http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:HelloSamurai&section=today deviantART RSS for by:HelloSamurai en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:14:27 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/22828131/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/22828131/ Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:40:29 PST start a completely new profile (different name and focus) as a type of symbolic new beginning. I'm not sure... You see, I have a habit of starting new profiles all the time, like in videogames (even Animal Crossing, before I paid off all my debt!).

Here's the thing: I've made very few friends, but the ones that I have made are wonderful, and I hope you'll join me on a new profile (many of my friends are also absent from dA now). But I also want to be more community-minded, because I have become much more serious about my photography. For instance, I've been hired to document a Tibetan cultural exhibition in the Sacramento area (like last year, but this time it's an official project). I have friends, but I want watchers, too!

I'm contemplating this right now.

Of course, as dA operates, this site will still stay up, and I will still respond to comments. (Well, you know how that goes.)

Until then,
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/22745361/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/22745361/ Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:20:54 PST
Until then, peace out,
HelloSamurai

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/22087601/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/22087601/ Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:57:18 PST
Guess what! Resident Evil: Degeneration (CG film based on the actual videogames) is coming on DVD here in America on the 30th! I'm hyped!!!1 I saw a trailer for when I went to the The Day the Earth Stood Still (which, by the way, exceeded expectations - 'twas a decent remake[for those who didn't know that it was a 60's movie])

Man, life has been rather good, I suppose. Gonna be busy over Winter break, for sure.

Happy Christmas and a very New Year,
HelloSamurai_


P.S. My beloved Domokunplz account has received over 1,000 hits! I must thank people for their patronage (purely by word of mouth, for there are no deviations nor club membership involved), because, ummm... I have forgotten the password to the account (Firefox also somehow lost the information). I'm really dumb, yes? Oh, well, I guess there's a way to retrieve it... yeah, there is, but I'm lazy and distracted. >.>

P.S. 2.0: 3,000 HITS!!! I caught it! You all lose, no one gets a gift! Mwahahaha...

Naw, jk, I'll make something special for ALL of you, because I'm only responsible for 2,207 of my pageviews. ROFL... Be looking for a CHRISTMAS GIFT from HelloSamurai! Yeah!


Domo arigato gozaimasu! Thank you everyone, oh so much!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/20168923/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/20168923/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:51:10 PDT
How are you doing? I'm doing pretty well, myself.

. . . .

Well, thanks for your time.

Bye for now,
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19817358/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19817358/ Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:51:46 PDT
My band, A New Rise, is gonna do a concert with two other bands this Saturday! My first performance! I'm nervous out my mind! w00t! XD;

So anyway, I have taken some cool pictures as of late, but can't freakin' touch them up to post them. And I'm also addicted to MySpace (I said I wouldn't do that!!!) ; By all means, please visit my site (newly decorated) and listen to my music! [see site in profile below]

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19455216/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19455216/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:28:44 PDT [link]

Also, a few months ago, I joined my friends' band as the vocalist, and am now the producer, as well. Check them out, too, called "A New Rise" [sorry, link isn't working, but the site is there]

As far as photo posting goes, I need to obtain Photoshop again (lost the old one in a system delete/restore fiasco) before you see anything new.

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19363672/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19363672/ Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:11:10 PDT
OMG The new dA interface is soooo different! I really, really like it though. It looks almost... retro. Very sleek.

See youse.
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19226595/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/19226595/ Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:11:03 PDT
First: HELLO EVERYONE! I'm back, yes, and after a 5 week hiatus? More you say? I've honestly forgotten, and overwrote the "offline for X weeks, X days" thing from logging on for one minute a few days ago. I was working on the last of my schoolwork and blah blah blah you've heard it before. I'll be involved once again, I'm happy to report.

Hey, what do you know? It's almost my one year anniversary for this deviantART account! How the time flies... actually, it feels longer than a year. So much excitement! I suppose breaking the 100 deviation mark is a good thing in the first year...

But one thing that stabs at me is that one of my best friends, SirFiNiX, has been way ahead of me in pageviews, although I try so hard.
...I suppose it lets me see the what is truly important, like close friends who provide you with excellent critiques, and fellow artists who inspire like no other...
BUT I STILL WANT FAME! (I'm not worried about fortune... that is fleeting...) I don't understand why I haven't been getting traffic! I guess it was the season... Summer is here, and more people are checking into their accounts. I remember so long ago, mainly in August, when I could stay on all day, giving comments, receiving comments... and when I was nice to someone, giving them honest critiques of their work, they would add me to their watch list. It was such a great concept, and it made my work as an independent, starving (not too far from the truth) artist all worthwhile.

Domo-kun says: "DID YOU KNOW? HelloSamurai has not had a new watcher since October! Fascinating, isn't it?"

But I digress. I won't care about pageviews or new watchers once I actually talk to everyone again, and Deus-Ex-Letum logs back in. (lol)

That's all for now. I'll post some new art. (maybe people will watch me if they like my art!) XD;

Peace and stuff, uh, Happy Fourth of July (for Americans), Happy Wimbledon mens' finals day (for Englanders and tennis fans), and Happy Birthday, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama!
HelloSamurai_

Postscript: dA's interface has changed a bit... things change when one is not looking...

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/18404509/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/18404509/ Mon, 19 May 2008 18:24:32 PDT
In other news, I love Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Who doesn't?

(Answer: People who haven't yet played it!)

As soon as I get an account on Dmusic, I'll letcha all know... one needn't be a member to listen to music there.

Peace,
HelloSamurai

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/18060245/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/18060245/ Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:34:19 PDT
And better yet, with my 100th deviation, I make my music debut! Wow, that took a while.

So I'm very proud to present as my first song, a remix that I made this past week. Listen here: [link]

Tell me what you think! I'll post some more later.

w00t,
HelloSamurai

P.S. Did I mention that I got Brawl? Anyway, yes I did, and Nintendo owns my soul again.

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17787927/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17787927/ Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:17:32 PDT that are celebrating,
And we are joining hands right now...

We are the only ones right now
that are suffocating,
We are the dying ones right now...

As the water grinds the stone
we will rise and fall...
When our ashes turn to dust,
we will shine like stars...








(Lyrics from the song "Bullet" by Covenant)

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17639320/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17639320/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:53:53 PDT
...for over 4 weeks...

...never to check in and say hello...

...but the important thing is that I'm here now, right?

...uh, right?

Domo-kun says: "HelloSamurai fails."


Well, in any case, the present moment is all we have, so I may as well live in it. This past month wasn't quite as productive (school-wise) as I would have hoped, but I have more momentum than I did previously. I did not, however, take a Spring Break from my art, and I'm happy to report that my photography has only improved, with more of a focus on macro (I finished my macro book, have done almost all the assignments, and... hehehe, even found the author here on dA [forgot the name, sorry]). Get ready for the greatest photo dump you've ever seen! Uh, from me, that is...

In other art news, my music composition has really improved, enough so that I want to share it with the world! Sometime this month, I'll post my favorite songs here, and you can enjoy them! Woot!

In the greatest news in months, I GOT A NINTENDO Wii!!!!
Naw, I didn't get Brawl, but I will. I entered a Mii contest, and have to check the results today or tomorrow... I doubt I won, but that's okay.

Hehe, I hope everyone was able to catch the April Fools' Mudkip prank, which was hilarious...

And umm, hey, what do you know... I got's me over 2K pageviews! (I ****ing missed it?!?! No way!) Whoever got it, umm, and knows they got it... I'll write a poem for you.

Uhh, that's all. Time for a photographic ASSAULT!! Kamikaze!!!!!!1one

Bwahahaha,
HelloSamurai

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17152419/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17152419/ Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:21:00 PST
From my mom and dad, I got a tripod for my camera, and a book that I've read a bunch at Borders called The Tao of Photography, with the tagline "Seeing beyond Seeing", I think... With those two gifts, I can't help but improve my work!

But all things are impermanent, and we must move on. I'm sorry to say that I'll be rather absent this month, because I'm arming myself, strapping on the tactical vest, and charging hell-bent into a full month of cram school, in order to finish most of my schoolwork in a very short time. I'll check into dA perhaps once a week, but can't promise any more than that. Good news is, on the other side of that coin, I'll have a lot of time to devote to dA in late April and May.

Here's to a productive year!

HelloSamurai loves you!

Domo-kun says: "w00t!"

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17089101/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17089101/ Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:02:49 PST
And my birthday present to all of YOU, my best of artist friends, is my batch of long overdue photos from the Tibetan monk tour that I was asked to take pictures for. When the photos are on the host's website, I'll provide a link to it.

I want to thank all of you for your support over the last eight months. Such a great community of like-minded people to be a part of is the gift that keeps on giving! (er... as long as I'm on logged on... )

Let's party, w0000t!!!!!!1


Domo-kun says: "Yeeeaaaaa! Fiesta! Oops-- I mean, Otanjoubi omedetou, HelloSamurai!"

P.S. My age is on my profile.

Ohhh, and here's something fun. A tag... what a surprise. lol, jk SirFiNiX!

1)What's the first TV show/movie you ever remember watching?
Star Wars

2)What was the last show/movie you watched?
The Abyss

3)What was the difference between those two shows/movies?
One is sci-fi in space, and one is sci-fi underwater.

4)Which do you like better?
Star Wars, naturally, but The Abyss was really cool.

5) Have you ever had a crush on a movie/show character who was not a cartoon?
Naw. (lolz) >.>

6)Have you ever had a crush on a character who was drawn like a cartoon or anime or manga, etc?
Dang it! I can't remember, but I think it was a Square Enix character...

7) Are you crushing on any animated stars currently?
Not at all.

8) If you had to become animated right now, what show would you choose to star in?
Love Hina (Bwahahahaha jk!)
...no, but seriously?... Rurouni Kenshin

9)What real people show would you star in?
Star Wars (yes, I am a geek)

10) Tag at least 3 people to do this journal meme!
:iconTAKE_IT_IF_YOU_WANT_TO:

Amendment: THANK YOU POO7878! You are a most wonderful, thoughtful person!

Poo7878, as she promised, made me the coolest picture EVAR for my birthday! [link]
Look at it and it!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17062212/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/17062212/ Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:42:22 PST
So bye until then.

HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16903260/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16903260/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:03:55 PST
A local human rights group called Sierra Friends of Tibet is sponsoring a group of Tibetan Buddhist monks to come to my area and do a week of various events at an art center, and because this particular place is closer than others in the past, I can finally attend all the events, but even better, I've been volunteering with my mom, and was asked by the coordinator to take photographs for their website (seriously, I didn't even ask, I was just minding my own business!). So I'm pretty psyched, because the monks' main project for the week is the creation of one of those sand mandalas that are so amazing [link]

This has been such a great experience for me, because I'm meeting a lot of great people, and becoming acquainted with the monks, who are all rock, and speak a fair amount of English. It's amazing that these guys can be so happy and loving, coming from such a harsh situation (they're refugees in India, living in run-down monasteries, and some had to flee from Tibet over the Himalayas - not an easy life). So I;m really learning about their culture, which is a cool thing for someone who's never left the United States. XD

So I'm gonna post photos real soon! Omigosh, I'm so happy! Yeah!

Lol, I wanna thank all of you who gave support in response to my previous journal entry. It really does mean a lot! :3

Tashi delek! (Tibetan for "peace out, yo!")
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16759461/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16759461/ Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:22:15 PST
Well, I'm assuming that a lot of people are sick, because I and some of my personal friends are sick, too. I'm finally getting over it, after two and half weeks on-and-off. Ugh. My art has been suffering for it...

In other news, I want a Wii very badly now. It hit me the other day, when I was recalling the great time I had making my first Mii at a friend's house; and then I watched a bunch of gameplay demos of Super Smash Bros. Brawl on YouTube today, and I got back the longing that I had when I first saw images from it.

Well, what else... I can't draw to save my life right now, which is very discouraging. I last drew a good character sketching last December 12th or something, and haven't had any good results since. Oh, that reminds me: I need to scan that picture and post it! That will be when my scanner is working again... I'll work on that sometime. It's just old and cumbersome, not broken, mind you.

Something just hit me... and it fits right in with my humorless journal entry . I used to draw so much, it was all that I did. I usually sketched machines and landscapes, and then went on to battles with lots and lots of tiny characters all over the page, inspired by StarCraft. Two and a half years ago, I took my love of manga and anime and started learning to draw in that style, first buying the Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Manga, which despite it's title, was very good, and taught me, from square one, how to draw the human figure, something that I was always afraid to do. I got more books, and since then, have taught myself to do manga style characters. At this point, I've just hit my first roadblock, is all, and I'll get through it soon (I hope). Unfortunately, from the looks of it, by delving into this different realm of drawing, I've left behind the old subjects that I used to draw for hours on end. Omg, I'm depressing myself...

So there you go, a little history of me and my art. Of course, I've been doing photography at the same time, and am much much more interested in improving my skill in that field. At least I can be happy about that.

*Whew* That turned out much longer than I anticipated. Thanks for reading XD

G'day,
HelloSamurai_

Domo-kun says: "My profile page is becoming more popular! I was accepted into the Domo Club!
Woot woot!"

NOTE: It won't let me change my mood emoticon, so although it says euphoric, I am actually more on the other side of the spectrum, perhaps, hmm... meloncholy. TT^TT

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16541855/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16541855/ Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:36:22 PST
Domo-kun says: "See that box titled "Recent Deviations"? It's actually recent now! Good for HelloSamurai!"

I'm gonna try to comment on others', as well. I'm in such a weird internets-mood right now, like, I'm typing "lol" again, something that I stopped a while ago... and I wanna find and/or make a "Photography: Serious Business" image to use sometime. Maybe...

Man, I really don't have anything important to talk about... I better just submit more stuff. Yeah.

Oh, by the way, I'm just getting over a cold. Everyone's been sick, lately, it seems. You all stay healthy, okay?

Peace out and enjoy my new photos!
HelloSamurai_

Postscript: ZOMFG I just transferred 213 new photos from my camera! Now that's serious business!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16453516/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16453516/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:23:10 PST
Unfortunately, I can't find my USB cord to transfer the images from my camera... it got put inside a box when I was cleaning my closet.

So... hopefully very soon (I just gotta search two boxes; it's not a big deal, but it's too late to search right now), I'll get them up and I can really start this year off!

I just got together with and am working on illustrating his story [link] I must say, it'll be quite the challenge, because I haven't drawn landscapes in a long time. I'm also getting my own story kicked off (a collaboration with a non-deviant), that's, as mentioned earlier, about zombies.

So, all for now, I'ma off to bed...

Peace and stuff...
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16319281/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16319281/ Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:17:09 PST

Go to the Wikipedia home page and click random article. That is your band's name.
Click random article again; that is your album name.
Click random article 15 more times; those are the tracks on your album.


Band Name
Assam Agitation

Album Name
Shelter Insurance


15 Tracks

1. Colocalization
2. George Blake
3. Federation X (that’s a band name!)
4. Victor Perton
5. Blidinje
6. Pen Huo Qi
7. Ambrosian Rite
8. CASR
9. Burkholderia gladioli (lol, it’s a soil bacterium that is responsible for food poisoning)
10. Jathol
11. Le Pompidou
12. Baby Mama (an actual song)
13. Boric acid
14. Fritz Hoffmann
15. Municipalities of El Salvador

1, 7, 8, 13, and 15 are pretty cool. But I think the band and album both sound cool. That's pretty fun.

Oh, and I got tagged by with an art meme, so I'll be working on that. That will be a deviation.

Domo-kun says: "Wikipedia is an invaluable resource for research. I use it all the time!" ---> [link]


Since I didn't receive this, I won't tag anyone. Just take it. You know you want to.

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16318776/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16318776/ Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:41:15 PST
First I wanna say, Hope everyone had a great holiday, and hope you are all having a good year thus far.

What did I do since Christmas?

I finally got Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and have played some of that... I got my own copy of Resident Evil 4, and beat that...

I've been drawing, but not as much as I wanted to... I felt kind of disconnected during this season... and not just because it was Christmas... somethin' else...

On the bright side, I took lots of photos! I'll be posting a fair amount of them soon.

Well, that's all that I feel like saying now... just wanna wish everyone a very fortunate year to come. Remember, it's what you make it!

Peace out!
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16084912/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16084912/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:43:21 PST
While at Barnes and Noble, I bought myself (yeah, I know, but the money was left over from last Christmas) a great book on penning and inking for making manga, and it ROCKS! w00t! I also made a great new Resident Evil 4 chibi, but I made it at a ElderSilverClaw's house, and left it there, so I'll have to get it back before you see it... it's already inked and colored with pencils! That will be a late Christmas present, then.

I wonder what Santa's gonna bring me? Wiis are all out of stock, so I'll wait until my birthday for that... and when Brawl is released!

Hmm... things I want are a tripod, macro add-on lens, a UV filter, and a Wacom Tablet...

The most important thing, though, is friendship, and all of you on dA have been great this year! Thanks all of ya!

Wish you all a wonderful holiday! Cheers!

HelloSamurai_

Domo-kun says: "Merii Kurisumasu! Happii horideisu! Und der prost Neujahr!"

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16036194/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/16036194/ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:36:34 PST

There, I bought the rare Japanese Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Original Soundtrack! w00t, it's so beautiful, and very inspiring... whci reminds me that I need to find a friend to play it with and finish it! (My bro and I got to the last boss, but we weren't experienced enough to kill it, and then our memories were consumed, and we died. Ummm, damn.)

When I returned after the trip, I had a note that one of my deviations ("Spectrum" [link]) was moved because it was considered a miscategorization... IT'S A BLOODY MACRO PHOTO, THAT'S WHERE IT BELONGS!!! Well, I offered no explanation about it, so I don't think knew that the object featured was only an inch in diameter... oh, well. I'll tell what it is (already explained in the comments section), and put it back, because it's the only place for it. Sorry, Tina (hellfirediva), I still idolize you.

Oh, I seem to have been tagged... (notices gaping wound and substantial blood loss...)

'Tis from

1. your bestfriend and you:
Are collaborating on a short story about zombies (it's true!)

2. I am listening to:
The Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles soundtrack

3. maybe I should?:
draw chibi? Yeah, I'll get to that...

6. I don't understand:
a lot of things...

7. I have lost respect for:
Chuck Norris

8. I last ate:
Pizza, and man was it good!

9. the meaning of my display name is:
Your face, mostly...

10. do you believe in God?
What is God? Is it a bearded man that watches me from the clouds and smites people with thunder, or an omnipresent, unifying force that is the source of love and positive human qualities? Umm, actually, I believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster! w00t!

IS YOUR/ARE YOU?

01. taken?
Nope

02. is your cell phone right by you?
In my left pocket

03. do you miss someone?
Kinda...

04. are you wearing chapstick?
No, and I really need it...!

05. are you tired?
Naw.

06. are you wearing pajamas?
It'd be more fun than jeans and two layers of clothing... but I'm wearing a Fullmetal Alchemist shirt!

08. are you mad?
Naw. I love everyone.

09. are you upset?
Naw. ...well, I was... about how dumb people are.

HAVE YOU?

[01 lost]

02. Who's your number two?
My shadow.

3. ever stuck gum under a desk?
ACK... heck no, dude, that's repulsive. What possesses people to do that?

04. ever kicked someone?
Not with malice. I'm a chill, understanding person.

TODAY HAVE YOU?

01. have you cursed?
Sure.

02. have you gotten mad at someone?
Sure.

03. talked to someone on the phone?
Sure.

04. missed someone?
Sure.

-RANDOM-

Q: is there a person who is on your mind right now?
No.

Q: do you have any siblings?
Sure.

Q: do you want children?
Sure.

Q: do you smile often?
All the time, and never think twice about it!

Q: What are you doing right now?
Typing, idiot.

Q: do you untie your shoes every time you take them off?
Yeah, and it's a hassle, but I can't cram my feet into them without untying.

Q: do you like your handwriting?
Sure.

Q: are you a friendly person?
Heck, YES, foo'!

Q: whos bed other than yours do you sleep in?
Just my own...

Q: what color shirt are you wearing?
Black

Q: what were you doing at 7pm... ]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15977654/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15977654/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:33:00 PST
I posted my chibis in their rough sketch form. Do you love them?


Domo-kun says: "It's not the monuments that teach us history. It's the ruins."

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15865754/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15865754/ Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:18:29 PST


As for details, however...

SirFiNiX and I are going to collaborate on a web comic, me being the supplier of photographs for backgrounds, as well as some graphic design for title pages and such, possibly.

On my own time, I've been practicing more Photoshop, honing my skills. I've picked up drawing chibi again, as well as realistic (well, manga-realism) characters, but I'm a little hesitant to post those as of yet. Once I get this up and running, that will be another focus of my dA account... at the start of the year, perhaps. There will be submissions aplenty this month, though, photography and drawing.

(Note... my first deviation was a drawing, one that I worked on so long, but since my joining, it hasn't gotten hardly any attention. If I may ask, look at it, and give me some tips, because I want to further edit and remaster it.) ---> [link]

And something that will be on the backburner for while... I've been brainstorming ideas and drawing drafts for my very own PixelID! I realize that everyone that has one is mostly a manga/anime artist, so I gotta wait until I get some good things up. I started digital art with Microsoft Paint, such a simple but powerful artistic tool, years and years ago, so I'll get back to my roots with this ID!

So those are just a few things I'm psyched about...

In other news... I'm gonna start searching for a music-sharing website so that I can post my own music for people to listen to! I make electronic music (like, techno and experimental music), and have produced at least 60 songs of varying quality in the past 14 months. I tried to submit a few songs last Summer here on dA, but I'm not one to settle for poor sound quality (anything under 192kb/s), so the files were way to big, and wouldn't even load inside the "submit deviation" page. I really want to show everyone my music, but another part of me is like "Photography and drawing is enough right now!" ... well, I at least need to find a site first.

Thanks for reading, and for your support in recent times. (Yes, that means, you, too, oh, one who is just passing through... that's where pageviews come from, and everyone knows that in the end, that's really the only thing that matters.)

Peace everyone.
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15824761/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15824761/ Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:30:04 PST
And now to posting new photos! I got my series of monochrome pics from my Yosemite trip posted. The photography walk that I attended was sponsored by the Ansel Adams Gallery, and for those of you who aren't acquainted with him... here's the official website of the gallery in Yosemite [link]

On the walk, I learned some of his photographic techniques, and tried to imitate him. Of course, none of mine are nearly as good as his, but he's one of the greatest photographic masters ever to live, really. So I'm on my way, then.

So check them out, and enjoy. [link]

Domo-kun says: "A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into."

(Wait... Ansel Adams said that!!!)

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15701031/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15701031/ Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:34:07 PST
I want to personally thank for giving me my 1,000th view, as well as for taking a commemorative photo of the event [link]

Domo-kun says: "Thank you for being ultra super, Poo7878! Domo domo!"

And of course I must thank my other most bestest friends for clicking links to HelloSamurai's profile [link] so that I could accumulate this much!


You people are my heroes!

Domo-kun says: "Thank you for being the greatest cool people ever! Domo arigato gozaimashita!"

And for news? Well, I already wrote about that, I guess. I'll be back Saturday for new submissions from Yosemite!

Also, over the next month, I'll be scanning my drawings and submitting them, most probably as scraps... but I'll get 'em up anyway.

Thank you and may the Force be with you.
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15683958/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15683958/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:17:16 PST
And now the news...

In other news, I'm taking one last vacation on Wednesday, and comin' back Friday, so I'll check in on Saturday. Where am I going for el vacation numero dos? Every photographer's dream, Yosemite National Park! And what's cool is that I live pretty close, too, so it's just a 3-4 hour drive!

I'm going to take part in a photography walk thing with a ranger, so I get to meet other photographers, as well. How cool!

And I've been playing lots of Resident Evil 4... and I'm totally hooked! Gyaaa! It's so freaky! I just got to the castle after killing Saddler. I'm so addicted. It's basically all I think about... I've even had dreams... but not nightmares, strangely...

All for now.
Hellosamurai_

Domo-kun says: "Resident Evil 4 is the best! Biohazard 4 ichiban desu Buy it! Buy it now and play it!!"

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15522643/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15522643/ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:52:56 PST
...by

So here goes... this is a cool one, actually.

RULES:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. NO CHEATING!
4. Tag 5 people.
5. Bold the questions and with the answers, give your own comments on how it relates to the questions.


How are you feeling today?
Mark of a Traitor - Nobuo Uematsu (FFVII).... hardy har har.

Will you get far in life?
Ben Kenobi's Death and TIE Fighter Attack - John Williams ... well, that's sad...

How do your friends see you?
Still More Fighting - Nobuo Uematsu ... now, that just doesn't fit me!

Will you get married?
Princess Mononoke Theme Song - Joe Hisaichi ... well, she is cute...

What is your best friend's theme song?
Just Like a Man - Way Out West ... I guess that fits...

What is the story of your life?
Solitary - VNV Nation ... Whaaa, that's so sad, kinda true, but that song is beautiful!

What was high school like?
The Turk's Theme - Nobuo Uematsu (some sort of trend?) ... that's pretty cool, not true at all, however, and I don't go to public highschool

How can you get ahead in life?
A Great Success - Nobuo Uematsu ... well well well, lucky me!

What is the best thing about your friends?
Kabalah (New Age Remix) - Astral Projection ... I didn't know they were Jewish mysticists...?

What is in store for this weekend?
An Emergency - Coil ...

To describe your grandparents?
The Battle in Front of the Ironworks - Joe Hisaichi ... yes, they were victorious warriors!

How is your life going?
Vertical Pig - Future Sound of London ... (no comment)

What song will they play at your funeral?
Encounter - Keiji Kawamori (from FFVII Advent Children) ... a very epic battle song... I really can't even stretch my imagination for that one.

How does the world see you?
Lady Eboshi - Joe Hisaichi ... now that's just wrong...

Will you have a happy life?
This Modern Love - Bloc Party ... guess that's a YES! w00t!

What do your friends really think of you?
Dancing Galaxy - Astral Projection ... I do like raving...

Do people secretly lust after you?
strotha tynhe - Aphex Twin ... (does not compute )

How can I make myself happy?
Talalan - PuffyAmiYumi ... by listening to J-Pop! That's how!

What should you do with your life?
Dreamstalker - Hybrid ... like a vampire... hehehehe

Will you ever have children?
Love's Secret Domain - Coil ... well... I guess so, then.

Lol, that was fun.
Hope you enjoyed it, and caught a glimpse of the very broad scope of my musical taste.

I hereby tag...

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15440994/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15440994/ Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:21:47 PST Fujifilm FinePix S700, and it's everything I want in a camera right now. It has a great macro mode (to get as close as 0.4 inches away from the subject), and has a 10x zoom, and it can take up to 7.1 megapixels! Now I can print my work at 8x10 and more! (I'm not sure about selling prints on dA... I'll look into that.) All this, and it was only $200! I saved $50 at ShopKo!

So up in Shasta, I got shots of the mountain from afar, on its face at sunset, as well as from the vantage point of a smaller adjacent mountain, Black Butte. And yes, I got many lake shots to boot... it was fun fun fun!

I'm quite busy with other things right now, so the submitting will be a little on the... chill side... not to worry, though. I have photos-a-plenty in store!

Peace out, y'all!
HelloSamurai_



Domo-kun says: "Fujifilm is an excellent company; buy their products! Fujifilm ichiban desu! Banzai!!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15397177/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15397177/ Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:04:48 PST
I'll talk with everyone then...

So farewell for now...

Peace out... HelloSamurai_


Domo-kun says "BYEEE PPLZ!! SEEZ YA L8T3R!!!!!1"

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15316604/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15316604/ Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:26:24 PDT . Don't worry, I was numbed with local anesthesia, so it only hurt when they pulled the tooth out. So I'm just chillin' now, eating very soft foods and all. I'll be fine...

In other news, I made one of those "plz" accounts for a funny avatar to use in conversation! This particular one is in homage to one of my favorite Japanese cultural icons, Domo-kun! If you are not acquainted with him yet, here's the Wikipedia article [link]

And here it is...

Made from scratch in Macromedia Fireworks MX!

I'm not really sure why I did this, but it was fun, and will continue to be fun as people use it.

So that's all for now. Peace out and stuff
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15222879/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15222879/ Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:30:45 PDT
My Canon Powershot A80 is fixed! Back online! The lens barrel extends, and then it stays there, allowing me to take photos! After searching on eBay for another camera, I returned to my room, examined my camera, and then my dad had a go with physical therapy... ya know, the usual smack on the casing, and then holding the lens in place to prevent its retraction... well, after a few times saying, "well, now its really broken..." the lens stayed out, and made no strange noises. I took pictures with it! Its been such a long time! Hahahahaha I'm almost hysterical right now! (I'm writing this journal just after fixing my camera)

I'm so incredibly happy right now... I can't wait to take more pictures and post them! w00t!

So then, umm, that's all.

Peace out! wooooot!!!
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15159230/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15159230/ Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:50:31 PDT

Rules:
1. You must answer all questions truthfully.
2. You must tag 5 people or more (I'm going to be a deviant and tag only 4 people... ya know, just to stick it to the man)


1. Add up the price of the clothes you are wearing.
40 dollars? Nah, couldn't be? I'm wearing a Fullmetal Alchemist shirt, which accounts for $20 alone

2. Add up the pageviews of all the accounts you own.
HelloSamurai... 751, the other that's going to be deleted soon... 19 What does that add up to? Let's see... *counting on fingers*... 770?

3. What have you eaten today?
An apple, a grilled cheese sandwich, some pita chips

4. Write the last thing you heard?
...rrrrrrRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAARrrrrrrrrrrrhhmmm mmm... (a passing car)

5. List 5 things you see next to you.
Printer, CD-R case, Hello Kitty, a USB cable on the floor, a kitchen

6. The first word that comes into your head?
Mochi

7. One funny thing thats happened to you today?
I attended an hour long taiko drumming class at a Buddhist temple... my first of many lessons!

8. Put your music player on shuffle. Click the skip/next song button 5 times. Whats playing now?
And One - Second Voice

Now... umm, I hereby tag and

Whereupon I will now make a confession... I made King-of-Snake for my digital art, but I have no commitment to that profile, so I never posted anything or really commented much after the first day. I'll be transferring two or the deviations belonging to that one to HelloSamurai. Heh, it was an experiment. And it wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be. I've only ONE identity!

On the other hand, I'm making one of those profiles for featuring avatars, and it honors one of my favorite Japanese cultural figures... Domo-kun! Once I have it up, you'll see it around...

So peace out everyone!
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15090913/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/15090913/ Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:56:16 PDT

So, I don't have my Powershot, but I can still use my dad's little point-and-shoot Sony CyberShot, which isn't so bad, because such photos as Auspicious Morning, Stoic, and many other shots taken last year (that info is provided on each deviation's page) were taken with that tiny camera. So I can still take shots, just not macro. Oh well. *sigh*

What I can do now is go through my hundreds and hundreds of photos and find the ones that I never got around to posting or manipulating. This is actually kind of good for me to look over what I've done thus far and evaluate my progress. I'm also in the middle of reading a book on general digital photography, and then after that, I have that macro book that I bought some time back.

I'm currently working on a new deviantID that's more like a promotional poster that features some new (old) photos that I'll be posting. I can't wait to finish it. Should be up in a matter of days.

Well, 'tis all for the moment. Peace out, y'all.

HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14959062/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14959062/ Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:41:29 PDT
But now the real news, and the subject of this journal...

My camera, a Canon Powershot A80, recently contracted a seemingly fatal error... the lens barrel extends, makes a little more noise that it should, goes back in, pauses, then makes dreadful mechanical noises before displaying a single message in the corner of the LCD display:

E18

...and that's all. It shows that for about 5 seconds, and then turns itself off. I was so scared, because changing the batteries didn't help. I looked it up on teh internets, just Googling "E18 canon", and got a massive blog on the so-called "dreaded E18 error".

Why, oh why... it seems no one knows the cause or the cure...

Now, I'm still trying to read up on how to fix it, but my camera is no longer under the one-year limited warranty (got it used on eBay). What emerged was a crucial decision: if my camera doesn't fix itself over time or by some fluke, then do I want to take it apart, fix it myself... or get a new camera?

I've been thinking about possibly getting a new digital SLR camera, because I've been getting into so many more applications that are becoming beyond the ability of my point-and-shoot camera.

So I have a question for all those reading this that can help me:

^w^ What kind of camera would you recommend? What kind do you have or know of? I'm really serious about furthering my photographic skills, especially in the fields of landscape and macro photography, and want something that has all the bells and whistles that one would need. Also, what manufacturer? Canon? Nikon?

Your input is very much appreciated!

Let me know!
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14803604/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14803604/ Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:07:27 PDT

I've been off for a while, but I have a lot of my schoolwork managed now, and so will be able to check in much, much more from now on. When that happens, I'll be talking about art, and not just my activity or lack thereof on dA. Seriously... I want to provoke discussion!

Well, I have been taking plenty of photos, so I have a fair amount that I'l post in the near future.

Good to be back, look out for comments, y'all! Peace!
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14704088/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14704088/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:41:18 PDT
I'm feeling quite humorless right now, an effect of just getting over (another) cold. It's also really chilly in my house... brrr...

I'll talk more later.

Guhh...
HelloSamurai

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14490440/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14490440/ Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:14:55 PDT Oh, well... Hmm... oh, I know!

I recently bought a book on macro photography, so once I’m done reading a different, general photography book, I’ll pick this one up, and brush up my macro skills. While I’m at it, I think I’ll buy an actual macro lens for my camera. My current camera, a Canon PowerShot A80, is equipped with a well-rounded lens that can zoom a bit, and uses a macro setting, which can take pictures from as close as 2 inches, which is, well, okay, I guess. It works. But I want to get closer! Ever closer! That way, the subjects are more ambiguous, and therefore, that much more interesting.

Hmm… I should start something for people to respond to, like a discussion question… or a quiz… I dunno. I’ll think about it.

Peace out!
HelloSamurai_

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14428033/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14428033/ Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:35:05 PDT day it is submitted!

Ya know, if I'm online...

Cheers people!
And peace out!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14413906/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14413906/ Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:58:55 PDT

I finished it after three days of work, 11+ hours spent overall. It's so awesome, I can't stop posing it! I got my first photo of it up already, and I'll have more to come, because I'm so proud! Enjoy, peoples!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14387500/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14387500/ Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:23:42 PDT those comments. I must thank all of you that gave such nice reviews, you people pwn!

Now, next course of action... comment on all of your excellent work! Right now the top of the screen says "61 [f***ing] deviations"! Holy cow...

By the way... OMG I got tagged! I'm bleeding! Get the Neosporin!

Yes, the kind tagged me, and I must give 8 embarrassing facts about myself. Here goes...

1. For three consecutive, recent years, I've dressed up as a cardboard box for Halloween.

2. I've never been to an anime expo.

3. I have a Chi Chai Mon-chan (Sanrio monkey character) sticker on my cell-phone.

4. I can only do one good drawing a day; I can only draw well at night.

5. My mom gave my hair a French braid once, and I looked like a girl.

6. A very pretty girl.

7. I LOVE J-pop and J-rock!

8. I still haven't beaten Pokemon Sapphire or Metroid Prime 2: Echoes...

...That's 8? Good. Hope you enjoyed it.

Laugh it up.

Heh. Yeah, funny.

Now, I guess this calls for a special emoticon...

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14368390/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14368390/ Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:53:45 PDT
I can't really think of anything more to say. I'll talk more later.

Peace

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14307205/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14307205/ Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:49:29 PDT
I'll just be chillin' there. I'll take more pics. I'll be back Saturday, and will report in to dA Sunday.

I'm drowsy from taking a decongestant. My sentences are simple, therefore.

Bye.

Peace out.

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14271885/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14271885/ Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:18:09 PDT
Yes, I took many pictures, not as many as I thought I would, but in all, I took... 183 photos. Believe me, I could have taken so much more, but I'm satisfied with the ones that I did take.

Another fun thing, it's my brother's 21st birthday today! w00t!
For his birthday card, I did a chibi rendition of him. I should post that!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14246684/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14246684/ Sun, 19 Aug 2007 20:54:39 PDT
Damn, I'm sooo tired... it's been one heck of a weekend...

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14177624/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14177624/ Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:25:54 PDT
So, I won't be able to submit anything new or reply to messages or notes... Sorry. But when I get back, I'll have a crapload of photography to share! Yeeah!

So, I'll see all you's later! Peace Out!

PS: the emotion list won't load, so I'm still amused, and that won't change until Monday.

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14134218/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14134218/ Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:51:11 PDT Deus-ex-Letum and DJ-Smexy!

You can choose your prizes...

Be it cake?...
Or a trophy?...

It really doesn't matter to me because they are only emoticons!
What? Really? Or perhaps I can help you with titles now, cuz I'm better at doing that for others' work.

I should do a contest again sometime. Something fun fun fun for everyone. Thanks for your time, all.

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14066791/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/14066791/ Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:34:14 PDT
People are liking my photos, but one thing that I know is not stellar is my deviation titles. I keep it simple; a few are okay, like "Aquatic" and "Dark Bridge", but the rest? I dunno. I really want to find a cool, contemplative title for "Seaport". The rest of 'em, too, I want to overhaul my titles so people will comment on them as well as on the photos themselves.

So... a little contest...

Tell me what titles you want for my deviations, and if I like any, I'll use them, and give their entrant a prize...

Like cake or a trophy

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/13955787/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/13955787/ Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:54:06 PDT
As for my chibis, they are coming in quite slowly (only one? Whaaaat?!), becuase they have to look good, not sketchy like the scanned ones on my hard drive. You'll them someday soon.

I wanna thank the few that helped me get started on dA, I bow humbly to you in reverence. *bow bow* Domo arigato gozaimasu! Domo, domo!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/13862595/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/13862595/ Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:15:14 PDT
First off: In the last year or so, I've gotten into manga-style drawing; first chibi, and now realistic characters. I'm currently working on trying to convert some of my chibi sketches to vector, but I'm doing a very slow job on that. I'm practicing some original characters for realistic drawings, as well, and that may take a little longer to get up.

Second: Photography. Last Summer marked my foray into the realm of digital photography. I've posted a few, but I have dozens more I want to edit and submit.

Uh, third: Any other medium with which I happen to make art. My first submission, Baby Sheegoth, is colored pencil and ink. I used to do more of that. I may get some sketches in my gallery, too. Whatever happens.

That's basically it. Now click on my deviations and comment on them! Thank you!

]]> ~HelloSamurai http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/13711267/ http://HelloSamurai.deviantart.com/journal/13711267/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:56:01 PDT
I do photography as well. You'll be seeing that.

I can't think of anything more to say -- I gotta make more art and post comments!!!

]]> ~HelloSamurai