Oh for the LOVE of-!

What day is it?
February 20th? No? 27th?! This is what happens when I don't check the date. And get busy...

Well, Uni starts next week, and I am very happy to be going back. Breaks are great and all, but you need stuff to do (besides work). I didn't get around to doing half the stuff that I wanted to though... So I guess that will be weekends!

The last face I did was Day 18, so I am 9 faces behind. Sorry, I'm Captain Obvious today. Mentally drained. Not drained enough to set up a tripod and do some art.

I did have a camera set up and recording the making of this one, but the camera turned off and the file was lost.

Robyn pre-hair cut. Stubborn and stand-off, she misses the time her little siblings idolised her.

Now, for something a little bit different... Inspired by AlayaArt - the wonderful creator and host of the 29 faces challenge - I recorded myself drawing Robyn (and the Green Dude below). It was a little bit weird watching it back, mostly because I watch it in real-time without the action replay. Mum made a comment once that I had gotten quicker at drawing - and it is true, from taking 40 minutes to draw one face (perfectionist remember?) I now take between 10-15 minutes.

Anyway, if you want to watch, feel free. Music comes from the Cirque De Soleil performance that I went to 1.5 years ago. (on a quick side note - that feels like a lifetime ago)

I tried the crayons Mum had used for some of her faces. The default colour that I choose is green almost every time - probably because it is my favourite colour

And another video. Just because I had it.

So days 19, 20 and 21: Done! That's it! No one talk to me about my slackness in this challenge. I already punish myself enough for that.
I have more faces that I have done (and I was meant to post those first) but someone wiped the memory card so I need to retake the pictures.

Anyway, have a wonderful day everyone!

Oh, there is something else. A preview for the next face. Maybe, it will probably be done in March.

And there is a perfectly reasonable explanation to why I have a baby name book. It was 10 cents and I like names.

Withdrawal symptoms and a face

Hi all!
How is everyone going with the 29 faces challenge? Getting through it?

Work is eating all my spare time and very tiring - Murphy's Law was in full effect today
And also, one of my manga series is being borrowed by a friend. I had a dream that I was hunting demons down and was talking to characters in the series. I prefer to read rather than watch the anime (and then I still prefer a physical copy rather than read via the Internet), and ALL 10 VOLUMES ARE BEING LOANED!! The good news I know why my friend lives, so if it gets really bad (like two months from now and I still don't have the collection back in my hands) I can go to his house and get it back.
Maybe grab some old-school Doctor Who while I'm at it.

Anyway, face for Day 18. Inspired by the series Blue Exorcist by Kazue Katō, because it has cool art, I like the story, and it is always funny when the son of Satan gets friend-zoned. Ha!

There is no shading, it was just a quick drawing to get some stress out. I am most proud of the sleeping hobgoblin and the emblem on the vest. I suck at backgrounds...

The sketch I did at work, that brief moment that is lunch. As you can see, I did not deviate much (if at all) from the original.

I might put on the other arm guard later.
Day 18: Completed! Only two-three days behind now!
I'm hoping to get to an art historian talk on Manet tomorrow in Brisbane, so I have to make a decision in the morning. And to deal with the withdrawal of manga, I am watching 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' - yeah, either way, both waste time (although lower stress levels back to normal)!

Anyway, have a wonderful day everyone! Remember to visit everyone else in the challenge!

Celebrating half a century and 150 years!

No, I am not turning 50, or 150. Rather, Dad has hit the 50 milestone and despite his protests about it, I used logic and beat him into at least acknowledging it. The logic that I used was "But Dad, in cricket you cheer if someone gets half a century. That just takes 1 day, it takes 50 years for everyone else to reach that mark."
While using that argument (I use that term in the way it's used for writing an essay), Dad was listening to the cricket match - So there really wasn't any good comeback. The letter I left for him on his present today was "Because you have to celebrate when someone hits 50".

BUT!! Dad shares his birthday with the great Banjo Paterson. If you have never heard of him (and most probably haven't), you might know this instead...

The unofficial Australian national anthem - Waltzing Matilda

Or maybe...

The Man from Snowy River - featuring footage from the movie with the same name

And then there is

Hehehe! A Bush Christening

Yes, Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson has a long rap sheet (compared to some), but I know him best as a poet about the Australian bush. You could go into the whole debate about his 'romantic' bush and Henry Lawson's 'dangerous' bush, but I think the argument is invalid because both a true (in a way) and I don't particularly care. I prefer Banjo Paterson's poetry. And here's why;

In our family, Mum's dad (so my Pop - although I never got to meet him) was fan of Banjo Paterson's work and could recite all of the poems by heart. So Mum did read them to us when we were younger, although Trin and I never really did understand what was going on (although we did like them). Now that I'm old enough, and have done an art history course (in which the Australian art and the themes around it were briefly visited) I can understand why the poems are so important to an identity and culture (even though I live on the coast and not in the bush).

Of course I'm not an expert - other people are - but I can just understand it. It's funny how much I learn when I read for enjoyment or to research deeper. And so that is my scholar reasoning to why I like them, my emotional side is that the poems have sentimental value to Mum and me, and to put it simply, I just really like the poems. I haven't read all of them, but one day I will.

Mum's copy has her father's name in it, and no cover so it's very carefully handled.

So, in honour of Banjo Paterson's 150th Birthday (and Dad's) here is the face for Day 17 2014!

A bit hot isn't it? I suck at backgrounds. Anyway, Mum did the hand and then I turned my back for two seconds and BAM! There's a horse and jockey.

Day 17:*Wipe sweat from brow* Whew, I was starting to run low on ideas! Well, there's always tomorrow...
And hey, if any of you guys are interested in some of the other Banjo poems here's a link to Australian Geographic's Top 10.

Yikes! That was a longer post than I thought it would be! Well, have a wonderful day everyone!

QUICK! Before I get caught!

I have to get up early in the morning. It will take all my willpower and several alarms. Mum told me to bed 40 minutes ago. But I'm so far behind in the challenge, I just needed to do ONE face. So I cranked this one out.

His name is Hyde, and he has appeared (not as a fully developed character mind you) on this blog before. Damn! I forgot to 'whiten' the eye! I knew it! I knew I forgot something

Day... 10: Complete!
Thanks everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful day (or night)!

New things

How is everyone?

According to some people, they are always surprised with the things I do. I have lived a sheltered life (as Dad will often point out) but sometimes I do things that are way out of my comfort zone. From my schooling days people were surprised when I volunteer for things that I wouldn't be able to do normally, speak my mind and make a huge teenage rugby player back down. I generally put it down to my ability to remember many details and adapt to situations - Being left overseas has helped with both of those skills.

Anyway, the point is that I attempt a lot of things, I don't always succeed (in fact, I'm lucky if I do), I just enjoy a variety of things. That said I will not sit through a zombie film. I don't care what the setting is, if someone is infected, they become aggressive/violent, skin changes colour, the infection passes onto other people and can only be killed with a bashed in head, then it is a ZOMBIE!

...

Sorry, Mum and Dad had me sit and watch a sci-fi movie, but as soon as the zombies appeared (Dad insists that they were zombie-like but there is no difference) I immediately went "Nope, not watching this", so I put on headphones and played a game.

Where was I again? Oh yeah, so I tried to do something different for the faces today. First off, they are both ACEOs - something that I haven't done for a very long time. One of them is incomplete and I plan to try out some water colour techniques, the other took 3+ hours to do. Luckily I had something to listen to while doing so.

Pointillism inspired and a bit of Colour Field. I liked trying out the technique, although I had no idea what I was painting in while doing it!

It was a overcast day here and raining in the morning. I could tell - besides hearing the rain my hair was curly.

Day 8 and 9: Mission accomplished!
Have a wonderful day everyone!

P.S. I finished the Professor Layton game yesterday and burst out into tears. Mum started to laugh at me, but she is a sympathetic crier and so we were both crying. And laughing at how hopeless the both of us are.

Puzzle solved!

Hello!

So I realised I am a two days behind. And I have a perfectly reasonable excuse (almost as good as Mum's). I've been busy.

Very busy.

...

...

Solving puzzles...

What?! 

It just happens ok? And it's always "Oh, I'll just finish this puzzle and then go to bed" but NO! That never happens! 

Ever!

*Cough*

So, yeah... I've been playing the Professor Layton games for a long time. Originally I thought it was a stupid idea for a game (really, Brainteasers?), but someone gave me the game as a present many years ago (2008 - That's six years ago!) and I've been playing it ever since. Me and Mum sometimes sit up at the bench, a 3DS and a DS in hand and solve puzzles. Occasionally switching when we get stuck on one.
Anyway, I'm playing the last game right now, and I'm making it last as long as I possibly can. It's really testing my willpower.

And here are the faces for days 6 and 7!
I call it "I Found Another One!"

It is a little known fact that puzzles hide in bushes like wild Pokemon. I plan to eventually colour the picture (and draw the hands), but I'm happy with this right now.

Oh! The character at the front is Luke Triton and of course, the Professor is up the back.
Day 6 and 7: A true gentle(wo)man leaves no face undone!
One day, I'm going to get into trouble doing things like that... *Sigh*

Well, have a wonderful day everyone!

P.S. This is how I felt when I suggested drawing Professor Layton and Luke as catch-up to Mum and she said it was like solving a puzzle.

Don't Draw and be Angry

Hello all!

I had a pretty decent day. Until after dinner where someone *coughDadcough* made a comment and I turned sour.
So, I did not feel like drawing anything. At all. It was all horrible and wrong.

So here is the face that came out of that bad mood.

I'm pretty sure I saw a picture like this. Donald Duck? Scrooge? Daffy Duck? I forgot, but it seems awfully familiar to me

Day 3: Completed!
Have a fantastic day everyone!

A quick face

Hello all!

Had a chaotic day with train lines being repaired and having to bus back (thank goodness Translink - the transport company in Queensland - had express buses). A lot of waiting at the train station.
Got home had a tea with Trin and talked to Mum at the bench, dinner, then Trin dragged me off to watch 'Frozen' with her.
I liked it.

I'm going to post some of the photos from the New Lunar Year festival tomorrow with a face.
Hopefully.

Anyway, the quality of today's face is lower (like really low) compared to the animation yesterday. I drew it on the back of a newspaper while waiting.

What?! I was desperate!

I'm sorry! I took the photo on my phone, and it's a really small picture, and it had this weight loss ad so I cut that out... Anyway, meet - uh - Michel. (Yeah, that works)

Day 2: Done. It was inspired by one of the women that passed by.
 Sorry about disappointing all you nice visitors after all the nice comments on the first face. Regrettably, I will not be doing cartoons everyday, but maybe a few small ones here and there.

Have a wonderful day everyone!