This stuffed rabbit is Steiff but his only tag says "Made in US-Zone Germany" which means he was made in the late 40s.
Little Rabbit
Sunday, December 25, 2011
| | | 0 commentsThis stuffed rabbit is Steiff but his only tag says "Made in US-Zone Germany" which means he was made in the late 40s.
Creating A Language - Part 2 - Choose your Phonemes
Saturday, December 3, 2011
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Creating A Language Part 2
Choose your phonemes!Woo! Now we are ready to pick some phonemes for our language. This is the first major step! You can look at the IPA chart and pick as many or few phonemes as you want, but do keep in mind the following:
A phoneme is a distinct sound which cannot be replaced with another without changing the meaning of a word. /i/ and /u/ are distinct English phonemes because /bi/ (bee) and /bu/ (boo) are different words.
Even if you can't hear the difference, if two phonemes are different letters of the IPA, native speakers would be able to. Many non-English speakers probably think it is nuts that we can easily tell the difference between the words beat, bit, bet, bought, boot, but, bat, boat, bite, bout, boyt (not a word, but it could be), etc.
There are "language universals" which means that every language follows a certain rule. There are universals that are mandatory, and universals which are only a very strong trend. When choosing your phonemes, you must follow the mandatory ones if you wish your language to be realistic, and you should truly consider following the non-mandatory ones. (It is possible for there to be exceptions to these rules, but the incidences are so minute as to not be very important for our purposes).
So print out a copy of the IPA, pull out a pen, and start circling your sounds based on the following rules:
(this is not a complete list, but I think it is good enough for this project)
Vowels:
- All languages have at least two vowels, but tend to have at least three, which tend to be /i/ (as in bee), /u/ (as in boo), and /a/ (which we don't use by itself in English, but is common in many other languages. It is between the a in father and the a in cat.). You can have more of course!
-Back vowels tend to be rounded (o, u, etc) (your lips are rounded)
-Front vowels tend to be unrounded (i, a, etc) (your lips are unrounded). (of course there are languages with rounded front vowels like German umlaut o and u, but they also have the unrounded versions too).
Consonants
- All languages have consonants.
- All languages have stops. (you must have at least one sound from the row on the IPA labeled plosive: ie t, d, k, g, p, b, in English (and the glottal stop is also in English));
- All languages tend to have voiceless stops (left side of column in plosive row), nasals (nasal row), fricatives, and /h/
- Approximants tend to be voiced (normal and lateral) (right side of column)(if you have voiceless ones, you probably have their voiced counterparts)
- Stops and Fricatives tend to be voiceless (left side of column) (if you have voiced ones, you probably have their voiceless counterpart, with the exception of /p/ and /b/ where you can have /b/ without /p/)
- If a language has nasal vowels (vowels that sound.. nasally...), they tend to be on vowels the language already has in a non-nasal form (this is indicated with a ~ on top of the vowel).
General
- Every language has at least 11 phonemes and no more than 112.
- Every language has at least 6 consonant phonemes and no more than 81.
- Every language has at least 2 vowels and no more than 31 (O_o).
- The most common sounds are /p/, /t/, /k/, /m/, /n/.
So if you would like somewhere to start, begin your language with the sounds /p/, /t/, /k/, /m/, /n/, /h/, /i/, /u/, /a/... and then add and modify it from that point.
As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment. Also, feel free to leave your phoneme list (please copy and paste IPA letters from this keyboard.) and I will tell you if it's a good one that follows the rules!
If you have a phoneme list you are confident and happy with, you are ready to move on!
Sources and more rules for the truly dedicated:
http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsAPhonologicalUniversal.htm
http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~llsling1/Phonology/universals/universals.html
http://www.vistawide.com/languages/language_statistics.htm
Choose your phonemes!Woo! Now we are ready to pick some phonemes for our language. This is the first major step! You can look at the IPA chart and pick as many or few phonemes as you want, but do keep in mind the following:
A phoneme is a distinct sound which cannot be replaced with another without changing the meaning of a word. /i/ and /u/ are distinct English phonemes because /bi/ (bee) and /bu/ (boo) are different words.
Even if you can't hear the difference, if two phonemes are different letters of the IPA, native speakers would be able to. Many non-English speakers probably think it is nuts that we can easily tell the difference between the words beat, bit, bet, bought, boot, but, bat, boat, bite, bout, boyt (not a word, but it could be), etc.
There are "language universals" which means that every language follows a certain rule. There are universals that are mandatory, and universals which are only a very strong trend. When choosing your phonemes, you must follow the mandatory ones if you wish your language to be realistic, and you should truly consider following the non-mandatory ones. (It is possible for there to be exceptions to these rules, but the incidences are so minute as to not be very important for our purposes).
So print out a copy of the IPA, pull out a pen, and start circling your sounds based on the following rules:
(this is not a complete list, but I think it is good enough for this project)
Vowels:
- All languages have at least two vowels, but tend to have at least three, which tend to be /i/ (as in bee), /u/ (as in boo), and /a/ (which we don't use by itself in English, but is common in many other languages. It is between the a in father and the a in cat.). You can have more of course!
-Back vowels tend to be rounded (o, u, etc) (your lips are rounded)
-Front vowels tend to be unrounded (i, a, etc) (your lips are unrounded). (of course there are languages with rounded front vowels like German umlaut o and u, but they also have the unrounded versions too).
Consonants
- All languages have consonants.
- All languages have stops. (you must have at least one sound from the row on the IPA labeled plosive: ie t, d, k, g, p, b, in English (and the glottal stop is also in English));
- All languages tend to have voiceless stops (left side of column in plosive row), nasals (nasal row), fricatives, and /h/
- Approximants tend to be voiced (normal and lateral) (right side of column)(if you have voiceless ones, you probably have their voiced counterparts)
- Stops and Fricatives tend to be voiceless (left side of column) (if you have voiced ones, you probably have their voiceless counterpart, with the exception of /p/ and /b/ where you can have /b/ without /p/)
- If a language has nasal vowels (vowels that sound.. nasally...), they tend to be on vowels the language already has in a non-nasal form (this is indicated with a ~ on top of the vowel).
General
- Every language has at least 11 phonemes and no more than 112.
- Every language has at least 6 consonant phonemes and no more than 81.
- Every language has at least 2 vowels and no more than 31 (O_o).
- The most common sounds are /p/, /t/, /k/, /m/, /n/.
So if you would like somewhere to start, begin your language with the sounds /p/, /t/, /k/, /m/, /n/, /h/, /i/, /u/, /a/... and then add and modify it from that point.
As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment. Also, feel free to leave your phoneme list (please copy and paste IPA letters from this keyboard.) and I will tell you if it's a good one that follows the rules!
If you have a phoneme list you are confident and happy with, you are ready to move on!
Sources and more rules for the truly dedicated:
http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsAPhonologicalUniversal.htm
http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~llsling1/Phonology/universals/universals.html
http://www.vistawide.com/languages/language_statistics.htm
Creating A Language - Part I - IPA
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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Creating A Language Part I
Introduction to Phonetics
Before we can take our language anywhere, we need to familiarize ourselves with the international phonetic alphabet. You know those funny letters in the dictionary that are supposed to tell you how to pronounce something but nobody can actually read? That's IPA (and linguists can read it).
It is imperative that you learn some IPA before beginning. Luckily, there are a lot of resources on the internet to help you out.
So I'll try not to reinvent the wheel here.
This is the IPA chart. Try not to get scared.
The large table has the "pulmonic" consonants; that is, they are made the normal way, by breathing out with our lungs through our mouth or nose.
The rows represent the way the sound is made in the mouth. For example, Plosives are sounds like t, p, and k, which have a sudden release of air. They are also called stops. Nasals and trills are fairly self explanatory. Fricatives are ones that have a continuous, but obstructed, airflow. Sounds like s, f, sh. So, the air is only flowing through a narrow opening which makes a hissing sound. The other most important category for our purposes is approximants--sounds like l and r. There is airflow, and it's unobstructed, but not so much so that it's a vowel.
The columns represent where in the mouth it's being made. The left side of the chart is the front of the mouth, and the right side is the back of the mouth, into the throat even.
So almost all sounds are a combination of where your tongue is and how much air is passing through.
The little nonsquare diagram on the right represents the vowels. The rows represent how much the mouth is open and the columns represent whether its made near the front or back of the mouth. Vowels come in pairs. The one on the right of the line is the one with rounded lips, and the one on the left of the line is the one with relaxed lips (o vs a for example).
The other letters outside of those two areas are sounds which are made by suction or other methods besides the "normal" way (such as clicks like in African languages).
Luckily for us, a lot of the letters correspond straight to what we are familiar with. Ones to watch out for are /j/ which is the english y sound (like German). /y/ is not an English sound. /r/ is a rolled r, not an English r. English r is represented by /ɹ /. There are other different ones too. J as in Judy and ch are not on the chart. They are "affricates," a combination of a stop and a fricative (J is d and the voiced sh... which is like the french J, ie Jean-Luc Picard. Ch is a combination of t and sh). They are written with the stop and fricative symbols touching. The vowels are also similar but different, so be sure to study them.
The reason I am attacking you with all this information is because the uninformed tend to be very narrow in their thought about what sounds a language can have. There are many, many sounds on those charts that don't occur in English, and we want them to be fair game for our made up language.
The best thing you can do now is familiarize yourself with the sounds. There are good videos on youtube for this if you want to go that route.
UCLA has a website that I used while in Phonetics class. You can explore the IPA there and click on the chart to hear the sound which corresponds to each letter, both syllable-initially and between vowels.
If you think you've got a good idea of how the IPA works, and have a better familiarity with the range of sounds in the world's language, then you are ready to move on to....!
Choosing Phonemes
Introduction to Phonetics
Before we can take our language anywhere, we need to familiarize ourselves with the international phonetic alphabet. You know those funny letters in the dictionary that are supposed to tell you how to pronounce something but nobody can actually read? That's IPA (and linguists can read it).
It is imperative that you learn some IPA before beginning. Luckily, there are a lot of resources on the internet to help you out.
So I'll try not to reinvent the wheel here.
This is the IPA chart. Try not to get scared.
The large table has the "pulmonic" consonants; that is, they are made the normal way, by breathing out with our lungs through our mouth or nose.
The rows represent the way the sound is made in the mouth. For example, Plosives are sounds like t, p, and k, which have a sudden release of air. They are also called stops. Nasals and trills are fairly self explanatory. Fricatives are ones that have a continuous, but obstructed, airflow. Sounds like s, f, sh. So, the air is only flowing through a narrow opening which makes a hissing sound. The other most important category for our purposes is approximants--sounds like l and r. There is airflow, and it's unobstructed, but not so much so that it's a vowel.
The columns represent where in the mouth it's being made. The left side of the chart is the front of the mouth, and the right side is the back of the mouth, into the throat even.
So almost all sounds are a combination of where your tongue is and how much air is passing through.
The little nonsquare diagram on the right represents the vowels. The rows represent how much the mouth is open and the columns represent whether its made near the front or back of the mouth. Vowels come in pairs. The one on the right of the line is the one with rounded lips, and the one on the left of the line is the one with relaxed lips (o vs a for example).
The other letters outside of those two areas are sounds which are made by suction or other methods besides the "normal" way (such as clicks like in African languages).
Luckily for us, a lot of the letters correspond straight to what we are familiar with. Ones to watch out for are /j/ which is the english y sound (like German). /y/ is not an English sound. /r/ is a rolled r, not an English r. English r is represented by /ɹ /. There are other different ones too. J as in Judy and ch are not on the chart. They are "affricates," a combination of a stop and a fricative (J is d and the voiced sh... which is like the french J, ie Jean-Luc Picard. Ch is a combination of t and sh). They are written with the stop and fricative symbols touching. The vowels are also similar but different, so be sure to study them.
The reason I am attacking you with all this information is because the uninformed tend to be very narrow in their thought about what sounds a language can have. There are many, many sounds on those charts that don't occur in English, and we want them to be fair game for our made up language.
The best thing you can do now is familiarize yourself with the sounds. There are good videos on youtube for this if you want to go that route.
UCLA has a website that I used while in Phonetics class. You can explore the IPA there and click on the chart to hear the sound which corresponds to each letter, both syllable-initially and between vowels.
If you think you've got a good idea of how the IPA works, and have a better familiarity with the range of sounds in the world's language, then you are ready to move on to....!
Choosing Phonemes
Creating A Language - Introduction
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Creating a Language
Introduction
I suspect that a lot of authors of science fiction and fantasy wish they could create a language. As a writer and a linguistics student, it's inevitable that I would try to make one. It's definitely not easy, and takes a lot of dedication if you really want to make it go places. But you don't have to make a whole usable language in order to make your fantasy or sci-fi world have a bit more credibility--there are a lot of benefits to creating even just a phonological system and lexicon.
Now, creating a language is a srs biznis. So I'm going to take these lessons srsly. If you're the type of person who is satisfied with scrambling your fingers across the keyboard to make up words and calling it good (like a certain author whose name starts in "Sal" and ends in "vatore"), you'll find these lessons tedious and unnecessary (though you would be wrong).
If you want a language with some believability, these tutorials are for you. But you will have to put some time into this, and even more time if you have no familiarity with the field of linguistics. But don't worry! I'll try to make it as simple and painless as possible. But necessarily, some parts of it might be complex and confusing.
If you have any questions, or don't understand part of it, please leave a comment, and I would love to help you out!
And now, without further ado...
Go on to the Next Lesson!
Introduction
I suspect that a lot of authors of science fiction and fantasy wish they could create a language. As a writer and a linguistics student, it's inevitable that I would try to make one. It's definitely not easy, and takes a lot of dedication if you really want to make it go places. But you don't have to make a whole usable language in order to make your fantasy or sci-fi world have a bit more credibility--there are a lot of benefits to creating even just a phonological system and lexicon.
Now, creating a language is a srs biznis. So I'm going to take these lessons srsly. If you're the type of person who is satisfied with scrambling your fingers across the keyboard to make up words and calling it good (like a certain author whose name starts in "Sal" and ends in "vatore"), you'll find these lessons tedious and unnecessary (though you would be wrong).
If you want a language with some believability, these tutorials are for you. But you will have to put some time into this, and even more time if you have no familiarity with the field of linguistics. But don't worry! I'll try to make it as simple and painless as possible. But necessarily, some parts of it might be complex and confusing.
If you have any questions, or don't understand part of it, please leave a comment, and I would love to help you out!
And now, without further ado...
Go on to the Next Lesson!
Fictional Races Exercise
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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I wrote this several years ago and it has since enjoyed a lot of attention on DeviantArt. I'm crossposting it here as well.
It was based on a class handout about Germanic Tribes. I modified and expanded it to help people make a more thorough and rounded fictional race.
Feel free to repost your filled out version online, but remember to link back here so others can use it too!
Fictional Races Exercise
Inhabitants and Origin of Name Where did your race/civ come from? Are they related through past history to another race, that made them who they are today? Where did the names of the land and race originate?
Climate, Land Conditions, Land exploitation Describe the land your race lives on, weather patterns, and what from the land your race exploites: metals, wood, farming, gems, fur, etc
Arrangements of Towns/Cities Do individuals own their land or does the government? How much land does one family occupy? Do they have homes close together or far apart with a lot of land in their care? Are homes generally large or small? How many families live in a single building? What other buildings are in every town? Bakery, Butcher shop, Post Office, Fire House, etc. What are homes made out of? Are they built among the lay of the land or is the land renovated for building purposes?
Physical Characteristics What does the race look like? Eyes, Hair, skin, build, height, weight, whether they are physically strong or not, relations to weather condtions (are they built for cold weather or warm weather), differences between males, females, children, etc
Dress What is the garb of the race? Traditional, Everyday, Seasonal, Ceremonial, Differences between men, women, children, position of power, etc. What are the clothes made out of? Who makes them? A tailor, an elder, or family members? What jewelry do they wear, if any? How is hair worn? Is it different between age and gender?
Deities/Religion Explain the religious figures of the race, and the powers they are believed to have, as well as their relationship to the people. What beliefs does the race have about how to behave and treat others, objects, animals, etc? In times of war? In times of peace? How big of a role does it play in the daily life of the race?This is an important factor, don't overlook it. If there isn't a religion, explain what about the race makes them independent from religious faith
Religious Practices and Divination How does the race worship? What are their customs and rituals? Are there any sacred items, creatures, times of the year?
Habits in Times of Peace What is the behavior of the race when peaceful? Are they ever peaceful? Do they hold festivities, behave differently to others? Are roles different than in times of war?
Daily Life What do they do, from waking to sleeping? Eating, Bathing, Interacting, working...Describe basic rituals.
Food Describe what the food is like, typical ingredients, meats, spices, herbs, grains...What importance does it have in the culture? What alcohol and other beverages? Is there religious or historical factors in what they eat?
Sports and Pastimes What is done for fun? Is there organized entertainment? Clubs, teams, competitions? What significance to the culture?
Marriage Rituals What is the ceremony like, if there is one? Who comes to the ceremony? What is worn? What gifts are passed between families? Money, jewelry, animals, or other objects? What is the marriage age? Is marriage a choice? Are spouses chosen by another family member/the government? What is inherited in marriage? A name, object, positionm etc. What are the roles of the male and female? What are the benefits of having kids? How many kids are typically had? What are the religious or historical factors in a marriage ceremony?
Children and Succession Who takes care of the children? How are they raised as babies? What are they taught as small children that's important to society? Who inherits what in the family? How are children treated? When are they considered adults? How is inheritance determined?
Training of Youth How are the young prepared for adulthood? Who trains them? Are there difference branches of training? Do children inherit their occupation or do they choose? Is there a formal institution of education or do elders and parents train the children? How much is left for experience? What's the most critical lesson children learn?
Government and Gender Roles Who runs the race/civilization? Is it a matriarch, patriarch, dictatorship, is there a king or an elected official? What are the roles of men and women in the government and society? Almost every civilization on earth has a government of some sort. Even if it doesnt play into your story, explore this factor of the race
Councils If there's a problem who is it taken to? What other uses for council are there? How much power do they have? How are the members appointed? Who appoints them?
Administration of Justice How is crime dealt with? How are criminals caught, and what happens to them? What are the crimes most strongly punished, and what is the religious or historical basis behind it, to create such extreme punishment for committing this act? How much leniancy does the race have? Are they passive with criminals, or aggressive? Is there a lot of crime or little?
Arms, Military Conduct Describe weaponry and how the military is run, formal or otherwise. What strategies are typical for this race to perform in war? Who controls the troops? How are they chosen? Any reactions to death by war? How does religion play into warlike behavior? Who fights? Men, Women? How old are the troops?
Habits in Times of War How does the society react to war? Do the people tighten or fall apart? How do roles change? What is the defense system? How is victory celebrated?
Funeral Rituals What is done with the dead? Who comes to funerals? How is the dead prepared? What is the garb? What are religious beliefs tied to death? What is the age range of death? Is the family compensated by the government, gifts from guests, etc?
Additional Topics
Language
Currency
Slavery
Elderly
Relationship with Nature
Power in the World
...
It was based on a class handout about Germanic Tribes. I modified and expanded it to help people make a more thorough and rounded fictional race.
Feel free to repost your filled out version online, but remember to link back here so others can use it too!
Fictional Races Exercise
Inhabitants and Origin of Name Where did your race/civ come from? Are they related through past history to another race, that made them who they are today? Where did the names of the land and race originate?
Climate, Land Conditions, Land exploitation Describe the land your race lives on, weather patterns, and what from the land your race exploites: metals, wood, farming, gems, fur, etc
Arrangements of Towns/Cities Do individuals own their land or does the government? How much land does one family occupy? Do they have homes close together or far apart with a lot of land in their care? Are homes generally large or small? How many families live in a single building? What other buildings are in every town? Bakery, Butcher shop, Post Office, Fire House, etc. What are homes made out of? Are they built among the lay of the land or is the land renovated for building purposes?
Physical Characteristics What does the race look like? Eyes, Hair, skin, build, height, weight, whether they are physically strong or not, relations to weather condtions (are they built for cold weather or warm weather), differences between males, females, children, etc
Dress What is the garb of the race? Traditional, Everyday, Seasonal, Ceremonial, Differences between men, women, children, position of power, etc. What are the clothes made out of? Who makes them? A tailor, an elder, or family members? What jewelry do they wear, if any? How is hair worn? Is it different between age and gender?
Deities/Religion Explain the religious figures of the race, and the powers they are believed to have, as well as their relationship to the people. What beliefs does the race have about how to behave and treat others, objects, animals, etc? In times of war? In times of peace? How big of a role does it play in the daily life of the race?This is an important factor, don't overlook it. If there isn't a religion, explain what about the race makes them independent from religious faith
Religious Practices and Divination How does the race worship? What are their customs and rituals? Are there any sacred items, creatures, times of the year?
Habits in Times of Peace What is the behavior of the race when peaceful? Are they ever peaceful? Do they hold festivities, behave differently to others? Are roles different than in times of war?
Daily Life What do they do, from waking to sleeping? Eating, Bathing, Interacting, working...Describe basic rituals.
Food Describe what the food is like, typical ingredients, meats, spices, herbs, grains...What importance does it have in the culture? What alcohol and other beverages? Is there religious or historical factors in what they eat?
Sports and Pastimes What is done for fun? Is there organized entertainment? Clubs, teams, competitions? What significance to the culture?
Marriage Rituals What is the ceremony like, if there is one? Who comes to the ceremony? What is worn? What gifts are passed between families? Money, jewelry, animals, or other objects? What is the marriage age? Is marriage a choice? Are spouses chosen by another family member/the government? What is inherited in marriage? A name, object, positionm etc. What are the roles of the male and female? What are the benefits of having kids? How many kids are typically had? What are the religious or historical factors in a marriage ceremony?
Children and Succession Who takes care of the children? How are they raised as babies? What are they taught as small children that's important to society? Who inherits what in the family? How are children treated? When are they considered adults? How is inheritance determined?
Training of Youth How are the young prepared for adulthood? Who trains them? Are there difference branches of training? Do children inherit their occupation or do they choose? Is there a formal institution of education or do elders and parents train the children? How much is left for experience? What's the most critical lesson children learn?
Government and Gender Roles Who runs the race/civilization? Is it a matriarch, patriarch, dictatorship, is there a king or an elected official? What are the roles of men and women in the government and society? Almost every civilization on earth has a government of some sort. Even if it doesnt play into your story, explore this factor of the race
Councils If there's a problem who is it taken to? What other uses for council are there? How much power do they have? How are the members appointed? Who appoints them?
Administration of Justice How is crime dealt with? How are criminals caught, and what happens to them? What are the crimes most strongly punished, and what is the religious or historical basis behind it, to create such extreme punishment for committing this act? How much leniancy does the race have? Are they passive with criminals, or aggressive? Is there a lot of crime or little?
Arms, Military Conduct Describe weaponry and how the military is run, formal or otherwise. What strategies are typical for this race to perform in war? Who controls the troops? How are they chosen? Any reactions to death by war? How does religion play into warlike behavior? Who fights? Men, Women? How old are the troops?
Habits in Times of War How does the society react to war? Do the people tighten or fall apart? How do roles change? What is the defense system? How is victory celebrated?
Funeral Rituals What is done with the dead? Who comes to funerals? How is the dead prepared? What is the garb? What are religious beliefs tied to death? What is the age range of death? Is the family compensated by the government, gifts from guests, etc?
Additional Topics
Language
Currency
Slavery
Elderly
Relationship with Nature
Power in the World
...
Still Alive for Robot C
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Hello Everyone.
I recently coded Still Alive from Portal into C and thought I'd share it. This was made for Lego Mindstorms NXT. If you use this program, please remember to reference me if you share it anywhere! Also, don't use it for your homework if you should be coding a song yourself, haha!
I have saved it at both a c file and a txt file.
StillAlive.c | StillAlive.txt
Enjoy!
I recently coded Still Alive from Portal into C and thought I'd share it. This was made for Lego Mindstorms NXT. If you use this program, please remember to reference me if you share it anywhere! Also, don't use it for your homework if you should be coding a song yourself, haha!
I have saved it at both a c file and a txt file.
StillAlive.c | StillAlive.txt
Enjoy!
Fabric, Steiff, Germany!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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Happy Tuesday!
Well I went to JoAnne fabrics last Saturday and bought some fabric and other bits and bobs to make a jacket. It was originally intended for Alain but the color doesn't match him at all but Rene rather. So it'll probably go to him instead.
I'm feeling pretty unimpressed with Rene lately so it must be new-faceup time. Well it has been for a while, I just haven't wanted to wipe it because I worked hard on it and it's not bad. But I think I want to go for a different look... and maybe widen his eyes a little more again. Although they aren't as droopy as they used to be...
I kind of think he was a lot more adorbs with his first faceup now. He was cute. He needs his own eyes. I'm wanting to get him some light grey eyes. Ones that track. And more freckles. There's this boy Supia Roda I think? That is SO CUTE. So I sort of want to replicate the look of him. It's kind of funny because I swear his wig is the same as the one Rene has (by Thereif).
I was looking at Steiff animals on ebay. Cats particularly. I want to learn how to make stuffed animals.
Well I went to JoAnne fabrics last Saturday and bought some fabric and other bits and bobs to make a jacket. It was originally intended for Alain but the color doesn't match him at all but Rene rather. So it'll probably go to him instead.
I'm feeling pretty unimpressed with Rene lately so it must be new-faceup time. Well it has been for a while, I just haven't wanted to wipe it because I worked hard on it and it's not bad. But I think I want to go for a different look... and maybe widen his eyes a little more again. Although they aren't as droopy as they used to be...
I kind of think he was a lot more adorbs with his first faceup now. He was cute. He needs his own eyes. I'm wanting to get him some light grey eyes. Ones that track. And more freckles. There's this boy Supia Roda I think? That is SO CUTE. So I sort of want to replicate the look of him. It's kind of funny because I swear his wig is the same as the one Rene has (by Thereif).
I was looking at Steiff animals on ebay. Cats particularly. I want to learn how to make stuffed animals.
Alain's FACE
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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So I redid Alain's face woot woot! I like it a lot... it was my second try at redoing it lately... The first time was a disaster because I was using a really bad brush (why waste my time and resources? I don't know...). And since my confidence went back up, I also opened my faceup shop back up.
So lately I've been having a lot of fun thinking about what I'm going to do with his character... things have suddenly be leaning back toward speampunkish (makes me want to watch fma..) so I can dig out all the super cute mail and packages that I made for him in Hawaii. I think he is lovely as a blonde too, by the way.
I've been thinking about his clothes right? I want to make him a peaked cap. Search for it on google search... the smattering of images is pretty funny. Half of it is WW2 German military hats and swastikas and the other half is of little children in bonnets and such. Well, I was amused anyway.... *amused by weird things* Well anyway I've been trying to figure out what colors I'd want to be.. because it'll have it's main color, a black brim, and then some other color of piping... I'm sure it'll end up being.. brown or blue (I am not very creative, haha).
As for his actual clothes, some kind of overcoat (perhaps that matches the hat) and then otherwise I sort of thought his clothes might be mori-girl inspired.. but.. mori.. boy? (does that exist?). I kind of like the mori girl look... when it's done with some sense of style. I'm not too into the Japanese tendency to put the most ridiculously illsuited pieces together... I like there to be at least some sense of feng shui and proper accessories.. not just whatever you found in your local babushka's closet (ahem, I'll stop being politically incorrect now). But I like the loose sort of draping layers on top, so well, I'll see what I can come up with. And scaaaarf...
So I thought it would be a mix sort of, of starched/prim looking military type hat and coat and more ragamuffin type clothes underneath those. Okay it sounds weird, but it looks awesome in my brain. I drew a cute picture of him in my planner that I would post right now but I don't have a scanner or good enough lighting to take a photo so it will have to wait!
Now off to bed I must go!
BJD Meme, yo!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
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1. How many dolls do you have?
Two! Woo!
2. What are their names?
Rene and Alain
3. What are their molds?
Migidoll Miho on an Abio Angel boy body
Migidoll Jina on a Fantasy Doll boy body
4. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
I don't even know. I've had a doll since Spring 2009, but I discovered and desired a doll for years and years before that.. so I don't know.... maybe 2003? Probably, since that's when I got into anime.
5. Do you RP? If so, who is/was your favorite person to RP with?
Not with my doll characters.(So I'm skipping Q 6)
7. How many dolls have you ever sold?
I have sold 2 bodies. But I've been thinking of selling my current ones.
8. Out of all of those, who do you miss the most?
N/A
9. What is your favorite thing in this hobby?
The dolls of course. They are so gorgeous. I didn't know anything else about the hobby for the years that I wanted a doll. I didn't know there was a community. Sometimes I like the community, sometimes I don't. With the right people, I really like meets, but I'm so-so on them more often than not.
10. Who is the first BJD that ever entered your house/that you ever saw in real life?
That I saw in real life? I don't know. The first that I know the mold of is a DoI, though I'm not sure which. Luke I think.
11. Who is the first BJD you ever fell in love with?
DoT Camine.
12. What is the most you've spent on a doll (the actual doll itself)?
I guess my Miho originally came at 450ish when I had the delf body, but now he has a cheaper body.
13. What is your favorite photoshoot/photo you ever took of any of your dolls?
I have never taken a really serious photoshoot... my favorites are the ones from doll meets in Hawaii.
14. What is your funniest memory with any of your dolls?
When this crazy Chinese lady working at Uwajimaya grabbed Alain out of my hands and ran off the show a coworker. It was a hoot. Def my fav.
15. What is your saddest memory with any of your dolls?
All the times that I feel like I don't like dolls...
Maybe some of the times I've worked on a faceup for hours only to have it not turn out.
16. Have you ever had a dream about your doll? If so, what was it about?
Yes but I can't remember them specifically.
17. Which BJD out of yours would you never sell in a million years?
Neither.. I'd consider selling either of them.
18. Name one thing that makes you irked in the BJD hobby.
Some of the other owners I've met have been so negative about their own or others' dolls. It seems rude, even if they are talking about their own. The person that I'm particularly thinking of had a Soom limited and was going on about how ugly it was (a Breccia). Considering that the doll was not at all ugly, it seemed like she was fishing for compliments. We all do that to a point, but that made me very uncomfortable. Also when the owners start talking about the dolls in a lewd way.. I really hate that. Yes they are anatomically correct (kind of). So are you. Get over it? I feel like its immature to focus on that, but then, I am in America so I guess it's what I should expect...
19. Would you ever consider "leaving" the hobby?
I've considered it. I've taken long breaks from meets and forums.
20. Who is the newest character you've thought up?
I guess who I've been coming up with for Alain.. but I'm really bad at coming up with doll characters.. I just want them to be free to be whoever I want them to be at any given time.
Two! Woo!
2. What are their names?
Rene and Alain
3. What are their molds?
Migidoll Miho on an Abio Angel boy body
Migidoll Jina on a Fantasy Doll boy body
4. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
I don't even know. I've had a doll since Spring 2009, but I discovered and desired a doll for years and years before that.. so I don't know.... maybe 2003? Probably, since that's when I got into anime.
5. Do you RP? If so, who is/was your favorite person to RP with?
Not with my doll characters.(So I'm skipping Q 6)
7. How many dolls have you ever sold?
I have sold 2 bodies. But I've been thinking of selling my current ones.
8. Out of all of those, who do you miss the most?
N/A
9. What is your favorite thing in this hobby?
The dolls of course. They are so gorgeous. I didn't know anything else about the hobby for the years that I wanted a doll. I didn't know there was a community. Sometimes I like the community, sometimes I don't. With the right people, I really like meets, but I'm so-so on them more often than not.
10. Who is the first BJD that ever entered your house/that you ever saw in real life?
That I saw in real life? I don't know. The first that I know the mold of is a DoI, though I'm not sure which. Luke I think.
11. Who is the first BJD you ever fell in love with?
DoT Camine.
12. What is the most you've spent on a doll (the actual doll itself)?
I guess my Miho originally came at 450ish when I had the delf body, but now he has a cheaper body.
13. What is your favorite photoshoot/photo you ever took of any of your dolls?
I have never taken a really serious photoshoot... my favorites are the ones from doll meets in Hawaii.
14. What is your funniest memory with any of your dolls?
When this crazy Chinese lady working at Uwajimaya grabbed Alain out of my hands and ran off the show a coworker. It was a hoot. Def my fav.
15. What is your saddest memory with any of your dolls?
All the times that I feel like I don't like dolls...
Maybe some of the times I've worked on a faceup for hours only to have it not turn out.
16. Have you ever had a dream about your doll? If so, what was it about?
Yes but I can't remember them specifically.
17. Which BJD out of yours would you never sell in a million years?
Neither.. I'd consider selling either of them.
18. Name one thing that makes you irked in the BJD hobby.
Some of the other owners I've met have been so negative about their own or others' dolls. It seems rude, even if they are talking about their own. The person that I'm particularly thinking of had a Soom limited and was going on about how ugly it was (a Breccia). Considering that the doll was not at all ugly, it seemed like she was fishing for compliments. We all do that to a point, but that made me very uncomfortable. Also when the owners start talking about the dolls in a lewd way.. I really hate that. Yes they are anatomically correct (kind of). So are you. Get over it? I feel like its immature to focus on that, but then, I am in America so I guess it's what I should expect...
19. Would you ever consider "leaving" the hobby?
I've considered it. I've taken long breaks from meets and forums.
20. Who is the newest character you've thought up?
I guess who I've been coming up with for Alain.. but I'm really bad at coming up with doll characters.. I just want them to be free to be whoever I want them to be at any given time.
Volks... Yep.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
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Lately I've found myself in the honestly shocking position of wanting a Volks doll. It is not that I ever had anything against Volks but rather that for the most part, their style is not my cup of tea. Many of them seem heavy-lidded and sorta squashy or squarish. Though I have always had a soft spot for School A, and some time ago discovered how adorbs Okita Souji is (way, way out of my price range).
So why suddenly? I dunno. I guess my doll interests are sort of shifting or something. I made the unfortunate mistake (for myself) of starting this hobby with hybriding. Fun. And while I still really like the Migidoll sculpts, the frustration of finding them bodies has sort of deflated some of my fun. Both my boys are on cheap cheap bodies because I didn't want to spend a lot on a body that I didn't know would work. Although for the most part, I like the Fdoll body, and I still haven't played with the Abio Angel one much (it might be great after the arms are modded).
But I am a perfectionist, so having bodies that are a little off or a little funky... well... it's just kinda blah for me.... and then there's that concept of having "Frankendolls" which have been modded with different company's parts and have a bunch of structural mods, etc etc. For people who want to do that, more power to them. But I don't think it really fits my personality. So I suppose in an effort to get as far away from this concept as possible, my brain latched onto wanting a Volks doll.
Perhaps part of this is the big company pat on the back that Volks gives you, or so I hear, so it's like you've joined some kind of club. And they have stores and cool stuff like that. Secondly, everyone says "there's something about Volks" which I don't particularly have an experience in, but I want a piece! I have seen a few Volks dolls IRL. A few were in Seattle, and some were owned by my friend in Hawaii (She had a Shirou Tachibana and a YoTenchi Kasumi I think it was.. and probably a lot of others but those are the ones I remember specifically). Well I can't say I've ever been hit over the head with this something irl but I figure a lot of that is because I haven't actually played with them or didn't like the way they were customized, or maybe it's just because they have to be your own dolls for you to feel it.
I am excessively rambling!
Another reason is cause of everyone saying the quality is almighty, and this is an undeniable draw. The resin and weight quality, I'm interested in that. I like the way the Fdoll body poses, but it is very light and the resin is shiny instead of toothy like the Jina head. Definitely not a big fan of the plastic look.
Lastly, I've come to discover that posing isn't nearly as important to me as I thought it was. What matters to me instead seems to be the way the joints look. I cannot stand the way many of the double jointed bodies look and operate, and I experienced this personally with the Illusion Spirit body. I prefer single joints, and that nice round ball joint. No peanuts, no weird stuff.
I'm also not a big fan of how skinny and long legged my dolls currently are.. it seems too unrealistic. Maybe Volks isn't better for this, but I hear that they are sorta stockier which in the doll world means closer to humanly realistic, haha.
So yeah. I was looking at the Volks database, and luckily for me, I really like Volks Kanata which is an available standard.
So why suddenly? I dunno. I guess my doll interests are sort of shifting or something. I made the unfortunate mistake (for myself) of starting this hobby with hybriding. Fun. And while I still really like the Migidoll sculpts, the frustration of finding them bodies has sort of deflated some of my fun. Both my boys are on cheap cheap bodies because I didn't want to spend a lot on a body that I didn't know would work. Although for the most part, I like the Fdoll body, and I still haven't played with the Abio Angel one much (it might be great after the arms are modded).
But I am a perfectionist, so having bodies that are a little off or a little funky... well... it's just kinda blah for me.... and then there's that concept of having "Frankendolls" which have been modded with different company's parts and have a bunch of structural mods, etc etc. For people who want to do that, more power to them. But I don't think it really fits my personality. So I suppose in an effort to get as far away from this concept as possible, my brain latched onto wanting a Volks doll.
Perhaps part of this is the big company pat on the back that Volks gives you, or so I hear, so it's like you've joined some kind of club. And they have stores and cool stuff like that. Secondly, everyone says "there's something about Volks" which I don't particularly have an experience in, but I want a piece! I have seen a few Volks dolls IRL. A few were in Seattle, and some were owned by my friend in Hawaii (She had a Shirou Tachibana and a YoTenchi Kasumi I think it was.. and probably a lot of others but those are the ones I remember specifically). Well I can't say I've ever been hit over the head with this something irl but I figure a lot of that is because I haven't actually played with them or didn't like the way they were customized, or maybe it's just because they have to be your own dolls for you to feel it.
I am excessively rambling!
Another reason is cause of everyone saying the quality is almighty, and this is an undeniable draw. The resin and weight quality, I'm interested in that. I like the way the Fdoll body poses, but it is very light and the resin is shiny instead of toothy like the Jina head. Definitely not a big fan of the plastic look.
Lastly, I've come to discover that posing isn't nearly as important to me as I thought it was. What matters to me instead seems to be the way the joints look. I cannot stand the way many of the double jointed bodies look and operate, and I experienced this personally with the Illusion Spirit body. I prefer single joints, and that nice round ball joint. No peanuts, no weird stuff.
I'm also not a big fan of how skinny and long legged my dolls currently are.. it seems too unrealistic. Maybe Volks isn't better for this, but I hear that they are sorta stockier which in the doll world means closer to humanly realistic, haha.
So yeah. I was looking at the Volks database, and luckily for me, I really like Volks Kanata which is an available standard.
BJD Addicts Written Prompt #1 - The Wait
Saturday, September 3, 2011
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Since my dolls are 1) not currently with me and 2) aren't up for show (particularly in Alain's case), I thought I'd start this off by responding to the first of BJD Addicts' written prompts.
The Wait.
What do I do when waiting for a new doll?
Well, I've got to say I don't have a lot to say to this since most of my waits have been very short. The only doll I've bought direct from the company has been Alain's head, and since it was just a head, I think it took about two months or so. Everything else I've bought has been from dealers or previous owners (everything else consists of Rene's head, his body [Fdoll], Alain's first body [Delf], second body [Illusion Spirit], and third body [Abio Angel]. Woot. Hybrids!).
The thing that makes the wait easiest for me is to not think about it and focus on something else. Of course, that also causes me to lose some of the excitement, but I suppose that's better than being eaten alive from anticipation.
ON THE OTHER HAND.
Even though I have my dolls, it is still a constant stream of waiting, mainly because I have no income. When I have ideas of what I want to do, It requires a lot of waiting until I can afford bits and pieces.
In these cases, I preoccupy myself with drawing pictures of what I want them to look like, one to keep my excited, and two to flesh out what that is. And even now, I still don't really know... My dolls' backstories are enigmatic.
The Wait.
What do I do when waiting for a new doll?
Well, I've got to say I don't have a lot to say to this since most of my waits have been very short. The only doll I've bought direct from the company has been Alain's head, and since it was just a head, I think it took about two months or so. Everything else I've bought has been from dealers or previous owners (everything else consists of Rene's head, his body [Fdoll], Alain's first body [Delf], second body [Illusion Spirit], and third body [Abio Angel]. Woot. Hybrids!).
The thing that makes the wait easiest for me is to not think about it and focus on something else. Of course, that also causes me to lose some of the excitement, but I suppose that's better than being eaten alive from anticipation.
ON THE OTHER HAND.
Even though I have my dolls, it is still a constant stream of waiting, mainly because I have no income. When I have ideas of what I want to do, It requires a lot of waiting until I can afford bits and pieces.
In these cases, I preoccupy myself with drawing pictures of what I want them to look like, one to keep my excited, and two to flesh out what that is. And even now, I still don't really know... My dolls' backstories are enigmatic.
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