eleanor

[color=dimgray][spoiler]It would do wonders for the Art Studio. What anime-fanned artist doesn't enjoy drawing naked 12-year-olds with oddly colored liquids squirting all over the ****ing place?[/spoiler][/color]

[color=dimgray] I don't hate it or dislike it, but the opening theme of Evangelion confuses me. Everyone talks about how amazing it is and how the opening sequence is full of symbolism and other important ideas, but there really isn't anything. The song is just eh, and the background is just a bunch of dramatic animation. *shrug*[/color]

[QUOTE=Darren][SIZE=1] [B]1)[/B] What grade are you going into after this year? Are you graduating? Or did you already graduate? If so, what year? [B]2)[/B] Are you, or were you, worried? What do you plan to do with your life or are you just as confused, (and in some cases, scared) about the future as I am? [B]3)[/B] Did everything work out in the end? Or was there some sort of hinderance that kept you from going or doing what you wanted to? [B]4)[/B] What sort of advice can you give to someone like me? (Someone in high school who is freaked out of his mind)[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [color=dimgray] [b]1)[/b] I'm going to my Senior year of high school, so I'll be class of '08. [b]2)[/b] I am very worried. I'm already worried about how I did on my SAT IIs today, and will be worried as I study for the SATs this summer. :/ And also, I'm worried if I'll get into any good colleges or not. I figure if I get into a top university the opportunities for me to explore my future are endless, so mostly I'm just worried about getting in. [b]3)[/b] Not my Junior year grades, lol. Worked my butt off in some of my classes and I ended up getting a C in one class and a low B in another. Today sort of bit me in the butt also, as my studying for the SAT II Lit didn't pay off well and I'm incredibly disappointed. (Whereas I didn't study for the US History test and it was incredibly easy. -_- ) [b]4)[/b] I'm in the same place you are, so there's no experience to draw on, heh. But as for your future, explore your options and find out what you really like. Whatever you want to do should be things you get involved in at college, and pursue it if you really are passionate about it. [/color]

[color=dimgray] That's it. I'm decided that [spoiler] Kishi has no sense of color at all. Why is everyone wearing purple? *claws eyes out*[/spoiler] [/color]

[color=dimgray] 1) Merh. I'm tired because I woke up so early during the summer, and I'm taking my SAT IIs in a couple of hours. Sort of nervous, but not really. Trying to wake myself up by doing this and making breakfast. 2) Mostly I'm spending the summer to relax and also study/start college applications. Overall it's very chill. :)[/color]

[COLOR=DIMGRAY] February: [center][img]http://xs216.xs.to/xs216/07225/febf3.png[/img][/center][/color]

[color=dimgray] I'll take [b]February[/b], since it seems to be one of the odd ones out. :)[/color]

[color=dimgray] Your proportions are good (other than the rather long neck), which you should be proud of. :) The only things you seem to need work on are fine-tuning drawing techniques. Hinata's hands while well-placed within the drawing, have some anatomical problems. A good way to learn how to correct these sort of things are to find real models of a specific body part, or better yet pose them yourself and take a picture. Sorry for nit-picking, but her bangs also seem awkwardly drawn, as if you drew them slowly and not naturally. More practice always fixes that, though! I hope you post your colored version as well. [/color]

[color=dimgray] The eyelid crease is supposed to make them look more European, since a lot of Asians don't have it and all Europeans have it in large degrees. It's huge to Asians, because without the crease the eyes appear smaller, etc. etc. They make stuff like double-stick tape so people without can tape their eyelids open, and probably more things to that level. The level of famous Asian pop celebrities that have gotten facial reconstruction is through the roof, lol. With some people it's just incredibly obvious, like Koda Kumi and BoA and such.[/color]

[color=dimgray] Yes, the whole minimum BMI thing is tale-telling. I saw something of it on television, where they told a Spanish model that the minimum BMI was 18.5 and she commented that she would have to gain ten pounds. The whole western beauty thing is completely taking over places like Korea and Japan. Girls as young as 14 are getting plastic surgery, and it's like, "Hello, your face probably hasn't stopped developing".[/color]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']Have you seen fashion models lately? Organizations are debating whether or not to institute a minimum BMI for their models. I think that speaks volumes.[/size][/quote] [color=dimgray] I'm going to go with MixtressRoxie here. I'm not saying all models and celebrities are naturally voluptuous, but it's not fair to say that all models are bean poles with no shape at all. I mean- Victoria's Secret models anyone? It's too easy to rag on skinny women, when it's the same as dissing obese people. We'll blame and insult skinny models for being images of bulimia and anorexia, but it's "not nice" to place faults in self-control on overweight people. [/color] [QUOTE=MistressRoxie][color=#9933ff] I think the Miss Japan winner, Riyo Mori, looks absolutely fine, in regards to her weight (the purple eyeshadow is a different story altogether).[/color][/QUOTE] [color=dimgray] True, mostly because she's Asian. Asian girls, if no one has noticed, tend to be smaller and more slender than other girls. It's just the way they're built. You can't expect Asian girls to gain weight and see results in their chest and bottom, the fat just settles in problem spots like hips and thighs. And not in a good way, because the bone structure just won't support it. [/color]

[color=dimgray] Sorry to bag, but I don't understand why people think commercialized women have no figure. Yes, they're skinny, but they have hips. And boobs. And butts. And they probably work out. Angelina Jolie is the skinniest women ever, and has plenty of curves. *shrug*[/color]

[color=dimgray] Turn back now, you fool. Especially if you're over the age of 18. [/color]

[QUOTE=Retribution][size=1] Anyway, Riyo Mori doesn't look [i]that[/i] hot. I know it's a mix of looks and personality, but eh. She's pretty, but nothing stellar. I think she's too thin.[/size] [img]http://www.japanprobe.com/2007/01/miss-universe-japan2007.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] [color=dimgray] Maybe because her eye makeup is eating her eyelids. :|[/color]

[QUOTE=Fasteriskhead] The question I (maybe not everyone else) treat above is not "what is it like to be an otaku?" That requires much more of a jump than I need to make (and relativism is, I think, a fair objection). Neither is it "what is an otaku?", a kind of question that mostly leads to chasing one's tail. I only ask, "how does Japanese society (on average) tend to treat otaku, and what reasoning does that treatment follow?" You can find, I think, a good quarter-century's worth of evidence for the first part of the question (which someone more dedicated to hard research than me should look up). For the second part, I think it's possible to come up with a plausible explanation. The point is not to get [i]beyond[/i] the "stereotype" of the otaku, but to see how and why it functions, where it came from, how it's changed, etc.. [/QUOTE] [color=dimgray] Japanese society is different from US society, which explains a lot of it. Asian culture in general is very conforming and people who are different are shunned. In Japanese, the word 'different' can mean 'wrong', which is one example of how Asians view offbeat people. The "otaku" would generally not be the most successful kind of people in conservative Asian eyes. Japan is obsessed with education and getting a good job, so how would it look if someone basically quit everything and played some anime online RPG all day and take on a job as a delivery boy to buy more figurines? Of course then we have to take in Japanese modern pop culture, which can be, pardon me, really freaking weird sometimes. But besides that, it's very westernized and such, and that's probably why the "otaku" in Japan are now becoming gradually accepted. There are more high school dropouts and 'rebel' kind of people, so why not accept "otaku"? Anime is now such a huge subculture, not only in Japan but in other countries too, and that explosive popularity probably has something to do with it. [/color]

[color=dimgray] [strike]Doesn't it suck for South Africa that their contestant was white?[/strike] I think the Koreans were all excited that they would probably win, but now that Japan has I bet they have their undies in a bunch. From the picture I saw of Miss Korea, she looked Japanese anyway. :whoops: [/color]

[QUOTE=Boo][size=1]There is no discussion possible without a subject. So if everyone refuses to make threads because of the possibility to have no replies, there won't ever be any discussion going on and this forum will remain dead. You're not going to the vet whining about your pet dying if you didn't even bother feeding it, now are you? Please - everybody here - don't complaint about this forum being dead if you go to other forums/deviantArt to show off your art (and won't post it here). Don't be afraid of a little amount of replies. Besides, I've always learned that if you do good to others, they do good right back at you. In other words: Post in peoples threads, they feel as if they need to do the same very often.[/size][/QUOTE] [color=dimgray] I'm definitely at fault for not replying to many of the individual art threads that have come up, but you really can't expect people to post a lot of art if they're not going to get replies. It's an ego thing. People here aren't passionate enough about art to consistently contribute stuff or reply to other art. What's going on now is great- the Graphic Worm and the 50 Themes project involve everyone in every medium. The post by James was all spot on, but I'm just recalling what I remember of the Art Forum when I first joined OB. There just seemed to more participation in drawing contests and replies to art, but there were more drawers than graphic artists as well. But mostly, I just think members on OB aren't likely to be as passionate about art when compared to people on DeviantART or an art forum. Which is fine, generally. :)[/color]

[color=dimgray]So Starwars.com has released the first trailer for the 3D Clone Wars series [url="http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000478.html"]here[/url]. When I first heard about the series the only thing I cringed over was how it would look aesthetically, but of course I should have been more trusting in today's visual technology. It looks great! *hugs Lucas for still being amazing* Hopefully it's not just wishful thinking that the series overall will be good, too. I'm still on a Star Wars fix, because of the whole 30-year-anniversary, the History Channel special, etc. (not including how I've watched the Robot Chicken trailer for Star Wars about five times). Any thoughts/comments? [font=Verdana][color=blue]Merged this with the official Star Wars thread.[/color][/font] [/color][font=Verdana][color=blue]- Petie[/color][/font]

[color=dimgray] Neat idea! I'm definitely interested.[/color]

[color=dimgray] I finally sat myself down today and did it. :) [img]http://xs215.xs.to/xs215/07215/50theme9v2.png[/img][/color]

[color=dimgray] Don't worry, I live in suburbia. :) I used that car to learn how to drive, though, so I'm certain I won't be running over any small children.[/color]

[color=dimgray] If all goes well, I'll inherit my sister's car: [img]http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/images/044runner_2-1.jpg[/img] No, that's not the exact car, but it's the same model (2004 Toyota 4Runner). And just as pretty. :) [/color]

[color=dimgray] I've been through tough spots, like everybody else, and the biggest thing I've learned is to suck it up and get on with life. Not in an indifferent way- that's the worst way to go about it. Try and make reparations as best you can, and then strive for something better. Best of luck to you, though. It sucks that you might get kicked out of college- I hope you manage to stay. [/color]

[color=dimgray] Even when I win, I lose. Clearly, I'm Obi-Wan.[/color]

[color=dimgray] I'm going to the midnight release of Order of the Phoenix, which will be very dorky and awesome. :) And the Ocean's franchise is just one I love. I even liked Ocean's 12, just because of that fun mood you get when you watch it. Hopefully Ocean's 13 will deliver just as well. And the Bourne Series... Matt Damon. Guh. He's so awesome in this series. But Pirates have never caught my attention. I didn't really enjoy the first one, probably because I saw the first half of the movie three times and then when I finally watched the end, it felt like a waste of time. Also, I seem to be the only woman alive that doesn't think Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom is hot.[/color]