http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:PiccoloAkira&section=today deviantART RSS for by:PiccoloAkira en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:14:51 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/28412164/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/28412164/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:19 PST Time to get used to sweaters and wool coats. But NOT time for Christmas trees, lights or music, yet! What is wrong with you people?!

(I love Christmas as much as the next person, if not MUCH MORE--but I don't believe in rushing the season so much that it's not special when the holiday actually arrives. Plus, I like Thanksgiving.)

In other news, I finally got to go to the sweet Japanese bookstore in midtown Manhattan during my trip to New York last week. Kinokuniyo, I think? I got an awesome 2010 calendar, a Haruhi Suzumiya light novel (yay!) and a cool little reference book on bonsai. Now that I've gotten over the grieving for my poor little Juniper bonsai, I think I'm ready to try another. And maybe tame the crazy growth on my money tree. Maybe I'll post photos (sometime in the distant future...these things take time!) if they start shaping up nicely.

I've also been doing a little more digital art work for a friend's flash game. Not the same game the secret agent pixel sprite was for, but the same developer. This time we're not doing pixel art, and it's a totally different theme. I think I'm a little more comfortable with this style, though. I'll post a link and some screenshot if/when it's closer to completion.

Life's been pretty hectic for the past couple weeks/months/year, but I think things are calming down...knock on wood. So I'm hoping to post something over the weekend (maybe). And work on that art request. I am taking a cookie decorating class at JoAnn fabrics on Saturday, so I need to bake some cookies before then, but hopefully that will result in something both pretty and delicious that I can show off in my scrapbook. Stay tuned!

Lastly, NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII CAME OUT ON SUNDAY. Does anybody have it?! I preorder it from Amazon in order to get a $10 voucher and free shipping, but that means I have to wait possibly until Thursday for it to arrive. ;-; Somebody tell me it's as awesome as I expect it to be.

Art requests:
I can't promise they'll get done in a timely fashion, but I'm happy to take requests. I promise they'll be done within 6 months max. Nothing too risqué though, plz.

-----------------------------
Upcoming Activity

Art requests:

To-Do list:
1. Art request - Status: 35%
2. Something digital
3. Post Cruz'In photos
4. Super Crazy Lemur Thing drawing

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/27911904/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/27911904/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:49:32 PDT
Now to figure out how to attach a strap. Securely. I'm really afraid that the mask is going to fall and shatter, or that the holes for the strap will crack. Argh. And then I need to work on my vest (I'm improving a vest I made a few years ago for the same costume...it was made entirely by hand, with very limited resources...I had to get very creative with the fastenings, which I tend to rectify before this Halloween). And arm guards! And shoes! Oh my.

I also bought a little sketchbook recently and have been toting it around to work and such. I've only started one doodle in it, but it's looking pretty cute (a Halloween Picc pic!), so maybe I'll finish it. And I have ideas for other Halloween Picc pics. Poor Picc's been collecting dust for a while...she deserves some attention.

Art requests:
I can't promise they'll get done in a timely fashion, but I'm happy to take requests, and I'll do my best to finish them eventually. Nothing too offensive, though, please.

-----------------------------
Upcoming Activity

Art requests:

To-Do list:
1. Art request - Status: 30% (yes, I did work on it!)
2. Halloween Picc pics see most recent deviation submission!
3. Fella's Halloween costume contest! (going to try going digital for this one) Missed it, unfortunately. When I sat down to work on it, I found that my tablet stylus was stuck in "click" position. Fixed it, but too late.
4. Post Cruz'In photos
5. Super Crazy Lemur Thing drawing

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/27289225/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/27289225/ Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:07:12 PDT
Old news, still relevant:
Art requests would probably be good motivation to get me drawing again, so if anyone out there would like to make a request or propose a trade, drop me a note (or comment here)!

-----------------------------
Upcoming Activity

Art requests:

To-Do list:
1. Art request - Status: 15%
2. Post Cruz'In photos
3. Some sort of random drawing, to practice a new pose, proportion and perspective...
4. Super Crazy Lemur Thing poster
5. Something digital

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/26515292/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/26515292/ Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:21:27 PDT
I was able to head back to Michigan for family birthdays, and also for Cruz'In, a great annual car show in my hometown. Biggest thing that happens there all year! And a pretty big event as far as West Michigan goes, as well. I took several photos, but the light wasn't very good, so they didn't turn out super well. I'll do my best to fix them up, and if they seem dA-worthy post-tweaking, I'll post them soon.

Still 2/3rds of the way done on that same drawing (fan art) I mentioned last month. I bought a proper wrist brace and have been taking steps to reduce the stress on my drawing arm/wrist/hand lately, so I hope to finish that up (or at least make progress!) this weekend while I have some free time. Edit: Finally done!

I also got my first art request ever this week, from ! She's a fellow Naruto fan, so I'll be attempting to do her OC justice, and maybe throw in a little Kakashi. Wish me luck!

Art requests would probably be good motivation to get me drawing again, so if anyone out there would like to make a request or propose a trade, drop me a note (or comment here)!

-----------------------------
Upcoming Activity

Art requests: ~mimikayuko:

To-Do list:
1. Finish fan art in progress
2. Super Crazy Lemur Thing poster
3. Post Cruz'In photos

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/25847084/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/25847084/ Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:58:04 PDT
4th of July weekend was excellent! Some great fireworks at a local park on July 3rd, with an impressive Grand Finale. Then we had a barbecue on the 4th. Kebabs, brats and hot dogs. And rocket pops and ridiculously sweet American flag cake. :3 And I bought a badminton set ($40, MC Sports, Franklin brand) for the occasion. It's free standing, nice quality net and okay racquets, but the birdies looked super cheap. Aaaaand they were. Broke 15 minutes into playing, so we repaired them with duct tape. -_- I want free replacements. (I know they're cheap, but it's the principle of the thing.) And then there were sparklers and more fireworks. I say every holiday is the best holiday when it rolls around, but seriously...does it get much better than barbecue and explosions?

This weekend is Art Fair on the Square! I'm very excited. I won't be as frugal this year, I think. I want something cool! Especially since I've ruined some of my planty decor...my faithful bonsai tree took a dive headfirst from a plant stand earlier this week and seriously damaged two of its trunks. Despite my best efforts to minimize the damage, it's not looking too good. =\ I know it's a stretch for an art fair, but I'm hoping I'll find a bonsai booth with some really crazy, unique trees. (Actually not that big of a stretch...there was a pretty huge variety of stuff there last year. Not your typical fair.) Or would getting another bonsai make my poor little money tree give up?

I was hoping to post a few drawings by the time I felt the need to write another journal, but I've been suffering from tendonitis, I think. My right wrist has been bothering me a lot, all the way up my forearm to my elbow. (I think it's tendonitis, not carpal tunnel.) Since I'm right-handed, it's been hard to do much work. Including typing. (It's starting to ache a little now, in fact.) My job is destroying my health. =[ My eyes, and now my drawing arm!

I'm about 2/3rds done with one drawing (all of the bits that are left are tricky!) and I have kind of a simple, retro picture in mind so I can mess with my new colored pencils. I've been wrapping the wrist when it acts up and might get a brace, so between that and ibuprofen, my arm's getting a little better, and I hope to pick up my pencils again this weekend. But I guess I might have to wait a little longer if I don't get that fancy new ergonomic mouse pad at work...

So in the meantime, have some classic car photos! I took these last month, at the Verona Hometown Days car show.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/24726371/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/24726371/ Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:54 PDT [here], and I uploaded a pretty sharp scan of my more or less fixed Kakashi drawing, which you can see [here].

I'm also about 1/3rd finished with a new drawing, but I just haven't had the time or energy to draw after work. Making dinner is hard enough. And it doesn't look like work's going to let up any time soon, either. If anything, I'm going to get busier.

Blah. *collapse* x_x Need help. And maybe some inspiration...something that'll motivate to make arts even when I'm tired and stressed out.
--------

Okay, yes, I know it's been almost a month since I whined about the above and well over a month since I got my scanner. I got some colored pencils and improved my latest bird drawing a tad. I'll upload that eventually, but it doesn't really look that much better, IMO. =[ Maybe it needs a pinecone.

Made a little progress on the drawing mentioned above (but not enough to really say it's more than 1/3rd done, even now), but I'm bad at drawing feet. And long, straight lines!

I do at least have a couple of new ideas bouncing around in my head, and of a different style than I've done before, maybe. One will hopefully be quick and loose enough that once I start on it, I'll actually finish. :3 Could be a stress reliever. The other's complicated, though, so we'll see if I ever start on it.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/24414017/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/24414017/ Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:32:32 PDT Should be here Monday! UPS tried to deliver it today, but I was out watching a kickball game. BECAUSE IT'S ZOMG WARM OUT.

So expect at least some resubmissions with better scan quality (and in the case of Kakashi, a non-backwards hand). And then I might be more inclined to submit new stuff!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/24246242/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/24246242/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:50:01 PDT
This would be easier if I could actually TRY the scanners beforehand. But retail stores don't even carry standalone flatbed scanners anymore, let alone have them set up for demos.

SOMEONE out there has to have an opinion on which to buy:
1. Canon LiDE 100
2. Canon LiDE 200
3. Epson Perfection V(insert number here)
4. HP something (or none of the above)

Every time I think I'm leaning towards one or the other of the LiDEs, I read something that makes me nervous and move back to the middle. ;-; I want a decent scanner (so none of the super quick scanners for basic copying, under, say, $55?). I don't need anything near professional, either, though. I mostly scan line art, and the occasional colored piece. I rarely scan photos (although I probably will a few times over the course of my life). I don't scan negatives. I don't really need a super high resolution, but I'm snobby enough that I wonder if I'll miss the 2400 extra dpi that I'd get on the LiDE 200 and lose on the cheaper 100.

So, to recap...HEEEEEEELP.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/22993138/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/22993138/ Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:28:11 PST
So far it looks like the best cheap scanners (<$100) are EPSONs, and I've seen the best over all (taking into account price and quality) is a Canon. I'm frugal, but I wouldn't mind shelling out a little extra for something that'll do a good job with my drawings and will stand the test of time. Any suggestions?

In other news, [KATSUCON] and swanky, nearly-free Marriott, here I come!

---
To Do List!
1. Fix Kakashi's hand and resubmit.
2. Inuyasha fan art.
3. Attempt Lunar Festival-inspired WoW fan art.
4. Attempt TF2 fan art.

That's a lot of fan art.

5. Draw something that isn't fan art.
6. Do a proper scan of my cardinal pastel and resubmit. If I find a scanner.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/21996269/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/21996269/ Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:57:38 PST
Holidays FTW!

Two things:
1. Check out a belated Halloween scrapbook post here: [link]
2. New deviation to come (yes of birds, no, not colored pencil) as soon as I get ahold of a scanner.

Edit: Still waiting on that scanner. You might see an updated/edited/considerably improved version of my Kakashi fanart sometime soon as well.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/21647247/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/21647247/ Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:50:30 PST
PARTICIPATION TIME!
If anybody's reading this:
1. Since I have developed a habit of drawing birds whenever I try using colored pencils, what type of bird should I attempt this time?

2. If you have a Mac and have tried CrossOver for games, how well do TF2 and Portal work? (I have the higher end 15" MacBook Pro as of early to mid-2007).

3. Should I finally get back on beating Zelda: Twilight Princess or Phantom Hourglass? Or Okami? Lost Winds, Pokémon Pearl? Start FFIII for DS, or buy the latest Ace Attourney?

4. Multiwinia, anyone?

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/21207599/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/21207599/ Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:51:35 PDT
Anyway, I don't like going outside in the morning. Or in the evening. Or anytime it isn't sunny, really. It's always super windy and it makes my nose feel like it's going to fall off. I've lived in the Midwest for all of my life (except part of the year during college, but New York isn't exactly tropical), but it seems way colder here than it was in Michigan.

So! I present you with an deviation to keep your head warm, WHILE being festive! Halloween is in three days, you know. Do you know where your costume is? (Crap, mine isn't done yet, now that I think about it. I'll post pictures when it is.)

I keep eyeing my Wacom and my pastels, but nothing has come of that yet. I would really like a big piece of art to hang on the wall behind my bed, and I haven't found anything long enough to look right. It'd definitely be cheaper to put something together myself and frame it, but I'm not sure the final product would be worthy of that prime wallspace...or the time and effort it'd take. We'll see. I need some practice, first.

Again, sorry for the lack of activity. I still check my devWatch every day.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/19222568/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/19222568/ Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:10:26 PDT
Thanks for all the favourites I've been getting these past couple months! Several have been on older pieces, too. That makes me happy. :3 And I don't deserve them because I've been so inactive lately. I'll be better soon!

No other art related news to report. I started a silly drawing of a group of my RP characters--well, Picc and a couple WoW avatars. I want to see if I can make my troll look less stupid than Blizzard made her look. I'm not sure where the drawing went though, so don't be surprised if you never see it. I MIGHT try my hand at coloring my SC picture with the Wacom sometime. If not, I'll try to motivate myself to break out the pastels.

I've been doing a lot of gaming lately. Just picked up Sonic Rush, which is surprisingly challenging. My Sonic skills have deteriorated. I've been playing a lot of Pokémon and WoW. (Just when I'd decided to turn the automatic subscription off, they announced level 30 mounts! Confound it. And my troll's nearing 40 anyway. ><; ) I really need to get back on Zelda. Both of them, though I'm more inclined to play Twilight Princess. Got Okami for my Wii and I've been watching Eternal Sonata on the Xbox. They're two of the prettiest games I've ever seen. Also, ROCK BAND 2 IN SEPTEMBER! W00T!

I recently got this [sweet Megatokyo poster]. I'm considering a mini-jukebox to go on my bookcase since full-sized ones that are in my price-range look stupid. Then I can still justify a piano. >:3 And I just got an awesome bonsai tree! It has a braided trunk and everything!

So that's about it. I'm alive and full of geekery, but not much art. I'll try to fix that, but even if I'm not posting, I am perusing your deviations.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/17247966/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/17247966/ Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:32:31 PST
No scanner here though, so it may be a while before I post anything. I haven't been feeling very ambitious about the Wacom.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/16448589/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/16448589/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:32:15 PST
I got a bit sidetracked. I finally quit my store job, had a holiday party to go to for that, and then my birthday sort of snuck up on me. So, happy birthday to me! I actually feel a bit older. I've also been trying to start looking into apartments and stuff near my new job, but I haven't made much progress. Besides the aforementioned good, a lot of crappy stuff has happened to me lately, so I've been in sort of a permanent funk. It's hard for me to draw when I'm in a bad mood.

I guess that is to say, I could use a prayer or two. I don't cope well with gloom.

Anyway, if I ever do start feeling creative again and finish that drawing, I would like to do some fan art of Moondoggie from Eureka seveN. XD I love his design. And then perhaps I'll finally get around to doing that Kakashi fanart I've been contemplating for a year now.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/16241626/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/16241626/ Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:45:01 PST
I had two job offers to consider during the holidays (although the second one wasn't official until the 28th, blargh). I finally made a decision, thankfully. I think I'll enjoy the job and the company, and while I'm not super thrilled about the location, I think I'll be making enough money to travel and visit my friends and family pretty regularly. Best of all, I'll be able to have a nice apartment, allll to myself. Other than the occasional video game splurge, I don't spend that much money, so I think I'm going to be able to save a whole lot while I'm over there. I always figured working hard and saving while I'm still young enough to do it, for a little while at least, would make the rest of my life easier. I'd be able to take care of myself and the person I love no matter where we ended up or what we were doing. Hopefully I'll still get that chance someday. Right now, I guess the best thing to worry about is finding a place to live. Erk.

I started drawing a bit yesterday, finally. (Applause, please.) I've had some time off from my current job, and now that I've made a career decision, I don't have that frantic stress keeping me from being creative. I didn't finish the picture, but I'll try to tonight. The main figure is done...I just have to finish the background type stuff. And you know how I hate backgrounds. I'll try to post it tomorrow sometime sometime in the nearish future.

Also! My digital camera died a while back, after I posted those classic car photos. Happily, I got a new one for Christmas. And it's quite nice. Much higher resolution, and while I don't really NEED all those megapixels, I assure you they're appreciated. Hopefully I'll find something to photograph soon!

Happy New Year, everyone! And also, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/15980239/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/15980239/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:19:47 PST
I just CAN'T. BLOODY. FIND. TIME. You know, to LIVE. Let alone sleep or really relax or take enough time to ponder possible artwork and create something. I've even got nicely fleshed out drawing ideas bobbling around in my brain juice. I just don't have the time or energy to DRAW THEM. ARGHBLEBLAGH!

Between working, job hunting, traveling and interviewing for implied jobs, doing test assignments to prove my mettle so I get HIRED for said jobs, eating and Christmas, I really don't have time for fun. I mean, I still relax or attempt to hang out with ~xxvash-the-stampede a little bit every now and then, but that time is actually time I'm taking away from the worky stuff. I need chill time not to go nuts, but every time I stop to breathe, I'm making the work pile up even more.

I'm sure things aren't as awful and chaotic as they seem right now, but I'm stressed the flark out. And I don't want to be. Because I LOVE Christmas. I like shopping for people, I love wrapping presents and looking at my nice pile of shiny boxes grow, and I love giving them away. And decorating! I love decorating!

Plus there are cookies.

So, you know. Life is ruining my Christmas, and if I barely have time for Christmas, I sure as hoolies don't have time to draw something. It makes me sad. =\ But do know I've been keeping an eye on my devWatch. Just because I'm not posting or commenting doesn't mean I'm not looking at your stuff!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/15426819/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/15426819/ Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:01:38 PST
I do still want to do another card prototype, but I don't know who it'll be of. Maybe it'll be a random character, if I can't come up with a design for my associates that seems interesting enough. I still have Naruto and Inuyasha and now Sonic the Hedgehog fan art on my mind (like my doll?) though, so we'll see. Actually, I'd like to draw Ed from Cowboy Bebop, and Gau from FFVI. Even after the success I had colouring my card digitally, I'm sort of not in the mood to mess with my tablet right now.

So I made it to second round interviews with the place I mentioned in my last post. They're flying me over and putting me up in a hotel. I'm scared to death. -.-;;; Need to brush up on my programming sk33lz. Add that to my normal work irritations and several small car issues that have taken WAY too long to resolve, and you've got a very stressed out Picc.

Anyway, in my quest to be a more active dA member, I'm wondering if I should try this kiriban thing out. I probably don't get enough traffic to bother, but I have been getting more hits lately than I used to. At any rate, since Cookie's doing it all the time, I figure maybe I should give it a shot. XD If anybody would even care to watch for a kiriban, let me know and I'll decide when it'll be.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/15301786/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/15301786/ Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:53:48 PDT *spacewolfomega's Carve-A-Pumpkin Challenge didn't hurt!

I had to take my pumpkin out of scraps in order to use it as my featured deviation, but in light of the holiday and getting second place, I thought I'd be festive. :3

Look for a prototype game card of ~phantazmagoria sometime in the next few weeks. Or at least a character design, since coloring is hard work. XD Between work and the hunt for a job in my field, I can't guarantee I'll be drawing soon, but I will try. (I just had my first phone interview this morning. Bleargh.) Also, I just got back from Chicago, and took a lot of photos. If any of them turn out, I'll be sure to post the cool ones!

Happy Halloween to everyone, and congrats to all the winners of the contest! And also, thanks to everyone who voted for me!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/14944401/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/14944401/ Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:35:01 PDT ~xXVash-the-Stampedex about working with me on some sort of game. I've already done two--OMG Zombies?! WTF and Awesome Nintendo Puzzle Adventure of Doom VII--but I'm ready to do something harder, with a more reliable and experienced group. And, more importantly, completely original art and sound. So last night I recruited ~Phantazmagoria to help me with programming, while ~xXVash-the-Stampedex is responsible for most of the artwork and graphics. Unfortunately none of us are super experienced with creating digital art, but we'll manage.

My original idea is some sort of card based RPG. Or if not cards, perhaps we'll use nifty character cards as a fancy way to show player stats. Who knows. Anyway, stay tuned for a prototype card. It'll be browser-based, too, so none of that incompatibility stuff for PCs and Macs. And we'll be sticking to the standards, so it should work in all browsers, not just stupid IE. It'll take awhile before we get anything programmed, unfortunately, because Phantazmagoria and I are weak with the PHP and really don't know how to use SQL. But we've all been bouncing around setting ideas, so xXVash-the-Stampedex and I should be able to post some Aconcept art every so often.

I vetoed the usual high fantasy business as there are already plenty of MMORPGs like that around. We're thinking something a bit futuristic. Or if not futuristic, then...cyberworldy. A little Dennou Coil. A little Ghost in the Shell. We'll see. That makes the issue of parties and factions and guilds and such a little tricky, because, for example, if you're a hacker...even if you're working with a team of hackers, you aren't physically GOING anywhere. And you might not even be in the same physical space. So how does one go adventuring with a group? Ideas?

Anywho, I was feeling enthusiastic after talking to Nick about all this this afternoon, so I decided to throw together a preliminary design for my character. (Because as the game creators, it is our duty to play the game and ensure its awesomeness!) I know the design is too complicated to use as a template for other characters...when creating an avatar, you need some generic sample poses, hair, faces, body shapes, clothing...etc. But it's something to work with. :3
---

At ~jerrygarcia's suggestion (thank you for the comment!), I did an entry for ~spacewolfomega's Carve-a-Pumpkin challenge! I put it in my scraps because I'm a little ashamed of my tablet work, but here's a link:
[link]
Check out his page and journal to see the other challenge entries. Happy October!
---

Make sure you pester these guys for some art!


]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/14891166/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/14891166/ Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:03:19 PDT
Speaking of, I just finished FFVI, except for the bonus GBA dungeon. Sadface. But I think I'll do some Gau fan art in memory of his awesomeness. I don't think enough people appreciate him. Of course, Phantom Hourglass will be in my grasp tomorrow, and I'm still working on Twilight Princess (although I haven't touched it in over a week, since I beat the Fire Temple), so we'll see how long my artistic aspirations last.

Last night I plugged in the tablet and made my first attempt at a real digital drawing. It was horribly painful and slow. I'm sooo bad at using it. I need to install the driver on this new computer before I do the linework, but just sketching took a bazillion years. The posture and probably the proportions are a bit weird, but it at least SORT OF resembles what I usually can sketch with a real pencil. I'm drawing my Puzzle Pirates pirate. She has sweet clothes. XD I still want to draw Picco, my WoW gnome eventually, and maybe a fall themed Picc pic...and there's always that Naruto fan art I never get around to. Anyway, stay tuned for at least some scraps of my tablet attempts sometime in the near future.

The rest of the Karas OVA is out in Japanese, or at least some of it is. It is FANTASTIC and I demand that EVERY ONE OF YOU watch it. I know you won't listen and very few people will read this anyway, but I feel it is my duty to spread the love.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/14327507/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/14327507/ Sat, 25 Aug 2007 00:08:16 PDT <;

I've been meaning to break out the pastels since I haven't used them at all this summer, or perhaps do some charcoals (!) since I started to like them towards the end of my art class this past spring. I would really like to do 3 pastels of flowers or birds or something to hang on my walls in place of some old framed posters, but I think I'm lacking inspiration. My walls are pale yellow and my curtains are light blue (blue and yellow quilt, yellow carpet, blue rugs...you get the idea), so the flowers or whatever I draw have to coordinate with them. I'd probably have to stay away from bright reds, oranges, pinks and purples. Pastel shades of those colors would work...if anybody has any great flora pictures or even just suggestions of plants or wildlife to try, let me know!

I have beaten New Super Mario Bros. for DS! I feel like I should do some Mario related artwork to celebrate at some point. But pastels would be appriopriate and I'd HAVE to color it. Perhaps this is an opportunity to really test my Wacom tablet skills for the first time. I've been steadily working away at FFVI Advance since then (with small breaks for Mario Kart DS and WiiPlay). I believe Gau is approacing level 40. The rest of my charactars are in the mid-30s. My friend Greg ( ~asillycrunch ), who bought the game for me (<3!) thinks I'm strange because Gau is my main dude. Don't get me wrong, Edgar and Setzer kick serious butt and are my second highest guys, but Gau is so unique and useful! And he knows more spells than anybody else right now. I'm trying to get Mog and his Yeti pal to catch up...well, I'm trying to get everyone to catch up, really. I like them, and I like Sabin and Cyan and Locke...and the girls are acceptable...Strago and Relm are cool too. Really, I like them all (whee Shadow!) and the problem is that there are too many of them to choose from, so some are bound to fall behind. XD Perhaps some FFVI fan art someday.

I've just finished Sense and Sensibility (Austen). I feel better about myself knowing I've read at least 3 classics, even if they are all Jane Austen. ...Well, I've probably read more than 3, but those are the only ones read by choice, and they aren't Shakespeare related. In between bouts of Cowboy Bebop manga, I will have to start rereading The Golden Compass. It's amazing, and I haven't read it since junior high, and I want it fresh in my memory before the movie comes out in December!

In the meantime, a scrap and a pretty car to look at!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/13721524/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/13721524/ Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:57:07 PDT
Anywho, after my last post, I started right away on a drawing of Picc in the Green Dragon, but I bit off more than I could chew. So much background and furniture and...perspective. I got about a third of the way through and quit. I picked it up again last night and finished both figures and the table, but most of the background is still blank and it needs cleaning up. It also contains a Snow, and I don't want to post it without her permission. But it'll probably be a while before I muster up enough energy to work on the rest of the picture anyway.

Once I got frustrated enough with THAT, I started on the little drawing of gold finches that I've just posted. I figured it'd be pretty stupid to draw finches and not colour them, so I gave it my best shot (couldn't find my good pencils, which was really irritating...) Practice for when I draw Picc the Gnome Rogue (my WoW character) if I ever get around to it--I'd like to color her, as her clothes were spiffy.

No, I'm not on WoW anymore, so if anybody's reading this, you might as well not bother asking about my server and such. I finally got around to doing th free trial. It was fun, but too tedious and time consuming for me to play long-term. And expensive. Did I mention expensive? My Wii was also expensive...but I HAVE ONE. WHOO! After nearly 2 months of searching, I finally found one! It was practically in my back yard. I felt pretty stupid about not checking Pamida, but...I guess I wasn't the only one who forgot about it. So now I've got Raving Rabbids and Wii Play and a few NES games to chew on for a while. But mostly I'm chipping away at the last bits of New Super Mario Bros. and happily stumbling through FFVI Advance. I <3 Setzer.

Other projects I've been working on are cleaning out my room so I can actually use my bookshelves and beanbag (done), redecorating a bit (finally found a place for my wooden fan and Miho poster from MegaTokyo!), and remodeling The Great Acorn Vault. The Super Crazy Lemur Thing site has been dismantled mostly (many of its components are still there, but you'd have to know the specific file names to get to them) and the index is now a blog. I think it's pretty...I made the wallpaper myself! Well...I can't take credit for the original pieces of artwork, particularly Ed, but I arranged them and modified them heavily and made all the textured background junk. Hurray for PhotoShop filters. Anyway, it's still under construction, but you can get to my games from there, as my i5 account is now gone. I'll redo the Super Crazy Lemur Thing site eventually. Anyway, you can check all of that out here: [The Great Acorn Vault].

P.S. Transformers r0x0r'd my s0x0rz. Harry Potter 5 wasn't bad either. But not really great.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/13054518/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/13054518/ Tue, 22 May 2007 18:05:10 PDT
Might do some more pastels this summer...I have a ton of charcoal, especially vine, but the paper I'm used to drawing with it on is massive and unscannable, and also...charcoal is way messy (yeah, I know pastels are messy too). I also have a rather large drawing of a project I did in April that I'd like to post, but I don't know if the photos of it turned out. If they did, expect to see that soon.

That's about it on the art front. Been very busy. Within the next two days, my shiny new MacBook Pro should arrive! I've been dinking around with the tablet a bit, but the only things I've got to show for it are these silly sketches of a ninja that we used in a game I worked in in February and March. (If anyone wants to give either of the games my team did this spring a try, leave me a comment and I'll link you.)

Been playing the DS like crazy and have beaten Phoenix Wright, am almost done with New Super Mario (although I've bogged down right at the end--trying to unlock all of the secret/alternate places), got ahold of a copy of Mario Kart, and am happily stumbling through Final Fantasy 6. This is my first time playing a Final Fantasy game other than a brief stint on Crystal Chronicles, and I really like it! I imagine the later games are somewhat different, but this one reminds me (huzzah) of Chrono Trigger, which is the only RPG I've ever finished and one of the few RPGs I've ever TRIED. I loves me my Chrono Trigger. XD

Other than that, not much has happened during this latest unproductive period on dA. I've been going through kind of a rough time for the past month, but in between tantrums and bouts of self pity, I'm my usual stupidly optimistic self. I figure things will work out eventually. And if not, I'll at least have a lot of beach time this summer.

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/12388171/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/12388171/ Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:57:44 PDT
I am alive, and I've been drawing, as promised. The problem is they're large, messy and charcoaly drawings, and therefore difficult to scan. Also, I don't have a scanner. That complicates things. I'd be a little embarrased to post most of those anyway...they're mostly experiments and exercises with different types of mediums and different types of drawing, and none of them are particularly good.

I drew a nude model for the first time ever on Tuesday, which was horribly awkward at first, but after I got used to it, I ended up producing some pretty interesting stuff. I prefer drawing people to interiors and exteriors (I only like doing exteriors if I have pastels in hand), so I had a lot more fun. I'd post some of those, in scraps at least, but again, they're huge. They're also loose sketches in vine charcoal, so I don't know if they'd look like anything but mess if I managed to scan or photograph them.

On the bright side, I finally found my Shikamaru/Kiba drawing, so I'll post that if I can borrow Steph's scanner sometime soon.

Exciting things: I just got a GameCube. For free. I know, why now? There's a Wii to be had that's backwards compatible! But that's why I got it for free...the friends that owned it got Wiis (they were sharing it) and knew I was going to get one eventually, but they didn't think I'd survive until then. So! I just got Super Mario Strikers for it and I'm keeping an eye out for the essentials, like Melee and Mario Kart. I think I'll only buy one controller and memory card for it though...Nick's got a GC and that's where I usually play, and he's got all the games already. XD The GC is a multiplayer sort of thing. Also! I'm getting a new laptop soon! This old PowerBook is actually starting to fall apart (the E key broke! I NEED that key!), and while I was able to temporarily replace the keyboard, it's time for something bigger and faster. So! 15" MacBook Pro with glossy screen, here I come!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/11293473/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/11293473/ Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:49:04 PST
Anyway, I know it's been a long time, but here's a new drawing! And it's not quite as fanarty as my most recent submissions! (If you prefer fanart, then ignore what I just said and focus on the fact that it's a StarCraft unit.) It's more in my old style as well. Sometimes I need a break from the quest for 1337 anime/manga sk33lz. I hope this ghost will help you forgive me for being lazy for the past 4 months.

I got a shiny new Wacom Graphire tablet for Christmas! I'm very bad with it at the moment...I can't even sign my name straight. But I will practice, I promise. I'm hoping to be able to use it to "ink" some of my old drawings and color them digitally--being able to draw straight from the tablet is too much to hope for, I think. But maybe someday.

My resolutions for the year do include drawing more, although I rarely make or keep resolutions. XD But, I will be taking a drawing class starting in a few weeks, rather than the jewelry-making and painting classes I'd been hoping for. I hope it'll be fun and not intimidating and evil. Gah.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas full of loot, and a rockin' New Year's Eve/New Year's Day full of partying and bubbly.

---
has newish stuff up! Go make him post more!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/10703337/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/10703337/ Sun, 12 Nov 2006 16:32:43 PST
I DO have finished drawings! I'm pretty proud of my rendition of Kiba, and I'd LIKE to post it and get your opinions, but I have no scanner. I've also been absurdly busy, so I haven't yet found time to hijack someone else's scanner.

Anyway, other than the Shikamaru and Kiba drawing, I probably won't be posting anything until late December. I'll try to make up for it then if I'm not too busy kicking butt. I should at least get a couple drawings or something done between December and January. I also may be entering the excitingly shiny world of jewelry and metalsmithing (omg), so it is POSSIBLE...that you will see some photos of that stuff...but probably not until early-mid 2007. Muh.

Anyway, yes, I'm alive. Sorry I haven't updated this or posted anything or commented on anybody's stuff. I AM here and I am looking at your deviations!
---

has a scanner now, so he has no excuse not to post stuff! Start harassing him!

]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/9715901/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/9715901/ Sun, 13 Aug 2006 17:20:38 PDT Mood: yaarrrrr!
Reading: Fried Eggs with Chopsticks: Around China By Any Means Possible - Polly Evans
Listening to: Asterisk - ORANGE RANGE

Again, haven't updated in forever, so here I am.

Look, more fan art! I've been doing this for practice, like I said, but the other (main) reason is because I haven't been creative enough to think of something original. So since I've been downloading a lot of Naruto manga and anime lately, expect a Kiba or Shikamaru or Kakashi (or all 3) drawing before the end of the summer.

I have started thinking about a new Picc pic, but it would require me to grind the rust off my old elementary school horse drawing sk33lz. I'm not sure I'm prepared to do that. Also, I'd have to experiment with drawing armor, and my only attempts at that have been disastrous. I'm afraid my recent revival of Castles: Siege & Conquest (CLASSIC! go download it and play now) has made me all about the knights and armor stuff.

I knooow, I know. I said I'd color. But I haaaaate the way they turn out! ><;; And I'm lazy.
---

has a scanner now, so he has no excuse not to post stuff! Start harassing him! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/9022189/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/9022189/ Fri, 09 Jun 2006 20:15:52 PDT Mood: yaarrrrr!
Reading: Sorcerer Hunters, Negima! and Trigun Maximum
Listening to: Hybrid Rainbow- the Pillows

Figured it was time for a new journal entry, since it's been almost 3 months.

~xxvash-the-stampedex and ~debirusilverwolf went to ACen without me, as I was in the process of leaving New York but not yet relocated to Michigan. Jealousy. Nick got me Fred of Megatokyo's autograph! And a sketch of Piro. I was somewhat excited at the time, but I appreciate it far more now, as I've finally read the comics. XD I'd only seen a few until I got back here in May. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read Megatokyo now. Largo and Junpei are my heroes. (Actually, I was going to interview co-creator Rodney Caston for an article on 1337 last fall, but the assignment got scrapped, so the interview never happened. He's nice though.)

Speaking of scrapping things, I've been DLing Scrapped Princess, thanks to Box Torrents. It's really good, and not so odd/obscure/baffling that non-hardcore anime fans would get scared off. It's got your medieval fantasy thing going on, mixed with what appears to be sci-fi, although I'm not far enough into the series to know for sure. But it SEEMS like there's some lost technology/robot type stuff lurking in the background. We'll see. Anyway, that's why Shannon-san has shown up in my gallery.

Keep an eye out for some actual colour drawings this summer, assuming I remember to get Nick to show me how to use coloured pencils properly. Right now I'm too lazy to even fathom doing another pastel, but you never know. Maybe by August I'll have dug them out. And who knows? Maybe I'll make a crazy attempt at painting!

But probably not.
---

has a scanner now, so he has no excuse not to post stuff! Start harassing him! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/8162052/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/8162052/ Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:07:45 PST Mood: w00t! vacation!
Watching: Overhaulin'
Listening to: Perfect Situation - Weezer

Whoooo, scannage! I breezed through my latest programming task, so since I'm back in Michigan for a while, I decided to fire up the ol' Epson Perfection and post some stuff. I finally rescanned the original Picc's Weapons drawings (Cool Picc With Swords) which you really ought to look at now that it's clean and pretty by going [here]. I'm setting it as my featured deviation for a bit in hopes that visitors will notice. I'll probably feature one of my pastels later this month before getting nostalgic and digging out Madison again.

In other news, I found and scanned the second weapons pic. It's some sort of...stick weapon. I THINK that's called a glaive, but I could be wrong. One of you smart people out there ought to comment and tell me the proper name. I'm going to start rummaging around here and see if I can find the tribal costume drawing from January that I still haven't posted.

Still watching Bleach, Eureka 7 and Karas. No fan art or series-inspired drawings yet. I'm too busy trying to finish those prelim character sketches so I can show them off. Name suggestions? I need both male and female names.
---

has a scanner now and finished artwork, so he has no excuse not to post stuff! Start harassing him! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/8023302/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/8023302/ Mon, 27 Feb 2006 22:52:34 PST Mood: feh (I'm cranky from being overworked)
Watching: Eureka 7
Listening to: Shounen Heart - Home Made Kazoku

God, I'm lazy. I still have one complete drawing of Picc showing off one piece of her weapons collection. I drew it in December, perhaps. But have I scanned it? Yeeeeah, no. No I haven't. Stupid me. I haven't scanned the strange tribal looking outfit drawing either. And now I'm working on the preliminary sketches of a new set of characters. I really like the way they're turning out so far, so once these are done, I WILL scan them. I promise. They're fantasy characters, but they're a little unusual compared to the typical original fantasy characters one finds. (One pays homage to Nue from the Karas OVA, if anyone knows who that is.)

I'm always reluctant to post new drawings after I've posted a pastel, anyway. The pastels are so much prettier. That doesn't make sense, does it? I like my colourful pieces, and yet I refuse to colour my drawings. Durh. Anyway, the logical solution would be to set a pastel as my featured deviation, but I'm so attached to the Madison drawing (which, I admit, isn't very good) that I don't want to change it.

I've been watching a lot of Eureka seveN lately, so don't be too surprised if you start seeing some pretty strange new outfits, boarders or even *gasp* mechas in the nearish future. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/7492887/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/7492887/ Mon, 02 Jan 2006 20:26:42 PST Mood: happeh
Watching: Family Guy
Listening to: Stalker - the Pillows

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I ought to be updating like mad, what with the free time, scanner and camera at hand. But then again, festivities come first! I got some pretty cool stuff, including a new mini printer. And Quidditch goggles. YES!

Okay, so no Picc's weapons series yet. I've finished one, and intend to rescan the swords pic, but I left them in New York. Oops. I'm starting on a third, but I keep losing interest. I've also got two short stories that I'm considering posting, but paranoia is telling me that my fragile ego might be wounded by the critics that don't visit my DA page. XD

That just means I've been to lazy to edit them for posting.

I'll leave you with this, stolen from *namekangelivy.

6. Your Detective Name
(favorite animal + name of high school)
- Lemur Montague. Gahahaha

P.S. My birthday is January 13. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/7186665/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/7186665/ Wed, 30 Nov 2005 15:03:52 PST Mood: whooo
Watching: Code Lyoko
Reading: Your Horoscope for Today

Well, almost 2000 pageviews. I had 1999 when I started writing this, so you never know.

I posted! It's the first drawing I've put up in a while, but I figured I'd scan one of the ones I managed not to forget about and actually finished in time for my 2000th pageview. That way, it'll be a REAL pageview instead of some random friend dropping by my gallery just to see if I've gotten off my lazy rear and done anything.

I intend to start a series of Picc drawings (actually, I've already started). They'll probably be B&W like usual...I'm still not a big fan of colouring my stuff. Anyway, it'll be a weapons series, so when I get around to it, I'm going to rescan and/or clean up that picture of Picc with her rapiers and repost it with the rest of the series.

Anybody have any art requests? I don't post much, but maybe if I had a mission, I'd be more motivated! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/6964245/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/6964245/ Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:23:00 PST Mood: meh
Watching: The Sandlot
Reading: The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern

Allergies, cold, whatever. I feel like poop. Thank goodness for NyQuil.

Halloween was fun! And I wasn't sick. In fact, that whole weekend was fun. I can't post all of my photos for, uh...security reasons. But I'll post a few. I looked pretty silly, but it was still fun making costumes and dressing up. And I was recognized! w00t! Anyway, if you wanna see a few photos of the costumes and parade, look in my scraps.

Also posting a few cool photos from my trip to Denver this summer. I have a drawing or two finished, but no scanner, so that'll have to wait.

By the way, if anybody plays SC or WC3 on b.net and wants an extra teammate or opponent, let me know!
---

finally updated! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/6274847/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/6274847/ Thu, 06 Oct 2005 18:44:28 PDT Mood: shibby
Watching: The Wedding Planner
Reading: Ranma 1/2

No, I'm not dead or anything. I'm just busy and back in NY. You may or may not see some Super Crazy Lemur Thing art soonish, depending on if I can get it onto my computer without causing too much damage.

Oh, and of course, there will be the crazy Halloween pictures. Probably. I'm making a cloak for Nick. I hope it turns out well. x_x;;

This is awesome. Check out I Survived the Hurricane and stare your heart out.

I think I should post some of my terrible poetry here someday. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5621968/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5621968/ Tue, 02 Aug 2005 21:19:03 PDT
Mood: pretty good
Reading: The Cat Who Went Bananas

Well, I finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and screamed. I've also finished Grim Tuesday and Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom series). Drowned Wednesday was pretty sweet, and a pretty big improvement over the first two books, which were just okay. Looking forward to Sir Thursday. I'm waiting for the library to get the other Nix books I ordered. I want to reread Sabriel (which is FANTASTIC, if you haven't read it or heard of it) in preparation for reading the newest book in Nix's "Abhorsen" series, Across the Wall, which should be superb.

I've continued watching Suzuka, which is growing on me. I like it pretty well and have a lot of sympathy for the main character. It's got its funny moments and its touching moments. Even if you're not crazy about sports, you can probably appreciate this anime, unless you need a lot of hardcore action/adventure. You can find Suzuka [here].

Well, I finished my Namek contest entry and sent it in on the deadline, but I haven't heard from The Creative Namek lady, so I dunno if or when you'll be able to see it and vote. =\ I reckon if I don't hear anything within a week, I'll just post it on here. In the meantime, I'm finally working on a pastel! I've got it sketched and sometime this week I'll start putting in the background colour and blacking in the lines (I think I wanna dig around a bit to find my charcoal pencils...) u.u;; I hope it turns out!

To do list:
SSBM fan art
Chibi Nameks
pastel of rainy Japanese bridge scene ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5428142/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5428142/ Sun, 22 May 2005 09:46:35 PDT
Mood: church is too early
Listening to: Wipeout - The Safaris
Reading: the inside of my eyelids

I got to eat ribs last night! It was heavenly. I've also visited almost everybody I need to, minus Beth and Aron. Oh, and Sammeth. ¬.¬ Imma capture me a Nicholas and put him in my gallery soon.

I have London pictures to post, I think. I haven't bothered to get them off my camera and inspect them for postworthiness, but sooner or later, I'm sure one or two will show up. My next order of business is Kakashi, with or without Shikamaru. Also, SOMEONE owes me a kiriban. You know who you are.
***

Get your pretty anime goodness [here]! He posted new stuff! Drop by [this dude's page] and encourage him to do new stuff. Been ages since he's posted. And [Noodles] has some of the coolest...um...what does one call them? Digital art of the awesome variety? Anyway, it's sweet. Go look.

To do list:
scan Mr. Friendly Wingless Gargoyle Dude
Shikamaru and Kakashi fanart (UNsketched)
London Eye photos

Vague ideas:
Cowboys and Indians
the two most beautiful things in the world ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5255600/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5255600/ Mon, 09 May 2005 13:05:14 PDT
Mood: I hate working
Listening to: Splendid - Fono
Reading: British Painting: the Golden Age

Five days until I'm swept off to Heathrow. Five days until I'm in New York eating at BBQ and buying cupcakes! Six days until I'm in Michigan and have a proper bathroom with a proper sink and have a proper bed. And one week exactly until I get to see the ever handsome Nick. That...is awesome.

Less awesome is the horror known as this evening + Tuesday + Wednesday. Thank goodness it'll pass quickly, but I'm going to be grumpy as hoolies (if I'm not already) by the time it's over. I also broke the freezer door off and will likely be forced to pay for it. I won't do it though. That refridgerator/freezer was a piece of crap to begin with and it was only a matter of time before it broke. I wasn't even yanking on it! It fell off in my hands when I was trying to close it! Graaaagh, I hate this apartment. Anywho, Imma try to go see the London Eye on Thursdsay with the money I'll be getting Wednesday. I hope. I owe it to myself since I didn't get to go to Dublin!

***
So yeah, probably no new stuff until I'm back in Michigan, unless I get a chance to scan this random drawing I did of a gargoylish type fellow. He's cute. So now I will continue to pimp other people! Pester [this guy] to get his rear in gear. I knoowwwsss he has things he can post. Also, drop by [this dude's page]. His gallery is small, but he's got some shibby 3D stuff to goggle at. And [Justin] should be ashamed of himself for being all funny and talented and stuff at the same time. It isn't fair to the rest of us.

To do list:
scan Mr. Friendly Wingless Gargoyle Dude
Shikamaru and Kakashi fanart (UNsketched)
HIPPOS, goddangit

Vague ideas:
Cowboys and Indians
the two most beautiful things in the world ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5195250/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5195250/ Tue, 26 Apr 2005 14:05:10 PDT
Mood: w00t
Listening to: Walk This Way
Reading: your mind

I depart from the UK for the States in approximately 17 days. How do I feel about this after living in London for 4 months? Eh. It's a lot better now that it's spring. For one thing, they have ice cream trucks. I know a lot of places in the US still do, but where I am, whether it be Michican, New York, Florida or New Jersey, there are never any ice cream trucks. They make me so happy, though. Not only do they play happy music, but they're full of ice cream. You can't beat that.

The parks are more worth your trouble now too, since the snow fences are down, the fountains are up, and the flowers are out. Speaking of parks, Michelle accidentally ended up in a few paparazzi photos of Gwen Stefani last week. Gwen sat down by her at Primrose Hill or something. Weird.

Anyway! That all amounts to: I kinda like it here better. But I'm very happy to be going back to Michigan. That's still home, as fond of New York as I am. (That doesn't mean I'm not going to make the most of my short stay in New York, between London and Montague. I intend to eat at BBQ!)

*sniff* My my free week subscription's almost up.

To do list:
continuation of the rainy Outside the Green Dragon series
Shikamaru and Kakashi fanart (sketched...sorta)
Kyuzo fanart
HIPPOS, goddangit ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5150738/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5150738/ Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:39:14 PDT ---

Mood: ...*blinkblink*
Listening to: Asterisk
Reading: your mind
Watching: Cowboy Bebop

O_o; So I drop by my devART page (for the second time today, mind you, although it was probably pretty early over in the States the first time) and instead of my familiar DA page, I get a "CONGRATULATIONS!" I've gotten a free weeklong DA subscription for no reason. Cool. Anybody else get this?

Anyway, I have no idea how to use this stuff. And I have no shibby poll ideas, if I get to use that feature.

I, um...have no scanner here and nothing finished to scan Tuesday. I've got a few works in progress though.
---

To do list:
continuation of the rainy Outside the Green Dragon series (in progress)
Kyuzo fanart
Shikamaru and Kakashi fanart
HIPPOS, goddangit! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5069685/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/5069685/ Tue, 12 Apr 2005 13:00:13 PDT
And then! One day, a group of girls vacationing from Michigan stopped by the grocery store. Most of them had never been met an Indian grocer, and the store was smaller than even Montague Foods (and for a grocery store to reside in Montague, it must not be very big). The owner was very friendly and gave them all free mango juice, but one girl with shaggy (but slightly spiky) brown hair, who didn't like mangos OR juice, wandered off to the produce section instead. Like the coconut, she was a bit lonely, even though she was with a big group of people just like herself. She was too skinny to squash anyone, but they certainly squashed her a lot.

The brown haired girl spotted the crate of coconuts immediately. She'd always liked coconuts because they had shaggy brown hair too, and looked like miniature bowlings balls. (She liked to bowl.) She'd also seen a coconut that had been decorated, wearing a hat and an eye patch, to look like a pirate. That had scared her though, as she was little and it was missing teeth.

The brown haired girl decided to buy the lonely coconut. She named him Roger and protected him from the other girls, who wanted to eat him.

Some people just don't understand coconuts.
***

To-do list:

post Rome photos

new Picc pic (Okay, so that wasn't on the list in the first place.)

bananas (and Picc)...in the form of a drawing

an attempt at Mugen

either Kyuzo or Shikamaru

more hippos!

Go see the new stuff! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4932621/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4932621/ Fri, 01 Apr 2005 10:21:59 PST To-do list:

post Rome photos

bananas (and Picc)...in the form of a drawing

an attempt at Mugen

either Kyuzo or Shikamaru

more hippos!

new Picc pic (Okay, so that wasn't on the list in the first place.)

***

(abbreviated Rome summary)
Rome was cool. Parts of the city were beautiful, like the historical and touristy bits that were always crammed with people, but other parts were just sad. Everythiing is crammed into a city that you can honestly walk around and see everything in a few days, so it's kind of dirty and there's graffiti EVERYWHERE.

Anyway, it was really warm and I got some cool stuff for myself as well as a buttload of postcards, a ridiculously overpriced PRINT of a very pretty watercolour and a small present for Nicholas. The two B&Bs weren't bad, I had fantastic tortellini in alfredo sauce, and I ate a lot of gelato.

***

I really need to visit the London Eye and the Tower sometime before I go back to the States. I reeeaaally really really wanted to buy pastels at the groovy art store I visited in Rome, but I restrained myself, 'cause then I'd have bought paper too and it was expensive and I'm poor and blah. Anyway, that means no pastels 'til this summer. Have I even posted any of that stuff on here? *makes a note to check out her own gallery*

Someone buy me [this lady's] book. She's my hero. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4862528/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4862528/ Sun, 20 Mar 2005 11:39:48 PST
It's been so warm here the past few days that I'm regretting not bringing anything in the way of spring clothes. But that just gives me an excuse to throw my money away in Italy. Maybe it'll be cheaper there?

My first try at Vash has been posted (despite the scanner's destruction of my shading) in honour of [this guy's] pageview landmark, so go LOOK AT IT, goshdangit.

I have York photos that I'll post eventually, but probably not 'til I'm back from Rome with even MORE photos. I'm considering trying more anime fan art (specifically Kyuzo and Heihachi from Samurai 7, or Mugen from Samurai Champloo), but I also want to do a new Picc pic. Decisions. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4550522/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4550522/ Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:00:44 PST
Before THAT crazy funness, I have a crapload of work to do (2/3rds done, however) and theeeennn I get visitors and a more or less free trip up north to York and Windemere. Yorks all tourist attraction-like, for some reason. And Windemere is supposedly beautiful and in the lake district, and has Beatrix Potter and Laurel and Hardy museums, so I'm happy. Also going to see Phantom of the Opera and possibly the Lion King, British style.

The point of all this was to get your hopes up for photos, since that's what everyone seems to like. o.O; I've been drawing, but I never seem to finish them before I lose interest. That, and it's even harder to photograph pencil drawings than it is to photograph pen, so even if they weeeeere finished, the lines don't show up well. Never fear. I'll figure something out.

WAS working on another ink drawing including the neglected Piccolo, but I lost my pen, so that's on hold. Also, I joined another Namek fan club here on DA. So visit [that], and [this].
]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4281868/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/4281868/ Wed, 26 Jan 2005 05:52:44 PST Jan. 14: So I failed [him] with the uploading thing, but that's 'cause he didn't give me any new ones to scan/photograph and I didn't have time to look through the ones he's given me in the past to see if there were any that aren't already in his gallery. Sorry!

Jan. 26 or something: Take a look at the few Canterbury pics I thought were worth posting if you haven't already. If anybody's interested in seeing the rest, lemme know and I'll link you to ye olde Acorn Vault in the Sky.

Working on another Gorey rip-off. I dunno, I was feeling dark and crosshatchey, plus I was bored. Not entirely sure when I'll finish that, but maaaaaaaaaaybe tonight. Then I hafta figure out how to get it on my computer. I'll try photographing first, 'cause bringing it here to scan is a pain.

After a fairly successful grocery shopping trip, I'm feeling slightly less hostile to London in general, but not to my flat. We hates it. I really should have taken a picture of my laundry. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3872963/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3872963/ Sat, 20 Nov 2004 13:36:19 PST
Needless to say, I never ended up entering the latest Clan contest, but whatever. Maybe I'll get around to it next time. Proooobably won't be doing much in the posting of drawings/pastels starting January (not that I have been anyway) as I will be in London, but hopefully that'll provide me with ample photo ops. Right? Right. Must carry camera around more.

And if I don't forget, I'll be scanning some stuff for
this here fellow in the coming week.


Edit: OH-EM-GEE!!!!11!oneoneone I have 1000 (and one) pageviews. FINALLY. ::CHEERS!:: ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3542986/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3542986/ Fri, 08 Oct 2004 14:24:03 PDT
Grawr, I'm hungry.

Anywho! You may see some new stuff soon, thanks to [this] new fanart contest, courtesy of Clan Daimaou. I don't know if I'll actually end up entering, but it's inspired me to try a rather large and complicated tribute picture. We'll see if I follow through. If I DO enter, it'll be a while before I can post the drawing here, but someday...soooomeday there'll be new stuff here.

-.- I like this apartment, but regardless, I want to move. FAAAARRRR FAR AWAY. kthx
---
]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3352761/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3352761/ Mon, 13 Sep 2004 06:49:04 PDT
I still have no idea if that anime con is called JAFAX or JAPAX, but I've almost definitely decided on Haruko from FLCL. If I cosplay. -.-;; Indecisive.

Most importantly, September 19 is International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Thustly...be usin' proper pirate speak when ye comment, scurvy bilge rats! ARRRRR! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3212676/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3212676/ Wed, 25 Aug 2004 18:51:17 PDT That's too bad, 'cause I like taking pictures. *hugs her camera*

My banana tree entry for the Kokomo contest is posted for anybody who hasn't seen it! "Torture by Tropical Drink." Comedic ebulness. It didn't even place in the top three for the contest, but that's okay, and I didn't expect it would. I think I might start drawing more banana/palm trees. I like them. Banana trees and hippos.

Edit: Oh oh! I've decided to go to an anime con next summer. JAFAX or JAPAX or sommat...in Allendale. So (here's where we get interactive):
-Do I lower myself and cosplay? (I say lower because I've seen far too many horrible cosplay pics online. x_x Don't hit me Vickster!)
-If so, what do I go as? ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3068246/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3068246/ Mon, 09 Aug 2004 21:02:58 PDT
I would like to take this opportunity to do something very un-Picclike--nope, nevermind. Can't do it.

Voting ends Aug. 14! Go go go!

I'll still post my entry after the winner is announced, 'cause I lurve it. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3028903/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/3028903/ Mon, 02 Aug 2004 21:28:52 PDT here! To vote, you just click the link posted in any entry's description and it'll take you to a page where you can choose the title of the piece you like best and vote for it. -.- I know I'm not supposed to tell which entry is mine, but the title of my drawing on deviantArt is different from the title on the vote page, but you'll be able to figure out which it's supposed to be, I promise. Especially if you read the description on the deviation.

Yes, yes, so go vote!

---
Edit: Just so I don't have to reply to all 3 complaints, I'll do it here. In apology to "the clan lady," I was genuinely excited that it only took 2 days to get the entries posted, thus the "YAY!" I can see how that would be misconstrued as sarcasm, as I also commented on the few entries, but I'm familiar with the slowness of most contests, so if you please, don't think I'm belittling your efforts. I merely thought that with as many people on the membership list, more folks would have submitted, and that's why I was surprised at the excitement over 10. (Granted, I didn't expect everyone to participate, but I figured, since they're all artists...yanno.)

Oh, I'm also very sorry to hear about your grandmother. I just lost my grandfather, so I imagine things are pretty rough right now. =\ ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2960853/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2960853/ Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:10:25 PDT
<--Vote vote vote! ...In a week. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2937609/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2937609/ Wed, 21 Jul 2004 23:19:45 PDT
My knee is KILLING ME. Rargh. I feel so old. Except the prolonged stay in Michigan is simultaneously making me feel very juvenile, as that is how I am treated when at "home." Yes, it has quotes now, because it's wearing on my nerves and therefore deserves punishment. Um. I need to stop playing StarCraft. ...If anybody feels like a good comp stomp or game of paintball (or a team game, as I am too mediocre to attempt a game against someone good) look for me in USA East, same user name as...here. Everywhere.

Eeheehee, my demon cat is sitting on my foot and it tickles. x_X;;
-----
*Edit: oh, for anyone who's interested and not part of the clan, here's the [contest] I've been babbling about, rules and lyrics and all.


¡Ciao! ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2842608/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2842608/ Fri, 09 Jul 2004 15:52:53 PDT
In other news, I'm bringing a much newer, faster, shinier computer back with me when I return to New York (*jig*), and while it's a laptop rather than a desktop, with the addition of a REAL mouse, and possibly even a scanner (though that'd be old and crappy), my updates won't suffer for leaving Michigan. Even without my own scanner, I'll have better access to one when I get back than I did before I left. w00t! Ahem, thanks Nikoo. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2790618/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2790618/ Fri, 02 Jul 2004 20:03:40 PDT

drawing of Piccolo dropping acorn bombs from a tree onto Satsujiness's head, as requested by Ryan

---

The need for that charcoal of my grandfather and me has passed on...Perhaps I'll do it anyway, but not right now. It makes me sad. In other words, I'm spending every flarking paycheck I earn the second I cash it. Granted, the reason I can do this so quickly is because they've been so SMALL. ::grumble:: Next week's check will be the first to be of normal size. I'm determined to save it. Except for gas money. ...I need a more fuel efficient car.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Almost. BBQ for me. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2750002/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2750002/ Sun, 27 Jun 2004 19:17:55 PDT drawing of Tomás with his crazy orange fuzzy hat from Mackinac

see if any of my UP photos are DevArt-worthy

some sort of drawing of Nick, if I can't get him on camera first XD

charcoal of the grandfather

drawing of Piccolo in a tree, attacking random passer-by with acorns

---

I went up to St. Ignace (which is the first town you hit when you cross the Mackinac Bridge to Michigan's UP, for you uneducated types) Thursday through Saturday with Deanna, her boyfriend, Aron, Tomás and Nick, the Gorgeous, Insatiable and Incredibly Yummy Creature of Doom. Good times for all. If I'd been smart, I'd have remembered my camera when we were at the car show on Saturday. Hot rods are works of art. ¬.¬ I beg forgiveness for any future car doodles. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2703510/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2703510/ Sun, 20 Jun 2004 11:15:16 PDT
To do list:
-Charcoal of my grandfather and myself (*needs to break out the old photo albums*)
-Photos of me and the Nick (sufficiently tweaked, of course)
-Piccolo attacking random passer by with acorns from safe perch in tree

I'm thinking about posting my short Super Crazy Lemur Thing blurbs on here...we shall see. For the time being, ask meh if you want linkage to my CL site. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2620708/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2620708/ Wed, 09 Jun 2004 12:07:26 PDT LAYERS - got this from ~NamekAngelIvy's journal (yesh, I are stalking teh Vickster)

Layer One:
-- Name: Picc
-- Birthplace: Miiichigan...
-- Gender: Female
-- Eye Color: Blue
-- Hair Color: Medium Brown
-- Height: 5'4"
-- Righty or Lefty: Righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Layer Two:
-- Your heritage: English, Welsh, Norwegian, Dutch, German
-- The shoes you wore today: No shoes!
-- Your fears: Pain.
-- Your perfect meal: LOTS OF ITALIAN! aherm
-- Goal you'd like to achieve: Well paying job writing fiction, please.

Layer Three:
-- Your thoughts first waking up: blargh
-- Your best physical feature: My nose.
-- Your bedtime: I try to go to bed before 3 am.
-- Your most missed memory: Anything with my gramma.

Layer Four:
-- Pepsi or Coke: Coke.
-- McDonald's or Burger King: BK
-- Single or group dates: Doesn't matter.
-- Adidas or Nike: Cheap.
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: I hate tea.
-- Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate.
-- Cappuccino or coffee: Frappuccinos without the coffee.

Layer Five:
-- Smoke: No
-- Cuss: No
-- Sing: Lots.
-- Take a shower: If you insist.
-- Have a crush: Have a boyfriend?
-- Do you think you've been in love: Yes.
-- Want to go to college: Done that.
-- Liked high school: Mostly.
-- Want to get married: Definitely not.
-- Get motion sickness: No
-- Think you're attractive: Not particularly.
-- Think you're a health freak: heehee, no
-- Get along with your parent(s): No.
-- Like thunderstorms: Sorta.
-- Play an instrument: Several. Piano, trumpet, French horn, bass guitar foremost.

Layer Six:
In the past month...
-- Drank alcohol: No
-- Smoked: No
-- Done a drug: No
-- Had Sex: No
-- Made Out: Ahem.
-- Gone on a date: ...kind..of?
-- Gone to the mall?: No
-- Eaten an entire box of Oreos: Sadly, no.
-- Eaten sushi: haaaaaate
-- Been on stage: No
-- Been dumped: No
-- Made homemade cookies: Yes!
-- Gone skinny dipping: No
-- Dyed your hair: No
-- Stolen anything: No

Layer Seven:
In a guy/girl...
-- Best eye color?: Blue
-- Best hair color?: I think I go for brunettes...
-- Short or long hair?: Not too long.
-- Height: Taller than me.
-- Best weight: ...Not obese?
-- Best articles of clothing: SHOES

Layer Eight:
-- Number of drugs taken illegally: None
-- Number of piercings: 2 (1 in each ear)
-- Number of tattoos: None
-- Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Several times.
-- Number of scars on my body: 5?
-- Number of things in my past that I regret: Not many. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2168071/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/2168071/ Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:19:51 PDT ~PiccoloAkira http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/1511732/ http://PiccoloAkira.deviantart.com/journal/1511732/ Tue, 09 Dec 2003 13:24:29 PST
In other news, yes, I'm finally working on new art. I'm colouring my newest Picc pic (which I drew months ago...slacker) and hopefully I'll finish it this week, if I stop being lazy. ]]> ~PiccoloAkira