Category: valley

Trumbo
by Kimliatach

Trumbo is emotional, informative, quite witty and ultimately a bit sad. They have crammed a lot of story into the two hour length and it is never given opportunity to drags on.

It is remarkable to think what a profound impact the McCarthy era in American political history still has on American society today. Socialist still being a dirty word to older Americans being the most obvious example. Bryan Cranston is as usual captivating and I think I only had a hint of Mr. White once or twice so I am glad to see him redefining his face as an actor who I have enjoyed watching for many years. Helen Mirren inhabited the role of Hedda Hopper and Louis CK and showed that he can in fact act or at least play some one subtly different from himself. Surprise recognition award goes to Dean O’Gorman  playing Kirk Douglas, who we have just watched two seasons of in ‘The Almighty Johnson’s‘. He is also a dwarf in a set of films I’ll give a proper bollocking to someday. Elle Fanning also deserves notice in her role as Trumbo’s daughter, I was interested to note on her IMDB that she voiced one of the little girls on the English dubbing of one of ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ as a child. The film gets a limited and I feel undeserved pass on Bechdel which is pretty disappointing from a film and cast of such calibre. The film is all about him, and they do as I note above cram a lot in, but that is no excuse for not at least having two female characters having a conversation about something other than a man.

 

Daily

Attended a sad and sunburnt little local market. Consumed overpriced and likely carcinogenic snow cones.

Computer is set up, software is loaded, drivers installed, huge collections of images and documents are transferred, the file system has been organised to my tastes.

I am ready to make art again.

Progress has been made on the castle card I still have hours and hours to go though.

 

castle progress

 


Links

To those of you who suggested going mac… a polite but firm no thanks.

Not that I will going Occulus anyway, Valve & HTC are knocking it out of the park with motion support and actual game design experience. This I cannot wait to try:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdbSk7X7oDU

In all likelihood I will end up waiting for the first decently priced AR headset instead.

 

 

 

Hey Big Spender
by Kimliatach

Daily

A couple of big purchases today. Having searched far and wide over the past week, comparing many, many systems I have chosen this computer with the memory bumped up to 24gig. While I was at it I found a decent looking multiport usb charging and connection hub. For sanity and self preservation I must now avoid looking at computer advertisements or sales for a period not less than six months, preferably a year. I have absolutely gotten the best I could afford, in the end it came down to a choice between the MSI and a custom build from this company. Both were of very similar specs, ultimately I opted for the established brand over the custom architecture.

Now begins the tense anticipatory wait for delivery.

I also bit the bullet and purchased this legal contract for the formalisation of my agreement with Half Monster Games. The agreement is likely to be useful for multiple projects so it is an investment in future income.

And to cap off the ludicrous spending spree I ebay’d some swimming goggles after swimming 550m breaststroke today. In addition to my standard 75 kettlebell swing workout.

Creative

Small progress on the castle card today. I’m feeling a bit anxious to finish some projects, chicken tractor, paving and a few partial cards are all weighing me down being so close yet so far from done.

This evening I have delved into the legalise, enough to know I won’t finish that tonight. I’m now trying to get some more painting done. To help give you a picture of what I am working towards Jack has been doing some play testing in tabletop simulator and has produced an example layout of the terrain cards using the limited number I have so far completed. The terrain deck will, with shuffling create a new playing surface each game. The evolution or ability deck will add spice to the gameplay.

 

 

More bugs

 

Pill #millipede #macro #arthropod approx 15mm

A photo posted by @liatach on

More Pill #millipede #arthropod #macro

A photo posted by @liatach on

Unknown #moth #lepidoptera #insect #macro approx 40mm

A photo posted by @liatach on

Quick daily
by Kimliatach

Second day in catholic education. Three more to come next week.

Very quick post as we are off to spend the evening at the farm.

No creative endeavours so far today. Putting some effort into trying to decide on a contract with which to formalise the card project. This is still the best I know of and at $75 it is relatively cheap for a legal doc. Even so I’d love to find cheaper.

Still considering replacing the laptop. It is not really portable, has crashed twice this afternoon and it would be very nice to have a modern computer again.

Time to go.

One link for the road: A very cool looking stop motion project in the works.

 

Sherlock’s latest & Castle card progress
by Kimliatach

sherlock

Finally got around to watching ‘The Abominable Bride’ with N last night. After anticipating the next Sherlock episode for what, years? it languished unwatched for over a month on a drive. This episode is more than a trifle self indulgent. Although clever, the crazy transitions and the series ongoing bloody over dependence on Moriarty are all a bit passe. Fun but forgettable unfortunately. I did recognised Tim McInnerny from his long past performances in Blackadder and for all I bag on the series sad dependence on the Moriarty character Andrew Scott is still nailing it.

I’ve ordered a new HDD and using a different cord I’ve managed to establish a stable connection to the old one on N’s comp. I plan to clone the old one to the forthcoming new solid state drive and try reviving my existing laptop. If that doesn’t work there are possible avenues for a replacement open, I would just rather not need to use them now. N’s computer gave the first revealing error code in a long time today, pointing to a possible power supply issue. Debating purchasing a replacement immediately just to see if we can be rid of the annoying restart issue once and for all.

First session with a new client today, and landed another for next week. I now have at least one per week day.

Another automated email from NSW Ed prompted a phone call this afternoon. Established that yes they did indeed already have the document they were asking for and this operator was baffled by the previous contacts insistence on scanned certified documents as I quote “We no longer ask for certified docs”. Colour me annoyed.

Sketchup, Manga Studio and tablet drivers all up and running on N’s computer. I spent most of the day cleaning in preparation for my first in house client but I did manage to finish the 3D reference model and begin principal line work for the castle card. The 3D model was constructed from an assortment of models in the Sketchup public library.

A long way from finished, but here’s a peek.

castle progress

 

Drawing, Docos and Lavish Links
by Kimliatach

Painting all day. N took the boys to the farm for the day so I sweated it out at home painting digitally, listening and peripherally watching docos. Despite hours of attention the bloody village card is still not done. It’s getting there but my goodness it has been time consuming. Some minor and some significant changes still to go. Had took take a break as my wrist got sore.

village 2

Edit: Finished the bugger.

Village-in-template

 

I watched or rather mostly listened to the following today:

Deep Web The Silk Road story which has a particular focus on the case against the alleged Dread Pirate Roberts user/admin Ross Ulbricht who has been jailed for life in a trial that involved some significant miscarriages of justice in the name of making a statement with his sentencing.  Interesting for a variety of reasons, particularly so for the old law enforcement officers acknowledgements that the online trade has a profound effect in the reduction of violence in the drug trade. Which as the formost stated aim of The Silk Road counts as a success for the market. Also like so many other examples of distributed access as quickly as one is shut down others spring open. It seems that finally the writing’s on the wall for the ‘drug war’. Thanks largely to capitalism and the internet.

The Island President Follows the interesting figure Mohamed Nasheed during his brief time as president of the Maldives as he attempts to convince national leaders from around the world to act decisively on global warming prior to and during the Copenhagen summit. A somewhat depressing film particularly so for the endnotes which told how the Maldives have since slid back under military rule.

Unhung Hero follows Patrick Moote as he recovers from a humiliating breakup in which his penis size is implicated by travelling the world exploring the weird and wonderful field of penis enlargement treatments, almost all of which are decidedly dodgy scams. Occasionally quite touching, mostly annoyingly American, self indulgent and trite.

 

Playing link aggregate with a few other interesting things from the feed today:

Cool Paper wigs

The tragic glory possible with a D20 

New Potter!

Very much enjoying Rubicon still. This vid is quite timely really, though it shows Roma a few centuries after what I’m listening to. I do wish I had read it before my last trip to Rome.

 

 

Three sided solid of constant width

Another great .Gif site this time with good mathematical explanations. 

Pretty fish handbags

Teacher friends who have an actual class of their own this year should totally sign up for this.

Extraordinary Dune poster by Caper Konefal

#Feeling the Bern

Is it the music, the pacing, the intonation or the combination? I don’t know. Got frisson tho.

Delightfully random finish

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 10th
by Kimliatach

Progress shot from the fully digital workflow I have turned to for the first village card.

village progress

A day with the boys. Playing with clay and play doh, Lego and drawing and this afternoon when N got home swimming at the pool.

Started listening to ‘Rubicon’ by Tom Holland. A couple of hours in and enjoying it so far.

I spent the evening drawing and singing along to Irish heartbeat out of tune in a response to a nostalgic rush brought on by a chance link that led me to this:

I’m a day late sharing this one. First Dog was on point yesterday.

A good friend who lost a father today shared this link yesterday, I’ve sent my condolences but I’m saying it again here all the same. Love and support from rural NSW mate. I’m thinking I need to make a contribution, I never got around to doing one for the first project and let’s be honest, Empire is the better film.

 

 

 

Very late
by Kimliatach

Made the mistake of watching some TV before writing a post or completing the card I was working on this evening.

Finished the last of the Old Man’s War series in audiobook format today, thoughts to come. N and I are now about half way through the Mighty Johnsons season 2, enjoying it. Thoughts to come on that too.

Calling it finished anyway, though I might be back to bump the brightness of the feature picture in the morning. Other than that I’ll be focused on primary carer duty tomorrow.

The third evolution card:

Horns-in-template

Edit with fixed spelling mistake and brightened image.

 

Busy Drawing & Gif Links
by Kimliatach

Not a moment to loose…

trump trumped

 

Managed to finish a card and make hopefully final alterations to the evolution card template today. I have another close enough that it may happen before bed, a terrain card still in inking and a page half done of the children’s book.

 

 

Giftastic links!

Classical Ukiyo-e Come to Life in Animated GIFs

If We Don’t Remember Me Fantastic frames from from films both great and awful.

Geometric Gifs by David Whyte

More amazing Gifs by a different David

Spinnerets-in-template

Edit: Fixed a spelling mistake in the template.

New Printer
by Kimliatach

Splashed out and bought a new printer today. It is going to pay for itself many times over I hope. My old one, a Brother laserjet is still working fine though in need of a new drum sometime. The new one is very similar mono laserjet with one key functional difference; it has a document scanner. An urgent and key requirement for the lodgement of important docs and for my sanity in the creation of artwork.

On the chicken tractor I completed the roof, attached wheels, sanded and ground down sharp and prickly edges. It is looking very nearly complete. We will paint it over the weekend and I’ll wire the cage over coming days.

Planning to watch a film tonight so keeping this very brief. Just knocked up an updated draft evolution card template based on discussion. Thinking I may doodle a bit during the film.

single-template-test

 

Gardening and card work
by Kimliatach

Spent the day as primary carer, N went to work.

A huge shipment of live plants arrived from Green Harvest, all a bit the worse for wear, having no doubt sat on a shelf somewhere for the public holiday in addition to the weekend. They couldn’t have arrived to better planting weather though as we had an amazing storm this afternoon. This evening I planted all but the mint and lemongrass which I still need to prepare places for.

I managed to start some sculpting while the boys were occupied with playdoh this morning. I had to put it aside in short order though.

Finished three very rough evolution card mockups. Nothing, fonts, textures, proportions or decorations is final, just trying out some different looks.

Some florid and pretty calligraphy would be required in the first. The second is going for a more manilla folder like look and the third is grungy and torn all over. Texture is carrying through the image in two of the three.

3-up-template-test-small

 

I also did a side by side test of textures for all cards, prior to adjusting the green. Its a subtle but important addition to the images. I know which I like best.

3-up-texture-test

Revisited the first downs card, adjusted the greens and removed the pond.

Downs 1 In template fix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altered the green in the first lake card to match.

Lake 1 in template fix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computer is struggling, system setting show only half of the ram is online. Installed Sketchup last night, planning on using it for a bit of perspective help in creation of village and castle cards.

Finished listening to the third, well really 2.5 book in the Old Man’s War series today. Still hooked diving straight into the next, I’ll report on the lot when complete.

 

 

A little fun to finish