Of Smalltalk and a goddess of secrets

Besides homework, I wasn’t especially productive this weekend. I did start a tutorial on Smalltalk, to figure out if I can use it for my CS capstone game. So far it’s looking like yes, but the tutorial takes so much out of me! Just completing section one (of six) took three straight hours, after which my brain was reduced to mush and I was good for nothing more than watching Iron Chef and Glee. I’ll have to break the other sections down further, to save on brain power. Even so, I had hoped to have a much better grasp of Smalltalk by now. Taking another week to learn the language will be necessary, unfortunately.

For Multiversed, I have to redo some character sheets. Bea and Ian need a bit more work, which is fine. Their designs won’t change much; I just want to make sure I can still draw them. But Wendell needs a character sheet badly. In my head, Wendell is sometimes an older man of about 60-70, with white hair pulled back in a ponytail and ZZ Top-style beard. Other times he’s middle aged, with chin-length, brown but greying, wavy hair – no beard. I haven’t decided which version I like best, but I’m leaning toward the middle aged version.

It would make sense for me to draw Bea, Ian, or Wendell first, since I will need their designs ‘finalized’ before I start scripting the introduction. Instead, this weekend I redesigned the character formerly known as Neva, who is one of my two favorite characters in Multiversed. Since I drew the first character sheet for her, I have realized that she is pregnant for a good deal of Multiversed, which she clearly isn’t in the first character sheet. I also realized that her design was a combination of a few key elements from Winnowill and Skywise (Elfquest) – not bad designs to crib from, but still. Finally, her name, ‘Neva’, means ’snow’ in Spanish, but I didn’t feel that was appropriate to her (admittedly imaginary) culture. In other words, my goddess of secrets needed to change.

Her new name is Oshel (until I decide to change it again). I’m still unsure about her design, too. I kept the long black hair because I have a bit of a thing for long hair, even though it’s the most Winnowill-esque aspect about her. I also kept her Asian-looking eyes, and her lips – the top lip is painted black, and the bottom is unpainted but still plump and noticeable. Yes, her lips are kind of like Queen Amidala’s from Star Wars, but fuck it, I like the effect.

I knew she needed to be pregnant. That was actually the easiest thing to change. Her current costume, however, reflects some indecision on my part. Oshel’s initial costume was Greek-inspired – white flowing robes, with gold armlets and bracelets. Now, her costume draws from the Mayan, Japanese, and Celtic traditions, in a way that I’m not sure meshes well. Her footwear and dress are Mayan-inspired, but she’s also wearing an obi and a leather (?) strip to tie her hair back. It is definitely more accurate to her character, I think, but still might not be quite what I’m looking for. I’ll put her designs away; concentrate on the characters who still need reference sheets.

That’s all for now. I expect tomorrow will be busy, but in a good way. Tuesday is going to suck, though – a long day with very short breaks. I should get used to it, I suppose. Every Tuesday and Thursday will be like that for the rest of the semester. Bah.

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Semester of OMGWTFBBQ

This is my last semester at Drake. I’m a senior now, and everything’s winding up. I’m taking my last computer science class, my last two English classes, and a couple of others I thought sounded interesting (“‘History of Punishment and Evil’? Hells yes!”). Despite my not-so-rigorous class selection method, I will not be resting on my laurels this semester. No no no. These classes are going to be tough, homeslice. Lots of reading, writing, and *gasps* speaking up in class.

And that’s not all. Within this semester I must complete two capstone projects, two gift arts, and a shiny new version of the Writing Workshop website. At the beginning of every semester, I’ve said that I will push myself to do more out of class, to write everyday, to work on a project every Friday. I never have. Look at how many times I’ve promised to keep this blog going, only to abandon it when the semester got tough.

That’s not to say I won’t fail this time, too. It’s happened before, after all. But unlike previous semesters, I absolutely must push myself this semester. The capstones can’t be put off, nor the gifts, nor the website. I have to plan ahead, make lists, keep from procrastinating. And though I don’t think the process will be interesting for very many people, this blog will help me keep track, keep a level head. I’ll post when and what I can.

Semester-long commitments:

• CS capstone (as-yet-unnamed computer game): I’m trying to figure out plot and aesthetics and whether or not I can use Smalltalk to make it work. This is definitely the one project that makes me feel I might’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I have to start working on it immediately, before fear paralyzes me and procrastination takes over.
• Writing capstone (Multiversed comic script): An excuse to draw more concept art, partially. ;D  I’m looking forward to working through the plot. I also like that I don’t have to spend tons of time drawing the comics themselves – I really don’t have the time for that this semester.
• Dan’s gift art: Shhh. It’s a secret! Suffice to say I have most of the references, I just need to sit down and draw it! Biiig plus side to this project – it can be drawn a little at a time.
• Sarah’s gift art: No idea if Sarah reads this blog, but just in case… Shhh, it’s a secret! This requires a bit more work than Dan’s gift. I will need to practice 3-point perspective, drawing detailed buildings, and… girls in swimsuits. Ah me, life is hard.   Small comfort to this project – if I do this right, it will be the most epic-ly awesome thing I’ve ever drawn. Yes, even beating that one. Less of a comfort – if I do this right, I won’t want to give it to Sarah at all…
• Writing Workshop website: I spent tonight making sure I can test the HTML and CGI files now that I’m running Ubuntu instead of Windows. Kyle’s recalibrated and up for the challenge. Next up is to play with the code, making the site user-friendly and a heck of a lot more aesthetically pleasing. I have a list of a functions I want to add, but a lot of this is going to be just seeing what looks nice. I want the new site put up during Spring Break so I’m there if anything goes wrong while it’s in action. (Also so that no one complains their appointment got lost in transition.)
• Thank you cards: What for Christmas presents. I need to draw something to put on the front, otherwise I wouldn’t dare list this alongside the capstones and website.
• Start flossing again: Speaks for itself, I think.

I like sleep. Sleep is good.

I just got in to Chicago yesterday, for Fall Break. I’ll be here until late Tuesday night, hanging out with Sarah and our parents, getting winter clothing, putting together a Halloween costume, and in general not doing homework. There’s still so much to do that’s not school-related, though, and I keep having to tell my brain, “No! No all-nighters! We like sleep.” And I do. I love sleep. Sleep is the best, and I could use more of it.

I’ve mentioned that I’m not doing National Novel Writing Month this year. However, this little part of my brain that schedules things keeps trying to figure out a way to fit it in. I wasn’t sure why at first. NaNo is amazing, but sooo stressful. A NaNo-er’s November is like being through an emotional wringer – you go from enthusiam to guilt to desperation, and on to a few kinds of wild-eyed madness which may at the time be confused with an epiphany of near-religious proportions. A NaNo author has very little free time, sacrificing friends and family for the pen or the keyboard. A NaNo author sometimes forgets meals, instead choosing to wonder where the next thousand words are coming from.

This blog post by Alegra Clarke made me realize why I still want – hell, ache – to participate for my fourth year. And – imagine my surprise – it’s the stress, and the odd habits I develop as coping mechanisms. As Alegra Clarke says:

November is an excuse to live on a diet of chocolate, coffee, and crunchy-salty foods. It is a month to fully indulge the habits of my strange writer-self, such as walking down the street mumbling as I scribble notes and bump into lamp posts. It is an opportunity to buy a pretty notebook and a smooth-gliding ballpoint. But more than that, completing a NaNoWriMo forever changed the limitations I had previously placed on myself as a writer.

And it’s true. I like putting other things aside and just concentrating on being a writer. I like the stress. I like the work of it. I like complaining about my characters and plots. I like being part of a community of people who are putting on their writer’s hats, who are treating themselves to that Chinese food because they exceeded their daily word count goal.

I only wish I could do it this year too, even with the grad school applications, the computer science capstone project, the webcomic idea frothing around in my brain meats. I wish… but since no fairy godmother’s going to drop down with a freeze ray (stops time; tell your friends), maybe next year.

The TF Gun line is that-a way

I heart red pandas. I used to adore giant pandas, those great lumps of black and white fur. They look like they’re built for hugging, honestly. Now, red pandas seem so much cuter. The thought of having a small bundle of fur asleep in my arms is more appealing <3.

Yeah, yeah, I’m such a girl sometimes, I know.

I blame Mroo for this. Because, hey, why not?

I’ve been playing with my mother’s watercolor pencils. They’re a nice compromise between the control of regular colored pencils, and the blend-ability of watercolors. However, my brushwork still leaves something to be desired, and I don’t like the way my index cards dry into curls, even if I do like the colors. I think I’d like to try markers too at some point. Maybe Liz’ll let me try out hers?

This quick sketch certainly put to rest some fears I had about color. Now it’s just something I have to work at (like everything else).

Did somebody say “moar Nega-Janet”?

Oh, come on; I know you were thinking it!

After years of pointedly not doing so, I’ve been trying to pay more attention to people around me, to their hair and facial features and what they’re wearing. This is the first real clothing experimentation/vairation I’ve done, and I think it made nega-Janet look pretty snazzy!

Negaverse alternate meets posiverse

After the Tao of Geek interlude, I now return you to Mad Scientist Wars pictures! Because we’re still not done with them, folks. These are my own characters, however, Janet Torvalds (Janitor) and her alternate.

Huh. I just got my hair cut, and apparently I now share nega-Janet’s cut. Ironically enough, I was trying not to make n-Janet look like me, since I usually have posi-Janitor’s cut and face.

In other news, I am completely tired out. I was tired at the end of last week too, but the weekend has managed to only exhaust me further. Luckily there are a ton of bright sides. For one thing, my schedule is so much easier in the coming week – a manageable amount of homework, and as few or as many appointments/responsibilities as I want to take on. Dan wants to bake cookies this week. I have a ticket to see Maya Angelou speak this Thursday, and the season primiere of Sanctuary is on Friday. Now if I can only make up for all the sleep I lost last week…

Tao of Geek Goodness

No drawing today, instead I’d like to send you over to Tao of Geek to check out the guest strip I did for Liz Walsh, and the archives if you haven’t already done so. I believe I’ve already said this elsewhere, but I’ll say it again: Tao of Geek is not the only webcomic I’ve kept up with since I started reading webcomics (Megatokyo, Dominic Deegan and CRFH!!! are also almong those ranks). However, ToG is the only webcomic that has consistently been my favorite. It was a real honor to do a guest strip for a webcomic that’s given me so many years of laughter, and I hope you enjoy it.

MSW: Robin Toboz, destroyer of worlds

I will be busy the entire weekend, yipee. If I keep up today’s productivity, though, the stress will be worth it.

Today’s offering: another illustration for Mad Scientist Wars Chapter 15! For Professor Zobot, whose illustrated post may be found here.

Robin Toboz was only a small part of the success of Zobot’s chapter. She was nutty even for a Mad, and unpredictable and child-like creepy. I wish I’d been able to capture that sheer insanity without being given spoilers. *sighs*

MSW: Duumvirate of Darkness

Bleh. Wanna know the reason why I chose a Sun.-Tues.-Thurs. update schedule? So that a post would be up by Mon.-Wed.-Fri., as I am counting on today. Hooray for large homework projects, late-night exams, and a number of projects that demand their own time commitments…

Anyway. Apparently my next few updates will all be Mad Scientist Wars related; I have only to choose which gets posted first. (The sad irony is that I have not had time to visit MSW for a few days, and may not be able to until Wednesday or Thursday night. *sighs*)

So. Comic dedicated to Prof. Zobot and Desius, I choose you! Some understanding of MSW may be necessary. As always, click for full-view.

Yeah, I go beddy-bye now…