So first of all, an update on my projects. I FINALLY finished the artwork for the last t-shirt design in my micro collection!!! It took a few months, squeezing in what work I could get done on my off days and after my job but I finally managed to complete it. Now I'm researching into the business aspect of things, figuring out how I'm going to get them produced, sell them, and market them. I'm keeping the final image under wraps for now but here are some WIP shots and sneak peeks.
On the left is work-in-progress shot of the back of the t-shirt. The right is a close-up of the head details on the final version.
Close up of the final face. I experimented with making the lips just a flat red fill or the gradient I was using during most of the work but in the end I opted to make it pop a little more with shadow and shine.
Click to scroll through and see the different color variants. I'm still not sure I'm going to do this dark blue one but the other colors are gonna be options for sure.
Lastly, above is a shot of what it looks like when I'm plotting out all the points. For those who aren't familiar with vector artwork, it takes quite awhile to build all of these shapes manually. One thing I could have done is to create this image in traditional media and then use an automatic method like live trace but, it would not have given me near the same result as doing everything manually.
So that's that and now I'm just getting the business end of it all sorted out. Have to do some research and then well, then it's on to the nitty gritty! Now on to general topics...
First of all been watching a lot of basketball with my brother-in-law. Congratulations Warriors!
Then I went on an unintentional "vision quest" recently. It was tough. But before that here's some things about my continuing "education."
Book review: "The 48 Laws of Power."
Not a full review just my thoughts on it and a little comparison now that I've finished it. I read The Prince last year. It was a really quick read and I mostly read it because I love Italian Renaissance history and so it was pretty interesting to me. I think a lot of his points on politics and power were very specific to the specific political situation that he was living in. But there are some general themes to glean from it. For example, the willingness to prioritize stability and the maintenance of power at the expense of traditional ideas of morality. He also talks about how to appear generous and good while being uncompromising in gaining and maintaining power.
Robert Greene's book is more of a modern perspective on these themes. He puts forward 48 "laws" or guidelines for gaining and maintaining power in business, political, and social situations and backs up his points using historical examples of observance and transgressions of these "laws." He also argues devil's advocate against his own points which I feel adds some balance.
I think the last law is the most important one to take away. Law 48: Assume Formlessness. It ties in with some other things I've been reading and listening to. At the end of the day, it's not necessarily any particular strengths or traits that decide who will survive and who will be successful. It's all about who is the best at adaptation and flexibility. He uses the example of Athens (a democratic, culturally rich, trading empire) versus Sparta (a militaristic, isolationist, oligarchy) to make his point. He shows how though Sparta managed to dominate and defeat Athens at one point, the rigidity and inflexibility of their society eventually lead to their downfall. I think it's worth a read for anyone who is interested in history and/or "power" but I recommend taking it with a grain of salt. A lot of it is far too extreme to really practice as a whole and still live a fulfilling life.
While exercising in the garage a couple weeks ago (I have a treadmill, some weights, jump rope, etc.) I spotted these books on an old shelf in there. They belonged to my sister. So I took them and started teaching myself some Tagalog :D I bought the flashcards later to help me with vocabulary. While it was nice having almost 500 cards already made, the thing I don't like about them is that they have the Tagalog on one side, but instead of just the English word on the other side it has all these sentences and examples of using the word. Which is NOT bad, as it helps to see the other forms of the word too. It's just that you can't reverse drill (English to Tagalog instead of Tagalog to English). I also got Rosetta Stone on discount and financed which is nice for warming up. But by far the most helpful thing in learning has been the Pimsleur method. I got a hold of the audio lessons and I do them on my off days while doing chores or artwork, and also I do them in the car (I spend about an hour in the car five days a week). The audio lessons have been really helpful to me because it's based on actual conversations. The book helps me learn the technical aspects of the grammar and whatnot though.
OK. About the "vision quest." I debated whether or not I should blog about it in the first place but I think mentioning a few things about it wouldn't hurt.
First of all, one of my friends from school has his artwork on display at a lounge here in the bay area. So I asked one of my friends if they wanted to go there and get a drink, plus there was an open mic that night. I got to my friend's house and it was still pretty early so we were just chilling.
Then I won't say how, but I slipped into another dimension.
It was one of the scariest experiences of my life and I kept resurfacing back into reality only to slip back in. But one thing I wanted to bring up here in public is that there was a point during the experiences that my mind got ultra focused on a problem I've been having. And as that thought was brought into focus I felt like these energetic cords of attachment were being torn from out of my body-- like I was being disemboweled.
Afterwards, on my way home I realized that everything is OK and that I sure have some good friends. I think that's all I want to talk about in public in regards to the experience.
Guess I'll have to see my friend's artwork another time!