VENUSIAN RADIO

The Tumblr page of an artistic dilettante who makes art to quiet the voices in his head.

[matsugawa]

As of today, I am retiring my two Tumblr pages, this being the final post. Thank you all for your support and patience. If you're wondering why, I don't feel like talking about it, except for this quote from William Hartnell in the final episode of The Dalek Invasion of Earth: "Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine." Goodnight, and good luck.

[matsugawa]

Ouroboros (easily the most boring title I've given anything) Compositing done in Autodesk Sketchbook and Pixlr Express. Background texture by roamingpandas of DeviantART. Hit a few snags in putting this together, and I'm certainly not pretending it's perfect, but the plus side is that I have my scanner connected to my phone, letting me import scanned lineart directly into either Sketchbook or Express.

[matsugawa]

It's entirely possible I'm missing the point of this meme.

[matsugawa]

Aaaand...

The cat (Holst) has tapeworms again. I think it's all the bugs he eats that creep into the house, because Dusk usually only chases and plays with them while Holst is the hunter. I stopped by the animal hospital on the way home from work to see if I could pick up whatever they gave him last time and take it home (strangely, it's not a shot, it's one of those ointments you put between their shoulders), possibly distribute it to all three to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, it's a prescription, so I have to bring him in, which is not pleasant. Luckily, I think we caught it fairly early on this time, and I'm not too worried about it spreading to the other cats as it won't be a lot of cleaning involved compared to before.

[matsugawa]

Applying Pixlr filters to background photos is working out pretty well thus far.

[matsugawa]

Zenbrush with Autodesk Sketchbook. Frame and text in Pixlr Express (also used Pixlr on the sky photo to give it its color).

[matsugawa]

Deep Fossil. Zenbrush with Autodesk Sketchbook.

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Free nightmare fuel for you

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I'm debating going out for coffee.

[matsugawa]

I WAS BEING SARCASTIC!

Someone who's not very good at sarcasm.

[thereverbroom]

So, yeah, we’re trying the third cat thing again. This is Zelda. Her mother is a Calico and her father’s a Maine Coon (hence the ears). She’s a bit skittish and scared, currently hiding in my roommate’s bathroom, but she’s very quiet. Loves being held. I don’t even think the other cats have even really acknowledged she’s here. I think they’ll all get along well enough.

[matsugawa]

Facebook, you're drunk. Go home.

[phxrxs-blog]

[oh-kirito-blog]

I was tagged by @lightsensei (I normally hate doing these, but this is Aoife we're talking about, so that deserves an exception)

Fill in questions - tag at least ten people

Name: Roland MJ Ziemke Nickname: Mato, Mattie, Guy,  Birthday: September 30th Gender: Biologically male Sexuality: I'll get back to you on that...  Height: 6'4" Time Zone: Time is an illusion... What time and date is it there: Dates and times, doubly-so!  OTP: Jun the Swan from Gatchaman and THIS version of Batman. Tell me you can't see these two jumping across rooftops together.  Last thing I googled: Fez Metatron (last puzzle I had to beat) First word that comes to mind: Alabaster.   Last thing I said to a family member: Goodnight.  One place that makes me happy: Haven't quite found it yet, possibly something as simple and straightforward as a nicer apartment and a BMW in the carpark.  How many blankets I sleep under: 2 The last movie I watched in the cinema was: Guardians of the Galaxy Three things I can’t live without: Pepsi, Sega, Doritos Something I plan on learning: Possibly too much at once.   A piece of advice for all my followers: Maturity is a rubber band. The more of it one claims to have, the greater their capacity for their immaturity to snap back and sting you. So, beware of people who pride themselves on their maturity. 

You have to listen to this song: Since I Left You by The Avalanches

I tag: nobody because I hate that part of these things the worst. 

[matsugawa]

I recently heard a story about a beach in the south of France that is trying to ban selfies from being taken there by tourists. Selfies get kind of a bad rep these days, and I think I know what the problem is: people don't take them right. Even if you don't consider yourself a photographer, or insist that you're simply being spontaneous, it really takes almost nothing to turn that snapshot into something that, well, doesn't look like a selfie. Here's some quick tips about selfies:  

1. Look at the lens.

This is easily the most important step. It's a mistake I see way too often and it drives me nuts. Don't look at your reflection if you're using a mirror. Don't look at the preview image on your phone. Look into the lens of your camera. That's where you look when someone else takes your picture, it's the same here. Check your framing, put your finger over the shutter button, look at the lens, and then take the shot. 

2. Light and shadow make great dance partners. 

Pretend your nose is north. Keep your light source (be it sun or bulbs) either northeast or northwest to keep your features from washing out. Far east or west will create strong shadows across your face. If you're outside and it's a bright, sunny day, try to stand near something light in color and use the bounced light to create softer shadows on your face. Overcast weather is best. If it's snowy and overcast, you've got the greatest portrait studio mother nature can provide. 

If, somehow, your only option for lighting is true north, expect to look like you don't have a nose. The best solution to this: get those eyes nice and wide. They'll catch the light and lure people's attention away from those two little holes above your lips. Windows work both ways: stare at them with your soul. 

3. Angles, angles, angles. 

Cinematography 101: if you want something/one to look imposing, angle up. If the desired effect is the opposite, angle down. You don't have to keep it perfectly level. In fact, angling up or down a little is fine, it can even enhance the finished product, give it a little character. It also can serve as a subtle visual cue. If you're fairly short, angle down, and up a bit if you're tall. It's likely how most people see you anyway, and you want this portrait to represent yourself. 

4. Two quickest fixes.

If your image quality isn't very good, the two quickest ways to make it look better are either to shrink it and/or convert it to monochrome. The former hides compression artifacts and the latter will take out color noise. It's also a quick fix to uneven skin tones, blotches, and some tan-lines. In fact, filters in general can liven things up. Sure, that vintage setting won't fool a seasoned Lomographer, but that's not the point, is it? 

5. Lose your scalp, save your neck. 

There's an almost instinctive visual grammar to framing close-ups and portraits that most of us aren't even aware of. If you can't quite fit yourself in the frame (say, because you have enough sense to hide your arm), don't worry about cutting off the top of your head. This doesn't look nearly as silly or unnatural as having the portrait start at the tip of your chin. 

6. VOGUE, VOGUE, VOGUE!

Apart from not looking into the lens, my biggest pet peeve about selfies is stupid mimetic crap like duck-lips. However, to be fair, at least it's doing something. It's your portrait, it's not merely a document of your face; even the DMV can manage that for you. This is a document of the person that you are. Ham it up a little. Don't like smiling? How about a smirk? Maybe tilt your head down or to the side and give a little squint. Got a good side? Show the goods. Glasses? Pull them down your nose a bit and look over the tops. Take them off and put the stem in your mouth like you're chewing it. Raise an eyebrow or two. Do something with your free hand, even if it's something nutty covering up one of your eyes or cute like putting a finger to your lips or tapping the tip of your nose. Salute. Stifle a laugh. Point. You're more than just a pretty face. 

Spontaneous does not have to mean rushed. Candid does not have to mean unrefined. These are all little tricks that add maybe seconds at best to what, on some levels, is the essence of portraiture: taking action to capture a moment. Make it count. 

[matsugawa]

Man-purse upgrade complete.

[matsugawa]

"Ah, new acquisitions." Any chance I get to quote Return of the Jedi, I will take it.

[matsugawa]

The key to the problem...