10-20-06 @ 8:15 am EDT

I drew four more characters today! Three of them human(ish)! ^_^ This is so much fun. None of them look EXACTLY as I envision my characters, but 1. it's not like I've ever envisioned most of my characters 100% clearly anyway and 2. at least they aren't completely embarrassing. I don't know if I would ever get much better at this, but at least I'm putting a few general ideas down on paper. I guess that's something.

Thanks very much to the people who commented on my last entry and took a look at my drawings! :D Those were Charmian and Thomas from Manitou Island, BTW. Today I drew four more MI characters and uploaded them to my Scraps at DA so you can see them too if you want. They're Stick-In-The-Dirt, Geezhigo-Quae, Marten (Abistanooch), and Mishupishu. None of them 100% as I picture them, but see 1. and 2. above.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41695952/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41696161/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41696393/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41696648/

I've always been able to DRAW, animals especially (one reason why I was drawn to the Egyptian deities), but I've never been able to draw PEOPLE with any sort of success. What's weird is I've even tried the basic method shown in the tutorial I used yesterday. I think maybe I was putting the jawline back too far though...I'm not sure...I do know that I could never get the line between the nose and lips and chin right. :/ It drove me nuts. I have a VERY low frustration threshold, especially when it comes to drawing; I'll usually do a few doodles, then make a grand attempt; and if I don't get it after the first or second try I usually give up. I know that's not good, but like I said, I've never been able to tolerate frustration very well. Writing serials that go on for hundreds of chapters is just a lot easier for me.

I recall Psychologist even asking something like this when she asked why I don't draw much. She asked if I had to work hard to make words come out "just right," the same way I struggle with drawing. I had no real answer other than "I don't really have to work...they just come out right the first time." :/ Obviously this isn't 100% true, as the rewrite of TAC and the hopefully-someday-rewrite of the D4D novels proves, but at least AT THE TIME that I'm writing, I never really seem to have to get words to come out "just right." They either come out right on their own, or I sit and wait until they do. I've never been one for writing lots of drafts and trashing and redoing big sections of things. At least, not until a few years have passed. Manitou Island (2001-2003) is looking pretty trashy to me right now...but it looked really good at the time I was writing it.

Well anyway...I forgot what I was even going on about. My drawings are still pretty pathetic compared to the 16-17-18 year olds on DA but at least they're something...I've always wanted to give a visual idea of some of my characters...

Maybe sometime I can try some of the human Egyptian gods. They'll probably all look alike _-_ but I guess that's what their funky headdresses and such are for...I'd love doing Hathor's cow ears. :)

Drawing is really draining. I can do only about two to four before wanting to crawl up the walls. I have to give real artists credit; attempting highly detailed things like they do would quickly drive me nuts. Writing is a lot easier.