Drawing: Mindset

In my last post, I talked about how seeing an object as reference can increase the level of detail on a drawing immensely compared to just going by memory. Well, there are countless of other factors that contribute to the end result of the drawing, such as physical factors which includes things like posture, the way the pencil is held, and environment. The factors that I'm going to be talking about today is about the mindset of an artist and how the internal dialog of each mindset can influence the way an artist think and draw. There are going to be two types of dialog that I will be talking about today, critical and practical dialog.

To clarify, when I'm talking about Dialog, I'm talking about the internal dialog that we all have when we speak with ourselves.

Critical Dialogue:

The best way to describe critical dialogue is that it's more of a negative or pessimistic mindset. You say phrases like: "I can never draw the nose correctly.", "This finger doesn't look right.", and "That doesn't look like a triangle". As said by Dodson: "This dialogue will either help or hinder your ability to draw, depending on which of two basic types it is" (Dodson 10). Using critical dialogue hinders a person's ability to draw since it doesn't allow the artist's mind to grow and improve, but instead it uses the current skill of the artist and leaves no room for improving. Being critical of oneself while drawing doesn't question the artist of ways they can improve, like in practical dialogue which makes it difficult for a artist with this mindset to improve at drawing. It gives a person a closed mindset which doesn't allow in new information to change the way that they're drawing.

Practical Dialogue:

Practical dialog is more on the line of questioning yourself on what ways you can improve on a drawing. Common phases that you say are: "What should this shape look like?", "How hard should I shade this area?", "How should i contour this?". As stated by Dodson "Your drawing skills will improve dramatically if you speak to yourself in practical dialog" (Dodson 11). Talking to yourself with practical dialogue is one of the best ways to improve at anything in general and that also include drawing. It allows the artist to have a very open mindset which allows them to really decide what they want to do with the drawing. And it allows for improvements in all areas of drawing since you're constantly questioning yourself if you're making the right decisions with your drawing. Even having something as small as a change in dialogue will enable a open mindset for an artist to hone their skill in drawing.

This was a drawing of a hand I drew while using practical dialogue.

Question: How can you apply practical dialogue to your improve at a skill?

Source: Dodson, Bert. Cincinnati: F&W, 1990. Print.

Computer science: Binary Numbers

How computers store and use information has been a mystery to many. most know the basics

of what pieces a computer is composed of but few know how these pieces actually function

as a unit to get things done. Welcome to the cool table, you are about the witness the limitless*

power that knowledge of basic computer functionality grants you. lets get into it.

Computers store information in binary form, ones and zeros. to really grasp the concepts behind computers you need to understand binary. you probably know binary as the ones and zeros used by computers to represent information. but why? why use a numbering system that is unnatural to us and is quite confusing and mystical to the average user? because its simple. It is possible to build a system using decimal numbering. several people did it in the early days of computing. we don't do it though because it is vastly inefficient compared to the crude physical power that binary logic can hold.

Binary is a base 2 system compared to the base 10 decimal system. that means every 10 values we go up a digit. it also means that the tens are ten times larger than the ones. these rules of logic also apply to binary numbers, only with base 2. every 2 values we go up a digit.

one:  0001

carry over ones:

two:  0010

three: 0011

carry over the ones into the twos which then carry's into the fours

four:  0100

five:  0101

six:    0110

seven:0111

eight: 1000

16: 1111

17: 10001

enc...

using discrete electronic components like transistors and resistors we can preform logic that can be controlled using binary numbers. using binary numbers. 4 bits equal a byte, remember that.

we can assemble various structures that can preform operations using numbers or to numbers. these structures can be assembled into an ALU or Arithmetic Logic Unit. we can control what function the ALU will preform and to what by passing it an instruction value (a number) and some data.

The various structures that preform binary logic are called logic gates. they are composed of transistors and resistors. transistors are electronic switches that allow current to flow between the outer 2 legs when current is applied to the middle leg. resistors offer resistance to current. the coloured bands on a resistor dictate how much resistance it offers. modern day computer chips contain millions of miniature transistors.

in the next part of my series I will explain the logic gates that compose a binary adder and  subtractor and how they can be combined to form an ALU in a CPU. 

Transistor:

 

Resistor:

*note: power not actually limitless

Skirt Styles

Most of us girls have all worn skirts in our lives at some point, but did you know that there are actually many different styles of skirts? In Tim Gunn's Book Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible he brings up many different styles of skirts, but I will only be talking about a few!

This year midi's came into fashion, through dresses, and skirts, and I joined in on this trend and bought a few, according to Gunn midi's are back in fashion, but they usually hit the leg at the widest part of the calf, which is an unflattering place (Gunn and Calhoun 104). The midi skirt that I am wearing below also hits around the wider part of my calf's but doesn't look unflattering because of the way it was worn, and the stripes that were running down the skirt also played a role in making it look more flattering. Both the print and way the skirt was styled have an effect on how the skirt looks when it is on you. Although not many women wear midi's I think that they were a success in today's fashion because I saw them quite frequently.

Another style of skirts that are very popular are the maxi skirts. Gunn believes that "Maxis are also on trend, but they can be dowdy" (Gunn and Calhoun 104). I disagree with Gunn to a certain point because it all depends on how you style and wear the skirt. Some maxi skirts can look like they are wearing you, so when you go to try them on make sure that your wearing the skirt so that your outfit will look appealing on you. The downfall of the maxi skirt is that it can easily take away from your figure and look unappealing. Although maxi's have a downfall, the good part is that when they are styles properly they can be worn to many different events, and make you look great as shown in the picture below. Maxi's can be tricky because since they are comfortable and loose, sometimes people forget to pay attention to if they look as good as they feel.

This maxi skirt is ill-fitted causing it to look
unflattering and taking away from her figure.

This maxi skirt is more fitted making it look
more flattering. Also the way she styled the skirt helped make it look more appealing to the eye.

The last skirt style that I'll be talking about on this post is the mini skirt. This year the mini skirt was a big hit in the fall. Many people were wearing the brown suede mini skirt with black tights under. I also have this skirt and I paired it with the black tights under it along with a white flowy blouse and a red choker, similar to the pictures below. In Gunn's book he says that "Short skirts can look becoming, especially with tights, and especially if you have a non-scandalous top as a counterpoint. But there is a limit to how short you can go. Ideally, you should be able to sit down without the mini-skirt riding all the way up" (Gunn and Calhoun 102). I agree with Gunn's point that the skirt shouldn't ride up all the way when your sitting, because then your mini skirt is a little too short. Also, in Gunn's book he says that the mini skirt should go down to the middle of your thigh. 

Overall, there are many different skirt styles that you can choose from to best fit your style!

What skirt style is your favorite and why?

Gunn, Tim, and Ada Calhoun.Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. New York: Gallery, 2012. Print.

Drawing: Light

Drawing has always been something that has fascinated me and I enjoy it very much. It has all kinds of aspects to it that make it very interesting; shading, lighting, posture, positioning, etc. In the first blog post, I will be focusing on the affects that light has on drawing.

I did this drawing after I read a little more about how lighting works and how it affects the picture from my book. I started off with the shape of the eye and then started adding on details, such as the eyelashes and the pupil. I made some areas of the eye dark and some lighter to emphasize where the light was coming from, in this case it was from the left.

Light also creates a shade when in contact with an object. And this shade helps "make the object solid - to show those parts which advance and those which retire" (Harding 54). This is saying that this shade created from the light gives the object volume and exhibits the space that an object occupies. In my drawing, for instance, the light gives the eye tone and creates some shade under the eye, which gives us the perception that it is taking up space.

Light also adds more depth to drawings, making the illustration look more realistic. the author states that it "brings the drawing to life" (Harding 56). What this means is that it gives the drawing a sense of tangibility, like it is "alive". As seen in this drawing, the highlight above the iris makes the eye look more "complete" and thorough, which gives it more depth and brilliance. Without light, the eye, or any other drawing, would look bland and non realistic. Incorporating light helps take your drawing to the next level and helps create a more developed illustration. 

Question: Do you enjoy drawing, if so, what sort of drawings do you like to do (realistic, cartoons, portraits, etc.)?

Harding, James Duffield. Harding's Lessons on Drawing: A Classic Approach. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2007. Print.

Decluttering and Organizing: Pt.1: Perspectives

Pt. 1: Perspectives and our Mental State

Decluttering and our mental state may seem like they aren't related at all, but that's quite the opposite. The way perceive things is very much related to decluttering and organizing. Marie Kondō, author of the book, The Life-Changing Magic of  Tidying Up, emphasizes on how our mental state plays a huge factor in the art of decluttering and organizing.

Step 1:

“People cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking” (Kondō). You may not realize it, but keeping something tidy is a habit. By putting things back after using them, you are constantly tidying up, therefore making it a habit, a way of life. Making this a habit won't be easy, just like breaking a habit, you have to do this consistently, if not, it will never happen. “Visible mess helps distract us from the true source of the disorder” (Kondō). The source of the disorder, for most teens, is that they're too lazy, or that we are to busy to tidy up. But if we really want to make tidying a habit, we absolutely have to make time in our schedule to tidy up, even 5 minutes makes a huge difference.

                      

Step 2:

“From the moment you start tidying, you will be compelled to reset your life. As a result, your life will start to change. That’s why the task of putting your house in order should be done quickly. It allows you to confront the issues that are really important. Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order” (Kondō). Changing your mind set is the first step in decluttering and organizing. Try to keep this quote in mind when tidying up your room or work space as a source of motivation!

What are some habits you have that help keep your room in order? 😜  

Decluttering and Organizing: Pt. 2: Organization

Pt. 2: Organization

I for one am terrible when it comes to keeping my things organized. So I decided to read The Life-Changing Magic of  Tidying Up, by Marie Kondō, in hopes of learning better organization and an overall put together life. The whole book focuses on ways to de-clutter and organize your belongings. It is filled with helpful tips and tricks to help you get rid of everything you don't need!

     

Step 1:

“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle” (Kondō). While reading, this quote really stuck out to me and helped me a lot while cleaning. A lot of the stuff in my room can be dated back to when I was in 3rd grade, and I honestly have no idea why I have kept these things until now. By keeping this quote in mind, it made it a lot easier to get rid of the things that were just taking up space in my room.

Step 2:

“the best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge" (Kondō). This quote and the quote from step 1 go together hand in hand. As i was organizing my things, mainly my art and clothing, I kept this quote in mind. While going through my art I would ask myself if I was truly proud of the work I've created and how it would benefit my (art) portfolio. If I wasn't proud of it, I would toss it, and if I thought it was portfolio worthy, I would keep it. 

I drew this in 3rd grade, and I have no idea why I kept it.
This is an example of something I would toss.

This is my first ever realistic drawing.
I decided to keep it to compare how much I have improved since 6th grade.

  

This is a portrait I did last school year.
I decided to keep it to compare how much better I 
get over the remainder of my high school career.
What are your tips and tricks for better organization? Have you ever forgotten why you've kept something? 😜

Attacking Soccer: My own experience

        If you read my previous post, I described how great my book was and what soccer meant to me. Now we are going a little more in debt with the book and I'm going to show a play from the book.





 To play soccer you don't need a lot of things. Just two objects; a soccer ball and any type of ground environment. You don't need a huge soccer field to play, just a good spread out area, some imagination and friends.

      This play is simple and doable. You need a ball and a long field or road. When you see this image, you see mathematical ways of organizing your game, but you just need to be a good distance away from your players and be able to get it to them. Also a key tip that this explains is that the ball should never stop and keep kicking it around to the other players with one kick per person, this will keep the momentum going.






          Soccer is a special sport. It's affordable and you don't need much. But the one thing you need is great stamina and usage of good technique. You don't need as many materials as football for example. If you want you play for fun in the park, you don't need the shin guards and cleats.

       Question: If you play soccer, what is your favorite play? If not, what about soccer intrigues you?

Old Habits Never Die

So, you've just identified all of your bad habits, and now you want to get rid of them. How do you do that, you may ask? The answer, much to my (and probably your) disappointment, is that you can't. Instead, you change your habits.

The Golden Rule of Habit Change

To change a habit, you need to keep two things the same, the cue, and the reward. According to The Power of Habit: "If you use the same cue, and provide the same reward, you can shift the routine and change the habit. Almost any behavior can be transformed if the cue and reward stay the same" (Duhigg 62).

Chronic Nail Biting

In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg shows this golden rule at work in a story about a woman who always bit her nails. She sought help with someone studying the effects of habits. The expert told her to carry around a notecard and put an X on it every time she felt the urge to bite her nails. At first it was hard for her to remember, but in just a week, it was easy. This exercise helped her identify the cue and reward of her habit. Now that she was aware of her habit, she could consciously do something else to combat it. Her counselor told her that whenever she felt the urge to bite her nails, she should instead seek some other source of physical stimulation, such as rapping her fingers on the table, rubbing her arm, or grabbing her pencil. After about a month of conscious work, this became her new habit, and she no longer bit her nails (Duhigg 74).

YouTube Autoplay

I decided to take Charles Duhigg's advice, and try and fix a habit of my own. I watch a lot of YouTube. When I get home from school, I'll hop on my computer, choose an interesting video, then surf YouTube until I truly need to do homework. To change the habit itself, I needed to identify the cue and reward of it.

Cue: Getting home from school.

Routine: Watch YouTube video after YouTube video.

Reward: The happiness of relaxing and enjoying a video.

Once I did that, I changed the inner routine to my liking. In this case, I just wanted to watch less YouTube, so I changed the inner habit so that I just watch one or two videos. To do this, I used a tool to remove certain elements of the YouTube webpage, to make it much harder to continue surfing for more pointless cat videos. Additionally, I changed my shortcut to YouTube so that I see content I am interested in easier.

My YouTube homepage before (left) and after (right) the changes. (Click to enlarge)

A YouTube video before (left) and after (right) the changes. (Click to enlarge)

As you can see, I made YouTube more focused, so that I could view the few videos that I really wanted to watch, and not the ones that YouTube suggested that I should watch. The videos that it suggests are selected to keep me on the site as long as possible, but I only want to stay there as long as I am interested in what I am watching, so I removed them.

I have had these changes for about a week now, and they have definitely changed how I watch YouTube. I watch for shorter amounts of time, because I run out of content quickly, and move on to something else.

What is a habit that you would like to change, and what is it's cue, routine, and reward? How would you like to change the routine of this habit?

---

Works Cited

Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit. New York, Random House, 2014. 

How to improve by Soccer Tennis

Soccer Tennis and how it helps your performance

What is it?

Soccer tennis is the all around combination of Soccer, and a mix of volleyball/tennis. The ideal of the game is to get the soccer ball in your opponents side in 3 our less touches. To break it down, it's basically just Volleyball without hands on a tennis court.

How does it help you?

You can play 1v1 but the game is generally played 3v3. You start the game in the service box on either side of the net. The best way to benefit from this game is to play in a smaller court as it helps improve your touch and helps avoid running a lot.

How do you start the game?

The game starts when a member of the serving team either volley kicks the ball, or drop kicks it into the opposing teams side. If the ball goes out of bounds on the serve, the serve is lost. If the ball hits the net though, you may retake the serve. The game continues if the receiving team returns the ball on their first, second, or third touch (each player may only get one touch) but only after the ball has bounced. After the ball is returned it may only bounce on the floor one time after crossing the net. The ball may remain in play even if over the out line as long as it is still in the air and may still be played as long as it still passes directly over the net.

How do you win?

A point is awarded to a team when the ball bounces twice on the team who contains the balls side. Games can go up to 11-15 points and 2 out of 3 games can determine the winner.

Body Placement and Alignment in Ballet Vs. Jazz

Hey Guys! Welcome back, if you read my first blog you would know it was about the basic platform and starting with a good base for dance. Today I will be talking about body placement and alignment in basic beginner type moves in jazz versus ballet. Body Placement and Alignment are both key factors in dance because they help you do everything correctly and keep you safe with little to no injuries.

The move I will be talking about is a Jazz passé. A good jazz passé is needed for moves like a pirouette (jazz pirouette) or to non-dancers its known as the turn, or spin. Since it is Jazz technique and a Jazz passé that means it is parallel versus where ballet is turned out.

Body Placement: You should be standing straight up and down, with which ever leg you chose in passé. Passé should be flat 90-degree angle as you could place a plate on your thigh and it wouldn’t fall off. Your hips should be parallel facing forward and down no hip should be up. In the book Copeland says, “There were piques and leaps and pirouettes with the girls’ knees facing forward like jazz choreography” (Copeland 31). So basically she is saying what I explain how jazz technique everything is very parallel and facing forward. Also in the passé your ankle and foot should be touching the knee of the opposite leg, and make sure your foot is always pointed.

Alignment: Your body should be straight and tall not hunching over. Shoulders must back and directly in line with your hips so your whole body is in a straight line as if you were to stand directly against a wall.

Now for the ballet passé. There isn’t that big of a difference

Body placement: Like the jazz passé you are standing straight up and down. This time when you go to passé you are in a turned out position. So your hips are facing out but they’re still pressing down because you don’t want to lift your hips in passé because this gives you bad muscle memory and you don’t want to remember that when you turn. Your foot is once again touching your knee on the opposite leg but this time your ankle is not touching and don’t forget to make sure your foot is pointed.

Alignment:  Your body should be straight and tall just like the jazz passé with your shoulders back and over your hips.

Okay so with that I hope you have learned how to do a basic passé! 

Now my question for all of you is would you rather take a jazz class or a ballet class? Comment Below your thoughts

Copeland, Misty, and Charisse Jones. Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. New York: Touchstone, Published by Simon and Schuster, 2014. Print.

Landscapes - Important Elements to Consider

Hi everyone! In my last blog post, I observed a close-up picture of a flower and some of the techniques that were used and could be used to improve the photograph. In this blog post, I'm going to focus on landscapes and some of the important elements to consider when taking a landscape photograph.

One element that I focused on for landscape pictures is distractions. When it comes to photography, one little distraction can damage the photograph, which makes it a reason to check the edges of the composition before taking the photograph to get rid of the distractions. According to Rob Sheppard in The Magic of Digital Nature Photography, "The best that can be said for distractions is to look for them and get rid of them. even a very beautiful scene can be damaged by something that sneaks into the corner of the composition that obviously does not belong there... Distractions are most common at the edges of the composition - another good reason to check edges - but they can be anywhere" (Sheppard, 106). Sheppard's advice teaches us that we should check the edges of the composition on our camera for distractions to get rid of them before taking the picture. Doing this will allow for the photograph to be undamaged by anything that doesn't belong in the landscape.

The pictures above were taken in a park along the Soos Creek Trail. In the first picture above, the sign on the right hand side was in the picture, but doesn't quite belong in the picture. The amount of shadow distracts from the general landscape as well. These would be examples of two distractions that make the photograph not very appealing. However, on the second picture, the sign is gone and there are less shadows which makes the photograph more appealing and gives more focus on the general landscape, rather than a small detail of the picture.

Another element I focused on was vertical versus horizontal pictures. Horizontal pictures help grasp a greater part of landscape right in front of you. Nature itself is filled with horizontal landscapes and cameras are designed to create horizontal photographs. On the other hand, vertical photographs show the aspects of nature which aren't horizontal. They demonstrate things that you may not see in a horizontal image. In The Magic of Digital Nature Photography, Rob Sheppard informs us "Cameras, for the most part, are designed for horizontally-oriented photographs. As well, landscapes are pretty much horizontal parts of our world. It follows that horizontals are important to landscape photography. They parallel the horizon; they fit the scene spreading out in front of you; and they fit the way we see most landscapes... [Turning your camera to its side and taking vertical landscape photographs] helps you see new things in the world, and may even allow you to discover some new magic in your scenes that is not revealed in a standard horizontal image" (Sheppard, 106). This demonstrates that landscapes don't have a set angle at which you take the photograph. Horizontals may be appropriate in some cases because meaning and tone comes from the whole landscape. When there are many distractions and the meaning and tone come from a more specific subject, verticals are more appropriate.

The first photograph, although zoomed in, was taken horizontally, because the trees and grass made up a better landscape as a whole, and looked more appealing when including all three of the triangular trees. The tone comes from all of the landscape, rather than one part of it. The second photograph, while also zoomed in, was taken vertically, because the main meaning and tone comes from the tree itself - with the odd shape of it branches - rather than the landscape it's in as a whole. This allows us to see how a vertical picture or a horizontal picture sets the mood or the tone within the landscape picture.

The last element I focused on was lighting. Although lighting is put in the chapter about flowers, I decided to focus on lighting anyways, as it is an important part in any photograph and plays a role in the mood, tone and meaning of the landscape paragraph. In nature photography, there are different "types" of lighting. 

~ Backlight is when "you shoot toward the sun or bright area in the sky" (Sheppard, 69). The pros of back light is that it creates drama within the photograph because of the different areas of shadow and light, it "separates elements of a scene because of the highlights and shadows," the leaves and flowers glow, and the light creates a sparkle, a great texture and gives more depth if it's high enough to wrap over the subject (Sheppard, 70). 

~ Side Light is where the light "hits your subject from the side." The pros for side light is that it "makes natural objects ... look exceptionally solid and dimensional," and that the texture has a life like look to it (Sheppard, 72).

~ Front Light is "light that hits the front of your subject and throws shadows to the rear of that subject." The pros of front light is that colors are very well lit, color patterns are brought out, underlying patterns and colors are seen better because of the lack of texture, and two dimensional shapes of objects are emphasized (Sheppard, 72).

~ Top light is when the light comes from above the subject. This doesn't have any pros, so it's best for nature photographers to avoid this type of light. It brings up too much blue and can be flat and dull (Sheppard, 72).

In the first picture above, I used back light. Back light can be a bit troublesome in certain circumstances, as seen in the picture. In this case, the sun was very bright and "in your face," which made the photograph over exposed and created a shadow in the center of the photograph, which doesn't make the photograph appealing. In the second photograph, I used side light. In this photograph, the fact that the sunlight came from the side allowed for there to be more texture, makes the trees to look more dimensional, and emphasizes the life that is still left in this part of the landscape, like the grass and the remaining leaves.

To end this off, how do you deal with distractions in photographs? Do you prefer vertical pictures or horizontal pictures? What lighting do you like to use best?

Bibliography: Sheppard, Rob. The Magic of Digital Nature Photography. New York: Lark, 2007. Print.

Knuckle Balls: The Floater

There are multiple types of knuckle balls. Including the floater, which I will be describing how to hold and release this pitch. Knuckle balls are rarely thrown correctly and a correct form usually leads to upsetting and disorienting batters, and is usually very exciting to see a perfect knuckle ball thrown in a game. Understanding how to throw and when to use this pitch doesn’t guarantee success, it takes hours of practice and passion, to master anything, including being able to throw the strangest pitches in the game. In this case the floater.

How to Hold

When holding this pitch, make sure to have your middle and index nails are comfortably grasping into the ball (Clark 39). Also make sure that your index and middle fingers are in the center between the stitching. Be sure to have your thumb resting slightly above the bottom stitching and held tight against your palm (Clark 40). Your remaining two fingers should be curled with your ring finger resting just underneath the top stitch like so:

The Release

When releasing, the goal of the pitch is to have no spin or as little as possible on the ball. This creates a whiffle-ball like affect, meaning when the ball is thrown the stitches act like wings and create turbulence causing the ball to move unpredictably. This is why the floater is a very useful pitch against batters.

When releasing the floater once you get to your release point begin to push off your index and middle finger like so, but be very careful to fully throw the ball completely and don’t just rely on your wrist and fingers, not using your entire arm can cause injury (Clark 41).

Once you have started the release keep pushing off the with your index and middle fingers. This is to ensure that the ball keeps from spinning.

 

Extra Tips

When throwing the floater (or any other pitch) it is best not to look at the ball when it is being thrown, rather focus on where you want the ball to go also known as your target (Clark 43). When first learning to throw floaters, or any pitch, be sure that your catcher knows when you’re are going to throw it. This is helpful for two reason: your catcher can see much more than you can and he can help make adjustments to help with your throw. Another reason is if you are a catcher, you would like to know what is being thrown at you beforehand (Clark 43).

Source:

Clark, Dave. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2006. Print.