Thing of The Day

Hi I wrote an article about getting art ideas. Check it out right here

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Thing of The Day

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Thing of The Day

My guess is even though I started trying to sell my art I am not going to be making huge amounts. But if I didn't try I wouldn't know. Sometimes you just have to go into something with the attitude I have nothing to lose.

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Thing of the Day

Most people that do cartoons have to try still life art. If you do still life art I highly recommend you try cartoons. It gives you a different view

Some Art Ideas that are great for self care

Okay so first everyone knows about mandalas. I am not going to talk about them. Remember these are just my thoughts if you get emotional about this and say I think everything Daniel says is wrong and that helps you that's great! I want to make an impact and make people think. Okay here are my thoughts and ideas also some ways to get art supplies

• First lots of people use art as a skill: Okay so they might not call it a coping skill but that doesn't mean that they don't use it. Don't think you are not normal. Anyone who likes to do art, there is a good chance where they are stressed that is what they will do. 
• Materials don't have to be super expensive: I did an article on this a long time ago but there are a few more thoughts: First, don't start by purchasing that most expensive stuff because especially if you don't know what art you like and you don't like what you purchase then you have a big pile of stuff. There are some basic ways to save: Canvas panels over cavas, cardboard over portfolio, etc. As for where to buy it? Michaels always has coupons and if you have amazon prime and you are going to order a big item use amazon because shipping is so expensive. 
• Art will never replace skills: If you use art as avoidance it might temporarily work but you will have to face those fears. However...
• Art can be used to validate feelings sometimes: So don't use art and be angry and then when you are done you are angrier than you started. My example of how to do it? Jose Fernandez. When he passed away on Sunday I was shocked drawing him was my way of validating my feelings that I was sad.
• Materials you might want: So while there are lots of different types of art but here a a few supplies that would help along with methods. These are not the really basic things

1. Tracing paper: This is nice to have if you want to make something and can't draw it free hand
2. Watercolor pencils: It is so not messy and it adds time for people who want to draw fast
3. Mixed media book: If you want a book that you can draw and paint (maybe not watercolor) this is the book 
4. Watercolor book: This is great but any thick paper will work 

Okay here are some other things

• Use your style and don't overthink or judge: Don't think what other people will think or what to draw just draw it it is why sketchbooks are made and remember it doesn't have to be perfect. Also, if you like to go fast go fast don't try to draw in every detail. However as someone who goes fast...
• Doing long projects have a longer effect (kind of obvious): But there are ways to encounter that: Draw color and paint. Use big paper. Do more than one project at once. Or get a bunch of projects prepped and then do them all at once. Oh, and another one do a long project but do something that uses quick lines (the best example I can think of is fur)
• Tutorials can be really helpful: When you are stressed sometimes you need to be focused and with a tutorial you are that because you are being told what to do.
• Draw cartoons, caricatures, chibi: So drawing these types of things they don't have to be as exact or perfect and honestly they are fun.
• Drawing in your own style as a coping skill is great. Finding it as a coping skill? ehh: So I think drawing your own style is a great coping skill because it is easy to self validate. But don't try to find it when you are stressed because it is not easy. Also realize using something that someone else uses that doesn't mean it is not yours.
• Draw what is in your mind: A lot of the time I just draw random shapes and see where it goes. Some of it look not perfect but it also distracts me. Also sometimes especially when you are not doing a specific think drawing music helps because it kind of gives you a mood or a thought. 
• Use lots of things: For example I saw black canvases I saw them so I tried them. If you don't like it don't waste it just find a creative was to use it.
• Don't get stressed over setting up: One of the reasons I love watercolor pencils is all you need is a cup of water. It is why a lot of this is about drawing. However for some people setting up and cleaning up is relaxing.
• If you asked me I have money for one artist item (meaning more expensive) and I use art as a skill what would it be?: A mixing tool. For me that is colored pencils for some people that is paint but the thing where you can really get the colors you want and it takes more time. Also, watercolor pencils are cool.
• Lastly, have fun with it: Be yourself, don't judge, don't worry about it and realize that like with any skill the feelings will try to creep in. Acknowledge them and keep going and realize that is why one of my labels for this article is easier said than done. 

Also for people that use football as a skill I just want to tell you that there is a game in London tomorrow that starts at 9:30

I just thought of something

So I have this friend who he can literally remember the lyrics to like every song. I can't but I can remember the sounds I can remember the backup singer and how they sound.
I wonder if that has to do with mental health. For some people with PTSD and other things they can hear everything they can't just focus on one thing. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Thing of the Day College football preview

Hi everybody I hope you have had a good week here are some of my thoughts and preview for this week in college football

• Les Miles being fired to me it is both confusing and fascinating. First , of all if you were going to fire him why didn't you just do it at the end of last year? But to me there are two other factors. First, I do believe Les Miles will get another coaching opportunity. I  did not realize that he was an offensive coach before he became a head coach he did not coach defenses. However, I think Miles will coach again. The other factor is that I hope LSU has a plan of some sort. Obviously they won't just rush and hire a coach but they need to hire somebody that is good because otherwise there is no point in firing Les Miles. Some guys that stand out to me (this is not from reading anything else): Brent Venables, Lincoln Riley, Tom Herman or John Chavis. I really don't think they are going to get a huge name like Urban Meyer or Nick Saban. 
• Everyone has their opinion on what is the most important thing to be a good team. To me there is one thing that stands above the rest: You have to know how to finish games.  Look at Ole Miss or Florida. Speaking of Florida...

Thoughts from last week's games

• I know that Tennessee won but it should not a celebration that is too big. Florida basically collapsed. I really am not that impressed with Tennessee. 
• Stanford knows how to get the job done. They might not put up lots of points or be super exciting outside of Christian Mccaffrey but boy they are good.
• Just like Tennessee Nebraska should not be celebrating. I watched that game and while I hate to admit it Nebraska should have creamed Northwestern. 
• Wisconsin looked really impressive

This Weeks Games to Watch: Stanford-Washington, Michigan Wisconsin, Tennessee-Georgia and Clemson-Louisville 

How to develop your own art style

So I have been drawing for a bit now. One of the things I like the most is when I found my own style of drawing. But, it took a while for me to find and as someone who uses drawing as a skill often it was really important to me. So here are some ways for you to find your style and what you should still do. Realize these are my thoughts they could be absolutely incorrect. But this is what I think
First the most obvious

• When you draw that is your style: Even if you are using tutorials no two drawings look exactly like even when you are using tracing paper. So realize that. Ironically I finally found my drawing style when I stopped looking for it and I realized the little things that I did was my drawing style. 
• Don't make it the end all be all: Finding a style is great. However, that doesn't mean don't try other things because you may like them and add them into your style. 
• It might not be that different/it is the little things: So lets say I tell twenty people of around equal talent to draw a wolf face. They are all going to look pretty similar it is the little things that make it your style. For example, I often you cartoon eyes even in realistic drawings. That is me.
• Using color is a great way to make it your own style: When you splash something in here or there that is different
• Be consistent: Now I am not well known but I know with some artists it is the consistency that you know make it them. Sometimes it is also not explainable but if I show you a Leroy Neiman you know what it is. If you want a  style you need to be consistent in showing that it is your style. 
• Have FUN with it: I do art because I enjoy it and one of the things I think truly made it my style was that I kept trying new things and did what I thought. I overthink things a lot and a lot of times my best drawings are just when I say okay I am going to draw this. 
• Draw You: Unless Bradley Cooper or someone well known is reading this most people are only drawn by themselves, their family or friends or by accident. So if you are drawing you than it has to be your style because others won't know who it is. 

To conclude finding your own style is great but for me whether I am drawing from my mind or a picture or a tutorial I try to always make sure that there is some me in there. 

Do you have any thoughts? Let me know. Otherwise have a great day 

Thing of the Day College Football Preview

Hi everybody
So I am not going to do a normal college football preview I am probably just going to put a list of thoughts and things I am thinking about

• There are games both Thursday and Friday I am excited to watch. Clemson vs Georgia Tech is interesting and because of the triple option I want to see how Clemson handles it. With all the USC stuff I also want to see how they play when they take on ranked Utah on Friday. 
• Regardless of what happens there is already a winner: The big ten network. The fact is they are getting Wisconsin vs Michigan State who are both ranked in the top 11. Both teams have proven themselves by beating a top team already in LSU and Notre Dame respectively. 
• Stanford is on prime time ABC for two weeks in a row. Christian Mccaffrey has a big chance to shine. While I think November and December are when the Heisman trophy is won given Mccaffrey is on the west coast this is a big chance for him. 
• I am not sure whether to be super excited for the ranked SEC games or just suspicious. Florida's QB is hurt and Tennessee I was not impressed when I saw them. I admit I would like to see Georgia but Ole Miss I would like to see in the first half but I am not sure about the second.  Arkansas vs Texas A&M has potential. 
• After week 2 it is nice to just have some ranked teams playing each other. 
• There are a lot of good games this week and I think usually I will just do a game by game preview but this is what I have for today. 

Why the NFL and NCAA make me agitated

So I was watching Thursday night football and I heard something: apparently a non-team doctor needs to help with the concussion tests now. But it is the team doctor that gets to clear the player. How does that make sense?
I also saw that players were getting suspended for textbooks. Really? These two things put me over the edge where I need to say something.
The NFL and NCAA need to get their priorities straight. Quit caring about stupid things like money over a movie as a wrong and worry about things that are important. Quit saying you care about academics when teams are going to Dublin. You should be worrying about things like the Baylor scandal and realizing the sexual assault is a huge problem among NCAA athletes. You should be putting in guidelines that make the incidents go through the regular police like anyone else. You should be worrying about coaches taking advantage of players instead of just the stupidest small violations. Also worry about all the actually crimes going on and not the rule violations
I want to make clear that most people are good people and are doing the right thing.
As for the NFL well they really got me going. So you are going to have independent doctors but team doctors, who are hearing it from coaches, still make the decisions. Today is world suicide prevention day and a few years ago Jovan Belcher took his own life. There are players addicted to pain killers. But instead you are worrying about Brandon Marshall (the receiver) wearing green cleats, which were to raise awareness for mental health. Or saying you want to do all these things and wear pink for cancer for a month but when Deangelo Williams wants to wear it all year around to honor his mother, you fine him.
GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!
I am worried that there will be more tragedies before there are changes. I hope that I am wrong.