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shelandsorcery · 1 day
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help finding a particular text post
so there was a post going around, I think I saw it end of 2023/early 2024. that I would desperately like to track down, but I'm having trouble turning it up.
It described how sometimes when it comes to understanding a problem, you might first notice it as, say, a cosmetic problem with a house - a crack in the plaster or rotten floorboard or something; but the more you investigate, the deeper the problem seems to go, until it's escalated to a sinkhole to hell in the basement.
But then you meet someone new who just noticed the cosmetic problem, and you have to figure out how to talk to them about that when you are aware of the sinkhole to hell in the basement.
it lives in my mind rent-free these days and I'd really like to reread it for concrete details and to reference and credit properly.
i appreciate any help tracking it down!
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shelandsorcery · 1 day
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Want to see more of this crystal island?
I gotchu
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I took another pottery class and relearned to throw on the wheel with my newly limited hand function and got to use all sorts of beautiful glazes and overall had a magical time!
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shelandsorcery · 4 days
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I'm going to start teaching my nephews some basic colour theory; they're 9 and 10 and really passionate artists, and I think a little knowledge now will help them push themselves a lot further.
I'm going to start with colour mixing. I really think that color mixing using paint is a valuable metaphor even if you are working digitally 99% of the time. who knows what my nephews will end up focusing on as they get older, but having the metaphor of mixing paint to achieve different colors and understand how colors relate to each other visually should be a really useful ground level structure in any ongoing learning they do with color theory.
so I've put together a watercolor palette using student grade non-toxic paints. we've got two reds, two yellows, two blues, and burnt sienna.
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I'm going to include white gouache as well, so we can talk about tinting colors, and how colors appear different when they are diluted versus tinted. also, honestly when I was their age I think watercolor was really punishing, and just bringing in some white gouache gives them a chance to rework areas if they want to. I'm hoping this makes stuff a little less frustrating and helps them feel more empowered to keep fixing and pushing their work instead of just giving up.
I don't currently have a plan to have black paint in there right now, because I want us to focus on color mixing, but I wouldn't on principal prevent them from having a pan of black paint in future for their own time with the paint. I just think it might be distracting or confusing when I'd rather we focus on mixing neutrals with these colorful pigments.
I've got five Windsor and Newton Cotman brand pans - phthalo blue, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow hue, cadmium red medium hue, and burnt sienna; and the other two pans i filled with van Gogh brand tube paint - ultramarine deep and madder lake deep.
This gets me a decent spread of secondaries without confusing anything by introducing the CMY approach.
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I think learning the CMY palette will be valuable too! but it made sense to me to start with palette that most resembled what they are likely to be learning in school in terms of subtractive color mixing. if they do learn about additive color mixing, they'll be working with the cmy palette with light, so I figure I'll let this be different at the moment.
I've included burnt sienna after weighing my options, because I think it's important for them to learn how to neutralize colors in a few different ways. burnt sienna and ultramarine blue are such a classic neutral formula, and such a great way to mix something that's nearly black, that it felt important to include. the fact that when you mix it with the phthalo blue you get a green instead of a neutral, I think that's a really great example of how color mixing can be surprising as well.
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I'm working on a couple little example paintings to help them see the range that is possible with this palette, so here's one with greens and purples; I'll do one in neutrals overall and another maybe in oranges and teals.
I think for exercises we might want to work up to the colour wheel - maybe starting first with the basics of mxing using different rations to get different colours, and go from there.
If anyone has any advice on teaching this to 9 and 10 year olds, I'd love to hear it! I think they'll be excited to try something new and open up more possibilities for themselves as artists right now; beyond that I won't be particularly intense about it.
Also, do you remember when you learned paint mixing and basic colour theory? What were some moments that stood out to you or stuck in your mind forever?
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shelandsorcery · 6 days
Text
I'm going to start teaching my nephews some basic colour theory; they're 9 and 10 and really passionate artists, and I think a little knowledge now will help them push themselves a lot further.
I'm going to start with colour mixing. I really think that color mixing using paint is a valuable metaphor even if you are working digitally 99% of the time. who knows what my nephews will end up focusing on as they get older, but having the metaphor of mixing paint to achieve different colors and understand how colors relate to each other visually should be a really useful ground level structure in any ongoing learning they do with color theory.
so I've put together a watercolor palette using student grade non-toxic paints. we've got two reds, two yellows, two blues, and burnt sienna.
Tumblr media
I'm going to include white gouache as well, so we can talk about tinting colors, and how colors appear different when they are diluted versus tinted. also, honestly when I was their age I think watercolor was really punishing, and just bringing in some white gouache gives them a chance to rework areas if they want to. I'm hoping this makes stuff a little less frustrating and helps them feel more empowered to keep fixing and pushing their work instead of just giving up.
I don't currently have a plan to have black paint in there right now, because I want us to focus on color mixing, but I wouldn't on principal prevent them from having a pan of black paint in future for their own time with the paint. I just think it might be distracting or confusing when I'd rather we focus on mixing neutrals with these colorful pigments.
I've got five Windsor and Newton Cotman brand pans - phthalo blue, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow hue, cadmium red medium hue, and burnt sienna; and the other two pans i filled with van Gogh brand tube paint - ultramarine deep and madder lake deep.
This gets me a decent spread of secondaries without confusing anything by introducing the CMY approach.
Tumblr media
I think learning the CMY palette will be valuable too! but it made sense to me to start with palette that most resembled what they are likely to be learning in school in terms of subtractive color mixing. if they do learn about additive color mixing, they'll be working with the cmy palette with light, so I figure I'll let this be different at the moment.
I've included burnt sienna after weighing my options, because I think it's important for them to learn how to neutralize colors in a few different ways. burnt sienna and ultramarine blue are such a classic neutral formula, and such a great way to mix something that's nearly black, that it felt important to include. the fact that when you mix it with the phthalo blue you get a green instead of a neutral, I think that's a really great example of how color mixing can be surprising as well.
Tumblr media
I'm working on a couple little example paintings to help them see the range that is possible with this palette, so here's one with greens and purples; I'll do one in neutrals overall and another maybe in oranges and teals.
I think for exercises we might want to work up to the colour wheel - maybe starting first with the basics of mxing using different rations to get different colours, and go from there.
If anyone has any advice on teaching this to 9 and 10 year olds, I'd love to hear it! I think they'll be excited to try something new and open up more possibilities for themselves as artists right now; beyond that I won't be particularly intense about it.
Also, do you remember when you learned paint mixing and basic colour theory? What were some moments that stood out to you or stuck in your mind forever?
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shelandsorcery · 9 days
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I watched the documentary dear Mr Watterson last night while I did crafts, baking and priming sculpey paint palettes that my young nephews made, and by the end I was crying about Calvin and Hobbes. how are comics so good? how is that a thing? what an incredible medium. maybe I need to be making comics a little bit more intentionally. or maybe, I need to be making comics more regularly but maybe less intentionally?
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shelandsorcery · 9 days
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I took another pottery class and relearned to throw on the wheel with my newly limited hand function and got to use all sorts of beautiful glazes and overall had a magical time!
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shelandsorcery · 11 days
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I'm getting depressingly good at identifying the formula for Pop Academic Books About ADHD.
Regardless of their philosophy it pretty much goes like this:
1. Emotionally sensitive essay about the struggle of ADHD and the author's personal experience with it as both a person with ADHD and a healthcare professional.
2. Either during or directly following this, a lightly explicated catalogue of symptoms, illustrated by anecdotes from patient case studies. Optional: frequent, heavy use of metaphor to explain ADHD-driven behavior.
3. Several chapters follow, each dedicated to a symptom; these have a mini-formula of their own. They open with a patient case study, discuss the highly relatable aspects of the specific symptom or behavior, then offer some lightweight examples of a treatment for the symptom, usually accompanied by follow up results from the earlier case studies.
4. Somewhere around halfway-to-two-thirds through the book, the author introduces the more in-depth explication of the treatment system (often their own homebrew) they are advocating. These are generally both personally-driven (as opposed to suggested cultural changes, which makes sense given these books' target audience, more on this later) and composed of an elaborate system of either behavior alteration or mental reframing. Whether this system is actually implementable by the average reader varies wildly.
5. A brief optional section on how to make use of ADHD as a tool (usually referring to ADHD or some of its symptoms as a superpower at least once). Sometimes this section restates the importance of using the systems from part 4 to harness that superpower. Frequently, if present, it feels like an afterthought.
6. Summation and list of further resources, often including other books which follow this formula.
I know I'm being a little sarcastic, but realistically there's nothing inherently wrong about the formula, like in itself it's not a red flag. It's just hilariously recognizable once you've noticed it.
It makes sense that these books advocate for the Reader With ADHD undertaking personal responsibility for their treatment, since these are in the tradition of self-help publishing. They're aimed at people who are already interested in doing their own research on their disability and possible ways to handle it. It's not really fair to ask them to be policy manuals, but I do find it interesting that even books which advocate stuff like volunteering (for whatever reason, usually to do with socialization issues and isolation, often DBT-adjacent) never suggest disability activism either generally or with an ADHD-specific bent.
None of these books suggest that perhaps life with ADHD could be made easier with increased accommodations or ease of medication access, and that it might be in a person's best interest to engage in political advocacy surrounding these and other disability-related issues. Or that activism related to ADHD might help to give someone with ADHD a stronger sense of ownership of their unique neurology. Or that if you have ADHD the idea of activism or even medical self-advocacy is crushingly stressful, and ways that stress might be dealt with.
It does make me want to write one of my own. "The Deviant Chaos Guide To Being A Miscreant With ADHD". Includes chapters on how to get an actual accurate assessment, tips for managing a prescription for a controlled substance, medical and psychiatric self-advocacy for people who are conditioned against confrontation, When To Lie About Being Neurodivergent, policy suggestions for ADHD-related legislation, tips for activism while executively dysfunked, and to close the book a biting satire of the pop media idea of self-care. ("Feeling sad? Make yourself a nice pot of chicken soup from scratch and you'll feel better in no time. Stay tuned after this rambling personal essay for the most mediocre chicken soup recipe you've ever seen!" "Have you considered planning and executing an overly elaborate criminal heist as a way to meet people and stay busy?")
Every case study or personal anecdote in the book will have a different name and demographics attached but will also make it obvious that they are all really just me, in the prose equivalent of a cheap wig, writing about my life. "Kelly, age seven, says she struggles to stay organized using the systems neurotypical children might find easy. I had to design my own accounting spreadsheet in order to make sure I always have enough in checking to cover the mortgage, she told me, fidgeting with the pop socket on her smartphone."
I feel a little bad making fun, because these books are often the best resource people can get (in itself concerning). It's like how despite my dislike of AA, I don't dunk on it in public because I don't want to offer people an excuse not to seek help. It feels like punching down to criticize these books, even though it's a swing at an industry that is mainly, it seems, here to profit from me. But one does get tired of skimming the hype for the real content only to find the real content isn't that useful either.
Les (not his real name) was diagnosed at the age of 236. Charming, well-read, and wealthy, he still spent much of his afterlife feeling deeply inadequate about his perceived shortcomings. "Vampire culture doesn't really acknowledge ADHD as a condition," he says. "My sire wouldn't understand, even though he probably has it as well. You should see the number of coffins containing the soil of his homeland that he's left lying forgotten all over Europe." A late diagnosis validated his feelings of difference, but on its own can't help when he hyperfocuses on seducing mortals who cross his path and forgets to get home before sunrise. "I have stock in sunburn gel companies," he jokes.
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shelandsorcery · 15 days
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shelandsorcery · 15 days
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how it's going:
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me, loading up jetpens last spring to pick up a few things, casually adding one affordable fountain pen to my cart:
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me, the very first time i try and buy a few new black cartridges for my fountain pen:
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shelandsorcery · 17 days
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making good use of my rearranged space with a big decadent abstract every-colour-i-own watercolour painting!
A few shots of said rearrangement:
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I took my 70" tall extra-deep Ivar shelf (which I have had since the 1990s, no joke, this fucker's a family heirloom) and sawed the frame in half, so now I have two 35" tall extra deep Ivars forming a kind of console across the back wall of my studio!
I use the extra-deep Ivar shelves for large paper storage first and foremost -- at approximately 33 x 20", they hold a much bigger sheet of paper than any drawer system I can currently afford. While dust is a factor, keeping the height of the paper storage shelves at a minimum does help. And in the end, I don't use that paper unless I can see it, thanks to my personal brand of neurospice, so this is the best compromise I've found. The deep shelves also allow me to use long baskets, clear tupperware, and such to store things; and on the shelf behind the table I have a ton of sketchpads and masonite boards and illustration board etc stored upright, which is the best for me in terms of accessibility since I only have one strong arm to lift things with and sliding things out from under huge piles of heavy books is a nightmare. There's definitely a need for a better organization system within that big chaos area on the lower right, but one step at a time, right?
What this does is takes a lot of the traditional art making space and art supply storage space needs off of my computer desk space, which will hopefully help my day job work feel more spacious and comfortable too. As you can see, I build cluttered nests as I work; it is My Way.
Anyways, it's a fun spot I am very happy with so far and I thought I'd share!
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shelandsorcery · 22 days
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got this vintage Lady Sheaffer fountain pen writing again! using a j herbin ink, eclat de safir, possibly my favourite colour ever so far that i miraculously had in short international cartridges format, which, it turns out, work in this Sheaffer pen.
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shelandsorcery · 23 days
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brought the oil pastels tonight 👍👍
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left-handed lifedrawing: i think it's getting better? newest at the top.
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shelandsorcery · 23 days
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Twelve hours remain -- it's your very last chance to preorder LongStory 2 on kickstarter! We're fully funded, and everyone who preorders is getting both our original LongStory and LongStory 2 games as a thank you for helping us make this game come to life! And we've opened up add-ons for all those who want to make sure they don't miss out on our Turkeyhawk toque* or washi tapes!
Thank you so much for all the love and sweet messages while this KS has been running! This game means a lot to this team, I'm so grateful we funded, and I hope when we get it into your hands that you'll love it as much as we do.
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* a toque is a beanie if you're outside of canada
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shelandsorcery · 29 days
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switched hands every they seconds or more during this life drawing session - the more i figure out how to do things with my right hand in its brace, the less i use my left, but i still need it -- my right hand had very limited stamina, and overdoing it on paralyzed nerves is somehow very painful actually! -- and maybe should return to trying to do lifedrawing fully left-handed? but gosh friends it's nice to make lines i feel even a little bit in control of.
Unrelated; our model this week was wonderful, he would have fit in well with this classic crew:
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and he gave us wonderful poses, used props fantastically, and it's always a treat to get to draw a different body type than the usual.
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left-handed lifedrawing: i think it's getting better? newest at the top.
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shelandsorcery · 1 month
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MJ Tumblr Takeover
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Hey there tumblies, it's me, ya boi!
I’m MJ (he/him), a queer, overcaffeinated, perpetually exhausted, chronically online, cat- and TTRPG-obsessed, BL-loving, shameless weeb, memelord (wannabe), raging anti-capitalist chaotic word goblin and aspiring cryptid, and I AM TAKING OVER THE LONGSTORY TUMBLR! (At least for a bit.)
Born: 08/09 Height: 182 cm Blood Type: [redacted] Type: Tsundere
I’ve been working on LongStory (on and off) since 2015, but I actually started as a fan! Once upon a time I blogged about queer nerd stuff for Xtra, Canada’s longtime LGBTQ+ publication, and I stumbled on the first episode of this adorable little romantic visual novel through Twitter (RIP). I was absolutely charmed, an instant fan, this gorgeous little game that let me relive the trials and tribulations of grade school life but in a more queer and trans friendly world. It was exactly the kind of game I wanted when I was growing up in a VERY small town in the Canadian Maritimes. So when they did a call for writers I think I was physically vibrating from excitement putting together my resume and sample scene—I actually remember exactly where I was, it was one of those weird, stars-aligned, stranger than fiction moments, but that’s a story for another time!
When I joined the team, we were basically a few writers, the producer/CEO and the programmer sitting around in a room figuring stuff out. I VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY wrote a single VERY LONG episode which—instead of making me cut it down—the project leads generously cut in two and became Episode 4: Drama and Episode 5: Make Up, and I’ve been working with the company as a writer and narrative designer since then!
LongStory’s the first game project I ever got to work on, it’s near and dear to my heart, so when I got asked to join the team on a follow-up I was once again vibrating with excitement. The company is no longer a few people sitting around in a room, it’s basically doubled to a dozen actual employees and then a bunch of part-time contributors like me, and we’re working on not one, not two, but three—okay, one of them is in very early development, but still—games, with more coming down the line! It’s like we’re a real game company or something?!
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD WE’RE DOING A KICKSTARTER! We’re taking preorders through a crowdfunding campaign to finish development on seven shiny new episodes. We would ABSOLUTELY love if you supported the campaign, with just under two weeks and little over half way to our goal we really want to make it happen!
But, long story short (har har har), we wanted to make sure you know that there is a free Steam demo that you can very much play if you haven’t already! The team, including our narrative lead and I, put so much love into this demo which, let’s be honest, is the first full episode of LongStory 2. If you play it and like it, let us know what you think! In the meantime, I’m going to be here writing about what it’s like to work on LongStory, maybe take a look at some fun new additions to LS2, share some of our favourite fanart, answer some asks… talk about the music I’m listening to… uh… share cat pictures… SO YEAH! I hope to hear from some of you over the next couple of weeks! Otherwise I’ll just be here… you know, doing my thang?
Before I go… I’m just gonna leave this here…
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youtube
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shelandsorcery · 1 month
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gouache playing - the first is an experimental study of a Justine Kurland photo; the second a piece from imagination that I've since put aside.
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shelandsorcery · 1 month
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the hands are taking turns now! let's call this ambidextrous life drawing.
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left-handed lifedrawing: i think it's getting better? newest at the top.
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