I Started Sketching Again

I'm doing a book challenge again this year. I'm trying to read 20 books and I am way behind. I'm currently reading about 8 books but I only finished one and it's the beginning of July. I was trying to finish the book "The Art of Disney Brave" since I started It last year. I was actually inspired to draw. I say it like that because I have not been inspired to do anything in a very very long while. I kept stopping to draw things I saw in the book and these are two of the things I drew. 

One of my issues is that I can't seem to draw from my own imagination well. It's like the picture in my brain is too fuzzy or keeps changing to use it as a reference. If I look at a photo or another drawing, I can draw a some what decent-ish looking replica. It's very frustrating and I understand practice makes perfect but this had been going on for years.

I enjoyed the book not only because I like the movie but because they explain the process of making a concept turn into a feature cg animated movie. There is a lot of collecting real life examples and research that is done for animated movies. Don't be fooled into thinking that cg animated movies don't need traditional artist because there is a lot of drawing, character building and fleshing out concepts that are done on paper way before the first cg model is created. 

I just bought the book "The Art of Blue Sky Epic" and hopefully I like it as much and get inspired to sketch again.

Oops

So apparently I am missing 14 weeks of photos for my 52 weeks project. The problem is not that I didn't take photos. The issue is more that I've taken photos, but never put in the time to select and upload one or I took photos that week but not any photos meant to better my photography skills. The photos were random photos or I was taking photos to document something.

I get so reluctant about uploading photos because I want them to be the best photos I can take and not just anything, but of course that holds me back from doing anything. This doesn't even matter anyway because I end up hating most of the stuff I upload.

Ugh. I'm going to try to set time aside every day this week to at least select which photos I am going to upload and check to see if I am really missing photos for a week. I even created a spreadsheet! I dislike the fact that I had to make a spreadsheet because that takes the fun out of it but if I want to commit to this year long project, I think I have to be formal and structured about this @_@.

Week 2 - 4

So I've managed to take photos each week but failed to upload them during the week they belong too. Along as the photo was taken during the correct time period, it still counts. Below are photo from week 2, 3 and 4. Click on the photos to read the story behind each photo.


Craftsmanship (week 2)


Water Water Everywhere (week 3)


Masala Dosa (week 4)

52 Weeks Projects

I love photography and love taking photos, but that is hard to tell by looking at the amount of photos I took and uploaded last year. My current job is very stressful and I spend a lot of time working nights and weekends. On top of that, I have a lot of sick family members and a few that passed away last year. To sum it up, last year was a horrible, horrible year for me. I stopped taking photos, I can't remember the last time I sketched anything, I stopped reading, I failed to meet my reading goal for last year and I have not even touched my crochet needle in a very long time.

I want this year to be a much brighter year. I need to make time to do things that I like, love or bring joy to my life. I would have liked to participate in the 365 project, but I think that is too much for me right now. So I'm doing the 52 week project.

Anyone can do the 52 week project. The project can be started at any time of the year. You don't have to start it at the beginning of the year. You just have to keep at it for 52 weeks. It is meant as a way to get better at your particular craft, stir your creative juices and to join in with others who are doing the same thing. While doing a sketch a week would be an easier choice, I chose to take and upload a photo once a week.

Below is the photo I took for week one. I actually, I forgot about the project and had to upload the only photo I took that week.



My aunt's birthday was the second day of the year. She passed away last year. I usually makes cupcakes for her on her birthday, so this year I bought her favorite kind in her honor and said a little prayer.

So today starts week four. I took photos for week two and week three. I just haven't had the time to choose the best ones and upload them. Maybe I'll do it in the next couple of days.

Turtle Chillax

Turtle Chillax, a photo by miss-u on Flickr.

Saturday's temps reached the hundreds and I needed to find open space with shade or cooler air. I left my apt to walk through Central Park, mostly to get to the other side.

This time I walked a different route than I had the few times I crossed at this section in the past. I ended up waking by the Great Lawn and on the northern side of the turtle pond. Previously, i had always walked on the southern side and ended up at Belvedere Castle.

I walked around and found a spot where people could actually walk into the pond if they were crazy or not from NYC. I walked up to the edge of the rock that met up with the water. I saw this turtle. As soon as I walked closer, a little boy jumped in the way saying "no no no" and would not let me get closer and take a photo.

I moved over to where a mama duck was with her 3 baby ducks. I took a few photos before the little boy came over to where I was and was attempting to pick up a stick that was covered in something that looked like seaweed. I took the chance to move back over to the turtle to take a few photos before the little boy noticed I left. I took a couple a shots before the little boy noticed, came back to the turtle and attempted to feed it the seaweed on the stick.

RadioPopper

Mark Ridout and RadioPopper from RadioPopper on Vimeo.

I want!

Yeah it's been a while since I've posting here. I suck at non-random blogging. I like doing brain dumps and posting what is on my mind at the moment. Which is the format used on twitter, tumblr, and Google Plus. I hope to post more art (photography, Design, Audio, Video) related post in the future

Delete Ruthlessly

Digital Photography School - Delete Ruthlessly

I try to use this method. I take a lot of photos and then dump them onto my computer(s). I rarely get time to edit and post the really good ones. So I have tons of photos that need to be deleted, edited and posted. I'm try to delete them when they are still in the camera so I have less work and less photos taking up space.