"Inktober" Challenge - Day 31 - Mission Accomplished!

I did it!!!! I completed the entire "Inktober" challenge, and I pulled it off twice! That's worth a pat or two on the back.

It's yet to sink in that I'm actually done with this thing. It wasn't hard to do this (since I can draw rather quickly and I have my own scanner and plenty of paper and pens), but it also wasn't easy to dole out 60+ pictures in one month, with a full-time job on top of everything else.

So yeah, I'm feeling pretty disappointed and pretty awesome at the same time.

And tomorrow marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo, so the fun's not over yet!

Now, then, on to the artwork!

Theme 31: "Mask."

"What do you think, Rhiella? Pretty sharp, eh?"

"Oh, yes. You could very well pass for a unicorn, Terence." 

Given that Terence really is a unicorn in a man's body, can you taste the irony? Rhiella has no way of knowing that, at least for a while. How she finds out and how she reacts would fall under the category of "Ultra-Major Spoilers."

For good old "Disney Inktober": "Halloween."

Can't think of a more fitting final entry. Couldn't settle for just one Disney character, either, and I wanted to be as classic as possible. So I give you the classic trio! I was going to do a bunch of ghosts behind them at first, but then decided to turn up the "scary factor" a few extra notches with enormous evil eyes and the uncanniest smile my pen could conjure.

Cue the most sinister laugh to have ever penetrated your ears.

And, in the words of Porky Pig, "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!"

A very happy Halloween to you all, and thank you for stopping by my neck of the woods. See you next time!

"Inktober" Challenge - Day 30

Well, today was loads better than yesterday. I felt so much better (a good night's sleep usually does the trick) and got a lot more work done. And unless I get called in, I get the rest of this week free.

After work, I had a lovely dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with my family; we jokingly labeled it "a dinner of worms and human brains," and I even made some strawberry Kool-Aid that I dubbed "vampire blood."

Speaking of vampires, my family opted to watch Hotel Transylvania after dinner, which I had purchased with my own money several years ago. It was a movie I did not expect to like at first (I'm always a bit pessimistic about a movie before I see it), but it was surprisingly good, very heartwarming and side-splittingly funny. I may put a review of that movie on this blog later.

Then, of course, there's "Inktober," my second-to-last entries. (I completed my final entries tonight and will post them within the next hour or two.) Like I said, this challenge was a lot of fun; a little trying (after all, I drew a picture every single day, and even drew more than one), but fun nonetheless, and I'm a bit bummed out that it's almost over. I'll have to do this again next year, and possibly the next.

But for now, here's what I got!

Theme 30 for Disney: "Villain."

"And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!" 

Didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped (then again, it is a rough sketch done entirely in ink), but I'm happy with my choice. I was briefly tempted to draw Maleficent or even Jafar, but Judge Claude Frollo won out with little competition.

I think what makes Frollo truly memorable and utterly terrifying is how utterly human he is. He's not the devil incarnate, he doesn't have any supernatural powers, he doesn't carry around a staff or bauble; he doesn't even have a sidekick. But he proves just how low a human being can (and will) stoop. He not only does terrible things in the name of God, but the entire time, he sincerely believes he is God's devoted servant. There are so many people just like him out there. It is scary.

The other theme: "Found."

Another scene from my book. Terence half-drowns himself in an effort to retrieve a sword, and it's a very special sword, too. According to my writing, he has to make "at least five underwater trips" before he finally finds it.

Terence doesn't really mind getting wet. He often goes swimming in his clothes. But he does mind all the fuss made over this sword, and his face clearly says, "It's about time!"

"Inktober" Challenge - Day 29

Oh, man, today was rough. I was called into work again, but I ended up leaving early because I was not feeling well. When I say "not feeling well," I mean that I lost my lunch, and we all know the deli is not the place to be after you've thrown up. Didn't want to scare the customers away and I couldn't concentrate as well anyhow.

I was feeling "blecch" all morning, but I tried to tough it out for as long as possible. When I could no longer resist, I tracked down my boss and said, "Hey, I hate to do this to you but I lost my lunch. Would it be possible to leave early today?"

Luckily for me, she was very understanding and gave me permission to clock out then and there. You don't get penalized for cutting out if you throw up (or have diarrhea), and everybody knows I'm usually very good about coming to work and completing my shifts. If anything, I put in too much time and they have to get me to cut down. So when I leave just like that, I must have a valid reason for doing so. I even told my boss I'd be happy to work an extra hour or two tomorrow, when I was feeling better.

But this was the first time in my life that I had to cut out of work. This happened to me once in college, too; thankfully, I only had two classes that day, I had already finished my homework, and my professors could tell I wasn't bluffing when I told them I felt awful. One of them even mentioned that I looked a little pale.

I know I did the right thing. Still, it's pretty mortifying that this had to happen in the first place. Guess there's a first time for everything, and you just have those days where you get knocked flat.

On a lighter topic, I'm still keeping up with my "Inktober" sketches. (It helped that I drew today's images in advance.) Hard to believe the challenge is almost over, that October is almost over. Only two days (and two entries, four in my case) to go. Wowsers.

So, theme 29: "United."

Realized too late that I had put Terence's hooves too high and Aldridge's midsection too low. Luckily, I was able to fix this with a little ledge, and it's still an adorable pose.

Their relationship is so touching. Each is the first real friend the other one ever had (ever), and even after they make other friends, they remain the most intimate with each other. Terence only loves Rhiella more and understands her better. What makes his friendship with Aldridge even more remarkable is that, in their world, most people stick to their own race: unicorns with unicorns, elves with elves, humans with humans, dragons with dragons...you get the idea.

Disney theme 29: "Fairies."

"Phineas T. Kettletree, Esquire, at your service!" 

"Oh, foo! He's Bobble."  

My all-time favorite Disney fairy. No questions asked. He's so charming, just downright "adorkable," and I totally ship him with Tinker Bell. Wrote a couple of stories about the two of them a good while back; the stories are pretty mawkish but I got a huge kick out of them all the same.

His interactions with his mate Clank can get pretty hilarious, too. The best one:

"Have you seen Tink?"

"No, thank you! Not thirsty!"

"No, no, not drink! Tink!"

"Pink? I like purple m'self."

"TINK! HAVE YOU SEEN TINK?!"

"What? I do NOT stink! Maybe it's you, eh? Oy...have you seen Tink?"

Cue the most epic "headdesk" moment ever!

"Inktober" Challenge - Days 27 and 28

I have to admit, I'm feeling the strain of "Inktober." Drawing every single day can be fun, but it can also take a mental toll on you. I remember how much "NaNoWriMo" sometimes hurt, almost physically, and I'd tell myself, "Must...write...through...the...pain!"

Goodness knows how my job in the deli takes a toll on me, both physical and mental, and how much I benefit from a break. Even lunch breaks are surprisingly rejuvenating.

Of course, I'll never, ever give up drawing for good. But maybe, when this is all over, I will take a short vacation, at least a day or two. Then I can come back to the drawing board as good as new.

So, theme 27: "Climb."

"Ohhhhh! Banana!"

Holy banana pudding, did I play the life out of Donkey Kong games and Mario games--and I still play such games to this very day! I would spend hours on Donkey Kong 64, Super Mario 64, and Mario Kart 64; you practically needed a crowbar to get me away. While we (regrettably) don't own an N64 anymore, we do have a Wii, and a handful of Nintendo DS games. When I can afford it, I would love to buy an N64 again, and possibly even a Wii U.

Don't know why these games are so addicting, but they are. Winning them is almost a letdown; somehow, you have more fun trying to win than actually winning. I suppose when that happens, the only thing to do is reset the darn thing and start all over!

Theme 27 for Disney: "Revival Era."

The Disney era that began in 2010 and continues today. I was tempted to draw Tangled again, and then I considered Frozen (yes, I do like that movie, when it's not always being shoved in my face), but in the end, I settled for Zootopia, which came as a delightful surprise.

I'm always on the fence about a movie before I see it for myself. When I saw all the hype for Zootopia, I thought at first, "Meh, I'm not so sure." But when I finally watched it from start to finish, I realized, "Wow, this is a movie that is worth all the hype!"

Fantastic movie with a powerful moral message, and one of the absolute best Disney heroines to emerge in recent years. I'm very, very impressed with Judy Hopps; Nick Wilde is pretty cool, too.

For the record, I ship Nick and Judy as a 100% platonic couple. Not to diss those who do ship them romantically, but it kind of bugs me when people feel the need to interpret every loving relationship as sexual. What's wrong with loving somebody purely as a brother or a sister, and without the incest? Terence is that way with another girl, Wendye. They even (unofficially) adopt each other as brother and sister; their kids call them "Uncle Terence" and "Aunt Wendye."

I'm just glad that the Zootopia creators are letting us decide for ourselves, at least for now.

And we move immediately to theme 28: "The Sea/Ocean."

Of course, I thought at once of The Little Mermaid. Then I thought, "Why not get more creative with this?" I always wondered what Ariel would look like as a scuba diver, so I gave her the mask and tank and everything. I tried to make her recognizable even in her crazy gear, but I stuck Flounder on the side as an extra reminder.

Not half-bad, if I do say so myself. This gives a whole new meaning to "Under the sea!"

I also included swimming for my other picture, whose theme is, "Fall."

No need to worry; Rhiella's just pulling a "Pocahontas" on us. She'll land safe and sound in the water below, and all you'll have to do is roll your eyes and mutter, "Showoff."

To say that Rhiella loves swimming is a vast understatement. She takes to water as well as Ariel, maybe better. Some people have expressed wonder that she doesn't have gills or a tail.

Rhiella often goes for a dip in the middle of the night. No one in her castle believes she can swim, and there's no way they'll let their precious princess do such a thing, either. Besides, it helps to relieve her from the stresses of royalty, and life as a whole. Terence shares her fervent passion for the water and often joins her in the sport.

They both wish that it could somehow be possible to stay under the water while still being able to breathe and see where you're going. Well, with a little assistance from the merfolk, their descendants will find a way...

Creepy Dream = Good Story Idea?

I woke up from a rather creepy dream this morning; I feel this dream may serve as excellent story fodder.

Okay, picture this:

I'm riding my bike through the neighborhood, minding my own business. A middle-aged couple, somewhat attractive, are walking along together. I pass by them on my bike without a word. Suddenly the woman hollers after me: "Miss! Oh, miss!" She gets louder and more persistent until I stop to see what she wants. It's clear she's referring to me, because there's not another soul to be seen on the entire street.

She tells me that she and her husband are new in the neighborhood, and that they could use some "help" with their house. For some reason, she's insistent on me helping them.

I figure, "Hey, what could it hurt?" So I agree.

At their house (which is a complete mess), the lady admits that she's grown up without doing chores (even though she has to be at least in her late forties, possibly early fifties), and she doesn't really know how to clean a house by herself. Though her husband is there, she (again, for some unknown, bizarre reason) needs another woman to help her function, particularly a young woman like myself.

I make very basic suggestions that she accepts as absolutely revolutionary, like she never heard of anything so wonderful in her entire life. For instance, I suggest where she could place her couch, and when her husband suggests moving it somewhere else, his wife will have none of it. She flies into an irrational rage at the very idea of ignoring or altering my ideas in any way. If I say something (even if it's no more than a friendly suggestion), she accepts it as something that must be done; no ifs, ands, or buts.

Over time, this lady becomes obsessed with every little thing about me. She gets hysterical if I change my clothes, cut my hair, exchange my glasses for contact lenses, or even start dating. She treats me as if I'm totally flawless the way I am, and that any changes, however harmless and even necessary, are unforgivable sins.

When someone says, "Don't ever change," this lady uses that joking phrase as a threat.

I don't know how the story should end, since that was about the time I woke up.

But I think with a little time and work, this would make for a fabulous short horror story.

"Inktober" Challenge - Day 26

Turns out I had to work another four hours last night. One worker called in sick, and two other workers couldn't be reached, so I came to the rescue.

I didn't mind too much; it was only four hours, I didn't have to close up (though I did start to close up), and I got to buy some potato wedges afterward, before the hot case was shut down for the evening. I even got to put the wedges in the box myself; plus, I snagged a chocolate bar and a Dr. Pepper, my favorite. Naturally, I shared the wedges with my family, since we all love them, and there were too many for one person to eat.

Payday was today, but my mom calls it (half-jokingly) "Exchange Day," because no sooner do you get your paycheck than most of it gets devoured by bills and other necessities. In my case, student loans and medical insurance gobble me up.

If I just had to pay for one or the other, I wouldn't mind so much. But I borrowed a ton of money for college (that's probably the only thing about college that I regret), and I feel like I've been bullied into taking this medical insurance; they flat-out told me, "Get medical insurance or face a hefty fine." Both my mom and I feel that that's not really fair. Yes, I recognize the importance of insurance, but they shouldn't twist my arm this way, and forking out more than $200 a month, along with everything else, with the kind of income I have right now, is pretty painful. Even when I'm able to cover it all (at least for the month), I'm left with a very puny nest egg.

If I wasn't living at home, I'd be a lot worse off, and I'd lose a lot more sleep over this. Right now, I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to. I couldn't afford my own place, I couldn't afford a car; I doubt I could afford groceries.

I guess I shouldn't complain. I know money isn't everything...but having a little more to spare here and there is always nice. It would be nice to have something to show for all the time and effort I've put in these last few weeks. It would be nice to have a friendly splurge once in a while. Oh, well.

On the plus side, I'm making my payments on time, which means I don't owe any late fees; my credit score is healthy, and best of all, I'm one step closer to paying those student loans in full. I owe those guys a little less money now than I owed them before. Progress is good...so far.

Now, on to the "Inktober" challenge! I can't believe I've already reached day 26. (That means NaNoWriMo is less than a week away.) I'm going to miss doing this when it's over...and I'll most definitely have to do this again next year.

Disney theme: "Experimental Era."

The years 2000 through 2009, when Disney movies were still good (in fact, they were great), but they didn't get quite as much recognition (or love) as they should. At least they're gaining some recognition now.

I remember when Brother Bear first came out, I watched the VHS (yes, I am that old-fashioned) almost every chance I could get. Before you knew it, I could quote most of the dialogue and sing just about all the songs on cue. That's not to imply that I don't love the movie today, because I do. It's a real gem.

Even Brother Bear 2 is nice; I rank it as the second or third best sequel.

The other theme: "Squeak."

I think my own heart just stopped from the sheer cuteness.

The Monster Bash (Parody of "Monster Mash")

I was living it up one Halloween night

When my eyes beheld a grisly sight

Everything appeared okay to me

And then, quite unexpectedly,

(It was a bash!)
It was a monster bash!
(A monster bash!)
It was a literal smash!
(A monster bash!)
It caught on in a flash!
(A monster bash!)
It was a monster bash!

The whole party room was in an uproar

They fought like rabid werewolves on the floor

Everybody was everybody’s foe

Who wrought this riot, I don’t rightly know

(They had a bash!)
They had a monster bash!
(The monster bash!)
It was a literal smash!
(They did the bash!)
It caught on in a flash!
(They did the bash!)
They did the monster bash!

The zombies were in for one
The trouble had just begun
Someone just took out Wolf-Man
Dracula’s down and done

You would not believe the sight, much less the sounds

Like a million pairs of three-headed hounds

The coffin-bangers have all been laid low

And Dr. Hyde has flown straight out the window

(They did the bash!)
They did the monster bash!
(The monster bash!)
It was a literal smash!
(They did the bash!)
It caught on in a flash!
(They did the bash!)
They did the monster bash!

Out in the corner, where Drac’s body lay,

Seems he only had one thing to say

He raised up his head and shook his fist

And said, “Vutever happened to our Transylvania twist?”

(It’s now the bash!)
It’s now the monster bash!
(The monster bash!)
And it’s a literal smash!
(It’s now the bash!)
It’s caught on in a flash!
(It’s now the bash!)
It’s now the monster bash!

Now everything’s cool, all the heat has gone

Those poor saps will be so sore, come dawn

Their skeletons rest in little shattered bits

When will they learn, those dimwitted twits?

(And that’s the bash!)
And that’s the monster bash!
(The monster bash!)
And it’s a literal smash!
(The monster bash!)
It’s caught on in a flash!
(The monster bash!)
And that’s the monster bash!

Happy (early) Halloween, everybody!

"Inktober" Challenge - Days 24 and 25

Yeah, kinda forgot to post some of my sketches on the appointed day. That, and I was taking advantage of my freedom from work, and I had Young Single Adult Institute.

Oh, well, better late than never!

For day 24: "Dark Era."

That era between the years 1970 and 1988, where the golden glow of Disney didn't quite go out but had dimmed considerably. Despite the sad decline, those guys produced some of their finest work; at any rate, they took much bolder, more impressive moves.

I feel The Great Mouse Detective ranks among their most impressive. It sure deserves a boatload more love. It's got every aspect of a great movie, animated or otherwise, and it's a nice way to introduce children to Sherlock Holmes. That's how I was introduced, anyhow.

I don't really get why people use the term "Disneyfication" as a pejorative. In Disney's defense, a lot of those original stories are pretty bleak; they make me ill at ease even in my adulthood. While I don't believe in dumbing things down, I also don't believe in traumatizing people, especially kids.

Even Sherlock Holmes has his share of disturbing moments. I should know, having taken a Sherlock Holmes class in college.

The course was a piece of cake. It was taken purely online, and all you had to do was read a story, watch a film, and then write an analysis for the professor. The more thorough you were with the analysis, the better your grade. So instead of just saying "There's a mansion that appears handsome in the daytime but eerie at night," you were better off by saying, "The way the mansion appears handsome in the daytime, but eerie at night with all the dark shadows and white mist, represents this character's dichotomy: how everybody views him as a very pleasant man but he's got some nasty skeletons stashed in his closet. This also alludes to the widespread belief in the Victorian era that you could get away with anything, literally anything, so long as you appeared respectable."

That was the professor's clever way of making sure we were actually doing the assignment. Now, then, back to the sketches!

The other theme for day 24: "Blind."

Possibly the bleakest thing I've drawn yet. Want to know something even bleaker? His eyes were stolen from him, so underneath that bandage, you would only find gaping eye sockets. Makes me shudder just to think about it.

For day 25: "Ship."

Not too shabby for an artist who's never drawn a ship in her life. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but I've never been very good with boats, cars, or buildings. I'm just barely learning to draw believable nature pictures. I've always been more of a character artist.

So I almost (almost) chickened out of this one, but I'm glad I stuck with it. And now I can't get "Fathoms Below" from The Little Mermaid out of my head!

Day 25 for Disney: "Renaissance Era."

"Morning in Paris,

The city awakes

To the bells of Notre Dame!

The fisherman fishes,

The bakerman bakes

To the bells of Notre Dame!

From the big bells as loud as the thunder

To the little bells soft as a psalm,

And some say the soul

Of the city's the toll

Of the bells!

The bells of Notre Dame!"

Ah yes, the Renaissance, from 1989 to 1999. That glorious decade that made up the bulk of our childhood, where new life was breathed into Disney, with dazzling animation and unforgettable music.

Even now, few movies, if any, can compare.

Had no trouble choosing which movie from that era to illustrate. Just about killed two of my Sharpies, but they gave their lives for a worthy cause. That scene, our first proper glimpse of Quasimodo (even if it is a silhouette), never fails to give me goosebumps.