timkaiserOnline

Isn't life awesome? Filled with surprises and... well... traps. Anyway, I've been fighting my computer for the past few weeks, and my boot drive, my SSD, finally died. I couldn't keep windows operable for more then 2 restarts. Chdsk would tell me it was 'fixing things' and deleted a bunch of files, every time. Most of the time it was window's necessary files. Lmao. Anyway, between that and bouts of depression, but mostly computer problems (can't do digital art without a f*ing computer, eh?) I've been, well, not very productive. I came up with a new dragon idea, totally gonna play more with the sketch I made for that.

Also, on a hardware note, after installing windows to a conventional drive in the first time in almost 2 years? I am appalled! With my quad-core, 3.4 ghz processor, 8 gigs ddr3 ram, 790fx motherboard, and HD5830 gfx card, you'd think this thing would preform better. I notice it all the time now! I've been spoiled by an SSD. I have to get it back from the RMA ASAP. 5 minute plus for a boot time is just terrible. (to full windows usability) To think with my SSD it was blazing at 30 seconds or way less (depending), it's a huge difference. Windows now seems sluggish, but it's stable having it on a working drive, so I can't complain too much.

Also, my little forced break has helped my skills a bit, allowed me to think. Strange, right? I hope it's evidenced in the Sunset final I'm posting now. A study of a photograph taken by my brother, it sure turned out nice. At any rate, we're back on!

So, I've joined in this Deathline thing that Dave Rapoza, Daniel Warren & the Crimson Daggers have started. . It's a great & awesome way of getting artists motivated & working harder at honing their craft. Along with my friend Jim Schulz, I intend to get in on this and stick with it. If you haven't heard of it you should go watch Dan's livestream  and check it out.

www.livestream.com/danielsdang…

jschulzart.blogspot.com/

www.livestream.com/fuckinartwi…

twitter.com/#!/DaveRapoza

twitter.com/#!/danielwarren86

Basically, it's about taking a vow to accomplish 3 objectives over the next year, mostly art related but directly intertwined with your life goals. I'll go into more detail in my webiste, but basically that's it.

My goals are to:

One - To push myself to complete a study a day. Or, at least most of one (if I need to do it in steps to push myself to make it better, I will, and it might take more days to complete. Also, traveling over the holidays might make it impossible to get access to my computer. If so, there will be days where I'll be restricted to using my phone and Autodesk's Sketch Book Mobile and my fingers. I'll still try to post something in this case.

The focus of the studies is to become more proficient at forms, shapes, figures, proportions, lighting, materials, and colors. It seems like a long list, right? But broken up over a year, not so much... Nor do I hope to become perfect in just a year - but to be solidly dedicated, I can only get better.

Two - To create a new portfolio. Concept art and a full 3d model, one full unit (2 piceces) per month. And to live-stream at least the creation of the concept art piece of the month, and probably the 3d part as well. Not sure how it'll work out but my goal is to live-stream once a week.

Three - My goal is to take my self-education seriously. This goes hand in hand with the books I'll be reading, the tutorials I'll watch, and everything else. I need to stick to it, and if that requires more then just avoiding most computer games, and getting away from them altogether, so be it. Although I have a feeling that I might need something else to do every now and again, I'm going to read instead. Non-fiction and fiction alike. So, goal three, is no computer games.


I heard a few of the other artists having goals involving working out and such. Sounds good, but my current shit job requires me to run around. My (fourth) goal is that through this experience and content that I'll be creating, I can become completely self-sufficient through freelancing by the end of my year, or at least close to it. This is it. The focus push to abandon and simplify the pursuits that waste my time and energy (IE the 4 Hour Work Week) and focus my passion on art. There is only one way to do it, and it's through the Deathline. At least I won't be alone.

I will expand on this and add other things on my website.

It has been awhile, Deviant art.

Resurrection. That's the word on my mind. I'm going to start Livestreaming soon, in the coming week. I'll figure out a schedule soon - Probably Monday-Saturday at 10 am. I intend to work on my weaknesses and experiment, increasing my style and finding my legs. Starting with sketching/concept art, Photoshop 'speed painting', and then heading back in to 3d. The ultimate goal is to create animations. The after-marriage lull is over. (yes, I am now a married man!) So, off I go into the next stage.

The Edge Crusher, a personal project, has been waiting my attention for some time now. I'll get it modeled asap, as well as more detail/better layout for the blueprints. I just got the preliminary completed. It turned out well.

The contest was disappointing - the judges really fubar'd the whole damn thing. I wasn't expecting to make it, but I was hoping to loose to... different entries. Ha. Although it looks like they're pretending to fix things, heh. Last time I enter in a contest here - as a matter of fact, I'll probably find a more professional CG community to hang out in.

Well, I finished it. All done. Man, I was down to the wire on that one. I submitted it approx. 6-7 mins before the contest closed. It was fun though. that was the first and last time I try to freehand a perspective of a complicated object inside Illustrator. Next time I'll leverage 3D. Was a worthwhile experiment. Fun, but troublesome... Kinda like women. Time for bed.