YOUR PRESENT!

I know that, for reasons unbeknownst to rational folk, people who consider themselves to be 'cartoonists' vehemently despise 3d software and imagery [in fact, ANY software, if recent statements that Adobe Flash has somehow got some malicious code built into it by jealous programmers which cause any and all animation created with it to be 'shittified'©, are to be believed], so it's with some trepidation that I lay this gift onto your supple lap. It's name is Makehuman. It's free. The gist is, you use it to pose your figure to help you as reference for drawing [at least that's the use I came up for it]. You can shape the model with real world attributes such as age, sex height weight, and\or go in more detailed and adjust each appendage at will. I've only messed about with it for short bursts, but then I tried to come up with something as a test of the practicalities of use. Not bad result considering I went in with only the thought of making a Spiderman pose [I didn't even have a specific idea of a web-slinger pose, just went with some typical Spidey things, like the fingers, as I went along]. I need to do more testing, as this took a long time to pose, but I've tried 'Poser' previously and had serious trouble with actually posing figures in a way I wanted. Plus this one doesn't have the full feature set yet, so some of the adjusters are blank. I, for example, couldn't get the curve on the back that I wanted, nor the exact positioning of the head.  But I see the potential as a virtual mannequin, and so will the more adventurous of you. whores

NEW CHEAPER WACOM CINTIQ

Wow. Wacom has decided to bring out a new cheaper, smaller tablet. It's about the price of a new computer. And with that, I should caution against buying this immediately. The reason being is that there is a lot of speculation of Apple bringing out a new sub-notebook [i.e. small and compact]. Given the touch screen abilities on both it's recent releases of the iphone and ipod touch, and patenting of pressure sensitive screens, there may be a rival to the cintiq. Hopefully. But the speculation is that new machines will be introduced soon. So best to wait, I would say.

Meanwhile, for the poor, here are the findings of my experimentation to get better results from the lower end cheapos which wacom offer:

• Align the screen of your monitor and wacom surface so that the wacom is at the front of the monitor, and not to either side
• Tilt the wacom so that it's as vertical as you can get it without being uncomfortable to draw with
• Use a more vertical surface for the wacom - if you don't have an easel or something, rest on your lap in a seating position, as in the diagram
• You should also be facing the screen front on
• Make sure your back is supported well and that you're sitting comfortably
• Keep your head at the same height as your monitor
• Leave enough room for your drawing arm to do its gymnastics

And some settings in the wacom panel:

Open the wacom panel in System preferences [on a mac]. Add a new application and choose your drawing app [you'll not want to have these settings for all apps, which will become apparent later]. Choose the pen. What I like is to change the pen buttons so one navigates the canvas [most of the time it's holding down the space bar, but check in your app] and the other as 'undo' [Command plus Z]. I do this so I don't have to go to the keyboard as much. Now click the 'mapping' panel, as seen above. I use the 'Full' screen and tablet area, as the canvas is normally the whole screen when I draw. Also click the check-box 'Force Proportions' [circled red]. This isn't on by default and it seems to feel easier to draw when it's on. I think this has something to do with scaling down to the smaller tablet size, and having the height and width on the same scale. The down side is that you lose a bit of tablet drawing space [green circle] on a 4:3 aspect monitor [no idea what will happen on a widescreen monitor, but you might have a widescreen tablet].

Before you test these ideas out, you should use your wacom in your normal way to draw some circles. Try my tips and draw some more circles - do you feel a difference? I believe there is. It's not in my mind. I control the voices, they do not control me!!!

DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO BEING AN ANIMATOR!

Ever had the need to fake being an animator convincingly, so as to impress a lady you had just met at a party? Not had the time to learn how to animate? Never fear, crsP is here to turn you into a genuine bona-fide animator, in less than one day! Shall we begin? Let's!

There are two things that make an animator. Let us investigate. If you look around, you will find many drawings made by animators, which are curiously drawn in blue. Animator types will have you believe that the reason for this would be that the blue colour was not visible during the copying procedure so clean up could be done directly over the rough blue pencils. But the truth is that in the days of Renaissance painting, the most opulent colour to use was blue, as the pigment used to mix the paint for that colour was more difficult to get and thus more expensive. Animators like to use the tradition of the regal blue as a warning signal to artists of other media of their superior might. Note that they present most of their blue 'animated drawings' on normal paper with no peg holes. So firstly you will need a blue pencil.

The other thing that defines an animator is Life Drawing. The animator, typically sexually deprived, will take as much opportunity to gaze upon naked flesh as they can get. To avoid the chances of being put in prison for their obvious deviant behaviour, the animator will make drawings of the naked and call them 'studies', which could later be used in court as evidence in their case. Note that there are more cartoons about animals than there are of women with unshaven areas.
So the solution is simple. You just need to make a drawing of a nude, in blue pencil and leave it lying about casually where you live.

As you can see, you don't even need to have drawn from life, as in the above picture which I produced some months ago. Obviously the proportions and pose are a bit off [understatement] in this drawing. But it's just enough to fool the casual observer.