from the rocks i cried, to the sky i learn to fly. ♥

Friday, 14 May 2010 { 5/14/2010 12:57:00 pm }

Yess, I am suffering what called as artist block. O M G. And to be honest now I'm too confuse of what should I do! I'm afraid things will be a mess that my beloved one--my mom--has trusted her career upon me! So I actually have to design an advertisement for the company she has been worked for. Aand, till now.. what comes up in my mind is just a basic, mundane, boring design for this advertisement I've been assigned about. ARGH. And and, I have no time left! It has to be finished tonite!! Anyway, I found this article by instant-searching and here I copy-paste the content. I hope this can be helpful, for ya who read.

How To Fight Artist's Block

Sometimes, the hardest part about being an artist is the inevitable block that arrives unexpectedly. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve lost your momentum and creativity. Don’t worry, it happens at some point to everyone! Here are some tips to help it dissipate:

1. Set goals:
Force yourself to set a goal of creating ‘X’ number of items. Even if you have to copy a previous project, working in your chosen medium will get you back in the swing of things and get the inspiration flowing. Often times, exploration of past themes will motivate you to see things in a new way. This is how art series are often born; reinvigorating old ideas and viewing them in a new light. It’s okay to build off the past to create motivating steps towards the future.

2. Search for inspiration:
Sitting in front of a blank computer screen or canvas can be painful and nervous tension will only make your block harder to break. Inspiration doesn’t always arrive when it’s needed; sometimes we have to search for it. Going to a museum, visiting a gallery, meeting with friends, taking snapshots, using Google Image Search, or scanning Flickr and creating your own page of favorite images can get the ideas flowing.

3. Keep a journal:
Set a goal to jot down thoughts, ideas, or if you’re clueless about what to write about, make a list you had for breakfast or the first thing you thought of when you woke up; anything is better than nothing. Inspiration is everywhere! Doodle, make lists, just do something. Chances are, when you’re flipping back through the pages in a few few days / weeks / months, inspiration will strike.

4. Don’t worry:
Anxiety will further dampen any creativity. The more you worry, the worse the block will become. If you can’t seem to produce any work, view the period as a mini-vacation. Often, pulling yourself away from the work for awhile will often restore energy and focus. It’s ironic that often when you’re at your busiest, working hard at a job or task that doesn’t include your art, you can’t wait to get back to it. Yet, when you have all the free time in the world, the lack of stimulation can make it difficult to produce anything of real value.

5. Focus on one thing at a time:
It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking about how much needs to get done. A series isn’t built in a day, and for that matter, a riveting piece of art rarely is, either. Sometimes a task feels so overwhelming that it seems easier to not even start. Don’t sabotage yourself! I’m onto my third series this year because I never quit– I take a step back, assess the situation, take a short break, and launch right back into the work. You won’t get very far if your work is sitting in the corner half-finished, collecting dust. Start with the basics; make an initial sketch of concepts, create a mood board, focus on getting started. Each step forward is one step closer to completion.

6. Take a class:
A renewed perspective can have an amazing impact on the soul. Local art schools and colleges usually offer evening and / or non-accredited courses. Assignments from another person have the ability to jump-start the completion of an art project; the limited guidelines can help dissipate the open-endedness of possibilities that have the ability to create anxiety.

7. Use downtime to market yourself:
If you can’t make new art, use the time to market yourself more effectively. Research galleries and calls for artists online. Sometimes you can even email galleries about your work directly instead of sending postcards. Update your website and online portfolio. Connect with other artists and share your resources. Perhaps they can recommend galleries that are interested in work like yours, provide inspiration, and swap art calls. I’ve secured some of my best shows by staying in contact with fellow peers.

original post

Labels: projects, requests, tips

Sunday, 20 December 2009 { 12/20/2009 01:27:00 pm }

Well, so I got this from my weekly bulletin from my church, and I found it good, so now I'm gonna share this.. and be grateful that I'm able to translate this from it's original language: Indonesian XP. Here we go..

Have we ever noticed, that there is a man, or woman whose appearance is just simple as it is but seems so attractive? On the contrary, there is a woman which appear so glamour, pretty, wrapped by expensive gown and accessories but somehow has no appeal?

In fact, there is no ugly man or woman in this world. Each person are created unique and perfect by God. What exist are people who let their beauty buried, that makes it unable to shine. By building a positive image, then buried beauty would emerge and develop. Physical beauty would attract our attention but beauty of a character wins our heart.

Once there was a famous businessman who was graduated from Harvard University in an interview, and asked, "What do you think a beautiful woman is?" and he answered, "Beauty isn't just about physical appearance. There are women who are very pretty but after we talk with her about 5 minutes, we start to have no idea of what else to be talked about." This proves that beauty isn't only about physical appearance but also needs to be supported by inner beauty.

Generally, everyone tends to be attracted by people who have a positive self-image. Instead of wide knowledge, attractive personality become the key for inner beauty to emerge--a charm in a person through a positive self-image. People prefer being around somebody who has positive attitude. This is the real source personal appeal--that usually called as a charisma--be formed; something that is hard to explained by words but have a real effect. People are attracted to a person who has charisma, and follow him.

Then how to build a positive self-image so we are able to be a personal with charisma and appeal?

1. Love yourself

It seems that the statement above is very selfish but as the matter of fact, only people who can love themselves, are able to love other. Only people who can accept themselves with all of their strengths and weaknesses, can accept other the way they are. This thing is the one which makes us able to have a positive self-image. Everybody love being close to people who can accept themselves as they are. This become one of the keys to be an interesting personal :)

2. Self-talk

Aware or not, we talk to ourselves more than we speak to other. We even often being too harsh to ourselves. When we make mistakes, we would say, "Yes, I am a loser." that generate low self-esteem, insecure feeling and assume ourselves don't have any future for just a simple mistake. Instead we should have said, "I made mistake, but I learn from it and able to fix / avoid the same mistake in the future." This sentence would make us feel better. Correct sentence we have, can build the right self-image, so we have to be careful of what we say to ourselves. We have to learn admitting ourselves as we are, and forgive our own mistakes.

3. Give appreciation

Where do we able to know that we have a negative mindset? From our feelings! If we feel depressed, failing, sad, angry, or afraid, those are signs that we have already having a negative mindset. Immediately turn those negative thoughts to positive ones. How? By taking a note of good things we have, achievements we had achieved, good things we have done, then we'll feel much better. Give an appreciation to our achievements then we'll be more enthusiastic to face our life and our future. Do you know that enthusiastic personals always have being interesting to other? Benjamin Franklin always do this because he believes that this habit can regularly make him grow and develop more enthusiastically.

4. Set Goal

Only people who have target(s) to be achieved who are passionate, facing this life. When we have target(s) and willingly work for it/them, then we'll have confidence grow in ourselves. Without target we'll have our life seems stagnant, we'll lose our confidence and life would be boring. By goal-setting making exciting experience would leave us feeling precious. Only people who have target(s) attract other. Sometimes there are people who hate seeing rich and success person enter the church and got more attention. They say that the person gets more attention because he is rich and success. It's true, but actually naturally each of us attracted to people who are success from our point of view.

5. Relax

People who get panic easily of course aren't attractive to other that problems and fears are parts of life that can't be refused. It's human to be nervous and worry things but we have to accept and face them wisely. Sometimes there are problems which make us cornered that we see no possible solution that then we leave them and by the day goes by, usually there would be cracks that lead us to the solution. Letting ourselves being drowned in fear would make us appear messy and become not an attractive person at all. We strict ourselves that we have to be wise to change what can be changed, and accept what can't be changed. People who are calm and have positive mindset with hope are always attractive to other even when they are in a big trouble. Only mature people who are able to do that.

6. Talk with confidence

When we are being ourselves we would be able to talk confidently. Never try to imitate other, no matter how cool they are. Try to talk with other about things they know about. If we talk to businessmen then talk about business. If we talk to athlete then talk about sport. This would make us seem to have an interesting personality. Give a lot of questions so other can tell you more. Basically, everyone love to be listened so their emotional need to feel 'important' fulfilled. When we are not sure what they are talking about or have no idea about the topic that is being discussed, do not hesitate to ask. An interesting thing that other respect us when we ask than when we pretend as we know everything. People would be glad to explain because that makes them feel 'important'. That's why people are happy to explain when they're asked by, even a stranger, about directions.

7. Be a good listener

People are attracted to us when we are able to be a good listener. Dale Carnegie said that one day he listened to somebody who talked about hours and when he finished that person told his friend that Dale is 'a good speaker'. A colleague who appeared simple made many men fell in love with her. The fact was that her male friends was attracted because she listens with empathy and she know exactly when to ask and give her opinion. She also is a wise woman that all her male and female friends enjoy to hang out with her and feel respected.

The "self-image" is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self image and you change the personality and the behavior. (Maxwell Maltz)

By learning to do those steps above then we'll grow to be a person with a joyful, strong, self-image :)

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

Labels: tips

Friday, 10 July 2009 { 7/10/2009 06:03:00 pm }

Physical Activity (Low Blood Pressure)

Physical Activity helps cleansing, it brings balance and relieves stress.
Psycho-physical activities will help you balance your body and will help you relief accumulated stress. You will have to find a form of exercise that suit you. I will just give you a few examples:

Mini Trampoline jumping - rebounding!
Meditation
Walk or jog in the nature : Forest, Mountain , river / sea / lake side, beach ... fishing, photo-safari, rowing, riding, golf, ...

Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Meditation ...
Yoga - Hatha, Meditation, Chinese Yoga ...
Martial Arts: Karate, Judo, Kung Fu, Teakwood, Budokai, Uechi, Aikido ...
Dancing, Aerobics, Gymnastics, Stretching ...
Swimming in non-chlorinated water ! ( Best in minerals rich water - Ocean ! )
Weight lifting, ....

Do not exhaust yourself !

Do not exercise with full stomach ! (You may take a walk!)

Do not hurt yourself !

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That's what I found while browsing how to deal with Low Blood Pressure (LBP for short, Hypotension to complicate yourself). Let's see if this is effective for me. 1 glass of mineral water per hour. Yeah! Go healthy life!!

Labels: health, tips

Thursday, 9 July 2009 { 7/09/2009 11:39:00 am }

This really is taken from a journal from dA. Unfortunately.. I forget already who posted this journal.. Gomen for anyone who posted this journal. I wish I can credit and link to you, but the fact, I can't. Hope she/he is in my friendlist. If he/she is, then you can check each of them whether one of them have this journal entry. Ehehe.. Yare yare.. Anyway, I found this by browsing as usual.. and I think this is just a good reference for me, and I hope for everyone else. Text below are copy-pasted. No edit. Actually I just post it so I can read it with a better beackground and view than reading this through notepad XP. Here it is anyway..

by someone I forgotten the ID. gomen..

I think the most important tip I can give anyone is that it is important to take regular art classes and learn the basics of art. It's only through practice of real life subjects that you can gain a deeper understanding of light and shadow, color balance, and different techniqes that are just as important in digital painting as in painting in real media. If you have access to classes, I say, go for it! I don't post many of my still life sketches or oil paintings up on my DA, but I have done them. Behind every piece in my gallery, there are hours and hours of practice on RL subjects in my sketchbook and canvases that have led up to developing a piece.
As for her other questions...

What program/s do you use, what tools do you use?

I usually use regular pencil and paper to draw all the lineart for my finished pictures. Then, I scan my pencil sketch onto the computer via Photoshop. I find that I don't have to ink my lineart since my sketches are usually pretty developed and tight enough to be used as the lineart for the final drawing pending some changes, however, if you do need to ink your lineart, then go ahead and do so.

After this, I usually save the file into jpeg at 100% quality and size, and open up the file in Open Canvas. Open Canvas has a handy multiply mode for its layers which allows you to paint right on top of your lineart without covering the blacklines. I usually lay down the skin color, hair color, clothing color, and background color (if the picture has a background) in that order. The coloring is pretty rough at this stage and I try to stick to midtones, since I'm just trying to see if the colors will all work together or not. Then, once I see what I need to change/keep the same, I start refining the base coloring that I had done before. I add shadows and highlights at this point and contours and anything else I need to do.

Once I have my basic coloring done, I merge all my layers together and start painting on top of the lineart as well. This will depend on your style, on how much emphasis you place on your lineart. I like coloring over my lineart, and leaving it untouched in certain places to define those areas, ie, face shape, eyes etc.

Once this is done, I save the file into jpeg and reload it into photoshop. This is the time when I make my final color changes, add tones/noise, fix the contrast, etc. Then I add my signature, save, and voila.

What brush types do you use when you color?

Brush types aren't as important in Photoshop and Open Canvas as they are in Painter, and since I'm not a Painter user, I don't really hold that much importance in brush type. I usually like to choose a brush that will give me a variation in opacity (opacity is how transparent the color is...100% opacity means no white from the background paper shows through) . Since I work with a tablet, I try to go with a brush that will let me darken and widen my lines as I press down harder on the tablet. Open Canvas is good in that they have many types of brushes that will allow you to do this, though I like to stick with the pencil brush when I'm doing fine details and the watercolor brush when I'm filling in large areas.

How can I produce clean lines that slightly vary in thickness?

This usually depends on having a pressure sensitive device (ie tablet). And a brush that allows different opacities depending on pressure.

If you're thinking about getting a tablet, I recommend a Wacom. If your not sure about whether or not you want to do art seriously, but would like to try out a tablet, I recommend the Wacom Graphire line. I've heard that it works decently and is pretty affordable.

I have a Wacom Intuos, which is a step above the Graphire, meaning more sensitivity, however, its also more expensive. If you know you want to do digital art seriously, it's not a bad idea to invest in a Intuos tablet.

There is another line that's a step above the Intuos, but you probably don't need that unless you're thinking of/are doing art professionally.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

...Another question...anyone think I should to a tutorial? And if so, then on what?

:3
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browse whether he/she is in my friend list here

PS: Actually I would post that journal entry w/o edit.. but it was impossible, caused by html error that make the texts do not appear as I want them to.. T.T

Labels: deviant art, tips

Saturday, 6 June 2009 { 6/06/2009 05:29:00 pm }

Um.. I just like this entry for my reference.. Found by surfing deviantart and clicking, and shouting. lol (hyper mode: ON)

posted in deviantart by vael66
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Drawing with the right tools

P A R T 1

Here is my guide to drawing with the right tools. I hope you all will find it helpful. I think this will be in parts. This is part 1.

The Outline
When you are drawing, you want to be able to erase. (I'll cover erasers in Part 2) You normally use pencil. That is a good idea! But if your scanner is horrible (like mine) or you want to make your picture neat and clean you should trace the pencil with ink.
In the beggining, in order to get used to the whole tracing thing. I used a cheap black pen that you can find just about anywhere. It is more like a pencil than marker.
Well, if you have ever drawn with them you know that they erase some. That would only be a beginner's tool.Recently I have started using a fine point pen that is like a very thin marker. The one that works the best is probably the PRECISE V5. Extra fine. Rolling ball. It's from the company of Pilot. (I'm actually looking at my pen as I am typing this.
The pen has a metal tip and a few small holes to let ink out. It is easy to use and draws a thin line.
My guidebook that I bought at Barnes and Nobles suggests:
RotringFaber-Castekk
TGI-SStaedtler Marsmatic 700
Sakura Micron Pigma
Copic Multiliner
Pilot drawing pen

So that ends my ink section. Read Part 2 for how to erase pencil under pen and how to erase just pencil.

P A R T 2

Here is Part 2 of my whole drawing tips thing. This will cover erasing.Erasing Plain Pencil
I bet a lot of you out there have bad days with drawing. So you end up erasing like crazy. By the end you have no idea where your lines are. While tracing it over with pen helps really erasing works better. (See part one for pen tips)
Some of you like cheap art supplies and some like expensive ones. Well, cheap is always better if it has good quality! If you go to Staples or CVS you will see tons of erasers. Do not pick the pencil caps or tiny ones, you'll be getting a hand cramp. Stay clear from the pink ones. Use white. From my experiences and from reading a bunch of books about drawing, I know that white is better. However, an eraser can only do so many things. If you dig into the paper, that's it. I suggest drawing lightly. Your hard lines should be drawn when you are certain that you want that line there. I don't suggest using hard lines though.
Okay, so you've perfected your drawing in pencil. Now it's time to trace with pen. But when you are done, you have pencil lines.
WARNING: Wait until the pen has fully dried and then you may erase. It makes sure that it doesn't smear.
WARNING: When drawing, do not brush eraser shavings with your hand! It will smear the pencil and what used to be a white paper will turn a shade darker. Either blow the shavings away, shake the paper out, or use a soft thing to brush them away (a small unused paint brush works very nicely.)
There you have it! I'm not sure what part 3 will be about but you've got to wait a little for that. If I get a lot of viewers I'll put this under my devinations.
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And these are the original posts links:

Drawing with the right tools

Drawing with the right tools part 2

Labels: deviantart, drawing, tips

Friday, 17 April 2009 { 4/17/2009 11:08:00 pm }

i had some browsing and i found this. interesting. good idea :)
however, arigatou gozaimasu raditya dika! ^^

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Kalau ada yang baca Harry Potter (and I’m sure lots of you do), pasti tau Dementor.
Heri dan Dementor
Bagi yang gak tahu, Dementor adalah “makhluk penghisap kebahagiaan” yang membuat korban mereka berpikir tidak akan bisa bahagia lagi. Satu-satunya cara untuk mengusir Dementor, Harry Potter harus mengeluarkan mantra yang bernama Patronus. Nah, untuk mengeluarkan mantra Patronus dengan baik, Harry harus mengingat tentang hal-hal yang ngebuat dia bahagia sambil mengarahkan tongkat sihirnya ke Dementor.
Heri dengan Mantra Patronus vs Dementor
Konsep yang keren banget ya?
To be honest, akhir-akhir ini lagi banyak Dementor di hidup gue; that means lagi banyak pikiran yang menggangu, yang ngebuat gue jadi down, jadi gak seneng, jadi males ngapa-ngapainnya. Dan gue akhirnya berpikir, untuk mengusirnya, gue perlu mengeluarkan mantra Patronus gue sendiri.

Maka, inilah mantra Patronus gue, atau dengan kata lain,hal-hal bahagia yang gue pikirin untuk mengusir Dementor gue:
1. Pergi bareng pacar ke tempat seafood (ngemilin kerang dara rebus! hahahah), nonton TV, atau cuman berduaan diem aja, our quality time together
2. Inget-inget lagi “Adelaide Ceria”, dan bagaimana senangnya kita dulu..
3. Lari sendirian di Senayan, gak ada pikiran apa-apa, ngeliatin pintu demi pintu kelewat..
4. Minggu pagi di Kemang sambil ngopi dan ngobrol sok berat tapi santai. Nge-quote Nietzche, Freud, Schopenhauer, dan mencoba untuk memahami “why we are so unbeliavable fucked up?”. Man, I miss pseudo-intellectual conversation..
5. Mendengarkan A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
6. Menonton Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
7. Hari Minggu yang mendung, di mobil sendirian, lalu radio memutarkan lagu-lagu ringan..
8. Talkshow di auditorium dengan penonton yang asik banget..
9. Ngedenger nyokap gue bilang, “Paling engga, anak mama yang paling gede udah jadi orang.”
10. Momogi coklat & Pocky rasa pisang plusss Coca-Cola dingin yang es-nya agak cair.
11. Membaca email terimakasih dari pembaca, disamperin orang dan bilang terimakasih sudah membuat buku, melihat orang membaca buku gue di jalanan sambil melihat mereka ketawa malu-malu..
12. Duduk di pojokan sebuah jazz club di Adelaide bersama Darius, sambil melihat penyanyi amatir-tapi-bagus bernyanyi manis.
13. Nulis sambil tidur, dan besoknya pas bangun, ketawa ngebaca tulisan sendiri..
14. Makan indomie telor kornet keju jam satu pagi di warung deket rumah..

Gue jadi inget, gak selamanya gue bakal ada di dalam posisinya jelek. Gak selamanya bernasib buruk. Kadang, kalau kita sedih, kita berpikir, kita gak akan bisa ngelewatin ini… kita gak bahagia.. dan kita orang paling miserable di dunia ini. Dengan mengingat-ingat yang seneng-seneng lagi, gue jadi sadar, yah mungkin hidup gak selamanya di atas. Gue pernah bahagia, dan beberapa saat lagi I will get my spirit back.

Walaupun gak punya tongkat sihir..my Patronus charm works.Sekarang gue lagi senyum.
Apa mantra Patronus kamu?
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- copied from radityadika.com.

(now i decide to edit my posting than posting a new one =p)

i forget to tell ya.. today.. somehow my class was pointed to sing in monday indonesian-ceremonial, known as upacara bendera. all was groaning (including me of course! haha).. and the first lesson today was religion, which was free time. valerie and rovina told us that we better practice for the ceremony that lesson. but other aren't listening. especially the dummy class-captain, steven dummy (actually steven liman. he was a chairman of student council last year, often to be no. 1 in class, beloved by teachers and on and on. but he is a true idiot). i saw him sang the song, but he didn't even try to convinced everybody else to sing along!! and then i scold him. heheh. but, as i said. he is a true idiot. so he didn't mind valerie, rovina and i mad at him ==".. instead of that, i became the conductor. hahah. u know.. the one who leads the quire by showing the tempo. i wasn't pointed to.. but i signed up my self to be.. ==".. why? at first i thought by being the conductor, i wont have to sing. haha. i can't sing. but i'm good at tempo and guitar. but after finally this afternoon we rehearsed.... i think i've chose a wrong choice ==a.. hey, but being a conductor is quite fun. lol. see what'll happen in next monday.

it's already 11 p.m!! i have to sleep early. i wanna have morning jogging in the morning. ja ne~~

Labels: blogs, school life, tips