A lesson in Eff Yuu Enn.

From UrbanDictionary.com-

FTW (For The Win):
An enthusiastic emphasis to the end of a comment, message, or post. Sometimes genuine, but often sarcastic. Originated from the game show Hollywood Squares where the result of the player's response is expected to win the game.

FTL (For The Lose):
The opposite of for the win. Used to describe a situation or thing that is undesirable, whether that situation was caused by the speaker or by someone else. Often shouted when someone is killed in a multiplayer game. Most commonly used by gamers, though it's gaining popularity in general online culture for anything that's disliked.


Both of these combinations of letters would totally make my Top 5 Favorite Acronyms list. I find them hilarious, and often perfect as a way of getting my point across.
Also, as a gamer who spent 2 years playing FFXI Online, and 3 playing WoW, "ftw" and "ftl" are pretty much the best tri-letter terms anyone could ever use, ever. The only one that even comes close is "lul", a complete mockery of the over-used "lol", and that seems so rarely used by any other than yours truly.
Any term that can be used in a humorous way, with OR without sarcasm, is immediately listed as Gold in my book. For instance, in this picture I drew of Link from the Legend of Zelda-
"ftw" can be interpreted however you may wish. One who is a fan of the Zelda series might think, "OMG IT'S LINK HE'S TOTALLY FTW", whereas one who couldn't tell the difference between the Triforce and a fucking falafel might think, "WTF IS THAT, HAHA HE'S SAD SO HE'S LIEK DEFINITELY SAYING FTL, NOT FTW. IRONY IS SO COOL RIGHT NOW. SO IS MISUSING THE TERM IRONY." So you see, in nearly any situation involving the term, everyone wins.

In conclusion, the acronyms "ftw" and "ftl" are both "for the win".





Oh yeah, and here's an owl. Too bad he doesn't give a hoot about acronyms.

Melting Doll : Origins

Whenever I read a graphic novel I find visually appealing, it's hard for me to get the art out of my head. Sometimes it is very clear as to which book it is, just by how drastically my style seems to suddenly change.
But I think it's safe to say that every artist who has established a distinct type of style has established such through the inspiration of others'. I've seen a lot of online discussions/forums where people say that it is actually beneficial to mimic another's technique, as long as they have no intention of taking full credit for it, and are willing to derive and develop as an individual artist.

I myself have lots of different inspirations, and am in no way afraid to admit to it. Sometimes I use the same ideas/techniques I've been using since I was nine years old, no joke:
I still make very round, wide, and sometimes squarish heads. (2004)
I am still shakey with shoulders, arms, and torsos. (2004)
My love for drawing legs and bare feet (2008) still overshadow my delight in drawing hair (2005).
Color is still my absolute weakest point (2006). So many drawings, thrown in the trash because of my obliteration of crappy coloring jobs (2006) , whether it be paint, marker, colored pencil, or pastel. Digital colors are the only colors I've found myself to be atleast somewhat consistent with, but still weak (2008).

Despite having so much to learn, and feeling old knowing it, I feel it appropriate to acknowledge those who have inspired me most over the past five years, helping me establish what I draw today.
Mike Krahulik, artist of Penny Arcade.
Vera Brosgol.
Jen Wang.
Clio Chiang.
Andrew Hussie (and Cindy Marie, "betelgeuse").
Chris Eliopoulos.
Kazu Kibuishi, editor of Flight.
Bryan Lee O'Malley.
Alexandria Neonakis.
Craig Thompson.
Cyril Pedrosa.

If you take the time to see their art, it isn't hard to find them seeping through mine. It is also interesting to see what catches my eye most, are those that show similarities to the classic Disney art legend, Mary Blair.
She would most definitely be my top "What dead person do you wish you could have dinner with?", aside from Cornelius Swarthout, who patented the first U.S. waffle iron.

But enough of my babble. It's time to mourn the ending of my paid vacation with The Office.

Color blind

I made fun banners for my site!

Too bad HTML codes melt my brain.

The colors look terrible at the moment, but I'm giving up for now.