I've just been robbed

I've just been robbed.

Some teens grabbed my bag while I was relaxing on the tram and ran out into a dark alley. I was too slow to grab them.

Nobody on the tram did anything. Nobody said anything. The tram driver DID have a wonderful opinion that I should run after those teens into the alleyway. Brilliant. Asides from that he did nothing. Kept insisting I get off his tram instead of delaying him, though. Fantastic.

Called the police. Assured me that they'd be there shortly and told me to stay at the area to report to them. I waited in the Melbourne winter practically in the middle of nowhere. If you're wondering... it's cold. Below 10 C. Waited 1/2 an hour, called back and made another request. Same assurances. Waited 1 hour. Nothing. After a while, a nice officer called. Said they were tied up someplace else. Asked if it wasn't a bother for me to magic myself to a nearby (not by MY definition) station to report it. After 1.5 hours... with no transport except trams... at approximately 10.30pm on a cold... Monday... night (and I hadn't eaten dinner, too). It wasn't going to happen.

Finally came home, tired, miserable and sick of humanity. Called the nearby police station and lodged a report. At least this officer was nice. However, there's nothing they can do for me.

Tomorrow I'm going to search the (far from home) place to see if I can find my bag containing my passports, educational certificates, study-related documents and forms and most importantly my USB containing files pertaining to my project. Alone. I've already resigned to the fact that I'm going to lose all my personal electronics.

Way to go, humanity. May you all rot in Hell. Go Fuck Yourself.

P.S. There will be no more updates until I feel better.

Failed challenge and Animania

Sup, dudes. Chill.

Okay, let's report. Last week I attended Animania. Had a BLAST (as I always do at anime conventions) and met some very... very... very... talented artists. I saw some eye-popping cosplayers (Jo from Burst Angels and Morrigan from Vampire Saviour) and enjoyed the anime screenings (pity they were rather limited). If I feel like it, I may take it upon myself to try to sketch said characters. I indulged in some purchases, tried to push through the crowd and felt extremely old (I was quite possibly the 10th oldest person there).

Anyway, there was a doodling competition. There were two categories: General and Fantasy. I entered both, and while I was pretty proud of my fantasy one (which I shan't reproduce) it didn't quite make it. Fortunately, despite the intense competition, I won 2nd place by a fluke. I only used a blunt pencil, a small piece of paper (the size given was A5) and cluttered it with all sorts of nonsense. The result is very poorly reproduced in Pic 2, embellished with inks and added hatchings. First time I've won anything, therefore pretty happy about it.

The first pic was issued as a challenge. Unfortunately, the challengee knows that I dislike drawing men (unless they're crazed lunatics or muscle-bound mutants), therefore I hope I will be forgiven for the apparent lack of care put into this sketch. It is quite possibly among my worst efforts. I had such a good vision of it, too.

It's been a busy week so I'm cooling down this weekend. That's about it.

P.S. 13thousand, if you're reading this: I like your work.

Another load of....

Here's another batch of stuff to keep you people happy. Included are some cut-outs that you can pose on your desk or use to roleplay or something. I'll draw a better (and cleaner... oh, God, cleaner) version one day.

Also some stuff showing the winter version of Beanie Man (much cooler than the real personae) in all his growling anger. Cold makes me miserable. On the flipside, some people are enjoying summer and flaunting all their assets. Unfair? You bet. God has a cruel streak.

An anime festival is coming up. Animania, I believe. I think I shall be attending if I can scrounge up the cash and the time. If not there's always Manifest in September.

Can't be bothered...

Seriously can't be bothered to write much. First pic is inspired by the anime "Honey and Clover". Second is a tribute to the greatness of "Bleach" that has been long lost in the blandness of the recent episodes. Sad. Final pic is a request. Guess who!

Challenge accepted!

Yet another pretty girl for you fellas. Be careful, though. If you want to get to know this girl, you're not only going to have to be of high standing... you'll have to deal with my fist as well.

Turned 25... Did that just happen?

Attention ladies and gentlemen. On the 25th of this month, the fifth of the year, I, the pathetic excuse of a human being turned 25. Write a code about THAT, Mr Da Vinci!

Oh woe and suffering! How much has gone on the past year? So much pain and sorrow (Okay, it really doesn't compare with other people's... but it's still pain and sorrow)! What will the future bring? I think that everything I've been complaining about won't even compare to what's about to hit. I'm confident that as time goes by it's just going to get worse and worse. Hence we have pic 1. Can you believe that at one time people called me an optimist?

Asides from the depression, why haven't I been posting? Well, to be honest I lost all semblance of skill in my recent works. Line after line of ugly, ugly things. Terrible. Life was also catching up. It was commented on many an occasion that I should stop pandering to these whimsical pieces and focus more on reality, and I agreed. I wasn't going anywhere and there were many things that were being neglected!

Then, inspiration struck. Behold, Pic 2! VOILA (okay... there's some mistakes here and there... proportion and messiness...)! I bet that if I told you guys that this girl is single, you'd come storming down my front door and pistol-whipping me for her location. That aside, what do you think? Nice?

Experiments in Gothic Lolita

It's been such a long time, I thought I'd try to put up a little update. Things have been busy of late, and I guess I've left a big gap since my last post. Well, it's much too late to elaborate. Safe to say that life just keeps going on and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

I will say that I have been caught up by the artwork of this French artist: http://petitcarreau.free.fr/main.htm. On the weekend, I was also interested in a "How to draw manga" book that presented some pretty good gothic lolita pics. I couldn't afford it, but it still got me thinking about the style (it's similar to the Powerpuff Girl doujinshi I recommended quite a while back!). Several minutes of intense staring and I thought I'd give it a try... unsuccessfully. Well... I can't get the fashion right in pic 1. In pic 2, I abandoned all fashion and tried for the small girl, big weapon thing. Didn't work. Pic 3... well... she's kinda cute but that's about it. Sigh...

Well, what did I expect for not doing anything for so long? Ah, well....

Post Adelaide... sigh, reality comes knocking

Hello again peoples! I return from Minifest and Adelaide with not much done and a distaste for reality. So much work to do and so much time wasted, even after I came back. I honestly need to get back into gear!

Minifest was fantastic although on a small scale. I enjoyed a number of anime screenings and did a few sketches, including another version of SF vs Y. Unfortunately it's hard to mingle with everyone else and nobody was really impressed with what I did. To be honest, there were way too many fantstic artists around for me to even show my face. I didn't manage to register for the 'Iron Artist' competition, although I was quite fond of the topic: incorporating happiness, fighting and clockwork (?) as well as crayons into a picture. The competition was stiff and the girls there were insanely gifted! I wouldn't have stood a chance.

Adelaide itself was pretty good. Did some sight-seeing and walked around. Tried to do some work and some cooking. Overall very quiet, especially over Easter. Tried to stand all the reality-tv that my sister likes and surviving. Survived without anime and manga except for some Street Fighter and Darkstalker comics. It slowly ate at my mind and I just had to do some sketching. Some are highly risque, particularly one that I posted (but we're all adults here!). Most are really crap, though. What can I say, but that I was out of practice?

Anyway I thought I'd post up some of the ones that I favour. I might put up the rest of the lesser quality ones (yes... they do get worse!) if I feel like it. Meantime, it's something to see until I arrange my affairs to the point where I'm happy to resume with the 'prologue' of Uninvited - The Story, and maybe a new story arc? Who knows... I'm willing to accept some ideas!

Meantime I've just got the first Deathnote manga. This is brilliant writing and fantastic art at a decent price! I've also been swooning over Ken Akamatsu's work in Love Hina, borrowed from my local library. God, this guy draws women well and dresses them as angels. I've also had dreams of Eureka 7. Talk about obsessed, right? Frightening....

Take care and until next time, adieu...

Some small test sketches

Tomorrow I shall be off to Minifest, i.e. mini-Manifest. This is the anime convention held annually at Melbourne University and quite simply the happiest days of the year, despite the fact that I usually go alone and come home alone. Anyway, they've just started this Minifest last year (I missed it! Casual swearing!) and it just might satiate my horrible appetite for the next few months while I wait for the real Manifest.

Anyway, I hope to sneak into the drawing room and do a few sketches. Ought as well practice a bit to see if I can get some people impressed (and maybe convince them to come see my blog!). It's something to do while I recover from the last stages of flu, anyway.

That should be quite enough, really... All in all I've done the posing shot, some action shots, some with background and covered men, women and giant robots. I should be ready.
P. S. Just thought I'd adda bit more...

Uninvited - The Story Pt 10 (Almost over)

BM: So I made the call. It felt like a torrent of water rushing past, leaving me dripping wet and cold. The chilling sense of intrusion was rapidly replacing the pressure and I could almost taste the annoyance from the other end.

BM: This was exactly like every other impulsive thing I had done in my life and I instantly regretted it. My mind froze up and I didn't know what to say, therefore throwing me into a state of panic in which I yammered all sorts of idiotic notions that popped into my head.
BM: She played along for a while, but her patience wore thin. Have you ever reached that point in the conversation where you've got nothing to say but curt replies in a dragging, never-ending cycle? It really threw me off when out of the blue she asked if I knew the chords to 'Uninvited' by Alanis Morisette.
BM: Ahh.... Uninvited. That cold, hollow song that more or less says it all in the title. The desolate ending song to a pathetic movie. It was like she stabbed me in the back and I didn't even know I was bleeding. There was some instinct in me, though, that alerted me to the presence of cold steel; pierced through my pride. The primal fear came forth and I realised I could not even hope to be considered worthy of her. It was best that I withdraw and lick my wounds, salvaging what little pride I had left. This was the last time I spoke to her...

(Essentially that's the end. Next week... prologue!)

Uninvited - The Story Pt 9

BM: Despite everything else going on, there was this nagging feeling of restlessness and loneliness. I had decided to quit cold turkey and stop calling her. Instead, I chose to admire her from within my memories and for a while things seemed to be a little better.

BM: I had hoped that by turning my back on her, I could grow stronger and finally have the strength to admit that I should leave her alone. I had hoped that I could eventually forget her completely... but...

BM: .. the pull was too strong. Everytime I denounced my emotions they came surging back. Doubt and disbelief can sometimes give a man hope, and hope will often bring on the biggest fall.

BM: And so I succumbed. How could I not? Her voice in my tortured memories was like some Siren's call. I was compelled to plunge heedlessly forward eyes closed. The buildup of hope was such a huge pressure that I could no longer resist...

(To be continued...)

Uninvited - The Story Pt 8

Okay, 2nd try...
BM: Well, I managed to call her a few times in the end. I really wasn't much of an interesting guy, but I tried my best. It always started out with some light topics and then it would quickly reach a point where nobody had anything to say.

BM: It's just that everytime I called it felt like I was intruding into her personal time. Every word I uttered felt like the dull thud of clumps of dirt thrown on my coffin. I felt like I was making her angrier with every call.

BM: Anyway, things weren't going anywhere. Our phone conversations were distancing us more than anything and she persistently refused to see me in person.

BM: Not that I blame her, though. I was truly my mother's boy and wouldn't last 10 seconds on my own. Curfews and restriction on mobility really limited my own ability to seek her out. Not that life at that point made things any easier... major exams were coming closer and extensive preperations had to be taken care of to ensure a brighter future (or so my parents told me).

(To be continued...)

Uninvited - The Story Pt 7

So, you may wonder... what does a guy do when he has the phone number of a beautiful girl?



(To be continued...)

Uninvited - The Story Pt 6

BM: Throughout the early performances I was consistently impressed by her many talents. Music, literature and science... she was clearly in a league for beyond mine but that didn't stop me from trying. It's strange though... I can't quite recall any of the performances that day.

BM: After the performances the elocution contest began and my turn came up quickly. Panic set in as I was confronted by unfamiliar grounds and a hallful of talent. I lost control of my arms and they were flailing all over the place in a pathetic attempt to add emphasis to my words. I looked like a bloody windmill. It was only a small blessing that I still managed to deliver my speech properly.

BM: She, however, was as professional as she was on our first meeting. I could have sworn she was even better than she had ever been and the crowd must have thought the same. Once more she flawlessly played the audience like a musical isntrument and it was obvious the competition was hers.
BM: I felt hesitant to approach her after. I hadn't done very well, although my English teacher felt that given the amount of time I had been given it was indeed a valiant effort. Realising that this would be truly my last chance, I steeled myself and congratulated her and bade her farewell. For my efforts, I was rewarded with her phone number and acknowledgement. Things definitely looked better, this time...

(To be continued...)

Valentines '06 Special

Hey, you all! Happy Valentine's Day. It's a late update, I know, but I thought I'd do something bold this particular day. I've been ruminating on what exactly to draw, taking into consideration my lack of style and experience. Well, I've decided to go onto something rather sad as this has been my experience with Valentine's days all my life. Unrequited, forgotten and despised...

I beg that you forgive the roughness of the work. I didn't spend enough time on it and rushed through the last bits while complaining about the materials I had and their limitations. I really need to learn how to clean things up and stop taking the easy way out sometime.

Anyway, I guess it's back to ol' Charlie Brown to keep me company on this day. Every year, he's been there to comfort me.

Uninvited - The Story Pt 5

BM: The competition was held at a different school, one far bigger and more impressive than mine. I was gawking like a slack-jawed yokel while inside I was fighting to suppress the nervousness that threatened to come up.


BM: The hall where the competition was being held was large and intimidating. It was buzzing with the participants, judges and students forced into providing entertainment prior to, and after, the main event. Everybody was getting prepared and the prospects didn't look very good for me. I was sweating as I gazed at the talent all around me when...

BM: ... all of a sudden I spotted her within the crowd. I can't remember exactly how I felt at that moment but I imagine all that pent-up nervousness just decided to mutate and explode right at that moment into a mixture of fear, confusion and perhaps a tint of longing and gratitude.

BM: This was beyond a coincidence, and if it was indeed divine providence then I would be a greater fool to ignore it. Making my way towards her I fumbled a greeting and hoped that I wasn't nailing my coffin shut. With a nervous grin I stood there for a few seconds while she tried to recall who I was... and was instantly relieved when she at last recalled our last meeting, if not my name. I had a leg to stand on, at least, and it was far from the worst scenario I imagined.

(To be continued...)