RELOCATING!!!

Important!!! My art blog is relocating to Tumblr under the name Industry Ink.

That means I'm leaving Blogger.

Why? Because Blogger is really annoying. I just don't like it. Sorry!
To all that have bookmarked my art blog, you may have noticed a lack of art posts. Like, it's really really bad. I apologize. But I'm back, and now on Tumblr.
It's not yet set up but you can find it here: http://industryink.tumblr.com/

This account will close in a while. You'll notice my pictures being deleted... but never fear. I will soon post a place on Tumblr where they can all be viewed.

Chocobo Concepts

These are five-second-doodles trying to come up with an idea for Frank's new chocobo tattoo. I have more ideas up my sleeve, such as a chocobo hugging a moogle, but somehow I don't think that'd make a good guy's tattoo.

Okay, the first one with the lightning bolt would be just black and white with dramatic shading. The second would be purely black, white, and yellow. The third would probably have bright popping colors, and the fourth isn't a very solid idea but I just wanted to draw an excited chocobo about to eat ghysyll greens. (However that word is spelled...)

The Industrial Scene

I've been thinking that I'd like to have a more multi-functional blog... somewhere that isn't just limited to what I've drawn, and what artists I like. I want it to be more of an about-me place, and a place to store my studies. It's possible I may make another blog soon, or just dump absolutely everything here. My five followers, if you're still with me, I'd appreciate your opinions.
So, then, I would like to begin writing about the industrial scene--the cyber subculture. This includes rivetheads, cybergoths, and cyberpunk. I myself identify with the industrial subculture, but very few people (only those closest to me) know this. I listen to the music genres (ebm, industrial, aggrotech, futurepop, etc.) very regularly, and already I have a pretty huge collection of artists (Grendel is a favorite). I also absolutely love the attitude and fashion. Already I have a folder exclusive to the cybergoth fashion, and I have seen many cyberpunk movies and even read a cyberpunk novel (which I loved). I'm a huge fan of horror, thus making me something of a goth... seeing as I thrive on the darker side of live, I certainly identify with, understand, and get along with goths. Since I also love electronic music, cyberpunk entertainment, and the theory of a dystopian future where technology harms humanity more than it helps us, I think I fall into the cyber/industrial scene perfectly. Besides, I feel it's who I really am on the inside. I only need further prove this by studying sci-fi art and trying to use it in my work. (At this point, I suck at it. But I can improve.)

The funny thing is, I've always loved this, but just haven't realized it until more recent years. I have been following cybergoth specifically for about 5 years now.

"Oh dear Sketchy, what is this CYBERPUNK you speak of?"
Well, to put it simply, it's high tech and low life. Here's Urban Dictionary's definition.

"a literary genre that has nothing to do with the Matrix, being cool, or anime. it's a subgenre of sci-fi in which there is strong sense of helplessness, misery, dystopic ideals and loss of morality and/or humanity. corporations control the lives of their workers and reside in microcosms dictated by the status quo"

The Matrix is actually a pretty cyberpunk movie. The first one, anyway. But The Matrix does not define it--just gives a better idea of what it is. For anime, Japan is often viewed as a real cyberpunk city. William Gibson, cyberpunk novelist (the one who really got this stuff rollin'), incorporates a lot of Japanese elements--vocabulary especially, from what I've noticed. (I only read one cyberpunk novel, that being his work Neuromancer--the most distinguished cyberpunk book.)

Pretty dark, huh? Screencap from Blade Runner.

What are some real, solid cyberpunk movies? Blade Runner is the best example. Great film; I absolutely loved it. Aliens is also pretty cyberpunk, when you read between the lines. Aliens is especially cyberpunk in visuals. As of anime, Akira, Serial Experiments Lain, and Ghost in the Shell are all cyberpunk. I'm not so into Ghost in the Shell, but Akira and Lain are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I fell in love with Lain when I was only in 7th grade. Akira I didn't know about until recently, but by God, is it good stuff.

My favorite two manga are Uzumaki (horror) and BLAME! (cyberpunk.) Here is a look at BLAME!

Pure eye candy.

In sum, cyberpunk is very hopeless... dark... depressing. Humanity is at a loss. Evil corporations/government control us. Androids are pretty common. Many humans rely on prosthetic limbs and artificial body parts in general.

"Okay, Sketchy... then what is CYBERGOTH?"
Different from cyberpunk, but they have their overlapping qualities and similarities.

Whereas cyberpunk is more of a literary style, cybergoth is more of a subculture. A similar subculture is rivethead, which I am not-so-much-into seeing as I don't obsess over Germany, war, or being angry. Their music is pretty good, though, but a bit less like my taste. I don't "get" rivetheads like I get cybergoths. Real cybergoths, that is. (Therefore, I won't concentrate on rivetheads.)

So, what defines a real cybergoth versus a fake one? Often you hear people (teenagers, that is) screaming at each other about posers. Every subculture has its group of posers, which I see as people that just follow along and join in on the fun just because they can. Or to get attention. Usually a combination of both.

Here is a poser.

It's also a very, very poor misconception of what cybergoth is. I'm not sure how the dude that made this got the idea of them looking like that. The snake in the hair is an obvious joke at how much stuff is on the cybergoth's head.

Here's a real one. One that does it right, and lives up to her cybergoth lifestyle. DO watch the video--it will give a very good idea of cybergoth dance, music, and fashion. D TokSIcK is one of my favorite industrial dancers.

Now, then, here is another Urban Dictionary definition, this time on the cybergoth...

"A person who listens to an extreme type of electronic music known as 'Noise'. Noise consits of different types of static laced together to create some form of structure. Noise can be classed as 'Anti-Music'. May probably also listen to 'Powernoize/Noize'. Powernoize is using the same concept of static, yet making it harsher and with a techno drum beat/a heavy drum beat of some kind. It can have a sound reminisiant of Harsh EBM (A type of Industrial). Cybergoths also may listen to a type of music known as 'Futurepop'. Futurepop is quite often a light form of EBM. (It retains it's 'dark' edge, whilst being light.)

A Cybergoth dresses in a way associated with the future or to concepts of what a 'Cyberpunk' may look like. A cybergoth usually has hair extentions (jokingly given the name of 'The Gothic Pineapple' due to the way the hair is worn) and will often wear Goggles of some kind (similar to that of a Rivethead). Cybergoths seem to have a liking for neon and clashing colours. Some also wear LED lights on their clothing or in their hair. Quite often they wear big big shoes.

Some have described Cybergoths as a mixture of Rivetheads, Ravers and Goths. Cybergoths will most certianly listen to music from one, if not all of the other mentioned subcultures.Ahh! The noise that Cybergoth is playing is annoying me! Get out the Skinny Puppy and blast her with it!"

They don't just listen to noise. They also listen to industrial, ebm, and futurepop, also described in this passage. Basically, any electronic music with a darker, harsher sound is a good way of putting it, I think... if you think of electronic music and techno starts playing in your head, as in Deadmau5 or Ian Van Dahl, you're horribly wrong. (By the way, cybergoths will listen to Skinny Puppy. I do. Incredible band.) Think of what a computer would sound like if it had a voice, and if that computer happened to enjoy being a bit angry and dancing around a lot.

Combichrist is the most well-known example of EBM, which is a choice cybergoth music genre.

Urban Dictionary's clothing description is pretty accurate. HOWEVER, I'm a bit sick of the stereotypical cybergoth look, where there's dredfalls, goggles, a skirt, and fuzzy leg warmers worn with boots. To be a cybergoth, you can't be a raver, and I don't particularly care for Japanese "cybergoths." I call those anime convention and Japanese "cybergoths" ravers. (Not that a raver is a bad thing. I was once into the rave scene, and still do like their music...)

This is a pretty horrible "cybergoth." If I had to label her, she'd be a raver. Notice the typical fuzzy legwarmers. And the super-cuteness. Cuteness won't cut it.

Rivethead + raver + goth = cybergoth. I think that formula cuts it pretty well, except cyberpunk should be thrown into the mix as well. They're often described as gravers, which is a combination of "goth" and "raver," which I guess is accurate, since they're much darker varients of the electronic club scene.

Now then, cybergoths have a very dark, cynical view on things: they show us what humanity is headed towards. Artificiality, synthetic body parts, hair, etc; and a violent/hopeless future. Does that mean cybergoths don't have fun?

No.

They are very happy, playful people, characterized by their common usage of bright neon colors. D TokSIcK in particular is a very cheerful cybergoth. If you take a look through her videos, you will see one where she answers questions. She's perky and smiley. In her comment responses, she often uses this emoticon :] and is kind to all but the people that excessively hate on her.

That may seem entirely contradictory, but it's not. It's not impossible for someone to love and treasure the darker side of life, while also, at the same time, loving and treasuring the happier side of life. I know I do. I am fascinated by the dynamic contrast of dark and light. Take perky goths, for example. They're playful and happy, yet are decked out in dark, depressing black clothes and love fun horror stuff.

Without getting into that further, let's carry on. I don't want to ramble too much.

Would you like to see some real cybergoths?

Barcode? Check. Goggles? Check. Boots? Check.

See how cute and playful she is? Definitely not 100% terrifying.

Dredfalls, goggles, and really huge boots are NOT a requirement. Facemasks and gasmasks are very common, however.

Yeah, I know, they are all women. This style of dress is asexual, however. Men are more than welcome to dress up just as the women do. Personally, I prefer they stick to shorter hairstyle cuts and pants, but I like them in their long gothic skirts sometimes, too. (Yeah, let's not get into that.) Want some cybergoth men... that dance? Here are my other two favorite industrial dancers, KillskillZ and Tank9.

I love them. To those of you that are now frightened of me, or view me as a freak, or wish to make fun of me... take one look at hipsters and I dare you to tell me that the cyber subculture is worse. Cybergoths do not take ourselves as seriously as they appear to, by the way. If you want an example of cybergoths taking themselves too seriously, and also failing at cybergoth completely, check this out. The person ripped the video and put nyan cat music to it to make fun of them. If you want to see a cybergoth (Tank9) not taking himself seriously, aka having fun with his lifestyle, view this video. Trust me, it's quite entertaining opposed to the other dance videos. His, uh, girlfriend, I'm guessing?--she also has youtube dance videos up, if you want to view those as well. She's my fourth favorite, behind D TokSIcK, KillskillZ and Tank9. Diving further into cybergoth music, the best place for newbies to start is with Combichrist. His music is fast, fun, exciting, dark, and playful--even funny at times. Another good place to start is with Nine Inch Nails, but since it's a mainstream commercial band a lot of real cybergoths and rivetheads will hate on them (and you for liking them). I still love the band, particularly their lyrics. Here is a collective list of the genres: industrial, ebm, industrial rock, electro-industrial, dark electro, elektro, hellectro, darkwave, coldwave, no wave, goth industrial, industrial metal, noise, noize, powernoise, experimental, synthpop, futurepop, ambient industrial, dark ambient, martial industrial, techno-industrial, terror ebm, harsh ebm post-industrial. All of these are linked to last.fm. If you want some of my personal favorite bands, check these songs out. They're some of my favorites. 1000 Watts by Dope Stars Inc. UltraNUMB by Blue Stahli. A little less cybergoth, but very underground. Telekinetic by God Module. Void Malign by Grendel. Cutting and Drinking by XP8. One I view humorous. Kunstprodukt by Miss Construction. Also humorous. Domination by T3RR0R 3RR0R. The Last Firstborn by Celldweller. I like to blur the lines a little. This is not 100% cybergoth, but is good stuff. Optimissed by Skinny Puppy. Very rivethead. Maschinerie by Pzychobitch. Skinny Little Bitch by Angelspit. By the way, don't let others tell you what to listen to and what not to listen to. You won't be happy following their orders. I still listen to freakin' Linkin Park and Evanescence for Pete's sake! Bands I listened to in my childhood! Seriously, what was I, 9? About 11 when I first heard Evanescence. Primarily, however, I am industrial since that is at least half of what I listen to these days--and will continue to listen to for God knows how long. Don't be what you aren't. Be yourself. Who am I? An artist. A Silent Hill fangirl. An industrial chick. Cybergoth. An animal lover. Shy, sweet, quiet, but also tucking away a darker, angrier self. I'm a horror nut, an electronic rock music freak, a creative, deep, and thoughtful thinker. I want to reach out to people. I want to open their minds. But I can't do it unless they let me in. Check it out, all. It's my theme song. Art!

024

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZRL9x0UZLc

This is another watch me draw video, better than the one prior.

It's a week or two old now.

I begin school tomorrow morning... until I get back into the habit of art classes, you probably will not hear from this blog for awhile.

023

Watch me draw!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyTg8jpmvD8

This is my first time doing something like this.
I hope it's somewhat enjoyable...
The drawing is nothing special. However, I have to get used to this before I get serious.

022

Three new blog posts are up!

I have Google+ now. I made two Facebook posts asking people if they had an account or wanted to be invited. Only one person replied. So, I guess no one's interested in Google+?

Well, would at least 1 of the one-hundred people sitting in my friends list at least visit this blog? I dropped a post there. I imagine if I annoy them enough with my blog, they eventually will come and check it out. I don't update this place enough, and when I do it's usually not stuff that's all that great.

If I had more followers I would be more motivated. Hinthintnudgenudge.

I've just... gone through a lot of turmoil on the internet these days. I'm a tad addicted to it, but I want to limit my websites to the ones that are useful to me. However, it's hard to pick between them, and I keep wanting to toss out the ones that have no purpose.

Facebook has a good purpose, so it's not going bye-bye until all the people suddenly decide they don't like it anymore.

021

020

019

http://sketchcast.com/view/9P0563E

018

This is something I did in my moleskine to help me remember how to do my job. I did this when I just started working there. I portrayed each worker as an animal that I thought suited them best.

Conceptual image of a character. I've decided to stick with the design.(As far as the face goes, anyway. Hairstyle may stay the same, but outfit and accessories due to change.)

Now I am sharing with you possible the nerdiest side of me. Manga. I LOVE MANGA. I am not an anime fan, oh no. (I used to be.) But I love manga, and always will. Why? So many reasons why. Do not get me started. First of all, manga is the perfect size. Second of all, each and every page (usually) is pretty consistent. Third of all... seriously. I can name so many reasons to love manga.

The Tarot Cafe, Chobits, Noise, Blame!, Biomega, Bakuman, After School Nightmare, Sorcerer Hunters, Ghost Hunt, Orphen

Kingdom Hearts, Godchild, Sugar Sugar Rune, Loveless, Nightmare Inspector, FLCL, Gyo, Sgt Frog

Suikoden III, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Petshop of Horrors, Demon Diary, Nui!, Zone 00, Ouran High School Host Club

Hell Girl, Gurren Lagann, Domo the Manga, Death Note, Picasso, Chrono Crusade, (random Tokyopop competition), Portus, Claymore, The Dreaming, Octopus Girl, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories (again for some reason), Dark Edge

Trigun, Palette of 12 Secret Colors, Uzumaki, Dragon Knights

Return to Labyrinth, Magic Knights Rayearth, Magic Knights Rayearth II, Negima

Some of these manga I hate and I am going to try and sell. If you see a volume by itself, it's either new and I haven't bought more of it, or it's old and I hate it.

017

I thought I lost the photos of these, but hoorah for me. Discovered them in some random folder.

Teachy-teach gave me an A+ on this one. My uncle bought it from me. Happy days.

As of my crab? I love my crab. It was a gift for my dad's girlfriend, who happens to be a cancer.

016

Sorry that I haven't been around lately.

Art Therapy Article

This is the long version of my written article, without it being broken down and summarized for Creative Therapy, an art group I have joined.

What do you think of when I mention art? Possibly the first thing that pops into your mind is the Mona Lisa, with her mysterious smile, or another famous painting such as The Scream, or American Gothic.  Most think of art as just being beautiful paintings that have a future of hanging in a museum or someone’s house. Not all art is beautiful, and not all beautiful things are art. What is considered beautiful is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Art isn’t just a pretty picture--it’s also a way for someone to express themselves, the way someone can express themselves through music, poetry, or dance. And as frightening as the idea of making art may be for some people, you do not have to have an inkling of talent to do it.

As a matter-of-fact, I recommend that you DO create art. Believe it or not, there is a field of work out there called art therapy, which is a form of expressive therapy that allows people to manage their behaviors and feelings, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem and awareness through the creative process. This practice is for absolutely everyone, from the clinically insane to the average person that is simply experiencing mild stress. If you are stressed, art therapy is the perfect way to channel your emotions. I, for one, have found the process of making art very relaxing. If I take my time on a picture, the smooth feel of the pencil running across the paper is enough to make me relax. Art takes my mind away from life. Art therapy does more than “take your mind off of things.” It is designed to focus your mind on why you’re feeling how you‘re feeling, your positive emotions, and your goals and dreams.

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The creative process can help people to resolve issues as well as develop and manage their behaviors and feelings and self-esteem. Art making is an opportunity to express one’s self imaginatively, authentically, and spontaneously--it is an experience that, over time, can lead to personal fulfillment, emotional reparation, and recovery. It can also make a person feel productive, and can give a person purpose. This approach is often called art psychotherapy. Art therapy, or art psychotherapy, takes advantage of drawing, painting, sculpting, and other art expressions to help in communicating issues, emotions, and conflicts.

In a typical professional art therapy session, you’re required to look inside yourself and put your feelings, perceptions, and imagination on the paper. The therapist uses this image to enhance communication between him or her, and the patient. This art is used to achieve insight, resolve conflicts, solve problems, and formulate new perceptions that in turn lead to positive changes, growth, and healing. As the saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words. Just the way that the patient puts line to paper can tell something about him or her to the art therapist. For example, there is a common art therapy application where the patient is asked to draw a tree. Where the tree is placed, how big the tree is drawn, and how many branches the tree has can tell the art therapist a few things about the patient. The therapist may ask questions such as, “How old is the tree?” and “Is the tree alive?” According to the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, a tree with a slender trunk but with large branches can represent a need for satisfaction. A tree drawn in the corner of the page, which is tiny in size, can represent shyness, insecurity, and sadness.

Remember that anyone can use art therapy. Art therapy is typically directed towards people under a lot of stress, people with mental health issues, people with learning disabilities, children or young adults with problems in school, kids, teenagers, or adults with personal problems, people with autism, people with eating disorders, people with cancer, people with depression, and even someone who believes to be problem-free and simply wants to explore their inner-self. As you can see, art therapy is truly for anyone and everyone. I’m sure that most of you, as college students, have dealt with stress before. Also, if you’ve ever had difficulties in a class, that alone would have been enough to effectively take advantage of art therapy. Even if you don’t think you have problems, you can still benefit from art therapy. We are all human, and we all have problems; therefore, we can all benefit from it. If nothing else, it is a new experience for you.

If you are interested in using art therapy, there are many available practices on the internet or in books. However, the effectiveness of the practice is not guaranteed unless you are under the guidance of a professional therapist, but I am not trying to urge you to seek professional help. I just hope that you will at least try it. Here is a simple exercise to help you get started. All you’ll need is a sheet of paper and some paint. Think about your emotions. What do you usually feel on a day-to-day basis? Also think about line, and the many types that can be used to express emotion--thin, thick, zig-zaggy, or squiggly. Paint your emotions using color, line, and simple shapes. Work as long as you like, but always stop and look at what you have created thus far. Does it express your feelings properly? If not, just keep working. Never stop thinking about yourself and looking within yourself while you paint. When you’re done, you can ask others how they interpret the painting. If you’ve done a good job at expressing your emotions, others will understand the emotions you were trying to convey. When you are completely finished, you should feel better, possibly even relieved. However, you won’t know the benefits until you try it.

Art therapy is a wonderful thing, and I myself have practiced it and benefited from it in some way. Usually when I create a piece of art that looks within myself, I become indulged with the drawing and I forget about the rest of the world and all of its troubles. Some people are afraid to try art. I cannot count the number of times someone has told me that they like my art and that they cannot even draw a stick-figure. I like to tell them that they can draw, too, but they never believe me--what‘s worse is that they never even try it. However, some find it difficult to verbally express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and in this case art would be the perfect remedy to begin to learn how to open-up. Art therapy is especially useful for those that are embarrassed to talk about their problems, and for those who lack adequate language or cognitive skills to do so.  It’s also good if you don’t know how to identify or describe your feelings. Art therapy opens up another level of communication--it is neither verbal nor based on body language. Instead, it translates our inner self to the form of paint or pencil on paper.

015

I just saw the most disturbing movie for my horror film class. "Splice." It came out last year. I just need to vent real quick, but after I'm done I will continue suppressing the bad memories and thus forgetting about it entirely. Anyway, the whole point of the film was to show that we still have animal instincts built into us. I know that's vague, buuut if I say anymore I may withdraw into shock.

I've decided to create a vampire character (essentially a stock character, useful for roleplay or any future ideas I may have) since I don't already have one. I'm very much-so in love with this band called Aural Vampire and I've decided to model her after the lead singer of the Japanese band. I wouldn't exactly call them a band, though; there are two members, a singer and a DJ. If you'd like to watch a couple of their music videos, here they are, though I'm not sure you'll like them. Cannibal Coast, and Freeeeze!! So, I've decided to turn a notebook into a place where I keep all of my characters, and references of them. I'll have more images up later after I've worked on it for awhile.

014

Here is a new collage that I did.

Click to full-view, please. :)

Instead of leaving everything about it entirely cryptic and up to you to interpret, I'm going to give a brief explanation on it.

The concept behind this was to do a picture based on sex and death, and Freudian psychology that I actually believe in. It soon developed into a description of what every woman goes through in life, especially those things that are based around fear.

One of these fears is being objectified by men, seen as nothing but a woman or a sex object. That is why there are no women's eyes in this picture, except for the woman that is in bondage and is the focus of the entire piece.

Images in the background of the picture (as well as the articles) are about death, depression, and fear.

Images in the foreground are the women in different situations.

The dead little girl with the yellow bow represents lost innocence. The breasts and the swimsuit model represent what women are led to believe (by the media) about what men really want from them. The floating head in the very center is half man, half woman, representing how everyone has an "anima" and an "animus," a male and female side--however, as you can see, the woman's eyes are scratched out here. The legs with the handcuffs as well as the only woman with her eyes still showing represent bondage, rape, objectification, and abuse. The teeth have multiple meanings, but overall show how painful it is to be a woman at times.

Again, this image just depicts the fears that women may run into in their lifetime. This is not a "ALL MEN ARE EVIL CREATURES RAWRRR" sort of feminist message. This is simply showing some of the feelings that I have experienced already in my life.

Here's another photo I took; some of the things may be easier to see in it.

I think it's less blurry in places.