As I know my readers aren't exactly numerous, I think it is safe to say that you all know that I enjoy drawing as well as writing. Recently I have been trying to adjust my style, and it made me wonder: will I ever be pleased with my artwork? With my writing? Will anyone ever be truly satisfied with their own work? Whatever it is that I do, whatever kind of work I produce, however wonderful I think it is at the time, you can guarantee that a year, a month, even a day later, I will gag at the sight of it. I don't think it's a bad thing: the constant strive for perfection is mostly what keeps me going. If I have no other ideas on what life's meaning is, then I can guess that it is trying to get as close to perfection as possible, even if it isn't attainable.
About a year ago I claimed I was satisfied and comfortable with my art style. I was half right: I was definitely comfortable with it, but several months later I decided I needed a change, then later still I wanted to change it again, and again, and only this week I gave it another tweak to try and push it in a new direction. Then today I was looking at some artwork and realised yet another thing I could do to improve my style ('improve' being used rather loosely). Despite all this, I am actually taking it as a good thing that I understand that I will never be fully happy with my work, and that it hasn't discouraged me from continuing.
Another thing that got me thinking was that when I posted a sample of my new style on DeviantArt, I said "This is not definite... the style I currently use isn't particularly expressive and I'm having less fun drawing in that style... Be very honest with your opinions. If you don't like it, do let me know... if enough people prefer the old one I might go back". It made me wonder whether I was really drawing for me anymore. I always used to draw just for me and close friends, as I only saw it as a hobby, and I was never particularly well-known on DeviantArt. But recently I have been getting more attention there and I am becoming more conscious about what other people will like about my work, whether or not they will enjoy it, whether or not they will appreciate it, or 'get it', whether or not they will find my comics funny. If I really think about it, I do still want to draw for myself: I don't see myself drawing for a living, so I think for now I will continue on the road I am setting out for myself and see where it leads from there. Maybe in the future it will be more than a hobby, I just don't know, but for now, I draw for me, so I'm going to stick with what makes me happy.
Until tomorrow, my most likely now less adoring public.
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Monday 7 June 2010
Apologies For Brevity
My Theatre Studies exam is in two days. I can't think of anything interesting to write about, if I'm completely honest. I don't think I even have it in me to write about nothing as I usually would in this situation. Unfortunately this is a miniature entry. I hope I will be forgiven for this abysmal post.
Until tomorrow, my minions.
Until tomorrow, my minions.
Sunday 6 June 2010
I Only Dislike One of These Songs
I was wondering yesterday which is the most common song sung by choirs. On my list is From a Distance, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Tears in Heaven, Hallelujah and possibly God Only Knows (that last one I think probably would be sang in choirs a lot, but I personally haven't heard it sung by more than one choir, so maybe not. One song I would personally love to sing is Zombie Jamboree, but I just love a cappella and fun upbeat, comical songs... and zombies.
Then again, I am singing Chattanooga Choo Choo which is so much fun to sing in a choir, we're also singing an a cappella version, which makes it even more fun. However, as an alto, I have the difficult job of singing one of the more difficult harmonies. The sopranos are lucky enough to sing the tune, while we altos are stuck singing the complicated parts. Although sopranos can sing much higher than me without sounding like strangled cats so I do have a certain level of respect for them...
I'm afraid this entry is somewhat lacking, and unfortunately it is particularly uninteresting if you're not as into music as I am. Maybe tomorrow will bear more interesting material. Only one way to find out, I am in such suspense.
Until tomorrow, you little angels.
Then again, I am singing Chattanooga Choo Choo which is so much fun to sing in a choir, we're also singing an a cappella version, which makes it even more fun. However, as an alto, I have the difficult job of singing one of the more difficult harmonies. The sopranos are lucky enough to sing the tune, while we altos are stuck singing the complicated parts. Although sopranos can sing much higher than me without sounding like strangled cats so I do have a certain level of respect for them...
I'm afraid this entry is somewhat lacking, and unfortunately it is particularly uninteresting if you're not as into music as I am. Maybe tomorrow will bear more interesting material. Only one way to find out, I am in such suspense.
Until tomorrow, you little angels.
Saturday 5 June 2010
Unobservant... in HD
We bought a new television today and I've only just realised now that I have no idea when the old one was moved away and where it is now being kept. It honestly never crossed my mind. I was at home when they brought it in, I remember because I came home to an empty house, went to my bedroom and when I came out, people were home and there was a new television. Yes this also means that I was unaware of their return. I never realised just how unobservant and out of touch I really was.
Also it just reminded me that I will only be living where I am for a few more months now (three or four, if I'm not mistaken) simply because I made an offhand comment about only enjoying the new TV for a few months because I will be going to University in September. Hopefully. I've gone through it a thousand times in my head and I'm fairly sure there is not much of a chance that I won't at least be able to go to my insurance choice.
Well, thinking about the future is both exciting and frightening, but I would have to say it's mostly exciting, but I'm jumping the gun. First exams, then riotous student life.
Until tomorrow, you dudes and dudettes.
Also it just reminded me that I will only be living where I am for a few more months now (three or four, if I'm not mistaken) simply because I made an offhand comment about only enjoying the new TV for a few months because I will be going to University in September. Hopefully. I've gone through it a thousand times in my head and I'm fairly sure there is not much of a chance that I won't at least be able to go to my insurance choice.
Well, thinking about the future is both exciting and frightening, but I would have to say it's mostly exciting, but I'm jumping the gun. First exams, then riotous student life.
Until tomorrow, you dudes and dudettes.
Friday 4 June 2010
On Writer's Block
Writer's block has been plaguing me the last few weeks. Not just in getting my thoughts down, but in forming thoughts and ideas to begin with. For example, I'm planning to enter a script writing contest, and I have gone through several like-minded concepts and I haven't been happy with any of them, or at least I haven't felt that I could truly win with them. If I want to even have a chance at getting even a runner-up prize, I can't do the same bland scripts that everyone else will be doing. I suppose the main problem I'm having is that it needs to be short: it has to be a one act play, so I can't allow the usual amount of build-up that I'm used to.
I know this is starting to sound like a self-pitying 'I can't do anything' post that you would expect to see on LiveJournal or something, but I honestly can't even think of a decent topic to write about here, so I thought I would try to write about not being able to write. If it wasn't such a tired, overused concept, I would use that for my script. Unfortunately, well I already said why I can't really use that. It just screams 'look at me, I'm trying to be clever, original and ironic!' when there will be about a hundred more just like it.
At least this allows me to spend more time thinking about my exams and preparing, as it doesn't require the same kind of thought process. I already know the kinds of things I will be writing about, I know exactly what the material will be, it won't be nearly as difficult to come up with ideas, but I suppose the execution itself is the really daunting part when it comes to exams. Yes, many of my blogs for the past three weeks will mention examinations. There is nothing you can do to stop it.
Until tomorrow, you crazy diamond.
I know this is starting to sound like a self-pitying 'I can't do anything' post that you would expect to see on LiveJournal or something, but I honestly can't even think of a decent topic to write about here, so I thought I would try to write about not being able to write. If it wasn't such a tired, overused concept, I would use that for my script. Unfortunately, well I already said why I can't really use that. It just screams 'look at me, I'm trying to be clever, original and ironic!' when there will be about a hundred more just like it.
At least this allows me to spend more time thinking about my exams and preparing, as it doesn't require the same kind of thought process. I already know the kinds of things I will be writing about, I know exactly what the material will be, it won't be nearly as difficult to come up with ideas, but I suppose the execution itself is the really daunting part when it comes to exams. Yes, many of my blogs for the past three weeks will mention examinations. There is nothing you can do to stop it.
Until tomorrow, you crazy diamond.
Thursday 3 June 2010
The Movie That Could Have Been
WARNING: This post contains spoilers for The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (film).
Yes, I watched the Prince of Persia film to see what it would be like. I was well aware of the fact that there was a good chance that it would be bad, but I decided to give it a chance, after all, they were given some fairly good material. Unfortunately, the film wasn't really bad so much as it was disappointing. They had an opportunity to make something really great and instead they made something passable. It just wasn't anything special, and I think it really had the potential to be.
Think about it. Had this film incorporated the original source material more appropriately they would have essentially had a Persian zombie movie with time-travel and free-running with the saucy prince and the sexy Maharajah's daughter fighting side-by-side and shooting sarcastic quips at one another. If that isn't a recipe for an awesome film then I don't know what is. Honestly, it was practically served to filmmakers on a silver platter. Unfortunately, they completely removed the zombies (technically 'sand demons' but they are essentially zombies), severely downplayed the time-travelling aspect (they rewound time roughly four times throughout the entire film), and took away the leading lady's bow. Plus they kept spouting lines about destiny roughly every five minutes, even giving the main character (previously a nameless prince) the very unsubtle name Dastan (destin, anyone?). I won't even get into how much they loved to title-drop.
It's true that games aren't particularly renowned for their excellent stories, so it makes sense that they would alter the plot, add some characters here and there, etc. but I would have thought it would be obvious to keep in the sand demons, as that is, apart from being the entire premise of the game's storyline, just undeniably cool. Not to mention it's one of those things that gives you free reign to have the hero waste a lot of baddies without any kind of moral issue: they are monsters, they aren't human, they will eat your face if you don't kill them first and technically they are already dead. Plus they could get away with a lot of impressive violence because they only bleed sand. A sinfully wasted opportunity, people.
One thing I will say I liked is that, although the actor wasn't really right for the part in my opinion, at least the character was still written as being fairly close to the character from the game: arrogant, obsessed with proving himself, convinced that he is always right, and the leading lady was written with the same sarcastic, feisty attitude she had in the game, although for some reason her name was changed to Tamina. What was wrong with the name Farah? She's obviously meant to be the same character, so why change her name? Who knows, or cares? So let's move on.
Overall I think the film would have been okay as a standalone film, supposing the Prince of Persia games didn't exist and this was the first take on the idea, but for a film that claims to be based on the Sands of Time game, I just don't see it. It has the characters (somewhat) and it has the mystical dagger, but that's about it. They changed the story of the prince trying to reach the hourglass to turn back time and undo essentially causing the apocalypse, to the story of the prince being framed for killing his father, then fleeing his home while trying to stop his traitorous uncle from going back in time to undo saving his father's life so that he would never have sons, so the uncle could assume the throne... is it just me or is this sounding like the Lion King with swords, time-travelling and wall-running? So that's just it: it could have been an excellent film, but instead it was a poorly-executed impersonation of the lion king. With magical swords. D- See me.
Until tomorrow, you little ragamuffins.
Yes, I watched the Prince of Persia film to see what it would be like. I was well aware of the fact that there was a good chance that it would be bad, but I decided to give it a chance, after all, they were given some fairly good material. Unfortunately, the film wasn't really bad so much as it was disappointing. They had an opportunity to make something really great and instead they made something passable. It just wasn't anything special, and I think it really had the potential to be.
Think about it. Had this film incorporated the original source material more appropriately they would have essentially had a Persian zombie movie with time-travel and free-running with the saucy prince and the sexy Maharajah's daughter fighting side-by-side and shooting sarcastic quips at one another. If that isn't a recipe for an awesome film then I don't know what is. Honestly, it was practically served to filmmakers on a silver platter. Unfortunately, they completely removed the zombies (technically 'sand demons' but they are essentially zombies), severely downplayed the time-travelling aspect (they rewound time roughly four times throughout the entire film), and took away the leading lady's bow. Plus they kept spouting lines about destiny roughly every five minutes, even giving the main character (previously a nameless prince) the very unsubtle name Dastan (destin, anyone?). I won't even get into how much they loved to title-drop.
It's true that games aren't particularly renowned for their excellent stories, so it makes sense that they would alter the plot, add some characters here and there, etc. but I would have thought it would be obvious to keep in the sand demons, as that is, apart from being the entire premise of the game's storyline, just undeniably cool. Not to mention it's one of those things that gives you free reign to have the hero waste a lot of baddies without any kind of moral issue: they are monsters, they aren't human, they will eat your face if you don't kill them first and technically they are already dead. Plus they could get away with a lot of impressive violence because they only bleed sand. A sinfully wasted opportunity, people.
One thing I will say I liked is that, although the actor wasn't really right for the part in my opinion, at least the character was still written as being fairly close to the character from the game: arrogant, obsessed with proving himself, convinced that he is always right, and the leading lady was written with the same sarcastic, feisty attitude she had in the game, although for some reason her name was changed to Tamina. What was wrong with the name Farah? She's obviously meant to be the same character, so why change her name? Who knows, or cares? So let's move on.
Overall I think the film would have been okay as a standalone film, supposing the Prince of Persia games didn't exist and this was the first take on the idea, but for a film that claims to be based on the Sands of Time game, I just don't see it. It has the characters (somewhat) and it has the mystical dagger, but that's about it. They changed the story of the prince trying to reach the hourglass to turn back time and undo essentially causing the apocalypse, to the story of the prince being framed for killing his father, then fleeing his home while trying to stop his traitorous uncle from going back in time to undo saving his father's life so that he would never have sons, so the uncle could assume the throne... is it just me or is this sounding like the Lion King with swords, time-travelling and wall-running? So that's just it: it could have been an excellent film, but instead it was a poorly-executed impersonation of the lion king. With magical swords. D- See me.
Until tomorrow, you little ragamuffins.
Wednesday 2 June 2010
The Near and Not So Near Future
Examinations are just around the corner, so I must say that it's difficult to fully enjoy my half term. It's just a good thing that I don't have many plans outside revision. I also have a fool-proof plan for getting through my first exam, for one half of it, at least. If I write an essay on how I would portray all four main characters from Lady Windemere's Fan then I won't get caught out and I'll have lots to say on each one. That way, the only way I wouldn't know what to do would be if they asked about a more minor character, which is very unlikely for two reasons:
1) We're the first year to do this exam board, so it is unlikely they will go for less conventional questions.
2) The exam board isn't cruel enough to throw a curveball like that. There wouldn't be enough character exposure to write a decent essay on a bit part like Parker, for example, who has roughly five lines throughout the entire play.
To change the subject wildly, I know I don't exactly have a huge following here, but if anyone is interested, I have an idea for a small project I plan to start shortly after I finish my exams. I'm thinking of writing bite-sized comical summaries of well-known (or perhaps not so well-known) books. So you can look forward to, or remember to avoid, that in the future.
Until tomorrow, you loveable rascals.
1) We're the first year to do this exam board, so it is unlikely they will go for less conventional questions.
2) The exam board isn't cruel enough to throw a curveball like that. There wouldn't be enough character exposure to write a decent essay on a bit part like Parker, for example, who has roughly five lines throughout the entire play.
To change the subject wildly, I know I don't exactly have a huge following here, but if anyone is interested, I have an idea for a small project I plan to start shortly after I finish my exams. I'm thinking of writing bite-sized comical summaries of well-known (or perhaps not so well-known) books. So you can look forward to, or remember to avoid, that in the future.
Until tomorrow, you loveable rascals.
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