lougiordanoposts
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Latest Posts by lougiordanoposts
Creator Spotlight: @k-eke
My name is Kévin, but everybody calls me Kéké! I’m a 2D animator and illustrator, mostly drawing little bouncy animals and sharing them on the internet. I like cartoons and storytelling, trying to create stories where people can find themselves in, also trying to go further and develop stories that are rare in media, such as LGBTQ+ content, for example. I try to keep up with my 3DS to create my work and see how far I can go with it!
Below is our full interview with Kévin!
How did you get your start in animation?
I started animation back on September 4th, 2009, this is when I discovered Flipnote Studio on the DSi for the first time. I did try to animate before but solely on paper, and I had no knowledge about the medium at all, so it was an amazing discovery. I later became self-taught and could keep going by myself.
What is one habit you find yourself doing a lot as a creator?
I feel the habit that talks the most to me as a creator is communication. I feel it’s important to communicate with your public and fans to keep them updated and knowing how things are moving. It’s getting overwhelming to me the more I grow because the community is massive. Still, I keep up, and I thank many people for always updating me when something wrong happens (thieves, plagiarism, etc., etc.).
From idea to final piece, how long does it take for you to create something?
It all depends on the idea and process of the creation. For example, if my idea is just to animate a cat bouncing, this might take me a few minutes. Otherwise, if I want to animate 50 pigeons bouncing, this will take me around 5 hours or more! In general, an animation takes me less than a day or more if I’m busy on the side and can’t advance as much as I wish I could.
Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?
Art blocks often happen. I take them as good to rest and do something else. It’s not a must to draw/animate all the time or too often, and when it happens, I take it easy and try to entertain myself and see when it will be back. Also, I scribble sometimes just to feel like I’m still drawing but not with a point to reach a certain idea, just to let my hand go and make something silly. The mood can come back faster this way!
How do you use Tumblr to further your creativity?
I love Tumblr for the fact you can post 10 illustrations/GIFs as one whole post. This is not possible on other websites I know, so that was great for me to be able to make a compilation of GIFs and post it all there in one shot. It was really helpful and also allowed me to make a few little stories with this opportunity.
What is the hardest part of your process?
The hardest part is drawing on a DSi, 3DS literally! It’s so limited, with few colors (4 or 6 depending on the version), 2 or 3 layers, no zoom, and no options to make camera moves …… but I still love it haha. I’m so used to it that those don’t annoy me anymore, I accepted them, and people admire my art for it (I think!)
Have you ever wanted to dive into another medium before?
I did. Now I use TVPaint and Flash, toon boom more often, but in the end, I still come back to Flipnote Studio because it’s my favorite tool and program.
Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?
So many inspire me it would be hard to choose! But I did love Sarah Andersen, Owlturd comics a lot, visually and the humor. Also, the use of Tumblr to post multiple pages at once: it inspired me to try it as well!
Thank you for stopping by, Kévin! Check out more of Kévin’s work over at @k-eke!
Creator Spotlight: @jdebbiel
Deb JJ Lee is a non-binary Korean artist based in Brooklyn, NY. They have appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, NPR, Google, Radiolab, and more. Their award-winning graphic memoir, IN LIMBO, about mental illness and difficult relationships with trauma, released in March 2023 from First Second.
Below is our interview with Deb!
Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?
That implies I am over my art block, but I’m still in it! I think about Kiki’s Delivery Service a lot and how she had to stop doing a thing, and that you can’t really force it, and you have to let it come back to you. It’s a pretty humbling moment, realizing there is more to life than just drawing. I’ve been trying to consume other content like reading or watching movies—anything that is not drawing-related—and to trust that it will come back to me. I think not being afraid to do the small pieces before committing to the big pieces is helpful. Because big pieces are what I am known for, I dig myself into a deeper hole, thinking that each piece has to be bigger than the last one. So yeah! Relaxing and doing the small things before overcommitting to a big piece is the best way to go about it for me.
Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?
I feel like these are all artists that I have second-degree connections with! Jillian Tamaki, Victo Ngai, and Tillie Walden would be my picks!
What are your file name conventions?
…What file name conventions? I mean, I don’t have specific file name conventions, but I actually have a public Google Drive archive! But I usually put “djjl_whatever-the-title-is_final,” and I would always know it’s the final and legit version.
What is a recent creative project that you are proud of?
I did an illustration for the whiskey brand Johnnie Walker. It’s so wild because I only had four days to finish it, and it usually takes me a week and a half if I rush. And honestly, it’s probably one of my best pieces from this year, which is funny. It was for the Mid-Autumn festival, so I made it as Korean as possible.
How has technology changed the way you approach your work?
I only use my iPad to draw everything now, and if I want to pretend that I have a steady workstation, I’ll use my Cintiq. I still am not as comfortable on the Cintiq as I am on Procreate, but it’s still pretty solid and nice. That’s the good part about technology. The bad part about technology is how AI art has been messing things up for me. I’m currently in a lawsuit about AI art as a class rep. Some of my stuff got turned into AI art late last year, so I have to give a deposition at some point.
What is a convention experience that has stuck with you?
Honestly, they’re all good! I feel like Lightbox Expo has been really nice because it’s truly been a convention for artists. I feel like that’s where most of my audience is, and they’re all around because their purpose is to be better at art. That’s where a lot of original artists do well because they’re getting art they’re inspired by, not so much fanart. I like the Lightbox Expo because it encompasses the pure love of art very well.
Top tips on setting up an Artist Alley booth?
Use a Y axis, not just your X axis! Take advantage of it! Branding is also something to think about. It is definitely something I’m getting better at. Having an assistant is also very important. I’ve also heard that 8.5x11 to 12x18 inches is usually a good size for prints, but I also provide postcard-sized prints because sometimes people don’t want to commit to a larger size.
Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?
You know this is so funny. I’ve been following @alicexz for over a decade on Tumblr and other platforms. I’ve followed her work since high school, and we’ve only recently become peers. I found her, and we met for the first time in real life, and she recognized me. And then I found all my drawings from when I was in my Alice phase, back in high school, and I was like, “Yo, this is when I was trying to be you so badly!” and she was cracking up and was like “Wow, this is so good!” It was such a sweet moment. I wanted to take a picture of her holding my drawing up. It’s really nice because now we’re peers.
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing, Deb! Be sure to check out their Tumblr blog over at @jdebbiel.
Explore seven years of recommendations all in one place: Here are more than 2,000 titles, hand-picked by NPR staff and trusted critics — with handy filters to help you find the perfect book.
NPR’s Favorite Books Of 2019: Browse 350+ Great Reads
Video: Chelsea Beck/NPR
2019 Temperature By the Numbers
The Year
2nd Hottest
2019 was the second-hottest year since modern record keeping began. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration work together to track temperatures around the world and study how they change from year to year. For decades, the overall global temperature has been increasing.
Over the long term, world temperatures are warming, but each individual year is affected by things like El Niño ocean patterns and specific weather events.
The global temperature is an average, so not every place on Earth had its second-warmest year. For instance, the continental U.S. had a cold October, but Alaska set records for high temperatures. The U.S. was still warmer than average over the year.
Globally, Earth’s temperature in 2019 was more than 2°F warmer than the late 19th Century.
The Record
140 years
Since 1880, we can put together a consistent record of temperatures around the planet and see that it was much colder in the late-19th century. Before 1880, uncertainties in tracking global temperatures are larger. Temperatures have increased even faster since the 1970s, the result of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
10 years
The last decade was the hottest decade on record.
20,000 Individual Observations
Scientists from NASA use data from more than 20,000 weather stations and Antarctic research stations, together with ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures to track global temperatures.
The Consequences
90%
As Earth warms, polar ice is melting at an accelerated rate. The Arctic is warming even faster than the rest of the planet. This northern summer, 90% of the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet melted.
8 inches
Melting ice raises sea levels around the world. While ice melts into the ocean, heat also causes the water to expand. Since 1880, sea levels globally have risen approximately 8 inches, although regional rates of sea level rise can be even higher.
100+ fires
As temperatures increase, fire seasons burn hotter and longer. During June and July 2019, more than 100 long-lived and intense wildfires burned north of the Arctic circle. This year also saw intense, record-setting fires in Australia.
46% increase in CO2 levels
This decades-long warming trend is the result of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, released by human activities.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
I thought of you when I read this quote from "Arctic Dreams" by Barry H. Lopez -
"therefore"
Start reading this book for free: http://a.co/4G9KGJS
Indeed
learn to control your mind
That's merciless
A tough choice
To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.
Georgia O'Keeffe, born today in 1887. (via whitneymuseum)
Indeed
Happy first day of fall, everyone!
[Edward Hopper (1882–1967), Red Barn in Autumn Landscape, 1927. Watercolor and graphite pencil on paper. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Josephine N. Hopper Bequest. © Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art]
Fantastic
Zero Gee “Weightless” Photography by Ravshaniya
More unique art on Cross Connect Magazine:
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Posted by Andrew
Life goals; bag goals; just goals
[OFFICIAL] K.A.R.D “Don’t Recall” MV
Sneak peek of Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium, opening this Friday! The exhibition is the Brazilian artist’s first full retrospective in the U.S. in two decades, with a particular focus on the years he spent in New York. Oiticica’s work began with formal, geometric investigations in painting and drawing and eventually took the form of large-scale installations and environments, as well as experimental writing, filmmaking, and photography. As his career advanced in Brazil, New York, and beyond, his work became increasingly immersive, transforming the viewer’s role from spectator to active participant. Check out our Instagram Story to see more!
Terrific
He was perfectly safe at the refugee camp. But he wanted more. One man’s epic journey to his dream job, illustrated.
Read the full comic here
This is great
…and so much more wisdom on creative work from the brilliant Ursula K. Le Guin.
_/\_ Namaste
♥ http://yogabuckyeah.tumblr.com/ ♥
Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness.
Khalil Gibran (via lazyyogi)
♥♥ http://yogabuckyeah.tumblr.com/ ♥♥
Run to the roar.
In this fantastic Design Matters interview, Tina Essmaker, one half of The Great Discontent, quotes her mentor’s spectacular advice – whenever the metaphorical lion roars formidably, to run toward that fear rather than away from it, because that’s where the truly rewarding risk-taking is to be found.
It’s another articulation of Steven Pressfield’s idea that “the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul.”
Also see Nietzsche on why a fulfilling life requires embracing rather than running from difficulty.
For a further taste of the exceptional Design Matters, see Debbie Millman’s conversations with Chris Ware, Dani Shapiro, Seth Godin, Terry Teachout, Sophie Blackall, and Massimo Vignelli, then subscribe on iTunes – it’s free and well worth it.
(via explore-blog)
The Fractured & The Feline
On and off the page with Quentin Jones and Robert Storey
Read More
indeed this is beautiful
♥♥ http://yogabuckyeah.tumblr.com/ ♥♥
Been there, done that, ya ha
Ya ha, fully evolved
♥Stop Thought♥ hippie/yoga
Indt
Ya ha
Absorb This
♥Stop Thought♥ inspiration/art
These beautiful old theaters in Chicago are in danger of disappearing, let's enjoy them while we can
Namaste