Ramblings, projects, and cups of tea

An anonymous eccentric lady's journal. Pippin Took is her spirit animal. She is friendly and only sometimes talks to herself. No admissions except on party business.

[anonymiteablogs]

Somebody remind me to add an "Articles" label to my author website, please. Not just articles about the book, but articles in general. Observations of life, and such. Sometimes, inspiration seizes me on my morning walks. Summer sunlight in the trees is lovely.

[anonymiteablogs]

To be able to become a better person is a privilege, and can be a very, very exciting prospect instead of a chore.

I recently discovered an account called Rich Girl Academy on Instagram. Of such banks of advice on femininity and becoming the best version of yourself I already know of, yet this served as a reminder that presence and treatment of self are important, as well as all the other life lessons about virtue and thinking about others are too.

Instead of making a spreadsheet, I will simply write it here. I prefer this format. Perhaps somebody may learn something from it to.

Goals and tasks that Anonymitea wants to integrate into her life:

Mind/Skills:

Pick up learning Mandarin again. I have many friends who speak it and it would be very useful to be able to speak it fluently. Devote a small chunk of time per day to completing one HSK lesson. Those books are very useful.

Study Art. This will happen when I burn out my motivation to write, so will happen spontaneously. I would really like to study it at university too.

Hone Polish language. I have been neglecting it lately.

Be in the present. Because I think about my stories so much, I hardly pay attention to things that I should keep an eye on.

Body:

Skin. Research different products and establish a routine that works. Add to this a routine that takes care of the rest of the body. Hair. Nails. Little details. They add up and make a person glow.

Build up back muscles, so that future me will not struggle while carting children around and will have a good posture without thinking about it.

Eat well. Cut meals in half, stop eating rubbish (goodbye, chocolate almond packets) and finally reach the dream form. Half a step from becoming Eowyn.

Drinking lots and lots of water, with lemon juice and a pinch of salt, to replenish electrolytes. Actually take the supplements and vitamins that I have prepared.

Appearance/Presence:

I am loud. I often talk in memes, which is good with bros but not meaningful if used all the time. I do not laugh, I cackle. Self control must become my friend, here.

I suppose I have a big personality, and I am also the queen of being awkward, especially during hellos and goodbyes. This must be worked on.

Go through wardrobe and pick out clothes that I actually wear. Discard the rest.

Spiritual/Heart:

Bible study. Writing psalms and quotes on post-it notes and stick them everywhere. Ingraining the presence of Jesus Christ into my life, and let His presence permeate my own.

I have a lot of friends that I do not talk to, or simply forget about talking to, caught up in my life. Penpals' letters ought to be answered. Grandparents talked to. Elderly friends called on. People I have met must be followed up with friendly messages. I want to work on being open at all times--not overbearing, but available to others around me.

I write this before work, so I hastily go. Knowing myself, I will return to this blog on my phone to add things to it, or to post more things.

May your hearths always be warm!

Anonymitea

[anonymiteablogs]

I am going to start little art project documentation. A generally anonymous everything.

I have two goals here, primarily.

Get my artwork to a level that will allow me to draw my own book covers.

Document the worlds within my head through all available mediums.

I will start with the art. I went to college in England (college in England are just your final two years in school before you choose to begin your life as an adult, whether that be in university, a job, drugs, wizardry, or simply pondering your existence until you're done and decide to do something with it), and there I took Fine Art as one of my A Level options. It was my favourite subject, and now that I look back the way I structured my art coursework was actually how actual graphic developers structure their commission and project work.

Hence. Year later, I return to the roots. No more winging. Let me do things properly and as God intended.

My favourite artist at the moment is @vorueg . (I hope you don't mind all this fuss, Vorueg. I love your work). And I shall be analysing his digital paint work. I love the balance between realism and magical-ism. I do think that when I think of my story work, this is what the pictures look like in my head. Here are some of my favourite works of his:

Look at the movement of it all! I could write three pages on the action happening with the thrown sword alone!

The DRAMA in the lighting in this one! The textures I could eat (delicious, omnomnom--)

How cosy the colours are in this. Look at him. Look at his little headteacher glasses. And all the widdle birds.

One of my goals is to do anatomy so well, I can just manipulate subject matter to suit my desires. Sometimes, one needs a caricature. Other times, something more solemn. Vorueg is a master.

(Here's some more of his stuff.)

(He has a sharpened pencil for a halberd!)

(The foreshortening on this is wonderful. I love how he uses the light and values to direct the attention to Mr Struggling Gnome over here.)

And his brushstrokes on here, too, and his choice on where to put the details and where to simply hint at what is going on.

...Need I say more.

Please do commission this man. He will do wonders with the things you have in your head. Here's the link to his linktree. No need to thank me.

Anyhow. My plan of action is as follows:

Create a few artist copies, focusing on execution technique.

Create a few artists responses, focusing mainly on: brushstrokes, expressiveness of the character, use of values and colour.

Study different textures as side studies.

Watch all of Sinix's videos on anatomy. I wish I had come across them sooner. They are amazing.

It is past my bedtime, but I will be back. I think I shall do the Mr Struggling Gnome piece of work. I love how likeable his face is. He seems like a quite grumpy, yet likeable protagonist of his own story.