How my digital drawing skills have kind of come ~full circle~
I was just thinking about it this morning [well, a few minutes ago xD] and was like 'wow, that's ironic!'
In case you don't get what I'm sayin'... This here was one of my first digital drawings: [link] Behold the obligatory Naruto fanart! I made this at least two years ago, maybe two and a half. Done on Gimp, on one layer because I had no idea how the hell one was supposed to do layers. So I just made do and worked around it.
But then, eventually, I figured out how to use layers, and they were pretty fun: [link] This painting probably had thirty layers or thereabouts. A lot of layers. I had six or seven for the hair alone, then five for the background, etc....
And now I've gone back to my roots [someone applaud me for my allusion to Bill's tattoo] and more or less all of my recent paintings have been on one layer and even without photographic reference: [link] [link]
Anyway... I just found the irony amusing. A couple years ago I was floundering to figure out any way to color on different layers and now I find it fun to paint on one layer. I don't know if I could go back to painting on several layers now. Once I finish my two other multi-layered portraits [these [link] ] I'll probably go back to one layer. *shrug*
So, guys... today Automatic's video did indeed premiere on Tokio Hotel's official site: [link] [youtube link since the fans crashed the site, apparently xD by the time I post this it'll probably be up, but just to be safe]
Please watch the video before reading on if you don't want it to be spoiled
I want to dissect this video so badly. At first glance, all you see is cars, robots, and Bill doing some funky dances. Am I right? [Tell me I'm not the only one who laughed at Bill's diva head dance thing at 1:43] However, Tokio Hotel has a good reputation for not making mindless videos, er, I think, so let's assume that there's more than cars and robots in this video.
I just watched it so I haven't had the time to pick apart every detail, but mostly I think the lighting plays a very major role. The video constantly switches between day and night---most of the night shots are during the band's performance + the robots' interaction, while most of the day shots are the band driving in their cars---which are manuals, I must add in. This makes me think that night represents 'automatic' parts and day represents whatever the opposite of automatic is---freedom, maybe, independence. The first thing that the robot boy does is mark the girl as an enemy---an automatic defense. She tries to show him that she's friendly. When the robots try to kiss, the girl refuses; she realizes that their love is only automatic and has no real feeling. Then they wait until daybreak when they can be together, and no longer have just an automatic love.
That's, at least, what I get out of it. I think the cars and the fast driving go hand in hand with the symbolism of day, that the boys aren't automatic and are instead defying this, thus why all the driving shots are during daylight. Then, when they leave the cars, the sun has set and it's time for them to play. But where were they driving to and what is the significance of the setting sun, especially in relation to the daybreak at the end? Maybe the driving doesn't represent freedom because they were driving away from the sun and they ultimately got out of the cars as the sun set.
So, who has thoughts? What is the symbolism behind the cars and the dichotomy between day and night? Or maybe I might as well be trying to find a deep meaning in a bowl of cereal? The video could be absolutely pointless and I'm wasting my time, but am I? TH tends to be more subtle with their symbolism, after all. If you don't believe me, look twice at the faces of the robots. What do they look just like?
Bad news or good news first? Well, since people generally choose bad news, I'll tell that first.
Bad news: I haven't really worked on any of the paintings that I shared a couple journals/weeks ago. Oops. xD
Good news: I am still working on stuff! I just keep starting projects and not finishing them xD Hopefully though I'll get these new projects out of the way and return to the original ones. I want to get everything finished before summer ends... unlikely because school starts in a week.
And I don't have screenshots right now, sorry. Mostly because one of my projects is super top secret and I don't want to jinx anything *___* Well, it's not top secret as much as I'm just really excited about it and want to show you guys all at once. If you want a hint, it's another Bill portrait [I haven't done a proper portrait of him since last year oO] and it's different than any portrait or painting that I've ever done. And it will be with his recent hairstyle, so wish me luck!
My other main project that I'm working on is only lines right now, so a screenshot wouldn't really be worth it. But you guys can see this: [link] This is the lovely view of my desktop that I have to deal with. Remember when I said that there was a crack in my screen from dropping my hairbrush? This is what it has turned into. Biw is really becoming worse for wear. A new screen costs $100 which I don't have and would like to save for Humanoid. I want music more than a new screen, how sad is that?
Well anywho. I believe that that is all for now... hopefully I will get something done soon for you guys. Until then... more photography! I took some awesome photos today :3
Actually, it's not. [Be prepared for a possibly offensive rant. I apologize in advance.] Sometimes I really wonder what fans are thinking. I see lots of crap posted as deviations---photomontages that are put together in paint with little artistic point, even plain pictures of the guys from photoshoots that obviously the deviant did not take.
For the last few days I've been checking the recently uploaded deviations for TH & Automatic, and some of the things I've seen are just ridiculous. WHY are people posting the cover art for Automatic as deviations? WHY WHY WHY?
THIS IS NOT PHOTOBUCKET. THIS IS DEVIANTART. POST YOUR OWN DAMN STUFF.
Honestly. If you want to share new pictures of the guys with your friends, then do so on your own time, on a more appropriate website. If you want to share the Automatic lyrics, DO NOT SUBMIT THEM AS A DEVIATION. You did NOT write those lyrics, they are not your property, and even if you are NOT claiming to have written them, you are still posting them under your name. Submit your own art---not lyrics and CD covers! Especially the Automatic CD cover, which is an actual piece of artwork, not the usual TH CD cover where it's just the guys standing around. I'm sure deviants have submitted hundreds of pics of the guys [I reiterate: dA =/= Photobucket] so at this point I can't really be bothered, but come on, ripping off some guy's art? Real, legitimate cover art? WHY?
If you want to share pictures and lyrics, for crying out loud, write a journal! Or post them SOMEWHERE ELSE! This is deviantART, a place to share your own artworks, not your favorite band's!
Now I'm even seeing fan made covers being stolen and posted---without even any credit. Seriously? Is it SO hard to post your OWN art?!
Obviously, since some people are incapable of utilizing resources other than dA to spread TH joy, let me redirect you: PHOTOBUCKET ----> [link] LIVEJOURNAL ----> [link] OFFICIAL TH FORUM ----> [link] OFFICIAL TH FANSITE ----> [link]
USE THEM!!!
okay I'm done. sorry for sounding so angry, but it pisses me off. D8
On an unrelated note, dA is also NOT MYSPACE. NO MYSPACE PIX PLZ. On a happier note, TH's first concert in eight-nine months [!!!] is in about two hours ^___^
I find it kind of funny....
Artistic
Approval
Please watch the video before reading on if you don't want it to be spoiled 
Awestruck
And it will be with his recent hairstyle, so wish me luck!
Rant
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