Professor joins us.

He stares at the dragon a while, then dares me to draw a more unconventional dragon for homework.

Well Prof,

Bam

Cutesy that peeps!

(In all honesty, if you dare call one of these last ones ‘cute’ you are banished forever. Unless it’s that derpy background wasp. I dunno what his deal is.)

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:12:00 -0400

Casually promotes new favorite youtube musician This guy has...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:57:34 -0400

*Casually promotes new favorite youtube musician*

This guy has very few fans, but is super friendly and uploads new content often. I don’t get it.

kitty-prydon: brooke-getting-better: viria: glitteringspark: ...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:15:18 -0400

kitty-prydon:

brooke-getting-better:

viria:

glitteringspark:

thelastofthemorgensterns:

youdeceivedmyheart:

ithurtslikesatan:

as-a-matter-of-fuck:

thecollapse:

love-and-magic:

lynai:

My life.

#DEAD

i cannot.

OH MY GOD

OHMYGODDD ITS BACK SADFGHBJCDNKMDSF

W H Y

Okay, I’m having a moment. Let me have a minute to get over this video. Shit I mean … This nearly killed me. I often type into my tags that I’m crying but this time I really mean it. Hp has been over for a year now and I still think that it’s the best damn thing that ever happened to me. And it will never truly end for me. Because I’m sitting here crying over these characters, over this fantastic series which gave me so much. Harry Potter was the first book I’ve ever read and it changed me. I guess I’ll never find the right words to explain my love for these books and movies … But I just wanna say one thing: Joanne K. Rowling … THANK YOU SO, I OWE YOU SO MUCH. Just thank you FOR MAKING MY CHILDHOOD A BETTER AND MAGICAL TIME.

Really though. Wow.

Actually sobbing. I think I just saw my childhood flash before my eyes.

*Is inspired to write a book while being absolutely terrified to*

miss mod! behave your self! you have to many icons!!!

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:04:13 -0400

Ack! You’re right! I shall stop.

Perpetual State of Learning

All The Stories I’ve had to Put on Hold. Lot’s of...

A question. That's what.

I think I had promised photos. Oops X)

Personal challenge for imaginary project: - 3 characters ages...

Character design, a journey. (And still not satisfied)

The ice storm of 2013 was surprisingly pretty.

LOL Prosopagnosia: Wow...I just realized

queenfujoshi: toramiyo: Some great and simple tutorials from...

Drawin’ maself like a narcissist

Wow...I just realized

Lookit at who I get to draw a thousand times. Upcoming art...

Well, at least I won’t lose any.But seriously, since when...

For Orchestra: I'm Deaf In My Right Ear

chutohanpa: Art&Animation by Todd...

Oh man! I had a similar dragon-designing experience to yours actually; it started as a pretty generic looking fantasy-ish dragon, but it didn't fit the sci-fi theme of the illustration so I remodeled it off of a spinosaurus! Props for unconventional dragons! I really like your skeletal one.

So I'm wasting time in drawing class...

*Casually promotes new favorite youtube musician* This guy has...

kitty-prydon: brooke-getting-better: viria: glitteringspark: ...

miss mod! behave your self! you have to many icons!!!

Casually promotes new favorite youtube musician This guy has...