ElfQuest Fan Art
Off Topic => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Berit on April 16, 2014, 04:41:28 PM
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Hahaha! Yeah! kinda though people might want to tell something about themselves, so here! I made a post about it! I usually avoid these kinds of post but... in here... in all honestly... I love you guys... and I don't mind knowing about you... and being a hermit who simply hates all human life... except you... that tells a great deal how great you guys are, since I like everyone of you... Ahem... but all the mushiness aside (and no, I'm not drunk!)... let's get on with the thing... so those here who want to tell about themselves go ahead!...
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Ayooooooooooooah Berit! Well, you know me from our email, but I'll jump in and help out with this thread. I am a state microbiologist in the USA and have been hopelessly addicted to Elfquest for many years. I used to have a large gaming group, but as time would have it, we eventually moved all over the world and lost touch with one another. We would literally game all weekend long, watching each gamer slowly drop off from lack of sleep (and running out of Mountain Dew - hey Tah-Marien!). At the moment, there is little I can do except go to work and come home to take care of my injured knees from the car accident back in 2011. I have a parrot that's my spoiled rotten baby, but in the past I've had a dog, turtles, fish, rabbits, snakes, other birds, even a very large praying mantis. I collect shiny bladed weapons and bows. I'll keep this short and maybe others will jump in and really get some interaction.
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Heyaaa! nice to see ya! I really do hope your knees get better... it's sad that we don't currently have a healer in this holt... I've been having some health issues as well... and that game group falling a part... I know that feeling too well... but don't think that you are left in the shadows alone... we are here and many of us can relate to that feeling! hahah! so let us sing our songs of sorrow and joy together!... Ayooooooh! to Amberfox many-blades! the sister of the Parrot!...
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I work as a free-lance artist from time to time, primarily doing stained glass/ art glass windows and doors. I'd say it was really cool, but most of the time it's just iterations of geometric patterns, and a whole lot of basic math (lucky for me Geometry and Trigonometry were my best math subjects).
I am mycophobic, meaning I'm terrified/repulsed by fungus. I can eat mushrooms, I like them on pizza even, but I if I encounter a ring of toadstools there's a good chance I'd crawl into a fetal position and cry in a corner somewhere (and have done). If it's dead, I can deal with it, so mushrooms in food don't bother me much, but encountering wild, growing fungus creeps me out to an irrational level.
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Heya Starskimmer! glass art! that's one I haven't tired before, and sounds pretty cool! however I'm bad with anything that has to do with numbers! Oh, I've met few other mycophobic people before, I personally love mushrooms more than flowers. but phobias are real things, as long as you don't feel like it's controlling your life, it's alright. I had a weird little phobia as well, I was afraid of beehives, not bees... pretty weird, no? attacking swarm of been wasn't so scary than an empty hive... I bothered me because it was quite hard going in the woods and getting scared of every goddamn beehive! so I got over this fear by forcing myself to poke some hives... (found out too late few of them wasn't empty!) but now it's not so bad anymore, I actually like staring at hives... thank you for sharing! Ayoooooh! to Starskimmer! the glass-shaper! the one who understands numbers!...
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Oh, wow, stained and art glass? That really does sound really interesting! Not to worry, no matter what, every job has its tediousness and boredom. The question is, do you enjoy your job in general?
You'd hate my job. There are times I have to work in the mycology lab and I have to grow fungus, pick it (with implements, not my hands), prep it on a slide, and test it for just what fungus it might be. I don't know if you could survive a "lid-lifter;" a fungus that grows rapidly and literally expands to the point to lift the lid of the agar plate. To add to the icky icky factor, I work in a clinical lab and nearly all the fungi, molds, and yeasts are from human sources (body fluids, skin, internal organs, etc). As for mushrooms, I avoid them like the plague. Growing mushrooms outside are no problem, but I just have a hard time even imagining ingesting them. Blech.
But I'm mortified of the dread, evil hypodermic needle. A doctor mentions blood letting or an injection of some sort and I break out instantly in an ice cold sweat. Math has much the same effect on me. Numbers and I are incompatible and are not on speaking terms. I can manage geometry if I work at it very hard but not much else.
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Actually, this is working out better than I planned! I think it's good that people are open with their fears here... that helps us all understand each other better! Ayooooh! for the brave ones who openly admit these things! (patting myself on the back as well, shame on me!) but I must say that fungus sounds interesting! rapidly growing things are fascinating!...
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Well, for me, needles have been a source of extreme pain. Doctors have had to draw blood from my carotid artery because they can't get it from my arms. In fact, I have had many a time when I would stumble out of a laboratory with multiple holes in both arms. This started when I was about 7. It wasn't until several years ago a phlebotomist figured out she could tap the back of my hand. Nowadays I tell the phlebotomist (and/or tech) they have one chance and one chance only to syphon my blood before I walk out with as few bruises as possible.
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Haha I know the pain of needles. I had an anesthesiologist try and tap me about 8 times when I went into labor. My arms were so bruised I could barely hold my newborn. Usually takes a 22 gauge to hit my veins, but I know where my good ones are. I'm pretty proficient with needles myself, have stuck others for I Vs as well as been stuck a bunch myself. They don't phase me much.
In high school I was really into microbiology, but that dream ended when I took chemistry. I'd probably be better at it now, but I barely pulled a passing grade in that class, which was traumatizing for a previously straight A student. And my teacher was full of horror stories about Organic Chemistry, and so I decided the sciences were not for me. Probably just as well. Watching over bacteria or fungi cultures sounds awful.
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Must have been painful! here it's the same, some of the nurses cannot take blood samples without poking me full of holes... and some of them are very good at it... the worst one I had actually managed to cut me with the needle so that blood came poring out and then she got into a panic... I had to calm her while I was still bleeding, none the less. I actually can't blame her, it turned out that no one ever taught her how it was done before ordering her to do it!... I blame her superiors for that. after the panic she started crying, poor girl... but I personally don't mind needles that much, they have taken so many blood samples from me that I've grown used to it...
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My veins just seize up, roll, or collapse when they try to draw blood. I've had very few in my lifetime that could stab me once and get blood the first time. When I was young, the phlebotomist/doctor/tech/nurse would stick me, no blood would come out, so instead of trying again, they'd just poke the needle around in my arm. When that didn't work, they'd stab me again...and again...and again. I used to leave a lab with about eight holes in one arm and five in the other. Even then there was just enough blood in one tube to stain the base of the hypodermic.
I don't have to watch over cultures, but I do have to plant them on various other media and periodically check for growth (then prepare and read a slide or whatever else needs to be done). Lid lifters can grow literally overnight and you have to decontaminate the lab if they do manage to pop the lid. Raw specimens (straight off the patient) must be dealt with daily; takes up to four hours: prep work, smearing slides, reading said slides, planting on various media... If it means anything, I wasn't good at chemistry, either. Too much math, and math and I are not on speaking terms. My organic professor was a serious chemistry nazi; if you didn't know it like her, you'd fail. My inorganic professor actually tried to teach you about the subject. Sadly, I was excited about biochemistry, but guess who taught it - that's right! Hitler's illegitimate daughter. I decided to skip on it shortly after the class started. I think it says a lot when the class starts off with a dozen students and ends up with one.
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Whoa! So much fungi going around! Well, I do like them, actually. :D
Hmm, I'm the kind of person they would probably call "forever studying", because I have been hopping from school to another my whole life. I have studied Art Education in the University of Lapland, but I didn't like it, so after six years I moved on. Then I studied animation in polytechnic and graduated as an animator (yay!), and now I'm studying game design for a year in an educational institute in Helsinki. After my studies end, I wish to find a job in the game industry or similar. I've also studied design in Japan for a year as an exchange-student, and last spring I went to Yokohama for two months to study japanese language and manga.
Random things about me:
- I've lived most of my life in the countryside, but I think I like living in a city better.
- I like green tea, also in ice-cream.
- I fear corpses (because they migth turn undead), driving in traffic and relationships.
- I like vampires and macabre things with tragedy.
- I like to make paper crafts and do bookbinding.
- I also like to renovate and build stuff. I would like to build an off-grid tiny house.
Nice to get to know you. :)
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Finland is pretty awesome. I haven't been there since I was a little kid, but we have very close family friends in Ristiina and Helsinki. I've been looking into our local Suomi-Koulo organization to take my son (and myself!). We were hoping to make a trip out there this summer but there are just too many other things on our schedule. Finland is a country we'd consider moving to. I remember it being pretty rural there so I presume pursuing a gaming career would entail a big move, or am I mistaken? I know Sweden has really big gaming culture. My household is very active with eSports. We go to MLG Anaheim and other gaming events regularly, watch Dreamhack and Korean Starcraft tournaments via Twitch.tv, etc. I am a very casual gamer but my husband and his friends are avid min-maxers, currently obsessed with Pathfinder.
What aspects of game design do you find most appealing?
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Ayoooooah Czarine! Yeah, I am the same way. I actually have a bachelor's degree in fine art, biology, and psychology. I had a double major the first time around (art/psych). I then ran off to get a masters in microbiology. I'm considering taking courses to prepare me for getting a certification in medical technology, but still not sure. Bought the books and have been studying off and on for a while. For a long time I considered going into animation, thinking it would be amazing to open my own animation company (I know where I can find the talent!), but America is extremely expensive in terms of animation and a lot of it is farmed out to other countries as a result. I'd like to have it all done locally, but that doesn't seem possible. I myself am not much for cities; I live in the capital city of my state, and it's too big, too crowded, and way too dirty, but you have to go where the job takes you. I personally am fond of thick forests (and the beach with few people anywhere near). I hate traffic, too, and relationships are pretty damn scary. You can't trust humans! What sort of things do you like to build? Have you considered doing a spirit house (fits in with the macabre theme)? I used to be afraid of corpses and skeletons as a small kid, but as I got older, the idea of forensics was utterly fascinating for me; I thought about going into that as well.
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Hey All,
Its awesome that you started this thread Berit, it helps me see more about all you awesome people then just an icon.
I'm a 23 year old female from Ontario, Canada. I've attempted 2 different college programs and nothing seems to fit. I'm currently working part-time as a stand attendant at a Hockey Arena, so I only work during the hockey season or when there are concerts. I'm still looking for more work because I would rather not live with my parents forever. I don't drive as there is public transit in my area, and its just to expensive to own a car.
I'm a first generation Canadian on my Mom's side. She moved here when she was a teen from Bolton, England. Apparently the way I speak sometimes other people who are English/first gen can tell. Part of me would love to move there but until I get a decent education that isn't going to happen.
I've loved EQ since Grade 8, and I also enjoy anime, Doctor Who and X-men. I attend at least 2 local conventions a year. Toronto Fan Expo, and Anime North. I cosplay but up until recently I only ever bought my cosplays I'm attempting to enter the world of making my own.
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Nice to see many people telling about themselves here! and Emberra, may I ask what are your favorite animes and your favourite characters? same goes for x-men! and you into cosplaying!? that's awesome!...
And sorry I haven't been as active here as I planned, Life is what it is... Anyhoo! currently I'm unemployed and actually glad about it. as working I've been at cemetarys (helped keeping the graves looking nice) as well as a metalworker, welding and using lathe for various things... that sort of stuff... of, and all sorts of random art stuff from paintings to comics...
and Starskimmer, there is quite a lot of game stuff going on in Finland, many schools about game stuff, Czarine is one currently!... and game stuff? well, all I can say is that I simply love games! mostly RPG person my self!... graphics never really are that big of a deal to me, I actually don't like most modern games because everything looks too real, and a play games to get away from reality...
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Looks like a good place to post my "what I've been up to" return post, since that's, well, info about me :) Since I last posted in 2015 it feels like a lot has changed, and I don't feel like quite the same person I was.
I live in New England (USA) these days, a decision that seemed like a good one at the time, but I have subsequently regretted. I left behind friends and a much-loved west-coast city because I am a northern barbarian who cannot handle heatwaves and forest fires. But...this part of New England turned out to not be North enough. Climate change sucks. :(
But I'm not sure I would undo the choice, because it was being exactly where I was at exactly the right moment in time that led to the existence of my perfect-in-every-way she-cub (cubling name of "Pidgeon").
I'm at that "who am I? what do I want?" stage that most new parents go through, but I'm pretty sure that books, roleplaying, drawing, and writing are still things I want to do when I grow up.
We have at least 1-3 moves left before us, then I plan to collapse on the earth and let little Pidgeon learn how to fly without the skies constantly changing on her.
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Well, well. Don't you dare to vanish for years again, just like this.
And congrats also here to your little one. May you be a happy family.
Indeed, climate change sucks a lot, so one has to do something.
[teacher mode on]
First step should be to check one's own behaviour e.g. energy consumption of all sorts: House isolated? Lights switched off if not needed? Efficiency class of household items? Big screens running? Car's fuel consumption? Driving behaviour? Possible use of public transport? What about the food you eat? Beef means a lot of CO2 and esp. also methane (CH4), which is a horrible greenhouse gas. Meat in general is more "climate intensive".
Then check election behaviour.
Then spread the message and convince more people to to the right steps to decrease ecological footprint. Oh, and it's not only changes household, it's also at work, though it might seem like fighting agains windmills. Still, just because e.g. industry blows out energy at large scale doesn't mean that we can leave that screen or lamp running uselessly 24/7.
[teacher mode off]
> "who am I? what do I want?" stage
Aren't we all at one or more points in our lives? ;)
Finding a place where you fit in, wondering what's in stock for you from life, self-re-evaluation, are my goals still the same? Do I have goals at all? What really would fulfill me, what are just empty veneers?
You are already lucky if you can move without being bound by job situations.
Cheers and take care!
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Ah, Foxeye, I also hope you will stay with us for a bit!
Pidgeon sounds so wonderful! I am so, so happy for you! A little cub born into your family will surely be able to fly freely and self-assured in no time!
Why do you plan on moving that much? Just curious. I definitely moved too many times in my life.
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Why do you plan on moving that much? Just curious. I definitely moved too many times in my life.
We want to sell our house in the States and move to Finland, but we haven't narrowed down exactly which place in Finland (there are two top contenders). :P It's going to be something like:
1) move to short-term rental somewhere State-side
2) sell house
3) relocate to Kael's dads house Finland (kael inherited half of the house when his mum died, and his dad now lives in an apartment)
4) figure out the city we like best (or which offers one of us a job)
5) maybe move to a rental in that city?
6) buy/build house in that city
Done?!
I keep hoping the Fates will intervene with some happy solution that doesn't involve all that, but...you gotta do what you gotta do :) As jaRf said, we do consider ourselves fortunate that we are able to move like this. Though, tbh, I don't know for sure I get to keep my job. I just feel...it's a risk that worth it. Our skillset is in demand in Finland, so we think it's probably an OK risk.
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Wow, that is quite a long way to go. I like the plan, don't envy you for the work ahead.
While I don't know much about your skillset, from what I've seen, I think you would be more than welcome anywhere in Europe.
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I really suck at these talking about myself thing but ill give it a try lol. I discovered elfquest when i was 11 or so and i loved the art style of it with my favorite characters being Mender, Rayek, and Cutter though i think Cutter looks way better in the bellbottom pants. I started liking Mender because i thought he looked hot in thst green and blue loincloth and i like Rayek for similar reasons. He looks cute with thst headband thing too. I have long forgotten the story of elfquest but i always remembered the art style. I should probably reread it soon lol l. Also if it wasnt obvious im gay btw.
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:-* :-* You are most welcome MenderFanForest! Feel free to be who you are here. We are looking forward to seeing and hearing more from you!
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Thankyou its cool i can draw and post scantily clad male elves without dealing homophobic people. I am going to draw a pic of Mender, Rayek, and cutter btw.
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Heya! We don't know yet but nice to meet'cha! and don't be shy being who you are, I'm Asexual and people are very nice here, I also get shit elsewhere because I'm not normal... and I think here are lots of ladies here that don't mind seeing male elf skin so draw away!...
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I see I never posted in this thread, but I think I introduced myself somewhere else, probably in the early days. I wouldn't even know where to begin, I feel most might know a lot already..? Perhaps we could answer each others questions for a change?
How about the one that answers the question then asks another, and someone else can reply to that?
My question to the first person to answer: Who do you consider closest to you? Friend, relative, partner... And what is it that made you bond that way?
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Heya! I'll hop aboard!
I'm closest to a friend, (talking about you, Czarine!) I think we hit it off pretty well as we both had similar interests and we are both a bit reserved in certain ways... plus RPGs have deepened our bond!... and to the people who don't know, No, we are not dating!... (people tend to ask this a lot)...
Hmmh, then I'll ask to the next person... what is the worst smell you know?...
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I'll take this one Berit!
The worst smell I know is my husband's feet. He's an executive sous-chef and works very long hours so his feet tend to get a little sweaty. When he comes home from work (and takes his shoes off) it smells like vomit and some kind of rotten cheese mixed together with sweat (ew...sorry to be so graphic...haha). It is very pungent. It is the kind of thing you've never smelled before and hope to never smell again. ;D
My question is: Are you inspired by other artists (you may consider better than yourself), or is looking at others work more likely to make you uninspired?
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Hell-o and Happy New beginnings to y'all.
AFKE - I bond to my friendships with common interests; My closest friend is bound by time (known her since 5th grade) and of all our group we have become the most the same in view and temperament over the last (ahem) decades. Catwin is my favorite and closest art friend. She is fearless when it comes to any art schemes or plans. So . . .I would say that I am fortunate to have a double handful of closest friends each to their own (category?) And I am grateful they put up with me because I talk a lot-and listen a lot.
BERIT - Overwhelming cat urine smell is a "trigger" smell for me. Nuff said *shivers*
MAGGIE - I believe I have a wheel house of people who inspired me as an artist, and yes all of them are better artist then I. But I see that every artist is better at something than me in some truly admirable way. Not to sound like a corndoggie person (however true) Everybody on this site amazes me and inspires me. There is a dab of every great artist I have ever studied in Art History - Here, in everyone.
Question: What is your most memorial EQ moment that you Truly realized "zinged" through out your Life? My example would be- Venka, When she says she was not taught to hate. I had that luxury from my Grandparents when they continued my upbringing. I value it.
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I think I have many such moments, because there's so much I learned from this very very long story.
What comes to mind now though, is young Dart standing up for himself and what he wants in life, even if that's something nobody else would do or expect. He can't help but be himself.
New question!
Now that there's a new year there's always talk of resolutions... I believe in making these whenever I feel the need to change, not necessarily now. But is there something you'd like to change in your life this year, something new you might like to try or learn? Do you also have an idea how to achieve this?
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I'll take this! I personally would like to cure from depression, it's a thing I've suffered my life from and I'm taking steps to recovery, it is slow but possible... I am currently in therapy for it, I'd also like to learn how to trust people, but I think that is something that will take even longer to heal...
the question: What was the moment when you felt that you loved something, not a person but something else, like wind or a season or something like that, what happened?...
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I fell in love with fall/autumn when I was 12 years old. I had moved back home from living two years abroad. Many good things happened that fall, many bad things too, but all in all, good. I got closer to my older sister, met my old friends again. But most of all, I remember how blue the sky was. In Greece the air pollution is very high, it was so strange to look up and see how deeply blue the sky could be. It was mesmerizing.
Question: What kind of nature do you guys enjoy the most? The coast, the forest or somewhere else?
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I think my favourite kind of nature has something to do with the sea. I've always loved how the sea smells, and enjoyed long, barefoot walks on a sandy beach in the evening or early morning. There's something very powerful in watching waves crash on a stony shore, or watching a distant thunderstorm out at sea. At the same time, I'm also frightened of it and its depths. Many a time a wave has swept me underwater when I was swimming at the sea, and I've learned not to go too deep.
I love fish and aquariums, so it kinda goes with the sea element. :) I've lived most of my life inland, so I haven't been able to access the sea so often, so I guess it has stayed mysterious and unique to me.
Question: What are you addicted to? This can be also in a positive way. ;)
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Well, this is a negative one for sure. Coca-cola is my addiction. I'm trying to quit but so far I've had little luck.
Question: If you could have any control in how you were to die, be it in your sleep of old age or something else, how would you? If this is too triggering, who is your favorite musician?
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If I had control of I where to die? I would either die saving someone else or among one of my walks to nature, Imagine knowing you will die and just finding a peaceful place among nature. sitting down and looking at all the lush life around you... no humans to disturb you, as you lay down on the moss you take comfort in the thought that you shall feed the animals in the forest helping them live at least a day longer and by doing so basically become part of them, parts of you shall live in them as structures of your flesh becomes structures of their flesh. with this you slip away peacefully...
I'd prefer my body was never found by human hands, I do not want them to disturb me in my resting place the way they have disturbed me countless times in life, I'd finally be free of humankind...
and my question, if you could suddenly eat something inedible, metal, plastic, you name it! what would you like to taste first?...
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Glass! I wonder if the different colours would have different flavours. And would the shapes/usage influence the taste as well? Would a soft pink wine-glass taste different than the windshield of a car or the green glass of a beerbottle?
My question, if you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
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So let's see what's in...
> Afke
> Q: Who do you consider closest to you? Friend, relative, partner... And what is it that made you bond that way?
Phew. Hard to say. I might be a bit careful when it comes to bondings. I do have a lot of friends, and a family (at least the part that is still alive). But who is closest? Not entirely sure. But I guess it might still be my mom.
> Berit
> Q: What is the worst smell you know?
Well, I have witnessed a lot of smells. Soft scent of things but also unbearable stench.
some solvents, plain hydrocarbons: not overly strong usually, but not really pleasant either
Amines: fairly strong sometimes, quite biting (ammonia as base compound, old toilets, urea decomposition, you know) (some compounds can be a lot nastier, e.g. putrescine / cadaverine)
Bromine: bromos (greek, "the stench"), well, it's a pure halogen, so it's stinging your nose, obviously
Stannyles: subtle smell, but invoking nausea (can't find something equivalent, but believe me you wouldn't like it. It's subtle, but still nasty.)
CS2 / H2S / Me2S / Me2SH: straight-forward offensive stench ("fart" and rotten eggs or pea soup left to stand 14 days in sunshine in a closed vessel, then opened)
R2PH: often with a sharp stench, rarely pleasant (people say it reminds them of garlic, but while garlic is kind of pleasant, this isn't, and the compounds are chemically different from anything garlic)
rotting (aerobic) sewage sludge: whoa, that stuff isn't artificial at all, thus it reminds you of things that you definitely should keep away from
R2Se / RSeH: nearly always unbearable stench, instantly hitting you
H2N-para-Ph-COOEt (Benzocaine): a fist right into the nerves of your nose, I think my nose hurt and I couldn't smell for an hour
I heard that TeH2 might be very nasty, too, but I haven't witnessed it. Yet. ;)
Also some things like smoking HCl, Cl2 and the likes will just sting and corrode your mucosas.
But I don't really have "psychological bonds" towards these smells so it is usually just plain displeasant.
> Maggie
> Q: Are you inspired by other artists (you may consider better than yourself), or is looking at others work more likely to make you uninspired?
Again, hard to answer. If you compare yourself to the bests you might demotivate yourself a lot. (Or strive to get like them. Probably depends.)
But I do like to look at arts, thus I am definitely looking at other people's work. And of course I also do relate this now to other areas, music, science and so on.
Of course everyone is somehow inspired, influenced by others. You grow up by imitating your parents, idols, whatever.
So yes, I am most likely inspired by other people's art.
At calendard picture time I sometimes just look at random art and try to figure out how they technically did things. E.g. that sometimes light reflexes are actually just plain white spots.
> Tah-Marien
> Q: What is your most memorial EQ moment...
There are a lot of moments that were interesting, impressive. Nothing life-changing maybe, or something that would work as a kind of verdict to apply to my own life.
But then, when I started reading it I might have seen it with different eyes that today.
> afke
> New Year's resolutions
> Q: ... is there something you'd like to change in your life this year, something new you might like to try or learn? Do you also have an idea how to achieve this?
Probably a lot. :)
But there's wanting it, then taking the right steps and actually achieving it. Three different things.
It's a bit hard for me since I often feel like I am a little nutshell in the ocean of life. You know. Not the hammer. Not even the anvil. Rather the thing in-between that gets hammered.
I'd like to be in charge of my own life, but this is something you can hardly achieve in a western society.
For the simpler things: Maybe get into a relation, more spare time (means cutting out more things, dropping time-wasters) and energy to be creative and have time for my own self, do (even) more sports (already succeeded so far). But there is the burden of my specification, my qualification in science that usually leads to mediocrely paid jobs with high demand in time and nerves.
Oh, and get better in using several programs (darktable, inkscape, blender, /bin/bash, ... ). Also tinkering and coding. And traveling would be nice.
> Berit
> Q:What was the moment when you felt that you loved something, not a person but something else, like wind or a season or something like that, what happened?...
There was no "moment" where "it hit me".
I love being outsides in my favourite places in nature - in the absence of human life (or at least loud, extroverted people that get on my nerves). I usually feel great. Simple as that.
Sometimes I feel the pain, though, cause I see that this is being destroyed by all those blind folks. Regardless if it is trees that get sick due to the climate catastrophy, or if it simply is platic litter in the middle of a forest.
The other thing is certain kind of music. I just feel like I lift off the ground.
> Startear
> Q: What kind of nature do you guys enjoy the most? The coast, the forest or somewhere else?
Easy and uneasy to answer at the same time.
Forest. Ponds. Lakes. Coast. Rocks and mountains. Trees, plants, mushroom. Animals. Weatherscapes. Snow. Mild spring weather. All of it.
Plus: I like sciences. This also is nature. When you look at the very chemistry happening, something under a microscope and you have a faint grasp of the greatness you are witnessing...
> Czarine
> Q: What are you addicted to? This can be also in a positive way.
Addiction might be a hard term, but anyway. I like things related to chocolate. I also like cheese and most yoghurts or some other milk derivatives. Well, generally a lot of foods.
I have a thing for a certain music. And nature, obviously. I used to like computer gaming but hardly find the time. P&P role playing and LARP. Not a strict addiction, but I'd not feel well without it.
Elves. Did I mention elves?
> Startear
> Q: If you could have any control in how you were to die, be it in your sleep of old age or something else, how would you? If this is too triggering, who is your favorite musician?
1. Hard to say. But what Berit wrote sounds fairly pleasant.
2. Too many to mention. ;)
> Berit
> Q: If you could suddenly eat something inedible, metal, plastic, you name it! what would you like to taste first?.
A bit weird to imagine. But yes, maybe there was something. It's a group of chemical compounds.
> Wildfire
> Q: If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
I'm doing well with kittens. Though dogs can be fun, too. Or birds. Some mice a really cute. I probably won't utter any super-exotic wishes here like ice bears, armadillos or dragons. ;) Kitteh is fine.
Question:
In lack of something else at this late hour here...
What do you think is the purpose of life?
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What a truly complex question. I'm sure there are many answers to what do you think is the purpose of life? I like the idea that being happy and helping others to be happy in their daily lives might be the purpose of life. It seems simple but in my experience it isn't an easy thing to do.
Question: If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
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Three wishes? well I've actually though about this sometimes... My wishes would be...
1. For humans to have more empathy, if every one had more empathy there wouldn't be that much crime nor assholes around
2. For humans to have frigging brains! there is too many stupid parents killing their children and pets
3. a portal to my own fantasy world, I could leave this dung behind and live there!
And my question, if you suddenly had the power that your next drawing would become real, what would you draw? (can be a character or item, anything, really!)
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That's a hard question. You could choose a dead relative or one of the characters from Twilight (haha). I'd probably end up drawing a favorite character from a book or comic and then have to explain where the heck they came from.
My question is: Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island alone or with a person you don’t like?
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With a person I don't like. Who knows, maybe we have something in common? One of my best friends in high school was a girl that I definitely didn't like at first and vice versa. Regardless, having no company, no help, no nothing sounds awful.
My question: If you couldn't do (job/school) what you do now (for whatever reason), what would you do instead?
(re: Berits question about drawings coming to life, would they look like your drawing? This feels like a djinn's trap)
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That question feels in reverse for me, haha. I kinda feel like I'm doing the "instead" right now. That's just what happens when you don't have much control over your health/energy for years and years, and just try to do whatever you can, whatever comes your way. I don't think in terms of career, rather just "balance between work and my life" (I might have thought about career 20 years ago, because that's what's expected -- but I don't really care that much about what I do for work, as long as I can do what I want in my spare time). I've stumbled into my line of work (library) because of my situation as well, I hadn't really considered it before, but I could get in doing volunteer work, which eventually turned into paid part-time hours. 14 years next month. :)
So to answer your question in reverse: I originally saw myself as an illustrator.
Next question:
What do you feel people should be more aware of? (Speaking personally or globally, or anything in between)
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History. Sounds strange, eh? But what I am talking about is that a lot of people have a deep misunderstanding of the subject. It is unfortunate that many think of history as "back then." Very few realize how vast history is, and that what happened in history still have ramifications today, both politically and for our identities. From bigger things like the concentration camps in Europe to smaller things like what colors the Greeks used on their statues. And that our opinions of history is history too.
What is your favorite book, and why? Also, how are you guys doing in these Corona times?
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My favorite book would have to be DragonSong by Anne McCaffery. I was handed it when I was 11 and thought I hated big books with no pictures. But the story pulled me in. A girl who loved singing and dragons, what's not to love? I'm doing okay in these stressful times. Mostly on lockdown as I have a compromised immune system and a 6-month-old baby. But it's given me a chance to be home with her a lot and I've been able to move out of my artist block to start creating work again.
What cartoon do you still like to watch?
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I still love watching Mark Brown's Arthur (which started off as a series of books but then also became an animated series). I know it's meant for children but I've always loved the characters and the little bit of added content made to satisfy the adult in the room.
I happened to catch an episode the other day (one I haven't seen - The Friend Who Wasn't There) that was about imaginary friends, and when Buster (my favorite character) told his classmates about his imaginary friends (Billy Snailgoat, Frumpus, Junior, Pudding Pal, Top-Eye and Xenon) I have to admit I had a bit of a laughing fit.
I also watch Arthur's Perfect Christmas every year in December. ;D
Question: Have you ever met a celebrity, if so was the experience positive or negative?
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I never heard of Mark Brown's Arthur, it does looks super likable! :love
Hmmm... I don't know if I can count my encounters as celebrities or not... all of them are art related, I guess. I met Hayao Miyazaki in '98 at the Berlinale. He was very, very kind and my Japanese still very bad. :lol
He gave my his signature, which I still hold dear.
Also, I met Glen Keane in '95, one of the most famous Disney animators and one of my absolute role models when it comes to art. This was a really intense meeting, as we talked to him and his family for almost one hour. He drew me a picture, gave me tips on art and just was the kindest person! And all that in the middle of the night!
I got the chance to meet Wendy and Richard Pini twice! Also super positive experience. At our first meeting, I received a drawing of Nightfall, how awesome is that!
Besides that, I met some famous German actors. So far, everybody has been pretty relaxed and kind. So yeah, definitely positive.
Question: Do you like or hate to cook? And why do you like or hate to cook?
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Treefox, that is so cool!
I love cooking. I consider it to be very similar to art, in that you have ingridients amd make stuff. It is very satisfying to take different ingridients and make some make a meal out of it. Also, when you've cooked for a while, then you can control what you personally like and change it to suit your needs that day.
Question: what is your biggest regret?
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That made me think a lot.
Not being assertive enough so often in my past?
I guess that might be something. I do have a bunch of regrets for here and there, but I know that I (sadly) can't turn the wheel of time back - so I try to live with the situation and proceed forwards. I still do have my regrets.
And sometimes I wonder if I should have taken more action, been more active. Often one is more clever afterwards and in hindsight, but usually you'll never really know if option B or C would have been better or worse.
> celebrities
Would probably need to define what is a celebrity.
Stars from film and pop-music: Never really met.
From the ones you might know: Yes, Brandon McKinney. He was nice. Met him at a local book fair, by now quite long ago, 2002 maybe.
Look at my avatar and you know whom he drew for me. :)
From the ones probably nobody knows around here: Yes, partially. Once a professor who is a luminary on his area. Was a good meeting. Then a short visit of a NP winner, but most people were too much in awe to talk to him. I think he was nice, but we just exchanged a few words.
And been close to some bands in concerts which I liked.
> Hayao Miyazaki
The one? The Ghibli one?
> cooking
I like cooking. I just wish I had more time for it.
Well, somehow I do this... kind-of as a profession.
> What is your favorite book, and why? Also, how are you guys doing in these Corona times?
Feels like I am working way too much. Spare time is canceled, but you still gotta work.
On the other hand, better have a job these times than none.
Corona sucks, I hate the virus, not the measures.
I like many books, fantasy novels as well as scientific text books. Need more time to read them. I don't have one that I could pick and say it's my absolute favourite. Though there might be some which stand out more.
This might even change with aging, some don't. ;)
> What do you feel people should be more aware of?
Environmental aspects. Surveillance. Corruption throughout politics, no matter in which part of the world.
> If you couldn't do (job/school) what you do now (for whatever reason), what would you do instead?
Rambling around aimlessly?
I don't know. Probably I'd have to try to discover other abilities and qualifications?
Well, teaching, maybe.
> Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island alone or with a person you don’t like?
Alone, please.
> And my question, if you suddenly had the power that your next drawing would become real, what would you draw? (can be a character or item, anything, really!)
Uh, oh.
Meta-wish: I'd draw that I can draw more of these things. ;)
Maybe myself in a position where I could actually improve the world?
> Question: If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
First: Meta-wish that I had more wishes. :P
And partially the same what Berit wrote.
Well, the questions are often fairly easy to answer, but putting up a new question seems hard for me.
Uh, well, I hope we didn't have something like that already.
Imagine you had the chance to talk to the Pinis and ask one or two questions, or utter a plea. What would it be?
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Hmm, perhaps breathe some new air into this thread... I think we all were too intimidated by the last question, haha.
I would probably say something along the lines of what I wrote in the big thank you book that was made by fans a while back. Yes, I would mostly thank them. I don't think I really have any questions lingering on my mind..? The final quest felt like a nice big wrap up to me. Although with some things in it, it may feel like there was no room to pause and elaborate. So I guess my question would be if they felt rushed to get it done, get the whole rest of the story out, because you never know how long you have left.
New question: What do you do when you feel like you are too much in your head, how do you calm down, or get into a state of relaxation?
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Oooh, that's a great idea, Afke! I completely forgot about this thread.
And a good question as well. I think a lot of us sometimes or often fee like they are too much in their heads, or there is simply going to much in their heads or they tend to ponder endlessly at night. Well for me it's like that very often.
And I have struggled long to find something that works. So, I tried to learn how to meditate. As I am a person that struggles severly with concentration it was very hard work and took a really, really long time to feel any results. But I must say that finally I am able to stay more relaxed and am able to sleep so much better!
New question: how do you motivate yourself to learn something new? Something that isn't coming to you naturally?
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Ooooh,a good question!
For me usually it is thinking of why I want to master said skill. Is it because I like how art from a new art supply look? Is it because I have a deadline at work? Or is because I want to do something specific? Then Itry to keep it in mind as I do the thing.
So this was a question making a few rounds on tumblr, and I am curious what the folks here think. What would be a bigger shock to you, that a walrus came knocking on the door, or if a fae/fairy did?
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I think I would be more shocked about the walrus since I don't know how it would fit through our building's narrow staircase up to the second floor... :D And who has taught it to knock??
Question: What is your go-to recipe or comfort food? (I'm hungry!)
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Oh yes, I'm getting hungry too! :D One of my comfort foods is Shio (salt based soup) Ramen. It's just so nice and comforting. The instant kind, mind you. When need comfort I don't have the time to make soup from scratch. ;)
Also a good porridge with a nice consistency.
Practical question: what do you do when you can't sleep at night because of the heat?
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If I am truly desperate, I rinse the top I sleep in, and sleep in that. It is sensory uncomfortable to do, so I only do it when I am really really dying of the heat.
What life-skill do you think is underrated?
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Living under the roof I painfully know about the heat. It slows me down and it feels like my brain wants to melt.
About the life-skills. Well. First off, one might want to check what counts as life-skill. Moreover, it might be different from person to person when it comes to "rating". I am not certain how much other people value wich skill, I can only make some estimations from my position.
I would say:
Intelligence. Empathy. And also a sort of integrity.
But it might be my cognitive bias that I value these things and I often miss them "out there".
Let's try with a relatively grounded question, that is hopefully easy to answer for everyone. Inspired by the current warmth and my very recent consumption of it:
Do you have a favourite sort of ice-cream - and which is it / are they?
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I love all sorts of ice cream. Just looove ice cream! But my favorite might be Spaghetti ice. It's a German thing where vanilla ice is made to look like Spaghetti and placed over a bit of whipped cream, topped with strawberry sauce and white chocolate flakes to make it look like Parmesan cheese. The fascinating part is that the whipped cream starts to freeze and that is just super delicious!
Coming back to cooking and food-related questions:
Do you prefer baking or cooking? And why the preference?
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Cooking. Mainly because I am more familiar with it, lol. I know what went wrong if my vinagrette won’t come together, and how to fix it. With baking? Unless it is too dry, prayers ;) But also because baking is a science. There are things to consider, like elevation, the fat content of the eggs, temperatures etc. It stresses me out.
What is a dish, or ingredient popular in your culture that you just cannot make yourself like?
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Stamppot.
Google translate calls it hotchpotch, but I'm not sure that's even the same thing, because the pictures that a search gives has way too varied results, haha. I have never cooked it myself, yet it was a staple dish when I was little. It's boring, and I prefer my potat to stay whole, because I want chewing to be necessary.
It baffles me how the Dutch colonised half the world for spices, but this dish remains so bland. Usually nutmeg is added, which is about the only spice I do not like. After watching the main character in The Guru add cinnamon to a lamb stew, for a while I put cinnamon in everything. Really recommend trying that, haha. Everything gets better with cinnamon. Perhaps even stamppot, who knows...
I'm busy preparing for Halloween; which holiday is something you look forward to all year?
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On some previous questions:
cooking more than baking, because I can correct things more easily. Baking gone wrong is... well, gone wrong.
There are some dishes, though I am not entirely certain how far they count as truly regional and traditional. And if one does not eat e.g. fish, this will already bring up a few dishes. But there should be Saumagen dishes or Saure Flecke. Both are about innards. Also "Mett" (raw minced meat) is not my thing, onions, salt and pepper or not. (Fried is something different.)
Mashed potatoes (in different degrees of mashedness) is a popular starch base here, too; nutmeg is not entirely uncommon with it.
The Dutch cuisine would be interesting to explore. The few times I was there... well, Lekker smullen in Febo. De lekkerste. ;-)
So that was mostly just fast food / junk(?) food.
But then, yes, there should be more spices. At least there is sometimes Sambal Oelek or peanut sauce (satay sauce).
Holidays:
Umm... for the remainder of this year? I assume Christmas (German: Weihnachten, lit. holy night(s) / consecrated night(s); 24th (Heiligabend lit.: holy evening), 25th and 26nd of Dec.).
There are few other public holidays til then, besides the Advent sundays and the non-spare-time Nikolaus (Sinterklaas, St. Nicholas, which is the 6th of Dec.) (As far as I know the Dutch people are more into Sinterklaas; and Kerstfest is a little less popular. Here Christmas is about the biggest thing, followed by Easter, Pentecost and New Year.)
Well, re-unification day, 3rd of October. When divided Germany became one country again. I'd wish that for the Korean people, too, however, without repeating the mistakes we made during this process.
(Halloween is not that much here, though commerce is trying to push it. For us, there is Reformation Day, when Martin Luther's 95 theses were put to the doors of the church (and he sent letters with them in all directions). Catholics rather have Allerseelen. There are also Totensonntag (Sunday of the Deceased) and regional Buß- und Bettag (day for prayers and repentance).)
Well. A question is needed.
What atmosphere do you prefer for drawing your EQ art? Are there any prerequisites?
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I love all sorts of ice cream. Just looove ice cream! But my favorite might be Spaghetti ice. It's a German thing where vanilla ice is made to look like Spaghetti and placed over a bit of whipped cream, topped with strawberry sauce and white chocolate flakes to make it look like Parmesan cheese. The fascinating part is that the whipped cream starts to freeze and that is just super delicious!
I think I have to agree :) I've only managed to have it the once, in 2012 when Kael and I were in Frankfurt, and I've been grumpy that I can't find someone importing it up here in Finland. Way too many Kebab shops and not enough spaghetti icecream! :argh
Finding some will be one of the first things I do when we finally manage a trip to Germany.
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Foxy! Hey there! Next time you visit Germany, please let me know. I would easily travel anywhere to get the chance to say hello. Then we can have Spaghetti ice together!
Concerning the question: there several atmospheres that inspire me. But I guess, being in a quiet and safe atmosphere is really helpful. I love to draw during autumn and winter. The weather just makes being indoor and being creative so comfy. One of the best things is to sit in front of the fireplace and draw, listening to music or a podcast. :love
If you are drawing digitally, how did you choose your software or other medium fo drawing?
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Hmm, I choose my software based on usefulness and pricing.
I used to draw in Gimp for a long time because it's free (and I still use it for more photo editing like stuff), but I needed better ways to modify and post-process my line art (like individual line thickness, size/rotation/position of the drawn elements) without losing quality. I ended up getting Clip Studio Paint for its vector line art feature, and I've enjoyed it along with its 3D and other features. I also like it for being a (semi-) one-purchase program without subscriptions.
When my needs change, I might change the program again.
How do you celebrate Halloween? If you don't, do you have other celebrations before Christmas?
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I have my own little ritual where I make a white pizza with mushroom and caramelized onions, then I watch a movie. It used to be that I watched The Craft (original) but since it was taken off Netflix, last year I watched Lo (2009). A great movie that everyone should watch.
Art question, why do you prefer your specific medium? Can either be specific, like why markers instead of, say, watercolors, or why you like Procreate better than Photoshop, or more general, like why you prefer digital to traditional/vice versa.
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Aww, I just watched The Craft last week. I have my fave movies on DVD.
Hmm, I have used lots of different art materials, and some moved me towards others for specific reasons.
1) I used to draw with ballpoint pens and crosshatch a lot, but it started to hurt my hands too much, so this moved me towards graphite pencil drawings.
2) Coloured pencils also needed too much pressure to my liking, so I looked for softer stuff and went with pastel pencils. But since it's difficult to properly save those (these drawings will keep leaving marks of powder, even after fixating, and scanning them is hell), I moved onto alcohol markers and I still prefer those; no pressure needed, easy to mix and use painterly or for blocking.
3) I started knitting, because I liked the idea of yarn-bombing and just knit together random colours and feel no pressure from my inner perfectionist.
4) When I'm working on a puppet or something like that, I feel relieved once I reach the stage where everything can only be stitched by hand, because I can just sit on the couch watching movies while I do that. It's a slow craft that I love, and all the previous stages require more brain power from me.
As you might have guessed I prefer analogue materials over digital. I'm very tactile with my work I guess, I need my fingerprints on there, they're often even part of the process (especially when I use graphite pencils). I need to be on my computer for so much already for things I have no control over, and even though employment is currently cut out of my day, I still feel even more the need to be in less contact with screens.
And I guess for the same reasons I still have my DVD's; I don't want to be forced to replace my materials just because technology changed or a company decided to discontinue something, or I need and update I can't afford or whatever, just to be able to make art. I always want to be able to use what I already have.
Okay, question: are you busy with any (art) project right now or soon, or perhaps passionate about working on something else?
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Oh my gosh! The Craft! I watched that with my sister ages ago... as I remember, I liked it very much.
I really relate to what you are saying about haptics, Afke. At this very moment, I am drawing with analogue media and it feel so so good!
I would love to see some of your knitting! I tried it and failed so miserably...
And if you really want to keep something long term, owning it in a physical way definitely seems to be smartest way.
Concerning art projects, I want to start working on my portrait series again! A project that I will probably not finish in my lifetime...
And I decided to paint our door frame for Halloween. Again, using crayons and not digital media. Feeling very creative lately and wish for much more time to get it all out!
The other rather neglected project is to get my IT-related exam done this month... I don't want to do it, but will finally go through with it.
Question: Did you ever feel your art is getting worse? If yes, do you have a remedy?
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I want to get back to traditional mediums too! It's been so long since I last painted something. But I've been knitting my first mittens in colorwork, and it's been... interesting! :D
Whenever I feel that my art sucks, I try to remember the graph about how our perception of what looks good advances before our skill to produce it. So, technically we should be more worried when we feel our art looks awesome because our perception skill has plateaued! :D But the best remedy for my art slumps are visits to art exhibitions. There's just something about seeing the fruits of others' art processes that get my artistic juices flowing. :)
Q: Which art style/artist is your favorite? If you don't have a favorite, is there a style you dislike?
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(Oh! I didn't realize I was supposed to ask a question :ohno Sorry about that ... neat way to move a thread along.)
I've been thinking lately about what I like, because I'm trying to decide which style I want to move towards. But there's of course what I like vs what I want to do myself, and they aren't always the same. For example, I love Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, and while I do try to train myself by studying her inks, I don't want to do intricate water colors. I also love very simple children's watercolor illustrations, like the "Guess How Much I Love You" bunnies. Another favorite is Rebecca Guay. So I suppose I love things that have a "sweetness" to them - colors that flow and lift the spirits or maybe invoke melancholy or wistfulness.
Q: What animal would you be, if you could change between a human and animal form?
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Ohhh, so you do still draw?? I wish I could check out your art somewhere, I miss it so much! Of course, I had to check out the artists you named. They are indeed very inspiring... *sighs* But at least I already knew Sam MacBratney of "Guess How Much I Love You". His style is so so fantastic!
Concerning what animal I would be, the answer is super boring. A wolf, of course. I has always been a wolf. Before Elfquest and after Elfquest.
Q: Another art question, fittung Foxeye's post: what did help you improve your inking?
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Ohhh, so you do still draw?? I wish I could check out your art somewhere, I miss it so much!
I mostly only draw for myself these days, in the corners of my journal. I hope to change that.
Words are not enough to express how much I miss sharing the creative journey with others. Shouting images into a void at people you don't know is hollow (and gets the attention of the AI monsters :ohno) but walking on the same path with a friendly tribe of other nutty, whimsical creative hearts -- that's meaning of life stuff :)
Concerning what animal I would be, the answer is super boring. A wolf, of course. I has always been a wolf. Before Elfquest and after Elfquest.
Silly question on this forum, I suppose. :D My daughter is changing her desired animal-self every few days, so it's a subject of much importance in my world these days.
Q: Another art question, fittung Foxeye's post: what did help you improve your inking?
Trying the same thing multiple times in a playful way until an approach clicks and feels like a fit. Being willing to fail and do something that looks bad or even something that I ... :ohno .... throw away.
I got stuck for a long time wanting to ink like Wendy Pini because her inks are so beautiful. But I found that it was never *fun* to ink the way she does. Once I let myself be playful and try different approaches, it became fun, and once it became fun, I started to get better (or at least, I started to like my own drawings ... which is one way of getting better).
Q: What is one thing (physical, mental, social, etc) in your current life you want to release, and what would you welcome in its place?
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I'm happy that you are still creative! If you're ready and willing to share somewhere, somehow, please, let us know! :love
The AI monsters are scary as f***...
To be completely honest, while my self-animal was mostly a wolf, it did change to large cats or dragons occasionally. ;)
Thanks for the tips on inking! Also neat that you are not only drawing digitally! I hope I can also draw a bit more traditionally this year and maybe follow your tips.
Q: What is one thing (physical, mental, social, etc) in your current life you want to release, and what would you welcome in its place?
My deadly terror of speaking in public. Even in front of small groups of people I even know. This fear took on a life of its own...In its place I would welcome the ability to focus on something.
Q: If you could live anywhere, what would your dream country be?
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I think I haven't posted any pictures online anymore since about 3 years ago... around the time my burn-out really became a thing, which seemed to have coincided with the rise of generative ai (the two are unrelated though). Just the thought that everything has simply been stolen and put into those machines to be (ab)used, made me feel very discouraged. I have shared my work online since 1998 and right now I feel like I am... just done with it. At least for now.
Q: If you could live anywhere, what would your dream country be?
Somewhere with more snow and it being around for a longer period of time, haha. I'm a winterbaby. My neighbour to the north might be a good choice (Norway). Also because I would love to see the aurora borealis for real, ánd it seems it is impossible to see the Milky Way in the Netherlands because of the amount of light polution here -- so also something I've never for real seen before.
Q: What is something you're looking forward to in 2025?
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July, for several reasons. I may be able to finally schedule a hysterectomy, and I will have lived here long enough to possibly sell this place and get rid of some debt in the process.
Also a more basic thing I am looking forward to, bike season. I have done some exploring of the city and the forests, I am looking forward to exploring further.
Speaking of biking, what is your favorite workout activity?
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Good to hear of your plans, Startear!
For me my bike is my main mode of transportation, not sporting equipment, haha.
Most accessible workout for me is walking (low injury risk), or dancing around in my kitchen while I'm cooking. So much waiting time involved with cooking... X)
I have been building up the walking though, sometimes walk to the shops too in stead of going by bike. But only if I don't need much, because carrying extra weight while walking is a whole other step.
The best part about this kind of workout is being outside more, so it's just as good for my (peace of) mind as it is the body.
Q: What is something you used to do as a kid, left for a while, and then came back to as an adult as being something you enjoyed or liked doing or see the benefit in?
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I think I haven't posted any pictures online anymore since about 3 years ago... around the time my burn-out really became a thing, which seemed to have coincided with the rise of generative ai (the two are unrelated though). Just the thought that everything has simply been stolen and put into those machines to be (ab)used, made me feel very discouraged. I have shared my work online since 1998 and right now I feel like I am... just done with it. At least for now.
That's so sad, I'm really sorry. I so appreciate that you still choose to spend time with us here.
July, for several reasons. I may be able to finally schedule a hysterectomy, and I will have lived here long enough to possibly sell this place and get rid of some debt in the process.
That sounds so good! Keeping my fingers crossed for that!
Answer: Singing. I sang a lot as a kid (badly) and then when I became an adult, I didn't sing for quite some time. Eventually started singing again and it gives me so much joy! And my singing is not as horrible as it used to be! :lol
Q: Pfff, something weird: any tips for a herbal tea with a really strong taste? I like herbals teas, but they often taste so bland...
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Not having a question; but for the tea: first off: fresh herbs, not dry and very old, higher concentration, nettle (stinging nettle, Brennessel), wormwood (Wermut). If wormwood isn't tart enough for you... then these is hardly any help. Of course anything with high content in essential oils like (pepper)mint, ginger, galangal (Galgant/Laos), chili peppers ^^... or drink Tom Yum and related soups broth like a tea. ;-)
Of course, these oil are - by their nature - rather hydrophobic and work better in fatty media than in water. They even might accumulated as little droplets. There are also several herbal mixes of less common herbs, that might also be strong in taste. Oh, and I remember common yarrow (Schafgarbe) as relatively intense. In theory also mugwort (Beifuß) and others. Vegetable broth.
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Thanks for the tips! Don't know if wormwood would be too bitter, but it sure would be awesome for my digestion, I need to check it out. And I'm already looking forward to make tea from fresh herbs again! Still the best. Yarrow is growing in our garden as well, should try that, too!
Okay, art question: do you make rough sketched for your art before you start the actual sketch of your final pic? Or do you dive straight into the real thing?
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I'm going to take this question...
I dive right in. I can't sketch to save my life. I rarely do even a quick scribble on a scrap of paper if I have an idea (I should post the one I did of Kimo for the pin-up calendar; it is hilarious), but it does happen from time to time—more to remember an idea than flesh it out. I envy people who do/can do sketches; sometimes, they are even more beautiful than a finished work.
My way isn't always the best though, since I don't have a clear concept on paper ahead of time it can be difficult in the long run. I had no idea about the 2025 calendar cover, aside from using Kaslen and putting her in a tree. I was still working on it a few hours before I had to post to the site.
Question: Do you listen to music when you're being creative? Drawing, crafting etc. (I currently have Australian artist Montaigne in heavy rotation) and if you do what type of music?
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Honestly I find that so freeing to hear, because honestly, same. I usually work on sketches more to get an idea and to work the anatomy enough that I can do the fun things. Like the background or using the colors. I think it might be common for more painterly artists, where the sketches are more about placement.
As for music, it depends. For the more challenging parts I pop on video game music albums. I heard once that they are designed to keep your attention. Don’t know if that is true, but it usually works for me. If I am chilling, I turn on The Hu or my medival music playlist.
My question, what artists or genre of music do you listen to that No one expects from you? Mine is Scooter.
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This question has been sitting here for a bit so I will answer. New Kids on the Block. I mean, I don't know if that's altogether unexpected but when I was very young, about 9 my (first) favourite musician was David Bowie, so I think people assume that I like "good" music for the most part and wouldn't enjoy a boy band.
Question: If you had to choose one book, one movie (or TV show), and one song to listen to for the rest of time what would you choose?
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...That's a really tough one. Repeating the same thing over and over I do a lot, but usually for a certain period, and then I want something new. This is especially true for music for me, so I think that is the toughest.
My book would be Crusade in jeans by Thea Beckmann (Dutch writer, first read this book when I was 11 -- the movie adaptation is awful, don't watch it!), my movie would be Pride (a British movie from 2014, comedy/drama/queer history), and my TV series would be Star Trek Voyager (because it's... home, lol). I have lost count for all three how many times I've consumed these, so seem like mostly correct choices.
Now a song... even one album is a hard choice, honestly. Hmm, one song I have repeated many times and has a bonus of being almost 10 minutes long, is Venice bitch by Lana Del Rey. It's very chill too, and I can sing or hum to it. I guess this is it. :)
Q: Do/did you read other comic books besides Elfquest? Or are there other types of fandoms you have participated in?
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Growing up in a rural area in the States, we didn't have access to much besides donald duck, superheroes, and eventually ElfQuest, but in the past two decades I've found a lot that is worth my shelf space and attention. The Jim Henson stuff from Archaia (DArk Crystal, Labyrinth, and Storyteller) were really good and not just cash-grabs. Castle Waiting by Linda Medley. The Autumnlands by Kurt Busiek. Saga by Vaugn and Staples.
Here in Finland I've discovered the norwegian series Pohjantuli (Northern Lights) aka Nordlys by Malin Falch. So so so good, and right on the nose for anyone who likes Elfquest, and eeeeee the Finnish translation of the 7th book is out tomorrow! :hyper So glad I replied to this post ...
Anyhow, since I've found that young-adult graphic novels are a great way to work on my finnish, I've been also enjoying Sisarukset Grémillet (Sisters Grimm?) from France and the finnish Myytiset (was so excited to find fantastical graphic novels based on finnish lore!).
For fandoms, I've been active in some MMORPG fandoms - Everquest and Vanguard - but that's about it.
Question: Do you keep any toys/figurines around for your inner child?
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Oooh thanks for the reading tips! I'd like to look into Nordlys!!
To answer the question: I kept the most precious of my plushies. They were and are so dear to me. Somehow the connection is stronger than to any of the plastic toys I owned. I still even have the plushie fish I received right after my birth from a family friend. It's name is Blubb. :)
What is your favorite means of travel (e.g. car, train, bicycle...)?
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Traveling:
It all comes with benefits and drawbacks.
There are the positive aspects of moving things by yourself in walking/hiking or using a bicycle. Of course, this is limited in reach and the amount of material that can be transported.
Trains could be nice if they were reliable. It is environmentally friendly and one can spend the time with other things than vigilantly watching the traffic.
Amount of possible luggage is moderate, but one often still has to reach the actual destination by different means. Trains work acceptably well between large cities and when being on time.
Trains can be very crowded and belated, also oneself has to be on time for the departure and is less flexible in that regard.
Cars. Depending on the motor and driving style more or less harmful to the environment. On the good side it is very flexible both in time as well as in destinations (unless over oceans, of course) and transporting goods is fairly easy. One usually has privacy in the car. One still has to deal with other participants in traffic, which can be exhausting.
So I prefer whatever is most suitable for the currently planned travel. :)
(plushies and figurines: Yes, I do have them.
Comics: Nah, I stay with EQ, though I might occasionally have a glance at something else, but I got enough text books to read, as well as some fantasy literature, so there is little time for another series of comics. I might feel tempted, still, once in a while.
book, movie/TV show: Could not decide*, I do hardly watch TV or similar things, and for movies it would be hard to decide, too.)
[* if I really had to: I do have some text books or a philisophical book, which might require much time to read and correctly understand, so maybe something like that, to keep me busy ;) ]
Question:
How does your time management work?
(If that is too abstract, then answer to: How much art do you draw, to which percentage is this ElfQuest, and are you satisfied with the amount you draw?)
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I'll take this one. I produce one piece of artwork per calendar year. It is 100% EQ (the calendar cover), and yes, it's enough for me. I used to draw more, but I don't feel much like being creative (like I used to).
Question: Who are your Top 3 favourite EQ characters, and why do you think they're better than the rest? ;D
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Who are your Top 3 favourite EQ characters, and why do you think they're better than the rest? ;D
I think I’ll join in here. :)
First of all this is such a hard question! Anyways lets see:
Ekuar- He’s been through so much but still stays positive in any given situation! In my opinion he is just the embodiment of good. Also who doesn’t love him?
Cutter- His looks, his character, his love and loyalty. There is so mich to admire in him that is good. Also his shadow sides are just as intriguing. But his winning characteristics is his openness to change like letting humans life with the tribe, welcoming elfs of all tribes and the list goes on.
Nightfall- This is more of a personal reason but I think that her emotional strength and ability as warrior/hunter are near above everyone else’s. Though she might not be the best, she is the most stable. (Also the scene where she takes fate into her own hands and tells Redlance her soulname is one of the best things that ever happened to me.)
Mhh, I hope what I said makes sense. :lol
Question: What is your favourite/dream holiday destination in the world? 8)