Missing You.

So below is my submission for last months Monday Project theme…

Missing You

I did my work-in-progress post on this here, which explains the background and thoughts in coming up with this idea.

To tell the truth I’m not really happy with it as it stands. Mainly because I had planned to spend a lot more time on vector stylizing of the image. But with the death of my old laptop, getting a loner computer, getting another laptop, all which happened in the last month, I simply couldn’t find the time.

I even spent a lot less time looking for the fonts that I wanted to use. So I’m afraid I’d have to either put this in my ‘fail’ folder or at the very least, something to come back to later.

What to do!

OK, so the other day I was struck by an idea of a picture. It was going to be very art deco and I started to do a sketch but didn’t get very far.

First sketch

Mainly one of the reasons is, I don’t like profiles that much, especially these sort of ‘straight on’ ones, so I started to try and map out the face from a different angle.

As you can see this also didn’t get very far.

As you can see, I get distracted easily

I think it’s the jaw line. It’s a bugger to draw from this angle and get right. It comes out more than you’d think, but then there is a trick to not making the face look too fat. I was sitting there thinking how it could be solved so much quicker if I had a reference photo.

Now for me, I used to work pretty much straight out of my head. But over the last couple of years I’ve been finding, especially when drawing people, I more often like to get a reference picture. I hadn’t realised it, but I think I’ve been drawing people less often because of it. In the last couple of years, I’ve mainly only drawn pictures of people I know and then it’s because I’ve been inspired to do a picture that represents something they conjure up in my mind. So it’s probably only happened a couple of times.

The other times I’ve drawn something that includes a person, one that I’ve created from scratch so to speak, I’ve noticed it has a completely different style.

I’ve never really asked anyone to pose as reference for one of my pictures. Or at least a picture that isn’t going to be about them, but I’m considering doing it now. It feels a little weird. But basically, I’ll I need is a photo of a face and head with in a similar position to this. (Note, similar, not exact)

Can anyone even make this out?

Also, I got to admit, as I’ve been thinking about whether to do a general ‘shout out’ or ask specific friends I’m finding the original idea in my head morphing to allow for the different shapes of faces of the people I know.

I’m not sure how happy I am about that. I’d have like to get the original picture as I imagined it down. So I’m stuck thinking what to do next. Do I keep trying on my own? Do I ask a couple of people? Do I do a big mass email to a whole stack of people?

I know that most of the people that read this blog are writers, so I’m also wondering if any of you have had a problem like this. Say have you ever found yourself writing a character that reminds you of a friend? Do you feel the need to talk to them about it? How different would you find it if you found yourself wanting to base a story you hadn’t started yet on a friend?

Gah! Times I wish unreasonable violence onto people I don’t know…

So freaking frustrating. I’ve arranged to buy a second hand mac laptop. It’s through a friend of a friend and a pretty good deal, plus it will let me test drive how I feel about using a mac at home. My friend, being an incredibly nice guy. Bought the laptop of the person he knew for me. Mainly cause he knew I wouldn’t be able to afford it all right now. However I hate owing large sums of money to friends so I thought I’d get the bulk of the debt out of the way as soon as possible.

One way I thought I could do this is by finally cashing in all the money from my change bowl. I’ve been lazy about doing this for a few years now and it’s collected into a fair amount. In fact, after I counted it out, I found I had around $700 in 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces. The main problem with that it is that it ways a freaking tonne.

I thought about how I was going to get it to the bank, since I don’t drive or have a car. I toyed briefly with the idea of public transport but ended that concept with “Bugger that for a lark.” And called for a cab.

Has anyone here rung 13 CABS of late? They have the most annoying hold music. It loops every 10 or 15 seconds and even when booking the cab by the time someone answers, you have to bite down the urge to scream “I HOPE YOU CHOKE ON YOUR HEADSEAT FOR MAKING ME LISTEN TO THAT CRAP!”

But bite down the urge I did and politely booked my cab, was told the next available cab would be sent out to me. So I grab my backpack full of small silver discs and gave myself a hernia carrying it out to the front of the drive way. Honestly it was one of those times when I took off the back pack I could feel my spine stretching back into it’s default shape. Then I started the waiting game, by, well, waiting.

I waited.

I waited.

And I waited.

After half an hour I thought, it’s odd that it’s taking this long to get a cab in the middle of the afternoon. At 45 minutes, I thought the cab company had won this round of the waiting game and I should ring them back. So I subjected myself to the annoying hold music again while I had to wait for over 10 minutes for someone to answer simply so I could ask where my cab was. Finally it rung through, I heard someone pick up.

And disconnect the line.

I work supporting a call center department. I know it happens. People make mistakes and press the wrong button. But as soon as I realized this meant I would have to subject myself to the hold music yet again I couldn’t stop myself from screaming at my phone “YOU STUPID FUCKING MORONS!” I probably should have had a little more self control since I was standing in the middle of the street outside my block of flats, but I will admit I felt a little better for it.

But then, I saw a 13 CABS taxi driving down the street and I was filled with relief and goodwill towards all again. I walked over, gave myself a double hernia picking up my backpack and turned around to see the cab turn the corner and drive off to parts unknown.

Grumbling, I put myself through annoying hold music again. Laughed bitterly when the soul destroying music was interrupted with messages like “Need to get to the airport? 13 CABS will get you there on time.” And finally the call was answered. More surprisingly, they didn’t hang up.

I explained my situation and asked where was my cab. I got told my area was experiencing bad delays. I thought about explaining while I couldn’t speak for the rest of the area, my delay was starting to get a bit beyond ‘bad’. I contented myself with asking how much longer did they think it was going to be. The answer was the informative “I really couldn’t say”.

I explained I was trying to get to my bank in camberwell before it shut, something I wasn’t really worried about when I originally called at 2:30, but now was starting to think was going to get tricky soon. So if she thought that wasn’t going to be possible, she should just say so and I’ll make other arrangements.

“Oh, I’ll mark your pick-up as a priority. If someone isn’t there in ten minutes call us again.”

I couldn’t resist. “Do you mean, I should hang up and call straight back so after the ten minutes on hold, I can tell you if the cab is actually here?”

There was a little forced laugh and was told, no, just wait ten minutes.

Well the 10 minutes went past and the cab wasn’t there, I really couldn’t be bothered ring again and after another quarter of an hour, it started to pour down. Swearing, I picked up the backpack again, careful not to give myself a triple hernia, but managing to fuse my spine into one solid mass, I walked back up to my flat and cancelled the cab altogether.

By email.

What a waste of an afternoon.

Signs I’ve been spending too much time at my flat. Part I & II

I know I’ve been quiet around here, but that’s because I’m lazy. No, that’s not an excuse, but IT IS A REASON!!!

OK, I’ve posted before about how I’ve been in a grumpy mood sometimes of late.  I’ve been avoiding people a bit because of that.  What I’ve also done is try to take make that into positive by turning my 5-6 nights out a week in to a more finically acceptable 1 or 2 nights out a week. This has actually involved a forced anti-social behavior on myself

Today, I also had the day off work. I’ve started to suspect that maybe I’m actually spending too much time on my own.  After watch a dvd and hearing the phrase “time is an abstract concept” I spent a couple of hours thinking about that.

I started with a lot of ‘If that’s true then how abstract’.  Thoughts of personal past and how much you can separate that a current ‘self’. After two hours thinking about these and similar concepts, I came the following conclusion;

“Time is an abstract concept, but as abstract concepts go, it a bit of bugger… and I can’t think of any way to use this into a picture.”

As soon as that thought came to me, I wished I had simply spent two hours playing the xbox. I think it would have been just as productive.

The other thing that happened today was I got a text message from my mother. It says, and I quote;

“Hope you have had a productive day & you are not drowning your sorrows in the pub. Mum”

I was lost for words. Only cause while I might have some sorrows, I can’t think of any thing my mother knows about or would expect me to attempt to drown away.  I did the only thing I could think of, which was go to the pub simply so the message would make some sort of sense.

Actually, I did start a picture, but I couldn’t get any where with it.  But that’s another post

W.I.P. it… W.I.P. it good…

This title was a joke for me… and only me. Take that anyone who reads this!

I normally name files that I’m still working on wip, for Work In Progress. Which is an awful anticlimactic explanation, I know, but stay with me. You can only regret it more!

So this is my WIP post on the latest Monday Project er…project… The theme is ‘Missing You’.

I got to admit I had this visual in my mind as soon as I read the theme.

Very, very, very rough

I’m going with the idea of “missing you” when you’re actually still with the person. Unfortunately, that’s a situation I’ve experienced. Anyway (he said, quickly trying to move on the conversation), the idea is it’s going to be a more graphic representation. An angler, silhouetted image. Two people in chairs back to back, with the word “missing” running vertically between them and the word ‘you’ underneath.

In the initial sketch, I stumbled upon angle the people to hint at a heart shape (which I actually traced out here) But I’m not sure that I’ll spell it out in the final version.

Anyway, the next time I sat down to draw, it was the night I was wondering if I was going to lose my job. It was unfortunate, because for some reason I really had trouble concentrating. That might be a little obvious.

Not really any better...

Also by this stage I had decided I was going to scan the sketch into the computer and the finished piece would actually be a piece of vector work. Which meant I had a hard time committing to putting too much detail on paper that I was worried would distract me later.

Anyway I’m working on that now, on the computer, but I’m going to save it to the final submission. But as a side note, I was hoping to do a second one based on the theme. I don’t know about other people, but sometimes I go through a weird word play when thinking out an idea. And even though as I said, I came up with this idea pretty much straight away I keep on thinking about it on the chance I came up with a better idea.

So I was running through word associations and phrases in my head to do with missing. I got to thinking of ‘aim’ as an obvious opposite and was working along that when I thought of the phrase “We aim to please’ and I though “We miss you to please” and stopped.

I really like the way the sentence sounds both nice/cruel in the same way. In fact I wasn’t even sure it meant anything at all, but I like the idea it sounded like it could mean something. So I’ve already go an idea for the same two silhouettes that will be used in another picture, but a more wordy version with that whole phrase involved.

You know, I was saving up really good title…

…for when I got back on the tubes back at home, but I can’t remember it now. Er… the ‘tubes’ means the internet for all you not in the know. Otherwise it sounds weird.  Or like a weird, cheap drink.

I mean “Would you like a refreshing Tubes” doesn’t really work on me, but whatever floats your boat.

So anyway, I’ve got a couple pages in my sketchbook ready to scan in for the latest Monday Project project.  But I’ve had too much BEER! and I can’t remember how to use my scanner am feeling a little too tired right now.

So too sum up.

1. Beer is good.
2. If you haven’t checked out the latest Monday project go do so now, time is running out dude!
3. If you not one of the few the mutual blog readers and/or you haven’t done so already, go wish Miss Maybel a happy birthday!
4. Hopefully I’ll have a meaningful update soon… with pictures!

Yeah, the internet was totally lacking without me here…

An actual email conversation I had at work today…

First email was at 9.08am
J:
Hi,

When you have a minute, may I have this artwork please?

*****
Me:
Maybe.

Gather $10000000 in unmarked bills and/or small change. Preferably $1 coins, cause I got a lot of laundry to do.

Place it in a black sports bag and leave it under the most northwest seat in the park. I’m not sure which park, but one with a northwest seat would be good. And ducks, I like ducks.

Once I collect the money I’ll send you the artwork.

If I see any police, the artwork gets it…
****
J:
Thanks for the great instructions – would you please get these two artworks for me as well?

As for the ducks! I’ll make sure I get some for you.
****

Me:
Can you get me trained ducks? You know, ones that can do tricks and attack people on command? Cause, that would totally rock!

I’d bring them into work and if a annoying sales rep called me I could scream into the phone “DON’T MAKE ME SICK MY DUCKS ON YOU!!! THEY’LL TOTALLY DUCK YOU UP, MUTHADUCKER!”
Of course, I’d then I’d need some sort of animal to send after HR before they could fire me… For some reason that sounds like a task for echidnas…
****
J:
And another one [piece of artwork]

It looks like I will have to cover your desk with ducks.

****
J:

Thanks!

I don’t think I can train a duck… but we’ll see what we can do

****

Me:

Hmmm maybe when I get these trained ducks, I’ll start a debt collection business…

Then I could walk around the office with my trained ducks saying to people “You promised to pay up yesterday. Mr Quack here gets upset when people break their promises. It makes him want to break things as well… Knees for example.”
Then BAM! The ducks can totally go nuclear on them.

So please find highly trained ducks with a background in loansharking. (Or would that be loanducking)
****

J:
LOL – I’ll look into it.

So that you can have your own entourage.

****

Me:
I’d be like the Dr Dolittle of the criminal world ‘cept that is a silly name and my entourage would have to spend most of it’s time beating people up for calling me that, which would eat into their racketeering time. I don’t think criminal minded ducks have good time management skills…

Gee, this Friday has turned bizarre quickly!
****

Honestly, I don’t know why work lets me have email!

This week has been an ever-increasing amount of suck!

Need BEER!

Bugger and Damn.

Laptop is toast.

Quickly throwing this post before I run screaming out of work (the best way to leave work in my opinion, no one tries to stop you!)

This was something I came across last week. It’s not photography, drawing or writing, but rather a small thing about a new idea with an old building material.

“light-transmitting concrete”

I really urge you too click the link. I cant tell you how much I love the idea of having a wall that I could watch the sadow of a tree travel across throughout the day…

The things that make me excited!?!

Blogging interupted

So I managed to spill a beer all over my laptop.

For over 24 hours, the laptop refused to power up and I was pretty sure it was dead.

Late last night, still playing around with it, it actually managed to power it up long enough to log on and it ran for 5 minutes before powering itself off. 10 minutes later it started again and ran long enough to open it up, open 2 programs and test the keyboard and discover 90% of the keys aren’t working, however the “j” key that seems to be trying to make up for all the others and will just start off at random and won’t stop. I’m pretty sure the fans aren’t running either, which might be why it’s shutting itself off.

So today, I’ve got to google “cleaning beer out of a laptop”, buy a small screwdriver set (cause I can’t find mine) and see if I can fix it. As it stands, I don’t know if the laptop is dead, dying or just drunk.

Moral of the story: My laptop is a one pot screamer and really can’t handle it’s drink.

***

So that aside, new posts are probably going to be rare, if not non existent for a week or two until my laptop is either fixed or I can source a replacement. I’ll still be checking in on my favourite blogs, but outside of business hours the only comments I’ll be able to make will be “345      jjjjjjjjj a *” <= Seriously, pretty much all the keys on my keyboard that are working.