Celestial House Design

Building design is something I've often overlooked when it comes to creating a story. However, it truly adds to the feel of a world when even the homes are given personalities. Take the Realm of the Sky from my story. It's not easy to come up with a celestial feel without rehashing what has been done already.

So I figured to do a little research on castles, medieval buildings, and mix fantasy with reality. I was very inspired by this particular image: Castle 001

Before, the home for the protagonist was basically a rectangle. Now, as you can see, it has a lot more to it. I did not add these just for the sake of detail, but rather to give a the viewer a feeling of "I want to live there." All the while, the house has a sense of wonder about it, to show that it is in a fantasy setting - the dragon at the front, the sky-related windows, the wings on the roof, and the elevation. Not only that, but this illustrates how the people living in the setting like to live.

Of course, the entire Sky Realm doesn't have homes like this, but for the particular neighborhood, this is the general feel.

Amnesia Cosplay, a.k.a. I'm a Dork

Horror is one of my favorite video game genres, if not my most favorite. Having watched multiple Let's Plays of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I decided to get it for myself. Well, I convinced my brother to buy it for me if I sorted out his Magic: The Gathering cards. I figured it a fair deal.

I'm glad I got a chance to play the full game for myself (I'm about 2/3 of the way through it now), because then you truly understand how terrifying this game is. I managed to play Silent Hill 2 in the dark and yet Amnesia makes me shake and whimper (at least on Livestreams, when I talk and play at the same time). Daniel, the game's protagonist, has become one of my favorite video game characters of all time. He has a lot of depth and 3-dimensional qualities, that is, showing all of us our evil sides when faced with the possibility of death.

Nevertheless, I decided I wanted to cosplay Daniel for the upcoming convention I am attending this Friday. I just got it in the mail. I commissioned ChaosRose from cosplay.com and she did a fantastic job. Below is a picture of me wearing the outfit. :)

Video blogging vs. Regular blogging

I know there are a good amount of people who look at both of these kinds of blogging, although I wonder if visual media in the form of a video would be more interesting. Then again, there are aspects of a written entry that make it easier for certain kinds of viewers.

After all, sites like Twitter, Tumblr, and LiveJournal are thriving communities that are primarily text based. Images, video, and music can be dispersed in them, but they're not the main focus.

It's so fascinating how needy we've become for even frivolous information, like what our friends are doing right this second. Are we that nosy? I suppose so. But at the other side of that aspect, is that we like to share what we're doing, and think that others are curious to know. It's a feeling of importance, or maybe we just like the fact that we're loved.

I found an old journal document of mine today, dating back to 2005. I was still going on about Advent Children, high school, and my original story that has gone through so many changes by now.
I even found an entry in 2005 talking about how I had to research a certain element of my story, so I read Silent Hill 3 reviews because I was too scared to watch videos about it. Ironic that a game series I'd refuse to watch, play, or like now is one of my favorite series' of all time.

My biggest consideration now is whether or not to do video blogging. It would certainly give my Youtube page more love - I haven't updated that in a long while.

Sketch of a Girl

I doodled this two days ago. I at first had a character in mind when I began, but by the time I was done it just looked like a generic girl to me.
I had a lot of fun with the hair.

Late Night Sketches, Part 1

I find myself more often inspired at night than in the morning, and while listening to my music I doodled the following sketches:

They're all originally-based, save for the bottom-left, which is a quick idea for Cloud's outfit in a crossover I'm making with a friend (Silent Hill: Reunion). I will be making an official set of concept art for outfits Cloud could be wearing in it...eventually.

Halloween Costume

It has been a while since I posted here, and I figured it would be a good opportunity to post pictures of my Halloween costume for this year.

I was Harry Mason from the first Silent Hill game. He happens to be my favorite SH protagonist, and I am hoping that I will be able to take this cosplay to a convention someday. I want to change a few things if I do go to a convention. I want to get a better wig, a better pair of jeans and more props (like the pink rubber ball and the epic hammer).

Feathers

I have been finding a lot of black feathers around my yard lately. I have only recently started a collection, putting them into my design journal that I hold to fill with inspirational sources and ideas.

Of course feathers bring a certain game series to mind, but feathers have held a great deal of symbolic significance to many races. Most of them have been spiritual, dealing with our souls and it rising to higher places and levels of understanding. Other meanings have been attributed to various rituals performed by people such as the Native Americans, the Druids, and so forth.
You can read more about how they were used here: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbol-meaning-of-feathers.html

Although it is fascinating to learn what some ancient civilizations did to try and reach enlightenment as well as their gods, I am glad to know a God that does not require a special set of clothes, incantations, or symbols in order to stay in communication.
Too many people get caught up in the rituals. That is not to say we should be doing whatever we want, but rather not focus on frivolous legalism and place emphasis on relationships with others and God.

No matter the sort and object, I love symbolism. Everything you touch seems to be full of meaning and history, and it's a shame that my brain is having a hard time fitting it all in.