Merry (belated) Christmas!

Boy what a Christmas it has been. I got a lot of nice things this year, Speakers!!! for my computer, which is wonderful because I have been using headphones for a year now, I got a Pc game called X3, which is a space travel simulator type game. It is very deep and complex, but it suffers from bad camera angles, (your ship POV is just like a camera in space, and when you go for a 3rd person perspective, it is just the back of your ship, so you never get to feel like your in a space ship, and you never get to get a nice look at it ethier, which is a VERY big bummer. I hope there is a mod that can fix it.) and ZERO tutorial. This game is extremely hard to figure out. As a newbie to the game and the genre, I might have made a mistake picking this game as my first foray into the world of space sims, but I am not giving up yet. I am going to give this game a fair shot, because I really want to like it. I learn new things every time I play it so maybe I'll get the hang of it soon enough. I got 3 PS2 games, God of War 2, which I just beat today on easy. Its an excellent game, and I cant wait to go play it again on harder difficulties. I got a strategy robot game called Front Mission 4, and what very little I have played, ( I just did the short tutorial) I think I will like. I love Mech type games, and it pains me to say that I have yet to play one that is any good. Ive tried the armored core games, but the control scheme is so terrible, (it really is, I don't know what kind of creature can comfortably play this game, but it sure isn't human) and the Mechwarrior games never really enjoyed. ( I was young the last time i played a Mechwarrior game, I think it was Mechwarrior 2,) I did actually play a good Gundam game on the dreamcast, but it is nothing near my ideal mech game. ( it was a very short, script heavy single player campaign.) Front mission 4 has gotten mixed reviews, but because I like stratagy games, I think I will like this game a lot. I also got guitar hero 3, which is your regular old guitar hero pretty much. I don't think i like it as much as the old ones, but I will say that this is the hardest game in the series. They did something to the hit detection that really messed me up and I really want to blame the game, but it might be just me as well. ( my friend says the same thing so maybe it really is the game!)With some extra Christmas money I bought a new Sidewinder lazer mouse, and it looks really nice. It has all sorts of different customizable buttons and different weights (!!!) you can slide in and out for your ideal gaming experience! ( at least that what it says on the box, I tried the weights and I don't notice too much difference between the different weights.) I have noticed that with the switch my Tf2 game has gone down the crapper. (I want to blame the mouse too, but it might be me as well.) I have gotten better with it though, most noticeably today, where i was one of the top players in the server! (W007!!1)

As far as Art is going, I finished my breadth section of my portfolio. I met with a person who attended Art Center, and I listened to them talk about the school, and I kind of don't to go there any more. There are some conflicting feelings right now about where I want to go to school. (I think I like the idea of me going there, rather then me actually doing it.) Also I really need to find a internship for my Senior Internship class. I am currently looking at a game development studio, which has really interested me. I know nothing about them, other then the website name, (www.nexusent.com) an email there, and its location. I will probably send them an email to see if they will take me, (its only a 30 min drive from my house) that is of course, this other place doesn't accept me. I believe everyone who might read this ( everyone AKA me) knows of a small time video game development studio that goes by the name of BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, and, it just so happens that my mom knows a girl whos dating a guy whos friends with a man blah blah blah, any ways I have a connection, and if everything goes to plan, I may just be interning at BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT!! HOLY SHITTTTTT. Just the thought of it is almost too much for me to handle. I know it would be extremely menial tasks, and it would only be as a favor, but I might just have my foot in the door, and of all the places to have ones foot in a door, Blizzard just might be the best door to have a foot in. ( or something.)


Exciting events are currently in motion! Ill be sure to check back as soon as something turns up! maybe with art!

Good Night, and Happy New Year.

Orange Box part 3

FINALLY I AM BACK! and that means that today I review...

Half Life 2 Episode 2

Im going to finish this stupid series of mine quickly because honestly I'm not really sure what to say about this game. Its Half Life 2, its pretty amazing, it is kinda short, not much else to it really. If you have played Half Life 2 then you pretty much have to get this, some of the ways they introduce characters i find a little strange, people ether act like you have know them the whole time, or if there is a particularly interesting character, you don't get to have them around long enough for them to be awesome. Alyx is a great companion to have and she is one of the only AI controlled partners that I find to be truly of help, at least in combat that is. The series staples are starting to wear a little thin I'm afraid. i find that i get a little bit annoyed when i am presented with a section that i have to go it alone, because for one reason or another my partner has to stay behind. Every Half life 2 game has had this and while the experience is still fun, Valve put so much work into having these big battles with really interesting and smart AI companions, only to ditch them and have you go it alone. I understand the fact that they have to mix up the game play every once in a while to keep things fresh, but I find that it really isn't keeping it fresh, its tedium. You have to do this at least 3 times in the length of Episode 2, and I don't really like those parts. If this game wasn't half life 2, but had the same structure as another game i don't think it would be nearly as good as it is. But it isl half life 2, and that means it still has the great characters, wonderful environments, and interesting physics puzzles, and engaging story. The introduction of a few new enemies is nice. I especially like the new hunters. The new weapon they put in I find was a big waste, because you never got to use it until the very end, and while that section of the game is seriously intense and great fun, I feel that Valve could have done something to introduce it earlier, so the player could get to use it more, and get the hang of using it. The graphics are pretty amazing for an engine that is much older then those of the newer games like crysis. The source engine is great because it is very adaptable and you can hear all about that in the developer commentary, which is present in episode 2, just as it is in the rest of the Orange Box. Again, for game enthusiasts, the developer commentary is really great and it sheds some light onto how much work has gone into the game, and it makes you appreciate it on a whole new level, plus there is replay value because of that, and you may take your time and discover new things rather then rush through it trying to get to the end as some gamers do. Overall I find that Episode 2 is a great addition to the half life 2 series, although it is starting to show some age. If Valve can break away from the formulaic game play experience they have been releasing so far, and actually answer some of the series burning questions, Episode 3 could be an amazing game.

Drawing Schism

Ive been looking at some Silent Hill V screenshots today. Im really excited to see how this new game will turn out, as it is not being developed by its regular developers. First thing I noticed is how different all the monsters look. Im not sure I like how they are looking to be honest, but it is way to early to be judging that type of thing I feel. One screenshot did catch my eye, and that is this one.
http://silenthill5.net/silent-hill-5/screenshots/shv_sept_10.jpg

To me, that looks like an awesome Silent hill monster. I only know its name, which I believe is called Schism. Looks awesome. I cant wait to see more screens. I decided to draw it because I think it looks so cool.


You can learn more about Silent Hill V over here

also I will try to get my review in of Hl2 ep2 soon! I have been kinda sorta busy. Good bye!

Robot update

Ive been working on that robot drawing and I am liking it, which is surprising, because I usually hate everything. This month is crunch time, I have to finish up my portfolio, and I have a lot of work to do. I should stop wasting time posting stuff on this lame blog, but at least this time this is art related.


I have to get back to work now. PEACE OUT!!!111

Orange Box part 2

If you like poorly written game reviews by some nobody from southern California, your in for a treat! It's time for another installment of the Orange Box review! Today I am reviewing...

PORTAL

Portal is an interesting take on the puzzle genre, as it melds the first person shooter with a puzzle platformer type game. Based on the developers old student project, Narbacular Drop, the gameplay of Portal consists of using blue and orange portals to navigate through different puzzles to reach the exit. The concept is simple enough, but as the game progresses, you will see that solving these puzzles are definitely not as easy. You are often required to use the portals to propel yourself over walls, to drop boxes onto switches, and to avoid sentry gun fire.
The game is short, but in this case it is not a bad thing. If it was just different iterations of the same puzzle over and over this game would quickly become boring, but due to its length, it doest really ever outstay its welcome. It feels just about right and for those who still need more after they are done, they can look forward to playing the advanced puzzles, and downloading the community made maps. The only problem I have with the homebrew maps is I will miss the robotic voice that accompanies you in your travels throughout the game.
The robotic voice is really one of the standout qualities of the game. It is a perfect blend of cold hearted detachment and humor. The comments that she makes throughout the game are what make this game surprisingly hilarious. Whether she is informing you about the different tests you are about to take, or chastising you for escaping her evil death trap, she always has something entertaining to say, and you will always look forward to hear her chime in during your progress.
The story is worth noting not only due to the fact that there is a story at all, but it is an interesting one that will keep you wanting to see where it ends. In most puzzle games, if there is a story it is exceedingly bare bones, but this one not only has some interesting connections to the Half Life universe, but it has one of the most satisfying conclusions to any game I have ever played. This is one game that you will truly have to play to the end to appreciate all the things it does right. One thing I should add, is that once you play through the game once, you unlock the Developer Commentary. Not only does it double the lifespan of the game, but it is exceedingly interesting. If you are interested in video game development at all, then you should play through it again with the commentary on. It is fascinating to hear the developers talk about all the different aspects of the game, and chances are you will appreciate a lot of the smaller details in the game that you never really noticed.
Portal is going for $20 on steam right now, and although it is a bit pricey, I feel it is worth every penny. Even if you play through it once, it will be worth every cent, and if you get it with the Orange Box, all the better.
It may not keep you hooked for months on end like Team Fortress 2, but it is a gem of a game that you may find yourself coming back to every once and a while. and is defiantly money well spent.

NEXT UP...
HALF LIFE 2 EPISODE 2!!!

Orange Box part 1

I have been playing Orange Box for a while, so I figured its about time I review it! Ill have one review each day for all the games in the box. It probably is pointless but who knows! Maybe this will come in handy some day. So lets get started shall we? The first game on the list is...

TEAM FORTRESS 2

Team Fortress 2 is an amazing game. The visual style is great because it truly sets the game apart from all the others. It feels just like a Pixar movie, and rather then going for photo realistic graphics, it brings a sense of fun into the game by having a cartoony look.I feel this games visuals will hold up much better in the long run due to its stylistic graphics. A game with goes for photo realistic graphics will look bad in a few years, but a game with a particular style will look just as good years later as it did the first day you saw it.
Graphics are an important part of the package, but game play is where it truly is important. Lucky for us, this game delivers in spades. The game play is great because of the class system. There are 9 total classes, and each one has there own strengths and weaknesses, such as the Heavy Weapons Guy, who is a walking tank, he can take a lot of punishment, and dish it out as well, but is very very slow. The Scout on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He is very nimble, and very dangerous in close combat, but he has the lowest health of all the classes. Its because of these classes that the game is so easy to pick up. A new player can easily recognize what class does what, and can choose something that would fit his or her playing style, and can leave the more complex classes for later.
There are a few flaws in the game, such as the relatively few amount of maps. As of right now, there are only 6 official maps, and 5 of them are capture point maps, where 2 teams face off to capture each others points, and 1 capture the flag map, which is my personal favorite. there are other user created maps, but most of them are not nearly as well designed as the official maps. I wish they could have taken out one capture point map and put in another capture the flag map. The good side of this is that the maps that are there, are pretty well designed, and they have lots and lots of different strategies.
Something that I feel is worth noting is the sound in this game. Now there is no music really playing during the game, but the anthem that is playing when you start up the game is a really great one, and it makes the player feel like they are really in some sort of 1960s spy film. The in game voices, are what really help bring these characters to life. Each class in the game have many different lines of dialog that can be used to taunt other players, point out spies, give orders, etc. Its these voices that are the personalities to each class, and they fit wonderfully. I love how the Pyro's voice is always barely intelligible due to the mask he wares, and the snarky comments the scout makes after he bats some other player in the head. The voices are truly great and they add a whole level of immersion to this awesome game.
Overall this game would be worth buying at full price by itself. It has great visuals, deep, engrossing game play, brilliantly designed maps and a wonderful cast of characters to wreck havoc with. It does have a lack of maps, but if you don't mind playing custom maps, then you should be satisfied with what the community has to offer. As long as you have friends to play with, this game will have you coming back for quite some time.

TOMORROW!!
PORTAL

The Little Tokyo Experience

Last Sunday, I went to little Tokyo in Los Angeles and went to a few galleries. I saw Takashi Murikami, and the Giant Robot magazine exhibit. The Murikami exhibit was amazing, they had so many neat things, They had Huge, HUGE sculptures, and HUGEEEE paintings. His art is something of a combination of anime and fine art. He also had some pretty gross sculptures of giant anime dudes with big boners and having seamen shoot out of their cocks, and a giant breasted anime woman shooting milk out her tits. That part was pretty weird. Any ways, the paintings were giant and It was a really great exhibit, I enjoyed it a lot. After that me and my family ate some Japanese food, I had a teriyaki beef bowl. It was quite delicious. Later I went down to the Giant Robot magazine cover show. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. It was a lot smaller then I expected, but that may be because I just came from a giant art show. What was there was interesting, Not very many artists I knew, just Gary Baseman, and David Choe. Choe did this amazing mural which was done in spray paint and had these ninja stars stuck in the wall. That was the best piece in the show. I wish I could have posted pictures, but cameras were not allowed, so use your imagination! (YAY!) It was small but still worth visiting. I wandered around Japan town for a bit, looked at all the shops around, they have a lot of weird stuff. I love the engrish there. That was the high lite for my weekend. Again I wish I had pictures to show, it was pretty amazing. I have been drawing a picture on the computer, its pretty much an Ashley wood ripoff, but he is awesome so I'm ok with it. Still learning to live without my dog, its hard, and reading a book called Demian, by Herman Hesse. It's pretty interesting.
Not much else going on. here is that picture I was working on. ITS A WIP!

One last thing, I am really excited about the new Scott Pilgrim comic that is going to be released soon. It's supposed to be early this month, so that will be awesome. I want to check out the new Radiohead album, and maybe next post Ill do a quick review of the orange box! Exciting times my friends! Good night.

I forgot

Here is some artwork by Murakami that I think is pretty neat.

Happy Halloween

It's that time of year again, Halloween! It has always been one of my favorite holidays (yes I consider it a holiday) not only for the free candy and cool costumes, but it is one of those times where you get to learn interesting and creepy stories, such as the one I learned about today. The story is about a man named H.H. Holmes. He was a serial killer who killed his victims in a secret torture hotel. It was designed so that only he knew where everything was, and his victims could not escape. supposedly he killed over 100 people, but only a fraction of that have been confirmed. If you want to know more about this creepy person I suggest you click this link HERE.
I am working on an art project right now for school. Its a boring still life but I think it will be decent so Ill post it when its done, SERIOUSLY! no bull I promise.
I still feel terrible about the loss of my dog, but I guess its ok to feel that way. I just hope she knows how important she was to me.

again this blog has turned into the opposite of what I wanted it to be, but for the time being I don't mind, as long as I post some art soon I feel the art gods will be satisfied. (aka ME)

anyways happy Halloween everybody!


P.S. This Saturday I plan on going to a gallery to see Takashi Murakami, a famed japanese artist. His artwork is really intriguing and I hope to see more of it in person. Also there is a Giant Robot thing going on near by so i will most likely swing by there as well. More info about that soon.

Today we put her down

This morning we all woke up and took her to the vet, to get her euthanized. We were all silent the way there. I didn't really feel much, until I saw the vet, and it slowly, feeling trickled back to me. We waited in there for what seemed like forever. Only sparse comments broke the silence. I wanted to stay with her, but the doctor advised me against it. We all said our goodbyes, my mother and sister were in tears. I gave her a pat on the back as the doctor picked her up and took her away. Thats when it really hit me. My eyes welled up, and I wanted to follow her, but I knew I couldn't. It was really hard to fight the tears, I just wish there was something I could do. This all sounds very mellow dramatic, but I mean this in all seriousness. I feel very lonely, knowing I'll never see her again, I just can't believe something with such vigor and life in them could be taken away from me. We were silent the entire way home. I didn't go to school today, I just want to stay home and sit. I try to briefly escape my despair through TV, though it all seems to remind me of reality. I just want to escape it, but I can't. I don't want it to be real, but it is. I look out the glass door to my backyard, longingly, hoping to see her standing at the door, waiting to come in, but there is of course, nothing. This is pretty much the most Emo thing I have ever written, but I kinda needed to do something, keep busy, because even though she was a dog, she was my friend, and I cared for her so much. She was so important to me, and now I don't know what to do. I feel lost, and I hope that time will heal this deep wound that has been dealt to me.

Well there you go, that about wraps it up, I wish something would fill the void that is inside of me right now, but I am afraid nothing will, because nothing can replace that bond I shared with my dog.

Here is a picture that my sister took of her, I mostly don't like taking pictures or being in them, but especially now I see the merit in them, and I am happy I have something I can keep that will remind me of her.
I miss you so much.

Loss of a friend

Its been a while internet, I know, and I feel like I need to write out a few things, even though I said I would try to cut back on that stuff, and it may seem really lame to write this, but I need to right now because right now life isn't so good. My dog, Sandy, is going to be put down tomorrow, and I am very very very sad. It might be hard to convey, but I really considered that dog to be a family member, and a very close friend. She is so great and always wants to be with people, even when you can see its hurting her so much. She has an auto-immune disorder, where her red blood cells are being destroyed. We found this out just a few days ago when she was going in for a rabies shot, the doctor noticed how pale she was and now all of this is happening. The doctor is a great guy and you can see that he really cares, but he said it himself that he is surprised she is still alive, and even if she makes it through this, it would just be a precursor for even worse things. I am trying to grieve, but its hard, because it doesn't really seem real. I always expected for my dog to be around. I never really though about her dying. This is just such a shock for me. I feel like I am losing my best friend, and so this post I want to dedicate to my dog Sandy, one of my best friends, who was always there for me when i got home, who always tried to have fun, who always burped in my face, who always had so much energy, who always was a sweet wonderful dog. May she find happiness wherever we go after we leave this earth. I will miss you so so much.

(I'll try and get a picture up of her soon. Love you Sandy.)

Video game nonsense

Whoa! Its feels like its been a long time since I posted on this old thing. Lets try and get things up to speed... Well i did not win that competition. I hoped i would but i lost, and to be honest i feel a few of the winners are undeserving. (thats not me being a sore loser, just some of the designs were retarded. go look for yourself if you don't believe me.) I have been playing ALOT of video games lately. Mostly my game of choice has been the Team Fortress 2 Beta. Man that game is so much fun! i have had a blast playing with a few people from various forums and websites, as well as just playing with random people. I love being the scout and running around and batting people. Spy is also another favorite of mine. Getting a stab on some one when they have there back turned, is soooooooooo satisfying. It needs a bit of tweaking to be honest but its pretty well balanced i will say. I have been playing some Dawn of war Dark crusade too, which is also really fun. It can be pretty unbalanced admittedly but if you are skillful you can win most of the time. As far as art goes, I have run into a bit of a problem with my crab picture, but it should be done by Monday so ill try to take a picture of it if i like it. I also had to sign up for this website called myartspace.com for my art class so ill post it because i feel like it and it has a cool song in the gallery.
thats really about it. I have a lot of art to do if im going to stay in ap.
yeahh other then that so far life is decent. Im tired so here is a cool picture of the tau. good night.

Im trying to draw a crab

We shall see how it turns out.

The Cave Story

Hey guys I am back after a short hiatus. I submitted my contest entry in time, (at least I hope so) So now we play the waiting game! Wish me luck! I would just like to thank the few people who have left me comments, i greatly appreciate them! I am going to start on a new drawing, i just dont know what yet, ether a portrait or a landscape probably. I have been playing Cave Story lately, and dangg that game is so great! SPOILER ALERT I am at the part where Curly dies, WHYYY CURLY WHY I AM SO SAD! END SPOILER I love this game and I cant wait to play it again. I hope Pixel ( the guy who made the game) cooking up something good for all the fans. Well I am back in school and I have a pretty decent schedule. nothing big is happening, just getting back into the swing of things. Normally id post the final image of my contest entry but I think everyone is tired of looking at it. but if you want to see what it looks like go to this link right HERE.
Welll I think that is all I have to say today. Goodnight world. Give me more comments!

School is almost starting!

School is starting tomorrow, and summer is coming to an end. It is sad, but it will be nice to see my friends again. I am playing a lot of Dawn of war and Counter strike, and im trying to get some Tottyart forum games going. My entry is coming along nicely i think. I got about 1 more day to finish! so i have to hurry! here is an update. Wish me luck!

It would be great if things just worked.

I am getting pretty mad, because crap on my computer does not work. Internet Explorer ALWAYS crashes. EVERY TIME! Lucky for me I rarely use it but sometimes I have to and always after 4 clicks it crashes. always without fail. Now steam is messed up, where it has installed 2 copies of Dawn of war on my computer, and I can't fix it. If I delete one it keeps the other but then I can't play the game! It just wastes a ton of space on my hard drive. GAH Apple is looking more and more appealing every day. If windows didnt have all the games, I would not hesitate to switch. Here is hoping when get vista, things will be fixed. oh man I hope so!!!! I worked on my drawing, still looks crappy. I doubt i will win the contest with this, I am just a really bad artist. I never seem to improve, and its driving me nuts. Some times I just want to throw in the towel, But i wont! ill draw more and try and do more studies. I know my drawing a day failed but once i finish this one, i might start that up again because i have school and that will give me ample time and inspiration to draw. Here's to hoping everything gets sorted out.

More Details!

More details, I have to fixe a lot of muscle mass still. Lowered the the back of it a bit. I think I will start adding some greys and purples in to make sure it's not too bright. I got my senior portrait taken today, and it was pretty bad. I hate getting my picture taken anyways, but this was just really bad. It feels so forced and fake.

an update of my contest entry

Its in color now. I am still trying to find the right colors for it, because I want it to have sort of saturated colors that would fit the tone of the game, but not too much, I'm imagining it to be a sort of red gray purple-ish color. There are a lot of structural issues that I will have to attend to such as lowering the hip because it is raised way too high. I have to keep pushing the details and get the muscle masses in correctly. Just overall it needs more everything! I will keep going at it though! I shall prevail!
One more thing, i have been getting a few comments lately and I just want to say that I like that. More comments please! Also I seem to be getting more hits then i thought, 9 in two days is pretty good to me, considering I have not really told anyone about this blog, just the link at the bottom of my signature on the tottyart forums is all. So that is cool i guess. Maybe more hits when I have more art? I am going to try to cut down on the bullshit writing I do. After all this is an art blog. Dang I am doing it right now, oh well. Goodnight.

The times they are a changing..

This may be the last post for a while, because i am about to upgrade my template, which may screw up my whole blog. which is way bad. so i just wanted to get that in. I kinda don't want to do it because i just added a little hit counter at the bottom of the blog. I am curious to see how many hits i get. i am not expecting anything reasonable, maybe like 2 hits a month maybe? i dunno i am just curious. If everything goes well with the transition, i may have some art to post. Horray! (for me) anyways goodnight and good luck!(too me, also.)

EDIT:
ALRIGHT! I did it! WOOT! Go me! Everything seems to be about what it was before the update so that is good! I have to add the hit counter again but that is no big deal. Still a few things to tweak on my page but those can wait for tomorrow. go me!

Back from the depts of Rapture (and Washington State)

Hello all! I have finally come back to you all, in the form of a blog post! Yes it is good to be back in California, after spending the past few days up in cold, cold Washington. I had a good time up there, visiting my family and such. I mostly played Xbox360, but considering I don't have one, that is like a vacation in itself! I got a few comic books up there which is good, considering I seem to be living in the only place on earth that does not have a single comic book shop anywhere near my house.(I think the closest one is somewhere near Los Angeles, which means I am out of luck.) I got Hellboy 4 and 5, and I read them both the first day. I gotta say something real quick about Hellboy. Those are some great comics, it combines amazing art with interesting characters and an original plot. It is just a joy to read and I hope that Mike Mignola comes out with another volume soon. They are just fantastic comics. Anyways If you read the title it means you probably played what everyone else is playing right now, the Bioshock demo! Even though it was barely chugging through on my fairly barebones system, I was amazed with the graphics and the AI and pretty much everything about it. I have always been a bit of a skeptic when it comes to the game, it just seemed to good to be true, but after playing the demo, hoooo boy, is it awesome. The game is surprisingly creepy and the combat seems to have a ton more depth (haha pun) then I would have ever guessed. The story is very engaging, giving you little snippets of information, as to what caused the downfall of Rapture, and its citizens. Some people might object to this statement, but the game reminds me a bit of Condemned: Criminal Origins, which is the scariest game I have ever played. (Keep in mind I have not played a ton of scary games) What I mean by that is the combat is sort of similar where characters just seem insane and will attack you with frightening brutality. It also has a very creepy atmosphere and they are both very dark. Now that I think about it there are a lot of similar things between the games, but I won't get into that, they are both very good games. The whole setting of Bioshock is amazing, it has some great scenes in it, but one in particular just really WOWED me.(I really sayed wow.) That scene is one of the very first you will see, your plane crashes and you land in the water, there is fire all around you, and you have to swim to safety. As you try to find your way among the flames you see this huge lighthouse on a tiny island, and it is just a sight to be seen. You will have to experience it yourself to fully appreciate it. (it helps if you have a good graphics card PC owners.) I wasn't sure if I was going to get this game before, but now I definitely want it, I just wish I had a better PC to run it on, because a big part of the game is the graphics and the water effects, and I want to experience those. Ill work it out. This post is getting pretty long, but I guess its okay because I haven't posted in a week. Not a lot left to say, school starts soon, I have to pick up my schedule tomorrow morning, so its pretty unwise of me to be posting this late at night. I still have not done any art work as far as portfolio pieces go, and its starting to make me a little nervous. I always say this but I really gotta get going. I just hope me typing this will help me get motivated to paint, because I think that is the hardest part for me, getting started and finishing. I am still working on my Folklore contest entry, I added some colors today, but I dont like how its looking, it has lost a lot of the muscle definition and the colors just are not right yet. I'll be sure to keep working on it and when I get to a point I like it I'll plop in on here for all to see. Yeah I think that is about all I have to say right now, other then I am listening to The Queens of the Stone Age lately. I was never a big fan, but they do have some very good songs and a lot of range, musically. They have some screaming hard rock songs and some slow songs and some catchy ones all on the same cd. It's not a very good description I know but its the only way I can put it right now. I gotta get some sleep so I'll leave you with a picture of Bioshock's infamous lumbering giants, The Big Daddy. Good Night.

Last post for about a week.

I am heading up to Washington State tomorrow, so this will be my last post for a while, not that I have been super up to date lately. I have been interested into entering an art contest for designing a monster character for the Playstation 3 game "Folklore." I don't think I will win, but if I finish 1 piece of art it will be worth it. I sorta like my monster design. Their are some problems with it such as the placement of the front legs, but hopefully you will like it, if you actually see it. I need to add colors obviously but I think the anatomy is decent compared to what I normally draw. I dunno we SHALL SEE WONT WE?! Well that is all I have to say for tonight, Ill be back in a week. Peace out!

Game time

Hello blog, I haven't posted in a while for many reasons, but mostly because I have been playing a lot of video games lately. I just bought the complete Dawn of War pack and I gotta say it is sweeeeeet! I really am enjoying all the different races and it does seem rather difficult compared to before so horray for that too! I have been tooling around in the Steam beta and that has a lot of neat features as well. I am really excited for a lot of Steam games such as, Left 4 Dead, Portal, Half-Life 2 episode 2, Team Fortress 2, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 turbo hd extreme alpha etc... A lot of good stuff coming out for sure. I am also going to start investing into more playstation 2 games because now they should be cheaper and more readily available. As far as art is going I have a lot of different projects going at once and it is becoming hard to finish anything. I am still working on that robot picture and I also started a paint over of someones lines. If I ever come close to making that picture presentable I'll put it up here. I also have many different paintings I have to do for my portfolio for school, and I haven't even started any of them so as my friend bluntly put it, "Ian, your screwed." So yeah, bad times. But I have about 3 weeks so if I spend less time playing games and more time doing work, then I just might be ok. Wish me luck people. One other thing of notice is I will be going on vacation to visit my cousins in Washington State for about a week, and that is always fun, because I get to play Xbox360, which is awesome. So that is all for now, no pictures but hopefully soon I'll have some art worth showing.

A tiny update...

I'll probably end up just deleting all these useless posts and just combined them into one super post. I sorta like where its going. My next project will definitely be a landscape. I am so bad at those so I have to get better at them. I GOTTA FINISH THIS FIRST!!!

King of the robots!

A little update, I think its coming along decently. I am starting a still life in acrylics and i hope it will be decent. Ill definitely take a picture once its done. Just a side note, i hear talk a new Hives album will be coming out in october???!!! Oh baby i hope its true!

Just a doodle

mmmmblah i hope i will finish it. i have to start some other paintings, and finish a few that i have already started.

Super Comic-Con Fiesta X-treme!

Wow! So I am finally back from Comic-Con and WOW it was great! I met a lot of people including the Milburns and Jik from Tottyart, and a ton of great artists including Ashley Wood, Ben Templesmith, and Jeff Soto. The Tottyart guys are cool and Ashley Wood and Jeff Soto are super nice guys. I didn't get to talk to Ben Templesmith for very long but he seemed nice too. Well I guess its time for me to show you the pictures. HERE WE GOOOOO!!

First thing to know about Comic-Con is it is BIG. It is freakin long and there are a lot of booths and people.

Scifi BoothNewgrounds booth/ Behemoth booth
Big ass pirate ship

random crowd shot
You get pretty tired after a full day of walking around Comic-Con. (At least I do.) You are constantly running into people and bumping into them and all that stuff. Most of the time they are nerds, but sometimes you run into famous people! People like, Gene Simmons!
(picture is blurry due to lots of people bumping into me and bodyguards and storm troopers and stuff.)

And a guy who looks like Kevin Federline!


And the Alien Hominid! WOW!

I also met some not so famous people, like The Milburn brothers! And Jik! Holy cow! They are cool dudes, and it was nice to talk to them for the short amount of time I was able to. According to them, I missed Gel by a few seconds, so that is a bummer, hopefully next year Ill be able to find him.

I got to meet some amazing artists in person at comic con, such as the amazing chalk artist guy! I dont remember his name but he has some 1337 chalk skills. I am jealous.


Like I said before I met Ashley Wood, and I got him to sign a bunch of my crap. I think almost all of my comics by him are signed. That is good. He is in the process of having some giant toy/figures (whatever you call them) of some of his art, and he showed me a prototype! MAN that thing is kick ass. You cant really tell from the picture, but its BIG! and the final version will be fully articulated, with lots of weapons and awesome crap. I am going to get one for sure, its so amazing and cool, I need it :'[.Ben Templesmith signed my Wormwood number 1.


I met Jeff Soto by pure chance, I was walking around the hall, and I stopped at the Hasbro booth, to look at some G.I. Joe stuff, and a guy was next to me doing the same. He looks familiar, but I'm not exactly where I saw him. Then it hit me! That man is one of my favorite artists! So I talked to him and he was nice and cool and I learned he grew up in the same town as I did. Neat-o!
Here is a picture of his artwork, go check out his site and his blog if you like it.


Here is a picture of me drinking a soda, just because I am handsome.


Anyways here are a bunch of pictures of cool stuff at Comic-con.

Close up of the box with the Iron Man armor in it.

Batmobile 1
Batmobile 2
Dalek
Speedracer

Xmen
Jabba
Iron man!

Lego Bat man
Tank Girl poster by Ashley Wood

Castle Crashers!

Speaking of Castle Crashers, I played the demo at Comic-Con like everyone else who went there, and it was super fun! Its going to be a great game, I just hope it makes it to other consoles besides XBLA.

I bought a LOT of stuff at Comic-Con. I have been saving all year. I bought a 5 comics, 1 Castle Crashers figurine, and one 1 foot tall lord canti toy thing. its awesome, and its sitting in my room right now. There is one thing though that I have been really enjoying, and it is a comic called " Scott Pilgrim's Precious little life." Its a really fun comic and I HIGHLY recommend it if you are into video games, crazy characters and crazier fights, humor, or Canadians. Scott pilgrim is my new hero!

check out some previews at the site right HERE!

Well there is not much left to say about my Comic-Con experience, Hopefully, if you read this, you enjoyed the journey. I know I did.

Peace OUT!