Friday 31 January 2014

Month's End

Another January over, another traditional first month of the year blog-a-thon.

It's not been quite as hard this time as it has been in some years to come up with a blog post for every day of January; possibly thanks to all my photos of Stuart the Minion. Again, as I seem to puzzle every year, I'm not sure why blogging every day in January appeals so much, but here I am!

Again, I don't really have any firm resolutions for the coming year, and, again, I've found it easier to make a plan at the end of the month rather than the beginning, when I might now have some kind of inkling of what kind of year it's going to be. Busy, I think! (When isn't it?!)

There is a new PT job and a new(ish) flat in a new town, and lots of exploring to do around these parts, which is very exciting. Hopefully there will be more illustration work and the new PT job means a bit more of a regular income to keep paying those bills, and, who knows, maybe even enough to save for that four legged friend we've been wanting for so long!

Definitely, though, I want to continue on the plan I decided on last January, which is REDUCE. A load of stuff got donated/recycled/sold before the move, but there's so much more that can still go.

(Not the pictures of minions, though, right? They can stay, yeah?)

Stuart in the park at lunch time.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Nice Bit O' Promo

Here is a very lovely, interesting and informative post on the Power of the Postcard, something I'm a firm believer in.

(Also contains a useful link to an online printer I've never heard of/used before, Got Print. Might give them a go on my next batch.)

Now, just to find a moment to get me a new postcard made up. Don't think I can really go with these.....?

Stu all over the shop

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Monday 27 January 2014

Art of Despicable Me

I don't know if you might have noticed, but I have a definite Thing for Despicable Me 1 and/or 2.

Lovely Minion Stuart who graces these pages regularly, and my Instagram feed daily, came in the DVD box set of the two films Sister 2 gave me for Christmas. (He has come everywhere with me since. And I mean everywhere; work, desk, bed. I see more of Stuart than Hubbo. Sad but true.)

Surprisingly for two big animated films, there is no accompanying "Art Of" book. Some judicious Googling later, I came across this fab page here on Cartoon Brew, which led me to the blog of DM character designer Eric Guillon. Bascially, I went in to total geek-out, nerdgasm, fan girl, illustrator boner overdrive. GO. NOW. There is just so much loveliness to look at; it would be the job of a lifetime for me to design characters for something as awesome as this.

Here are some of my favourite images from Eric Guillon's blog (you should be able to click to embiggen):


So, so lovely.

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Just Completed...

A few tweaks were just needed for this project, but finally all done. (I hope!)

...after a few tweaks.

Annnd on to the next project. Wish me luck, I'm going in.....


Tuesday 14 January 2014

...And Video 2

This is one I've been meaning to share for literally months; I can now finally close the tab I've been keeping it open in.



Uploaded by BigfottStudios.

The blurb reads:

This video shows how Fred Astaire's famous "dance around the room" was filmed by Stanley Donen in the 1951 movie "Royal Wedding" (now in public domain). To see a detailed account of how this video was made, visit http://www.bigfott.com/Astaire_Unwound.html

I definitely recommend following the link and reading the detailed account, particularly the way the effect was recreated for Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" video, it really is something. I imagine, also, that a similar technique was used for filming some of the dream-within-a-dream scenes in Inception....?

Video 1...

Warning: possibly NSFW, but, if like me, you spend your days on your own laughing at online videos, drinking tea and worrying about deadlines, this is fine to watch right now.


Saturday 11 January 2014

Sunset, Today, 4.31pm

sunset 2014-01-11 16.31pm

Yeeesssss!!! Finally got the panorama function to work on my phone today; I love how wobbly it makes the wall in the foreground look.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Friday 3 January 2014

Books of 2013

Yeeeees, it's time again to do the traditional round-up of all books read/listened to in 2013.

Here they all are:

2013 books

64 in total; 9 non-fiction, 55 fiction, which I find surprising as I do love me a bit of non-fiction while working away, so obviously I either need to do more work or just get hold of more NF.

19 of them were re-listens, but there have been several wonderful new-to-me authors such as Nancy Mitford, Josephine Tey and Alan Bradley, and my love affair with Barbara Pym continues apace.

So, the aim (resolution? Dare I say that word?) for 2014 is MORE PLEASE. More reading, more listening, more new authors to discover. I'm cracking on NOW.