Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

Talia’s art progress.

[Rusty Edge]

Nice work. I never quite got the hang of that aspect of drawing. The lasting impression I got from those exercises was that cats have egg-shaped skulls, which is quite a useful concept when drawing cats.

[Unorthodox]

I make good stick figures?

[Buster's Uncle]

Those show some good command of poses...

[Rusty Edge]

I make good stick figures?

You make great stick monsters. Literally.

[Unorthodox]

Ages ago, she had an easel in the front room. 

I'd draw her a picture on my way to work, and she'd erase it and re-create it for me when I got home. 

I faked it for her for quite a while, and even improved my own drawing as a result, as we'd occasionally have 'competitions' where we'd both draw something, last one earlier this year. 

About the only thing I can give her a run for her money on anymore is drawing a skull. 

I never mastered the whole framing thing like she's showing there.  Though I kinda work that way when sculpting.  Starting from a skeleton (almost always literally).

[Rusty Edge]

I more or less quit drawing after 8th grade. Three of my closest friends were all better than me, and I realized I wasn't going to find employment in the field. Beyond that, I smudged things too much to become a draftsman. So I focused on other things.

One of them went on to art school and a career in advertising.

I did draw a bit to get across concepts while tutoring people in English as a second language. 

[Unorthodox]

A while back Talia got really into Ghost Towns and lost treasures.  She's grown out of that phase, but I joined a Utah Ghost Town group on Facebook at the time.  It was a really sweet group and they had maps and directions well documented.  It's where I got the directions to the mine we found out in the Devil's Playground last year. 

I never post anything, just watch. 

Well...it's since merged a couple times and has picked up a bunch of "ghost hunters" and 'Urban Explorers" recently. 

Generally these new folks are less than respectful of the places they're going.  Trespassing is not called out in the least, and they are all TRUE BELIEVERS to where anything is evidence of a haunting no matter how photoshopped. 

Anyhow...so I see a post asking if anyone knows about this building in Ogden that's supposedly the most haunted place in Utah....and posts a picture of a former bank. 

And this group of idiots start going on saying it's the Ben Lomond hotel, and insert the ghost stories of the mother who died in an accident and son later committing suicide in the same room to join her. 

Now, this building STILL HAS WELLS FARGO BANK ON THE ROOF, but has been abandoned for some time.  And these investigators are breaking into this building and going to THE ROOM where this supposedly happened and here's video and picture evidence of the ghosts...all the while the actual hotel they think they're investigating is in the picture, out the window across the street...

The levels of stupidity are almost too much to believe. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I seen a cartoon a few weeks ago of a lady saying "You can't cure stupid" and a Covid virus saying "I can".

[Rusty Edge]

Sounds like the perfect setup for an Uno prank. Not encouraging it, just recalling a few stories... How Uno became an Urban Legend...the haunted room with the megaphone in a box. Well, that and my wife likes to watch ghost hunter shows. Those people are suckers for light, shadow and sound suggestions.

[Unorthodox]

Ive already planned my next prank. 

Next 2 really.  I've just been less than motivated the last few years.

I've probably even spoke about them. 

#1 is a pond down at the base of the hill I'm at.  Fairly lightly traveled trail around it.  I want to make a creature far enough off trail to not be obvious, peaking out from behind a tree. 

#2 they built a tunnel under the 6 lane not technically freeway near our house.  It's long and dark (unless they installed lights since I was there).  I want to make a little troll to sit in the middle of it. 

[Buster's Uncle]

#2?  Solid cement, so it'll seem like a statuary art installation -which it would be- and be a lot more durable. 

It'll last a lot longer that way for both reasons.

[Unorthodox]

I'm torn between making it a concrete troll, or trying to capitalize on the popularity of the stupid painted rocks thing in the area and trying to make it light and easily movable with instructions to hide it somewhere else, and post pics to a site to track it's progress. 

[Rusty Edge]

I'm torn between making it a concrete troll, or trying to capitalize on the popularity of the stupid painted rocks thing in the area and trying to make it light and easily movable with instructions to hide it somewhere else, and post pics to a site to track it's progress.

Oooh! I love the Freemont Troll.  I'd consider donating to the cause.
https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/6/4/18650083/fremont-bridge-troll-history-location

[Unorthodox]

For jogging your memory, a look back at Cropper. 



Now, there are a lot of things I really, really hate about cropper, but a couple things I love...

So, looking at Villein, I've come to a crossroads in 2 areas...

As he stands: 

Question 1 is more minor:  Do modify/sculpt the face?

Not really visible in the video, but the face area is thin enough the light inside makes it glow.  But, I had to cover a seam already and the back isn't so thin.  Sculpting would hide that since it's uneven.  Filling in the eye sockets a bit could be a plus.  And I don't love the teeth...but then I prefer my creatures sans-mandible to begin with...which I actually COULD make happen...but I'm not sure is a smart move on this particular creature at this juncture. 

Question 2 is the big one...and boss, you too.  I know you lurk. 

I either need to cover the seam in the breastplate as it shows with the light inside and will bug me...or...cut the damn breastplate out and open the chest up.  I know this is almost sacrilege for one of these 12 ft skeletons to start hacking it apart...but welcome to my brain.  Expose that heart more (which now is getting vines added to it btw)   Look back at cropper's open chest though.  Not that an enclosed chest doesn't offer other advantages.