Feeling lazy tonight...

... So here's some "box opening" photos of my Impldoll Xiaowei, who arrived in July.

Rocksmith

My husband got a new toy today - and he seems super happy with it. It's a play-along guitar game on the PS3.
He plays the actual guitar really well and has always been a bit sniffy about games like Guitar Hero.

Snob.

But Rocksmith uses an electric guitar or bass as a controller. It comes with an adapter or something that lets you plug the guitar into the Playstation.
As he has taken his beloved Ibanez to pieces in order to repaint it (he still has to do a final paint coat and then lacquer it and then not touch it for four weeks), he is using his bass instead.
He got me to have a wee go, but my fingernails are a bit delicate (I broke one making the bed this morning) so I opted out very quickly (also, looking at the screen and not at the fret board was too difficult - I can't even look at the screen while I'm typing).
He seems to be having fun, but it's now 10:40 at night, so I may have to be a party pooper and get him to watch some more Breaking Bad with me....

2011 round-up

Well, this is my 100th post!

And boy, has it taken a while, or what?
My first post was on the 9th of April, 2007.

That's 1725 days

To commemorate this auspicious occasion I have stolen this list o' questions from Hannah Moskowitz who is a young author whose blog I found when I was looking for tips for managing the NaNoWriMo entry that I never got around to even starting this year.

Sorry in advance, this is really long, I'll still love you even if you don't read it all...

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I left a job without having another job lined up. I've never been unemployed - even when I was on maternity leave for the Sprog I had freelancing illustration jobs on the go.

In the current economic climate that makes me a bit irresponsible, right? But I have a long term plan, and I couldn't put it into action without leaving my job.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Years' resolutions any more. Too many of them were along the lines of "I will lose X amount of weight/fit into X-sized dress".
Outside of the fact that I used to use resolutions as an excuse to beat myself up mentally; If there is something in my life that needs to change, why should I need to wait for a certain day to change it? Just do it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A couple of guys at the Day-Job became fathers (one for the second time).

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank gods.

5. What countries did you visit?
I flew back down to the South Island for my Mum's birthday, but that doesn't count as a different country :)

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A garden, and maybe a dog. (I want a German Shepard, the Husband and Sprog want a Labrador. I think I'm going to lose)

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The 16th of December was my last day at the Day-Job, which I'd been at since '96 as a student then as a staff member. That's my entire adult life.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
It's not official yet, and may not be until the new year, and I can't really talk about it. BUT IT'S COOL.

9. What was your biggest failure?
NaNoWriMo. I didn't even START.
I have a rough outline, and some characters sorted (no names - because I'm terrible at that), but just didn't start.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Does the return of panic attacks count? Because, NOT FUN. My depression was really difficult to manage this year too.
Also I pinched a nerve high up in my neck a few weeks ago, and it's been causing truly awful headaches.
Boo.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Exciting, right?

A bottle of Vitex (chasteberry) tablets. It's supposed to help even out hormone levels, and as I was All Over The Place emotionally - figured it couldn't hurt. It took about a month to start feeling more steady (and the first couple of weeks on it: to say I had mood swings would be a massive understatement) Also, interestingly, I lost interest in chocolate. I mean, I'll still eat it if you put it in front of me, 'cos it's delicious - I just won't go out of my way to get some.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Husband, specifically on the occasion of an inebriated man trying to get into our house at 8am on a Saturday.
Full-on Papa Bear - it was awesome.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. Food. Power. Just keeping up with living.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Foxes. srsly.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

This is such an earworm.


17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
Happier?
Yes.

Richer?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
No.

Thinner?
Meh.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I really needed to spend more time making dolls, I was able to carve out a bit more time for it than I had last year, but still was very unsatisfied with the amount of attention I could give to it.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas was spent with the Husband's family.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
A little more every day...

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Game of Thrones.

Poor Ned. :(

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't think my "list" has grown.
(It's quite a short list really)

26. What was the best book you read?
I don't know that it was the *best* book I've ever read, but it was certainly the one I had been looking forward to the most.

SIX YEARS I've been waiting for this book. I started reading this series in '98 or so when I found a paperback A Game of Thrones in a $5 book bin.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I can't think of one, but the Sprog's is Lady Gaga. So guess what Santa got her, and then guess what we had to listen to FIFTEEN times on Christmas morning.

Thanks Santa.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

 

The third act was a bit boring (ironic, because that was where all the big action bits happened), but leading up to it, and the short bit at the end were fantastic.
The Husband "Wouldn't rate it" (whatever that means), but he didn't like Superman Returns either, so his opinion does not count.

31. What did you do on your birthday. And how old were you?
I had dinner cooked for me, and the Sprog pretended that our living room was a fancy restaurant. I am the grand old age of 33.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
One of these.
But APPARENTLY it's more responsible to pay for electricity and catfood.
Shesh.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Um, comfortable?

34. What kept you sane?
Sculpting, which I didn't really get enough time to do this year.
And tumblr (Be warned - I'm super geeky over there), I've only had an account there since June and I've done 602 posts. My gods, I'm 14 again.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Either I have a thing for the "square" superheroes, or I'm into men wearing this shade of blue...

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
We had a General Election this year, and the centre-right party got in.
Boo.

37. Whom did you miss?
This might sound odd, but, I missed me. It's related to question 10, I guess.


And for the hell of it, lets end on a sneak-peek of something I'm working on:

He still needs HEAPS of work (I'm contemplating redoing his back for the third time; his shoulders are looking a bit weird; and, yet again, I've left arms/legs/hands/feet for last), but will eventually be jointed-up then hopefully I'll be able to get him 3D printed through Shapeways.

My Fox Tattoo

So, last week the Husband, the Sprog, and I went down to my hometown of Timaru for my Mum's birthday.
(It was an Important Birthday).

The Birthday Girl and her Grand-imps-kids

While down there, I took the opportunity to get a new tattoo.

ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!

 As I mentioned a few posts back, my Dad is a tattooist - and he was more than happy to do it for me.

I was OK for the most part, but when he went over the Ulnar Styloid (the pokey-out bone on the outside of the wrist) I almost fainted/puked. It was weird - came on super fast, and lasted about 5 minutes (Dad went and had a smoke while waiting for me to come right). Other than that, it didn't really hurt.

The design

Just line work for now...

Kitsune Doll Progress

So, I've had a think about how best to approach this blogging every day business, and in order to make it as easy as possible, I have made myself a "menu" of things to post about.
I'm using a plug-in called Todoist on my Chrome browser, and have made a list of subjects.

I'm digging the to do list. I never used to see the point in them, because "Of course I'll remember!" (aaaand then I forget what I'm supposed to be remembering, but I'd remember that there was something I was supposed to be doing...). My Husband teases me about my bad memory constantly.
I'll show him!

ahem, sorry.

So, topic number three is a quick update on the Fox spirit themed doll I posted about, before I got distracted by tattoos.

I was intending to give her large pointed ears, but she refused to wear them. I tried for a vulpine look to her features, so she has a long nose and a pointed chin.

I'm really happy with her body, the torso joint is probably the most successful one I've made!

I have her proto-arms and hands on my TV tray, and am going to chip away at them tonight.

Foxes

I've been struck by a foxy bug recently - and it seems I'm seeing them everywhere I go online at the moment.

O HAI DERE!

I decided that the fact I see a fox online almost everyday without searching for them meant that I should make a fox-themed doll, so I've done some concepts for, and have started sculpting, a doll who is going to be a Kitsune - a fox spirit.

Multiple tails on the coat? What was I thinking?!?

Playing around with Kitsune and Masquerade mask forms.

"If I stand like this, no-one will notice how crappily  my feet are drawn."

Initial Sketch of doll with joints and junk.

 

But then, while researching for my doll, I came across this image of a tattoo by artist Zach Spurlock:

So freaking cool

Now, I've been contemplating getting a half-sleeve tattoo for a while now, but had been stuck on the content. I knew I wanted a traditional Irezumi style design (my father is a tattooist - and this is the style of his half-sleeves) and thought I'd get a horse (I was born in the year of the horse) or a dragon (because, Dragon).

And the idea of getting a nine-tailed fox has stuck. Every time I sit down with the intention to do some concept sketches for my tattoo, I end up drawing foxes.

urgh - those back legs!

Screw it - I'll just draw clouds or something ;D

The red pencil sketch is my favourite so far.

I'm going to nerd it up a bit - I'm an Animation Tutor as the Day Job, so the fox's tails will be enacting an animation technique called the Wave Principle. I might put an antique key in it's mouth or around it's neck (because Key poses, geddit?). 

One reason why a fox tattoo is appropriate for an animator...

And The Fox and The Hound is one of the first movies I remember seeing as a kid, so yeah. I toyed around with the idea of just getting a tattoo of Todd, but no, I'd rather get the traditional style rather than a cartoony one. 

New blogger dashboard

Well, I finally got upgraded to the new blogger dashboard - it took forever.
My delightful workmate was upgraded on the first day that Blogger rolled out the changes, and I have been quietly seething with jealousy.

I'm still getting used to the new layout.  I like it so far, but then again, I haven't tried anything strenuous with it yet.

No photos today, but I intend to take and post some tonight.

My boy doll is coming along slowly. I'm trying to minimize the number of times each piece is cured. so am being far more careful with each piece as I sculpt, rather than my usual slap-happy approach.
I'm in the middle of refining the legs. I'd been working in a mix of clays (because I like to use a stiffer clay), but I miscalculated the amount of clay that I needed, and I didn't have any white Du-kit left, so his legs and arms are plain ol' SuperSculpey. I intend to mould and cast him when he's done - so it doesn't matter if the prototype is different colours - but I am a little annoyed.
He's going to be double jointed - but I want the knee and elbow pieces to be as unobtrusive as possible.
BECAUSE I NEED MORE CHALLENGES.

The Dragon has been painted. I had a heck of a time with the gloss over the eyeballs. Lumpy and messy. Blergh.
But, he's OK now. Well as OK as a faux "taxidermied" head can be...
I think I'll drill into the neck so that he'll attach to a base better.
I should have done that before painting I guess. Here's hoping he doesn't shatter!


In totally unrelated news, I have an odd rash on my wrist - it itches like hell. Do. Not. Want.

"It's a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle."

Hey look!
I finished him, and can't stop giggling at ridiculous he looks.

Artist's Mannequin

I seem to be 'collecting' these things:

I don't know why.
They're something that tends to be bought by new art students and people who want others to know that they're "Arty".

Maybe that's why I have so many of the damn things - They get abandoned with me when their well meaning and eager young owners realize just how useless they are as a drawing aid (unless the thing you want to draw is a wooden artist's mannequin, of course).

They do, however, make a great substrate for painting on....

I also had a go at "fixing" the pelvis on this one - with the end result that its arms are now way too long for it's body. Oh well.

I went a bit mad with the hotglue gun too...

More Guybrush progress

I've spent about 8 hours on him today - sculpting and sanding and the like.

His hair *could* be higher in the front - but it's already sanded so it's not going to be. :p

Guybrush Progress

The last couple of nights have been spent on this.

Dismantled, sketched-on Munny

After this step I heated the head in near boiling water for five minutes, so the vinyl was soft. I cut the eye-sockets out and glued them back in backwards - so that I'd have a concave area on the face to place the eyes as far back as this character needs. (I, of course, forgot to take a photo of it.)

Blocking in.

Just regular ol' Super-Sculpey here (and by "ol'", I mean old; this clay was an unbaked, reject squashed sculpt from at least three years ago. I cut off the grubby clay...).
I've used some liquid clay as insurance - I've read that poly-clay bonds well to vinyl, but wanted to make sure of it.

After first baking.

I was quite impressed with how firmly "stuck on" the poly-clay is after baking.
And I've started scraping it down. I want a smooth surface - so once he's painted it will be hard to tell which bits are hand-done.
There are some irregular parts around his brow - and the cheek on the left needs to be filled out a little by the nose. I'll be filling in a bit tomorrow - then more scraping, then I'll tackle the hair.
Which will need scraped and filled and scraped again - then the whole thing will need sanded.

I hate sanding...

Now I'm going to bed.
I'd promised myself an early night, but instead have stayed up 'til almost half Eleven working on this thing.

Oh well. Sleep in tomorrow!

Guybrush Threepwood Design for 7" Munny

I've been totally stumped for *what* to customize the 7" Munny I won from Spanky Stokes as.

So I asked my husband, and he suggested this:

How appropriate - you fight like a cow!

(excuse my mock-up)
He'll need a stand for those spindly legs though. And I may have to attempt some structural surgery to the face...

I plan to start him on the weekend tonight.

I shall take photos!

Finally got some new batteries for the camera...

...rechargeable ones.

Bye-bye Crappy-phone-photos!

Hello Slightly-less-crappy-camera-photos!

Well, it's been a month, and I got three of five things ticked off my "MUST DO" list.
Here's number three:

 A pink Kells Wyvern for the Sprog

pattern by Smallworks

Of the remaining things: one is *almost* finished (hopefully tomorrow) - and the other (the Nav'i) I've just not gotten very far on - I'm just not "feeling" the sculpt at the present time...

Still I got three UFO's out of the way. Feels good.

I also started about six more things :D

Here's a couple of them:

huge cloth doll - she's about 2 foot tall.

Papercut "cameo"

over-exposed Dwarf.

And this wee guy was found in a box in the cupboard - I made him when I was a student - back in the mid-'90's. My Husband provided the paint job.