Zonorhc

Silly man! Details are for pencil work! If I wanted detail with digital painting without taking obscene amounts of time, I'd get myself a tablet. Or the money to buy one, at least.

My style (with digital painting at least) is that it's less about the detail and more about giving just the idea that something is there. In a way, it's slightly abstract, I guess, with things just staying in your vision for a while before you actually recognise the shapes.

deviantART linky 1 deviantART linky 2 More art for Astri! Hooray! Dramaskus City, a smog-choked edifice of steel and stone on the banks of the Sar Galun river. The furiously beating heart of a dying empire... A jewel beside the Sea of Fallen Stars, Ventar grows, away from the wars of the west. Whether traders, corsairs or warships, none dare challenge her control of the seas... Yeah, they're tiny, I know. They're meant to be. They're intended as header pictures for huge slabs of text for my campaign setting. Comments and (constructive!) criticisms on technique?

Mostly, what I tried to learn from this piece was a way to effectively create the impression of chainmail without taking up too much time. I've tried cross-hatching, and it didn't quite have the effect I wanted. I've tried small rings, but they looked a little too messy. Now that I've tried this method, I think I'm getting closer to what I want, but not quite there yet. Any suggestions for that? I don't want to have to show each individual link, but I still want it to look as though it's chainmail.

Well, if you really think about it, legalising marijuana would make it less of a "cool" thing to use. How can you rebel when what you're smoking is perfectly legal? Sure, more older people may end up using weed, but legalising it should cut down on teenagers using it irresponsibly - which, I guess, is the main point to consider. Besides, by legalising it, the government gains the right to regulate and tax it to hell, just like with alcohol and tobacco.

You mean what with believing in horoscopes and tarot cards and all that hat? I think it's called Ditzy Teenage Girlism.

Eh, I was bored and I saw someone post a drawing of Guthan, so I decided to have a crack at it myself. Took about half an hour, no reference. It would've been easier if I actually played Runescape, let alone actually be a member.

I'm so cool:

No, it's what people who aren't morons do in a fight. Ahh yes the cowards way of fighting. A knee in the crotch then run. Ah. So I take it you've never been in an actual fight where the other guy is determined to beat the everliving snot out of you for kicks, and maybe take your stuff while he's at it? Please. When you can get that stigma out of your head that fighting with everything available to you is somehow "cowardly" or "dishonourable", I might take you seriously. It's not like you'd tell every man who ever sprayed a Vickers or a Lewis at a pack of Germans charging their trenches that they were cowards for not dropping their machine-guns, fixing bayonets and charging right back.

How would they tax it if people can grow it at home? Licensing, strict regulations, and our good old friends the secret police.

Well, the Wii remote doesn't exactly look like it's conducive to lending a better grip. I mean the damn thing's just a straight rod. Now, if it was more ergonomically designed, it would be slightly curved to suit a general hand shape, as well as having at least some rubber parts to allow better grip. Still, with sweaty hands, you should wipe it down. However, Nintendo should have at least made an effort to make a better design.

Like I said, small changes. Unless the person's going to be the next Lenin, I don't see an economic reason for throwing the money their way. Now, if you were kicking out a corrupt government so that an entire society can have the prospect of prosperous lives free of oppression, then yeah, go for it.

That's the thing. I wouldn't US$1,000 is, to me, insufficient to make a difference I'd care about. Besides, I'm more for letting people take care of themselves than just handing out aid. Better that you gave me several hundred million dollars, then I could let it go to some structural changes in some horribly corrupt governments and by extension, let the lesser people help themselves.

I'd be seriously wondering how and when the Australian Dollar went over US$1.00. And to be honest? $1,000 for me won't make any sort of difference I'd care about. That would come from governments getting their act together and helping their people help themselves rather than relying on foreign aid. And US$1,000 wouldn't exactly bring about regime changes where they're needed most.

I went to a state school, which coincidentally does a lot better than the vast majority of private schools. Granted, it was also a selective institution. The main attraction of private schools is, I guess, better teachers, since the good ones tend to get snapped up by the higher pay. Still, I wouldn't want to teach at a private school here, mainly because of the high proportion of snobby kids and parents who think their children deserve leniency and privileges beyond education for the simple fact that they pay more money. Well, I wouldn't know about you, but private schools have an equal tendency to produce idiots and sociopaths as public schools. If it's anything otherwise, then the problem lies in the governing body and favouritism in it, rather than the schools themselves. I would personally say that having religious education is unequal in and of itself. There are simply far too many active religions and denominations thereof for anything short of a university to cover in a fair manner. You are also being inconsiderate to those whose beliefs preclude religious instruction. To have no religious education is in fact more equal in that nobody is given preference. I went to a state school and the teachers were a lot better than the vast majority of private teachers I've seen. Vague generalisations get you nowhere. Vague generalisation much? Public schools exist for a reason, and it's not like every community that has youths attending them is a ghetto. You're coming across as a complete snob. And is this problem confined solely to public schools? No, because a good number of people I've met who went to private schools are complete snobs without one whit of honest work in them.

Across the throat won't kill you half as well as straight into the jugular. Seriously, you'd think people would at least know what they're talking about when killing is involved instead of just going by what they see in movies. And hanging is done because it's easy. All you have to do is tie a decent slipknot and let gravity do the rest. You won't have nearly as much trouble as forcing yourself to jump off a high place or holding a blade to yourself. It's very hard, even for people who are suicidal, to do anything more with a knife than just slit their wrists, and even then, they have a good chance of surviving. Hanging is one of those things that's easy to do, and once started, you can't have second thoughts.

Aussie ones rock. Like the one for cigarettes where they dissect a lung and squeeze out the tar into a beaker.

Not quite a prank call, but along the same lines... It was a telemarketer... Them: Hello, my name is (name), calling from (corporation), and we would like to congratulate you on - Me: Did you hear that? Them: I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what you are talking about. Now, would you like to receive a free - Me: They're after me! Them: Sir, this is a limited time offer - Me: CAN'T YOU HEAR THEM?! OH GOD THEY'VE BROKEN DOWN THE DOOR! HELP ME! Them: Sir, if you would like, you can speak to my supervisor and - Me: OH GOD NO! NO! (profanity)! HELP ME! (gurgling sound) Them: ... I'll call again later, sir.

Oh, because god forbid that you should do something that isn't related to Runescape! Seriously, you'll do a lot better if you write something original rather than confining yourself to the game setting, because really, everyone's done it at one point or another, and you can only read about the same world so much before it gets boring.

If you know you can't spell, don't write anything until you can. Also, speech is marked with speech marks or quotation marks, not hyphens. You're also supposed to take a new line every time someone different speaks, and a new paragraph every time the subject changes. And for crap's sake, there is no excuse to use "plz" in fiction. Seriously, your story breaks suspension of disbelief intolerably and has no consistent tone or pace. Read this.

Yes, and that's because the majority of people feel that trade jobs are far too unglamorous. Silly people. If I had the time, I'd go and learn a trade skill, if only to have a guaranteed fall-back career. Although at the rate it's going, I don't see the demand for male teachers dropping any time soon.

I loved Phil too. Physically. In one night of burning passion? Then twice more in the morning? Before, you know, rolling over and demanding that he makes breakfast.

The fundamental principle behind why life works is that it avoids death for its entire duration. Thus, you can say that I've been avoiding death for every second of my existence. That makes me some sort of veteran or something. Someone give me a medal, I'm so awesome.

Well, you'd think your government would wisen up about it. Here, plumbers, garbage collectors and electricians get paid absolute buckets of money to do the work nobody else wants to.

I am here, and I bloody well wish it was winter. At least then the weather would stay in one bleeding season instead of changing its mind all the time.