Udder Randomness

[Kirahfaye]

Haha - yeah, I warned my husband already that my writing will probably be more like filming a movie where nothing is sequential at all and won't make sense until it's all finished!

I was planning on doing it all on my computer, but is there somewhere "safe-ish" that I can post it online, if I get to that point?

[DollyKim]

A print on demand publisher can work and they're getting on the ebook wagon. You can charge what you want or give it away for free.Ive bought a couple of Amazon ebooks that started that way.

[knittnkitten]

my big comic, frontier medicine, was written pretty peicemeal! I figured drawing the interesting parts and then filling it in would keep me going. it was a terrible way to do it because of my constantly improving art skills (you can tell where I started getting better at doing backgrounds on the new pages) but hey, I keep working on it!

[Vetinari]

Hah yea my sculpting "skills" would need a hell of a lot of improvement before I had anything resembling a realistic human! Hrmm I think I am going to wait (like most others on here apparently!) for the high-end 3D printing tech to trickle downwards. Stereolithography printers are fairly awesome - and well there's a certain prototyping company (who prototyped some Doctor Who stuff back when the Beeb had cash) in the UK that make items from multiple materials simultaneously that's of a ridiculously high quality - I'm happy to wait a few more years for that kind of tech to become more accessible!

Hrmm my long-forgotten half-finished kit-bash of Qui Gon Jinn has by a quirk of fate picked up again. I had a decent headsculpt, and outfit - but no body. Turns out the Hot Toys truetype I planned to kitbash Clonobi onto is huge - without a head he's as tall as Loki and Tony. So Qui Gon Jinn will finally have a body. I think he might even turn out to be taller than the other Hot Toys figures once I find him some feet!

Edit: B*gger - the headsculpt isn't where it should be... Which means he could be absolutely anywhere Hrmm still it's not a priority til his feet come in/til Clonobi arrives. Still argh. Bought him way back - pretty much around the time I bought Iron Man and had just rediscovered Flamethrower's versions of the Star Wars universe - and fell in love with her versions of Obi Wan/Qui Gon - and the Liam Neeson sculpt was pretty affordable (unlike the Kenobi's Considering how much cash I'd just blown on Tony Stark!) but then never got anywhere with it so in a draw he went... It's this sculpt btw - http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Custom-1-6-Henri ... ~60_35.JPG - which yah not a movie accurate Qui Gon, but a far better likeness than Sideshow/Hasbro ever managed!

Kirahfaye: Ooh goodluck with getting the story down! I second everyone else - write what wants to come out - plot can happen later! (Um archiveofourown seems friendly enough? I'm not sure what their T&Cs are though)

MeltedCaramel: Ok that's weird - that's exactly what happened to my nendoroid - his top end popped off seemingly of it's own volition with quite a bit of force - and when the joint's pieces were found and inspected, it was sudden brittle failure - even though it's ABS O.o A very very very tough material... I figured the joint didn't want to fit in the socket and they just jammed it in with some force at the factory

Yea an awful lot of Revoltech's output just looks ...off sculptwise.

Oh lol! You succumbed to curiosity? The only thing that stopped me was the idea of having to explain what these guys were when I inevitably couldn't get the clothes back on Begin Rant: ...Hrmm I realise that Japan has a v.different culture to ours, and that anime/manga do not equal Japan. But I got so so sad when I realised that sexism was sexism everywhere, and that actually the UK is probably pretty damned good in that respect. Just ...eeh I judge the target audience a lot, much as I myself am curious, and I know I buy bjds with complete genatalia. But it's the very fact that these figures are designed to be perved at that gets my ick factor up... It was a sad realisation when searching for japanese action figures, I reckon 3/4 of the female figures at the shop I ended up in were the Objectification (polite term there) type, and a significant proportion of that were characters that I knew would never pose/behave like that. And it just made me mad - cos I definitely noticed that there wasn't any sausage to be had - and yet these strong well-written characters had been reduced subhuman objects posing like dogs for some pervy a***hole to w**k over... And I think it's not the same thing as slut-shaming, as the character doesn't have a choice in the matter, the sculptor has taken them and literally made them into that object for someone's pleasure. And yea even with that I'm curious about them - and might even buy one in future, cos yea like you the take the clothes off thing equals challenge accepted. Ahem rant over. And sorry that really wasn't targetted at anyone in particular - just a sample of my mixed feelings over that whole sub-category when I discovered these things existed.

Yea exactly - I still love the figure - but damn it could/possibly even should have been so much better. I really don't understand why they didn't include a not-pyschotic head! It was one scene in the whole film!!! Still he'll fit in well with the other 1/6 guys - cos being honest none of them are perfect. Maybe I was hoping for too much?

I think I'm going to try to make Elrana less bjd-styled and more action-figurey like the rest of the face-ups my guys tend to end up with. And yea I realised that bland, much as it's good for a sneaky sneaky thief, wouldn't work here - I'm thinking subtly cyberpunk in the scifi sense, but I'm not 100% sure which way to go yet. Possibly enhance the alien heritage? Maybe a fierce expression? The wig - I'm thinking when inspiration (and money ) happen I'll commission one of those wonderful short mohair ones with the realistically short short hairstyles - an angular pixie cut with bits that look shaved - I'm tending towards something v.masculine looking and wedgey at the moment. But faceup-wise inspiration needs to strike!

Aw thanks again! Seriously - It means an awful lot to know you like my characters/world setup! Ah - that isn't due to a lack of older male characters - more a lack of suitable sculpts - Szesil is supposed to be world weary and grizzled, middle-aged before his time, hence the reshell. As is Garan actually - his nomadic lifestyle before he bumped into everyone else has left him with skin like leather... I think I might have found Szesil's new shell, but Garan's is proving thougher - since older male sculpts don't pop-up too often in bjd form, and non-frowny older-males are even rarer! And the Patriarch/Matriarch (hrmm pronouns get fuzzy with these guys, especially since this particular character is proudly Trans and happy to remain so, so mixes them him/herself depending on their mood) of The Club if I ever find a suitable shell is a glamorous yet tough-as-nails individual in their sixties who takes no s*** from anyone even gangsters and the authorities! And is strict as hell on the performers/staff who work there, but nope doesn't have a heart of gold - just a healthy, selfish love of money!

[knittnkitten]

if I had unlimited time and money....

[Gift_in_Edge]

I'm oddly drawn to things inspired by the Leopold and Loeb case. Swoon was the first movie I seen about the subject. It touched more on the two's relationship together, but was too artsie for me. Murder by Numbers was next and I didn't like it. Compulsion is another movie, I didn't like it much. It didn't show the boy that was killed hardy at all, so it felt pretend, like it didn't happen.I've read up the real case. Now I'm not sure what I find interesting about Leopold and Loeb, their act of killing a young boy just because they could is disturbing. I've just resently watched Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and a radio adaptation of the play that inspired it. I loved it. The two leads kill a man their age instead of a boy. I guess seeing someone who thinks they are a higher human being, have their world come crashing down by a simple mistake is what I find interesting. Then reminding myself that these plays and movies are based on a real event gives them an eerie undertone.

Sorry, I've been needing to blab about this.

[MeltedCaramel]

Hah yea my sculpting "skills" would need a hell of a lot of improvement before I had anything resembling a realistic human! Hrmm I think I am going to wait (like most others on here apparently!) for the high-end 3D printing tech to trickle downwards. Stereolithography printers are fairly awesome - and well there's a certain prototyping company (who prototyped some Doctor Who stuff back when the Beeb had cash) in the UK that make items from multiple materials simultaneously that's of a ridiculously high quality - I'm happy to wait a few more years for that kind of tech to become more accessible!

Hrmm my long-forgotten half-finished kit-bash of Qui Gon Jinn has by a quirk of fate picked up again. I had a decent headsculpt, and outfit - but no body. Turns out the Hot Toys truetype I planned to kitbash Clonobi onto is huge - without a head he's as tall as Loki and Tony. So Qui Gon Jinn will finally have a body. I think he might even turn out to be taller than the other Hot Toys figures once I find him some feet!

Edit: B*gger - the headsculpt isn't where it should be... Which means he could be absolutely anywhere Hrmm still it's not a priority til his feet come in/til Clonobi arrives. Still argh. Bought him way back - pretty much around the time I bought Iron Man and had just rediscovered Flamethrower's versions of the Star Wars universe - and fell in love with her versions of Obi Wan/Qui Gon - and the Liam Neeson sculpt was pretty affordable (unlike the Kenobi's Considering how much cash I'd just blown on Tony Stark!) but then never got anywhere with it so in a draw he went... It's this sculpt btw - http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Custom-1-6-Henri ... ~60_35.JPG - which yah not a movie accurate Qui Gon, but a far better likeness than Sideshow/Hasbro ever managed!

Kirahfaye: Ooh goodluck with getting the story down! I second everyone else - write what wants to come out - plot can happen later! (Um archiveofourown seems friendly enough? I'm not sure what their T&Cs are though)

MeltedCaramel: Ok that's weird - that's exactly what happened to my nendoroid - his top end popped off seemingly of it's own volition with quite a bit of force - and when the joint's pieces were found and inspected, it was sudden brittle failure - even though it's ABS O.o A very very very tough material... I figured the joint didn't want to fit in the socket and they just jammed it in with some force at the factory

Yea an awful lot of Revoltech's output just looks ...off sculptwise.

Oh lol! You succumbed to curiosity? The only thing that stopped me was the idea of having to explain what these guys were when I inevitably couldn't get the clothes back on Begin Rant: ...Hrmm I realise that Japan has a v.different culture to ours, and that anime/manga do not equal Japan. But I got so so sad when I realised that sexism was sexism everywhere, and that actually the UK is probably pretty damned good in that respect. Just ...eeh I judge the target audience a lot, much as I myself am curious, and I know I buy bjds with complete genatalia. But it's the very fact that these figures are designed to be perved at that gets my ick factor up... It was a sad realisation when searching for japanese action figures, I reckon 3/4 of the female figures at the shop I ended up in were the Objectification (polite term there) type, and a significant proportion of that were characters that I knew would never pose/behave like that. And it just made me mad - cos I definitely noticed that there wasn't any sausage to be had - and yet these strong well-written characters had been reduced subhuman objects posing like dogs for some pervy a***hole to w**k over... And I think it's not the same thing as slut-shaming, as the character doesn't have a choice in the matter, the sculptor has taken them and literally made them into that object for someone's pleasure. And yea even with that I'm curious about them - and might even buy one in future, cos yea like you the take the clothes off thing equals challenge accepted. Ahem rant over. And sorry that really wasn't targetted at anyone in particular - just a sample of my mixed feelings over that whole sub-category when I discovered these things existed.

Yea exactly - I still love the figure - but damn it could/possibly even should have been so much better. I really don't understand why they didn't include a not-pyschotic head! It was one scene in the whole film!!! Still he'll fit in well with the other 1/6 guys - cos being honest none of them are perfect. Maybe I was hoping for too much?

I think I'm going to try to make Elrana less bjd-styled and more action-figurey like the rest of the face-ups my guys tend to end up with. And yea I realised that bland, much as it's good for a sneaky sneaky thief, wouldn't work here - I'm thinking subtly cyberpunk in the scifi sense, but I'm not 100% sure which way to go yet. Possibly enhance the alien heritage? Maybe a fierce expression? The wig - I'm thinking when inspiration (and money ) happen I'll commission one of those wonderful short mohair ones with the realistically short short hairstyles - an angular pixie cut with bits that look shaved - I'm tending towards something v.masculine looking and wedgey at the moment. But faceup-wise inspiration needs to strike!

Aw thanks again! Seriously - It means an awful lot to know you like my characters/world setup! Ah - that isn't due to a lack of older male characters - more a lack of suitable sculpts - Szesil is supposed to be world weary and grizzled, middle-aged before his time, hence the reshell. As is Garan actually - his nomadic lifestyle before he bumped into everyone else has left him with skin like leather... I think I might have found Szesil's new shell, but Garan's is proving thougher - since older male sculpts don't pop-up too often in bjd form, and non-frowny older-males are even rarer! And the Patriarch/Matriarch (hrmm pronouns get fuzzy with these guys, especially since this particular character is proudly Trans and happy to remain so, so mixes them him/herself depending on their mood) of The Club if I ever find a suitable shell is a glamorous yet tough-as-nails individual in their sixties who takes no s*** from anyone even gangsters and the authorities! And is strict as hell on the performers/staff who work there, but nope doesn't have a heart of gold - just a healthy, selfish love of money!

You know, now I have a terrible burning need to feed by Qui/Obi obsession. *Twiddles thumbs*

Anyway.

Vetinari: I'm just laughing at the strange similarity in our random joint breaks because it's rather shocking isn't it? One moment you're holding the figure and the part is just gone in the next! I'm not sure what the joints on figmas are made out of since they're very obviously made up of different types, but I've never had such a strange break before, where the part just seemed to rocket off. I'm inclined to believe the same thing as you, a factory worker being lackadaisical with their QC.

Revoltech just...ugh. They have some nice body sculpts if you ignore the tiny manheads and the off facial sculpts, but their inherent poseability is just really compromised by needlessly complicated jointing systems. One of my Revoltech guys actually requires you to amputate his lower leg for bending poses because the character is wearing baggy pants. There is so many ways to achieve that look without making it ridiculous to pose the damn figure!

Now their female figures, those are much nicer, I will admit. The "lets rip their clothes off" brigade is made gorgeously, and I have to admit from a technical standpoint I really enjoy the ingenuity of their err..."strip" option. The clothes are soft plastic (PVC? Not sure) but look like they're moulded to the body which really helps if you're like me and not into that whole half-naked deal.

I agree with most of your rant there too. The worst is when they sexualize characters that...aren't made to be that way in the actual series. That's what really raises my eyebrow. Although I do have to admit that I think a lot of the oversexualization in anime/manga has to do directly with how respectful and unassuming most of Japan is as a culture. I think it's the one outlet where they just sort of go absolutely off the reservation. But considering the characters that I bought come from a series where "S&M" are two battle modes...well, I think you can safely say these characters were made for the fanboy factor to begin with. I just look at them as well crafted figures for what they are. And since you think the same way I do, "Challenge Accepted!", you'll probably enjoy the figures as well. They're very nicely made.

AHHAA, only in a doll/figure forum do you see someone bemoaning the lack of a non-psychotic head option! I agree completely though. He's a gorgeous figure though, I do admit. I just...there seems to be a distinct lack of synchronicity between his clothes, face, and accessories for an actual fan of the movie. I think we all deal with that last 10% that would have really made a figure perfect. Even my grail figure isn't perfect (though I wish he was!).

Elrana's hairstyle being a masculine short look with a wedge would be amazing. I adore it when hacker girls sort of buck the gender norm. <33 Her faceup ideas sound nice too, scifi sensibility with a bit of punk in there. I can't wait until your inspiration strikes!

Also: LACK OF SCULPTS. Yes please. There aren't any good looking males over 20 in BJD land. (Yes, I know there are older sculpts, don't shoot me! XD I'm talking status quo.) Most of my characters tend to be at least 30 and/or not all human so I run into shelling issues. I adore your lot though Vetinari, I really do! Your faceups really contribute to the mature male look some of them are sporting (which I adore!), and there's so much variety going on in your group. The more I hear of your characters the more I wanna know! Your Matriarch (if she's happily Trans, she's a Matriarch ) character just sounds amazing. I adore character in characters! (That looks so strange when I look at it written down, but I assume you get what I mean. )

[DollyKim]

The only way sculpting skills get better is by practice. I came in to the game as a portrait artist so I've spent a good half my life making faces. Where I need to work more is making sure they aren't flat. All the doll making books that pass through my hands have been combined with books like Carving Humans which tackles many issues sculptors can face.

*oopsy, was supposed to be @ Gift_in_Edge* turn your obsession and studies in to a story. Many of Xavier's story lines came from a time I was much more in to true crimes. Write about what you know and know about what you write.

[MeltedCaramel]

The only way sculpting skills get better is by practice. I came in to the game as a portrait artist so I've spent a good half my life making faces. Where I need to work more is making sure they aren't flat. All the doll making books that pass through my hands have been combined with books like Carving Humans which tackles many issues sculptors can face.

@Melted Caramel turn your obsession and studies in to a story. Many of Xavier's story lines came from a time I was much more in to true crimes. Write about what you know and know about what you write.

<----Do you mind elaborating on this a bit DollyKim? I'm unsure which obsessions and studies you're talking about, considering I've been mouthing off (so to speak) about quite a few on here.

[Kirahfaye]

This is all too true .....

Why is Stealing Art Bad - http://monicamarier.com/2014/04/11/pies-and-art/