So I'm not too familiar with gaming conventions, but I am -sure- some of you guys are. Or at the very least, someone out there has some knowledge of where and when they are held (aside from the major ones like E3 and Blizzcon).

I'm looking for game conferences that are:

- Held in North America
- Allow anyone entry (nor just game devs)
- Will be running in the next 5-6 months or so
- Any conferences held in Canada are a bonus

If anyone can help out, let me know! I could only really find Blizzcon in October, but there may be smaller conferences that I don't know about. Even if the conference you're thinking about doesn't meet the requirements, feel free to post it. Any info about what kind of conference it is will help too.

What an unusual combination. It's amazingly frustrating too.

I put down my work because I know I can do better. I compare myself to the standard I think I need to be at in order to get a good job. I need to do better. I need to BE better because I've had horrible luck claiming a job. My persistent track to get that first job has consumed me so much that I totally lose track of the person I want to be. I think about what employers want. I think about what I should say to them. They don't want to hear you complain. They don't want to hear you put down team mates. They don't want to hear about what you struggle with doing. They don't want your faults. You become a machine - fake - bland - part of the production line - lacking personality. Performance is everything. What can you do and say under pressure?
I confess my faults and tell what I feel in my heart instead of what I know I should say to get the job. My heart tells me I'm not good enough. I tell them I'm not good enough to do that. I can't do this very well. I can't work very fast. I'm a perfectionist and that's bad because I am slow. I beat myself up because nobody has given me a chance.
Nobody puts me forward ahead of the rest of the people I have to work with. I lead them because nobody else will step forward. Nobody wants to make decisions. Nobody will commit to an idea. Nobody is creative. They all want to be told what to do. They can't write proper English. They can't go out of their way to try a little harder than average. They're not very good at it so they wont try. I fill in the blanks. I do what I can without giving people enough of a chance to try because they don't step forward and volunteer their skills. Am I bossy? Am I too proactive? Do I care too much? How do I stand up out of these to get that job when I can only show the work that I have done with them?
Employers don't want to hear this. You've only had good experiences. You're a good team player. You have strong leadership and organizational skills. You can do everything. You can learn fast and you remember everything. You want to work for them because you follow everything they believe in. You know when they donated 200,000 dollars to the childrens hospital in 2007. You can get a reference from your teachers because you stood out in class as an outstanding student.
I expect so little of myself and others, and yet I have high standards to perform because I need to.

I just.. :(

Sorry - my brain just needed to leak a bit.

I stumbled across this video that I thought was especially interesting considering my field of learning. If you're into games, you've probably heard about this before, but description of this isn't just about making everything fun. It's mostly about using rewards to keep people loyal and interested in a business.



It's a looong video, but I stuck to watching the whole things because I found it really interesting. It makes a lot of sense. Just thought I'd share.

Maybe you folks are interested in working with games and social interaction, but are too wary about trying to get into the gaming market because of the competition. This could really be a big opportunity in the near future to work with game elements, but in other business settings.

Simple question really: How long do you look at a picture before deciding to favorite it?

If you haven't really thought about it, try opening a picture in your submissions, and see how long it takes you to decide to either a) push the back button or b) +fav.

What sort of criteria do you have to make a comment?

I'm just curious, really. Most of the time when I +fav something, I don't comment. I know some people consider this rude, but I have the mindset that people only really want to read something if it's a) sincere appreciation, b) some valuable form of critique, or c) humorous. I know it's kindof a prudish for me to say, but when I get comments like "cool" or "looks good", it's not much different than no comment at all.

The other thing I'm interested in knowing is how many seconds of enjoyment you need to appreciate something someone typically spends a fair amount more time to make. If you were to properly critique a piece of art, you could probably spend several minutes looking at the anatomy, technique, lighting, perspective, proportions, composition, etc. I know when I see art that is above my level, I try to look at some of the work that went into the details and try to figure out the process that went into making them. Of course, not everyone cares about knowing the level of work and detail that goes into art, and just wants to enjoy it for what it is.

Tell me your process! I'm not going to change anything I do from the responses. This is just for sating my curiosity. c:

I sat here looking at a blank journal trying to think of what to write just so I could show that I'm not dead.

Best I could think of is spouting random ideas and things that have been going on lately.

1) I made myself a portfolio website! (the second version) I hate it, though. Want to redesign it. Again. Learning to build websites takes a fair bit of practice when you're doing it without instruction.

2) I've been working with Maya lately. Texturing is a bitch, but I find it oddly fun to play with all the settings. Lighting is kindof fun. Modelling seems to be the easiest part so far (though all I've really done is bits of scenery, so that might have something to do with it). I'd love to do this kind of work for a job but I don't think I'd ever get one. Oh well c: ( http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15431109/Co.....efSample6.jpeg if you're curious to see my progress on my first project)

3) I had an idea of doing a series of art based on the idea of a clothes line. It may have been done before, but it sounds like a fun idea to work with. Dress the art up to make it like an advert. Maybe make it interesting by trying to design clothing for quads. Who knows!

4) Job hunt is still on. It's been a bit slow looking for positions in the fall, but I have high hopes. If not, I'll probably just end up looking for any job by the end of this semester. I can't afford another semester of school.

5) Messengers are crowded. I stay off of most of my IMs lately because it feels too unproductive to be on them and maintain conversations without people thinking that I am ignoring them. Sorry to those who are trying to keep in touch with me. I would rather come online when I feel like being talkative rather than idling on an IM and apologizing every time I stop responding for half an hour to work on a hobby/play a game.

6) Nope, not going to AC. Have fun for those who are going!

The two highest bidders from my auction have informed me that they are pulling back from their bids. I know shit happens, so I'm going to let it slide.
However, because of this, I've decided to close the old auction and open it again. It didn't seem fair to just go to the third highest bidder because they may have used that money already, or may not have bid so high due to the nature of auctions. In any case, the last auction is scrapped, and I'm starting it over.

But just as a reminder: If you don't have this money free and saved, I would recommend holding onto it. Only bid if you can afford to do so. Thank-you :)

PS: The rules have changed slightly. Since bidding stopped after the first couple days, I'm going to leave this one open until Monday at Midnight PST. (23rd). Bidding also starts at $50.00 instead of $0 USD.

Please read before bidding. If you don't read, you're a stupid doo doo head.

And so it begins (again)!

Rules:

- Bidding will start at $50.00.
- Minimum bid increments will be $10.00 USD.
- Each bid will make a new reply. Do not reply to previous bidders. (It makes too much of a mess of a journal)
- For details on the things I am comfortable/enjoy drawing, refer to http://www.f-list.net/c/morca%20kyrotara < If something is in my maybe list, or not listed at all for whatever reason, message me and ask privately and give me details about what you would ask for.
- Bidding ends midnight next Monday (May 23, 2011).

What you will receive upon winning:

A) A single two-character colored picture with background
OR
B) Two separate solo-character colored pictures without background

Payment will be paypal -only-. Payment must be up front. If the winner takes more than 3 days to pay, the runner up will win the bid.

This is just money to support me to get through the summer semester :) Thankyou~

Soon after the summer school semester started, I realized I'm going to need more money to get through this semester. I'll have some free time to do art, but I want to sink as much time into my animation and film classes so I can nail out some good portfolio pieces.

So! For some funds, I'm seriously considering an art auction. I plan to hold it on FA and not on furbuy. This journal is to nail out some rules to how it's going to work, and allow people to ask questions about what I'm comfortable drawing.

PLEASE READ!

Considering this is an auction, I won't have control of what the subject matter or characters are.. so if you wish to ask publicly or privately about what I will or will not draw, ask now. I know some people will be more (or less) inclined to bid if they know I enjoy drawing something as opposed to being uninterested in the subject matter.

Here are some guidelines (may be altered depending on feedback):

If you win the bid you can choose either of these options:

A) A single two-character colored picture with background
OR
B) Two separate solo-character colored pictures without background

** This means that option a) will be 1 picture with 2 characters in it, and option b) will be 2 separate pictures.

I'm doing this so that there's a bit of flexibility involved to encourage more people to bid. I may also allow close-ups or alternate views for option a) if the bidding goes high enough.

Questions and comments go below unless there is something you wish to keep private (use notes in that case).
The bidding will be public, but I will keep the commission private if the bidder asks.

Ahahahaha psych.

No :3

I just wanna say that even though I can't respond to everyone who has given me some form of appreciation over the past few days.. thank you.

While not overly depressed about my work, I do have a lack of confidence when it comes down to my creative side. I've always thought pride was a bad thing to have because it hinders a person from seeing that they can improve. Lately I havent posted much finished work because I've been busy on my sketching process to put pieces together conceptually faster than I've been able to in the past.

Part of the reason (most of it) of my lack of confidence and pride is mostly because I have failed at finding appropriate entry level jobs in my field of work.. probably my entire life. I've worked at gas stations, steel fabrication, farms, retail, refereeing, cnc fabrication, but never anything really relevant to my goals. The past 2 summers I've attempted to find co-op (internships) and failed. I could probably blame the economy.. or the fact that I've not tried hard enough, but fact remains, it leaves a dent in you whether you like it or not. It's frustrating knowing you left an interview after giving them multiple good reasons to hire you, and not getting a call back. I feel like I deserve it.. but perhaps that's the failure of an attitude that many people in my generation carry. I'm still learning and trying to do better. Giving up just means failure, which is not something I'm ready to accept. If university has taught me anything, its that this is an opportunity not just to do well in my classes, but to learn and develop my own skills outside of school.. because the concepts just won't cut it.

Sorry for the rambling. I just wanted to say that I do appreciate all the things so many people have done for me. Sincerely, I do. I wish I could do something in return for all of you. My attention is so often diverted from conversations to games to art to projects to life that I often feel that I'm letting people down because I can't hold a conversation.

Not looking for asspats here, even though I'll probably end up getting them. I just felt I should express my gratitude and explain my standing. :)

Cheers. I wish you all a good summer.

I've just been tossing this question in my head to figure out what it is that I admire in other artists that leads me to feel what I need to be doing with my own work.

Improvement. One of the biggest things I've seen people admire is the fact that an artist improves. It might be slow. It might be from one art piece to the next.. but people like to see evolution of style, speed, and process. If an artist stays stagnant in their development and plateaus into a set style for an extended period of time, I've seen people encourage the artist to try new things, stop enjoying the artists work, or on the rare occasions, develop negativity towards the artist.

Style. Style is another big thing that people admire. Some pieces of work you can just look at and tell who drew it. Style isn't really anything that can be measured, either. It doesn't define skill level. Some styles can be as simple as a texture someone uses on their art, or a simple filter they put on their ink layer. These things wouldn't be considered style alone, but using them continuously/repeatedly can create a trend in your art and define your style.

Quality/Quantity? This one is tough. You would think that quality would be the determining factor of admiration, but oftentimes, speed is what leads to popularity and thus, admiration. Someone may produce 5 beautiful pieces of work, but they will be outdone by someone who produces 30 pieces of mediocre work of the same content. Such is the nature of internet distribution. I am unsure how this works in a more real life setting, however.

Personality. This isn't really relevant to art, but attitude is huge. You can draw nice stuff but if nobody likes you, your work won't be respected. If you don't do your art for the right reasons, people aren't going to care as much (unless you're trying to gain popularity by being an asshole. Attention is attention).

Content. Probably one of the lesser things I admire in an artist. Some people will like an artist for drawing vore, or fat, or whatever. I guess I can understand this, but it also seems like a vice. You get trapped drawing the same content while trying to become better at it. It's good to practice and improve a subject, but it's not the end of all things.

I really should be drawing rather than writing this crap out.. so I will.
Yay exams over!

PS: Tell me what makes you appreciate an artists work.

I'm one of them! I hate how long it can take. You sketch it out, clean it up, only to draw over it again. It's booooring. Slow. And you end up either erasing a lot, or using that familiar ctrl-z. (ILU ctrl-z) However. After randomly deciding to try a different method of coloring, I've fallen in love with doing everything on one layer.

Sketch. Color. Details. 90% of it on one layer. (with the exception of maybe some minor details/effects.. and maybe a background)

It's a lot of fun to blend it all up and make it all smooth. I don't know why I didn't try this earlier. Sure it takes longer than inking, but I'm enjoying it a heck of a lot more, and the result speaks for itself.

Give it a try! If you hate inking.. try something else for a change. Maybe just clean your sketch up really nice and color on a different layer. Sometimes it doesn't turn out half bad, even if it's not perfect. It's a great way to toss an idea onto paper without getting fed up with it.

(Almost done with this school semester! One more exam on wednesday and then I'm done for a few weeks until the summer semester starts up :])

I'm probably gonna get shit for saying this but oh well!

I gotta say, the ever increasing number of ass, crotch, tit, and whatever fluid icons is starting to bother me.

There. I said it.

I suppose it makes me a hypocrite because I draw porn and I've had mature icons up for short periods of time. HOWEVER. I think some are just pushing the envelope too far. Just because it's within the bounds of the rules of being rated pg-13 doesn't mean you should throw sexuality into other people's faces. Yes I am aware that ass and tits are a part of the body and are only sexualized because of society and blahblah. Point is that nobody here is going to see your picture and think you're anything more than someone who wants attention for your sexual interests.

I swear every time I see someone try to make a serious statement or comment and they have this bouncing ass just fucking RIGHT THERE. It immediately voids any validity of their statement. It's like getting caught picking your nose before a job interview. All they will think about is you picking your nose. They won't be thinking about what you said.

Just wanted to let people know. Kthnx :3.

This is just an idea that popped into my head for a form of commissions that could be taken.

The idea is thus:

I've seen some people do sketch pages where you pay by the hour for someone to draw whatever for you. Since I'm not confident in my speed to do something like that, I was considering something along the lines of this:

- A 3000x3000 OC canvas with 2 artists collaborating and sketching ideas that the commissioner provides. This can be done while livestreaming.
- The page would consist of different degrees of quality work. There would be 1 better quality sketch from both artists (possibly with light color or shading), 2 medium quality sketches, and the rest of the page would be filled with misc doodles and random do-dads. I don't have a sample of what would consist of "better, medium, and doodles", but if the idea sounds interesting enough I may put together something to measure by.
- The artists either work until the page is full, or the commissioner runs out of ideas.
- The ideas given to the artists would be pretty vague (Eg: 2 specific characters kissing) and the rest would be up to the artists (with maybe a few smaller details added in to make it interesting for them to draw).

My question is, I suppose, is how much would you pay for something like this? I'm aware it probably depends on who the artists are, but just say.. base your estimate on if it were a page of doodles from me.

Cheers!

And I'm starting to wonder.. is this actually a term to define sexuality? Or simply what your preference is towards a relationship?

A brief search through the vast informational system known as the internet brings me some answers, but it also leads me to believe that many people are using the terminology wrong.

If, for example, you use the term pansexual to say that you look at a person's personality as the determining factor to whether you are attracted to them, and ignore the sex.. this definition does not fall under my understanding of sexual orientation. Liking someone by personality is a conscious preference. You decide (or should we say, your culture decides) what a desirable personality is. You're brought up.. influenced.. it's a choice to like a certain type of person.

If, however, you use the term to describe the fact that you are attracted to those people in society whom do not fall under the two most common forms of gender classification, male and female, then this term makes more sense to me. It separates itself from the term "bisexuality" because being bisexual says that you are attracted to males and females, but not anything outside of those boundaries. The term "pansexual" closes those gaps to encompass everything.

Just my 2 cents. There's a lot of room for elaborating, and sexuality is a huge can of worms, but I think this gets my point across. If you folks disagree or have anything to add, let me know. I'd love to be able to clarify these definitions, or even get some personal opinions (provided you state them as such).

((PS. I am very aware that there are theories that point to sexuality being a result of biology and/or society, and it is very complicated. I suppose I am looking more directly for a clearer definition and possibly some awareness to/from the people who are using this term to describe themselves. :) Cheers.))

I know I am probably bothering people by hinting at taking commissions and then never following through. This is just a habit I have due to a cycle that continues through my head.

1) Realize I am low on money.
2) Get excited about taking commissions again and think about how I could do it.
3) Post journal asking for feedback or warning that I might open soon.
4) Talk to friends about art.
5) Remind myself that I already owe art to so many people.
6) Feel guilty about taking commissions because there are already people waiting for me to do art for them.
7) Commit myself to finish owed work first.
8) Start working on it and slowly feel dragged out because I feel like I'm spinning my wheels.
9) Goto 1.

Toss in the fact that I feel like my skill level has once again plateaued and I need to start experimenting again to improve, and drawing starts to become a struggle where the freedom to draw what you want almost seems like a guilty pleasure.

Bare with me please. :s I realize I am wishy washy. This is not an attempt for sympathy or to say that I want to be relieved of the things I owe. I want to do them (and I will do them regardless). I just need time.

Two steps from hell is my new band crush.

BRB going for sloppy seconds.

For those who are interested in a commission:

I am interested in hearing what form of commissioning method people would prefer I take.
So far I have 3 methods:

a) Auction. Highest bid wins. Higher bids may allow for more characters and alternate addons.
b) First come first serve. Buyer picks what style of commission they want according to my commission sheet. (Will only take one at a time so I do not become overburdened, and can open them at different times so people in different timezones have a chance)
c) I pick what interests me most. (I will list the things I like most in the journal itself so that people have a better idea what might get picked over something else)

I'd like those who are interested in purchasing something from me in the near future to vote on one, or if you feel the need to, give alternate suggestions that you think might work better from your own experience.

I'm just running a little low on funds, so I'd like to use my free time to make some money. ;)
Cheers.

Ass is the new cock.

:3

And with new art to post for those who were not at the convention!

This will be a pretty brief report since I do not feel people wish to read a lengthy journal about where we ate and how many hours I stood around for.

The con was as good as I'd hoped it to be. Naturally I didn't get to do some of the things that I had planned, and I didn't see my friends for as long as I would have liked, but nonetheless, I was not disappointed by going. The ADP was a blast (despite my nervousness) it's kindof a rush and an ego boost to get up there and have people cheer and laugh. Lots of good stuff was shown which I'm sure you guys will see soon if you watch the right artists.

Thankfully I didn't get sick this con, just a little tired and worn out, but that's to be expected. Hopefully I'll make it again next year if I have enough funds to do so.

For anyone that met me and wants to talk (and I've likely forgotten a lot of peoples names. My memory is poor) just toss me a note and hopefully we can chat it up again.

Thanks for making this an awesome con you guys ;)

But then I saw all the stupid questions it had so I'mma make my own.

1) When do you arrive?
Sometime Thursday midday. I'm too lazy to check the exact arrival date.

2) When do you leave?
Sunday afternoon I believe.

3) Who are you rooming with?
Dreamous and Sal and one other who's name evades me at the moment. I also forget the name of the hotel but it's not the main one afaik. We're about a block away or something.

4) Who will you be hanging out with?
Honestly I'll probably be with a few different groups of people. Gotta see all the people I know c:

5) What events will you be attending?
I only really have plans for the ADP. Otherwise it'll be random room gatherings and food outings. I can't say I care much for the panels. (Unless there's that how to draw wings panel again.. I missed that one.. or how to draw anything for that matter)

6) What do you look like?
I'm a skinny, grumpy looking ginger kid who sighs a lot and always looks depressed or unhappy c: don't worry it's normal. I usually wear hoodies or/and a cap (descriptive I know) cuz I'm cool or something. I should at least have one or two badges on me.

7) Extra notes:
- Personal space should be respected. If I don't know you I probably don't want a hug from you.
- I don't do art for people because I cannot draw in sketchbooks worth a damn. I would ruin your sketchbook. :C
- I do enjoy drinking (moderately <_<) No hard stuff though.

8) ARE YOU GONNA HAVE FUN?
FUCK YES.

Over the years of browsing this site, and other websites, I believe my brain has developed a stupidity tolerance and/or filter. I'll see a comment made by someone who is either totally ignorant or stupid, and immediately purge it from memory. Poof. Gone.

Though it makes me wonder. If we continue to tolerate stupidity and ignore it.. won't it eventually come around to bite us in the ass? All those people who are making stupid comments will not be corrected or told "You're fucking stupid". And they will continue to do it unknowingly.

Go to school, learn what sarcasm, common sense and context is, then you can have your degree in internet commenting C: Like me!

I'm sorry to say that there are not really any open windows for me to take commissions in the near see-able future. While my last exam for the semester is tomorrow and I'll have a few weeks break, those weeks are likely going to be eaten up doing Christmas stuff, WoW, trades, gift art, badges for FC, ADP art for FC, and the few straggling commissions that I have left from here and there.

If I were to take commissions, it'd likely be through auction. I know a lot of people think auctions are unfair, but if I can gather a nice sum of money for one picture, which is the same amount I would get for 2-3 normal commissions, then all the better. I need money for FC, school, outings and entertainment since I have no job at this point in time.

I'll do that FC meme thing later. Gotta study ~.~

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php.....801&v=wall

This is not me. (Thanks to  drakkor for pointing this out.)
If this person adds you on Facebook for whatever reason, it's not linked to me whatsoever (I also notice that the name is wrong too.. and they've used a rather old picture of mine)

But yeah. I don't have a furry Facebook.

110 more views till 100k
(no I am not doing kiribans (maybe a lil kiss?))

24 more watches till 5k
(Thats like a small town of people! granted some of them are probably dead accounts, but still!)

22 days till my last exam this semester
(OH BOY)

66 days till FurtherConfusion
(So much goddamn work to do)

I am looking forward to the end of this semester. It hasn't been that hard, but the work involved is like pulling teeth. I'm not looking forward to next semester, though.. more pain ahead.

Yes, I am going to FC! I have not pre-reg'd yet, but oh well. I'm lazy. There is much art to be done. Hopefully that can be taken care of during the break.

Just thought I'd drop a little update here to let people know what is goin on. Hopefully more art will be around in the next few weeks.

Thankyou. C: