Awesome Entertainment Without the Hassle!

Playing With Fire
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Si Hammond

I feel as though I've let myself down a bit.  I had started on the Squidoo Challenge, which I kept to diligently for two weeks.  But then, tragedy struck.  No, no, not anything for real, just a whole bunch of, waaah, waaaah, you know the drill.  I guess to be perfectly honest, I just didn't want to continue.

It's almost like I was on this super strict diet, and then I ate a doughnut, or something, and that little derailment was all I needed to just say screw it, and fold on the whole thing.  So, I've kind of decided to get back to my old routine, and not try to force anything.  Because, the truth is, I really just started doing Squidoo because, I wanted to promote my drawing, and encourage myself to continue drawing, but the truth was, I was so caught up in trying to keep up with the challenge that I wasn't really getting a chance to draw.

I mean, I have a family, and a full-time job that my boss expects me to show up for every day.  So, I've set my own schedule, which I'm not going to tell you about, so that I don't have to feel bad when I break that.  Anyway, I can at least get back to drawing sometimes, which is what I really want to be doing.

Space Ninjas

Along the lines of all the Squidoo business, I did manage to finish another article on How To Draw a Ninja.  I think it turned out really good, and it demonstrates a number of ways to draw three different ninjas.  Or, if you want you can check out the ninjas on a t-shirt at my Zazzle Store.

Along with the ninjas, I updated my How To Draw Breeds Of Cats article with a new cat, a Siamese.  I'm pretty pleased.  I think it turned out great.

One thing that's been on my mind, has been the coming of Metal Hurlant Chronicles to Syfy Channel.  I've been really excited about this, but I still haven't watched it, because I dropped my cable, which you can read about when I Cut the Cable, Go With Roku.  Anyway, because of that, I won't be able to keep up with the series until its completion, and then I can buy it on Amazon, or some other place like that.  I'm really looking forward to it, and I'd love to hear what others are saying about it, who've watched it on Syfy.

Hot Chick
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Ben Salter

Along these lines, did you know that in the UK, there is something called Now TV, which gives UK Roku users access to several main stream cable channels for only 4.99 Euros?  The cable networks available include Discovery, MTV, Disney and HBO.  Yes, that's right!  In the UK, you can get HBO, that's Game of Thrones without all the bells and whistles of a cable subscription.  Doesn't that just blow your mind?

When will such as service be available in the US?  Never you say?  Come on people!  We need to rise up against the evil cable companies and demand that we have direct access to channels such as HBO and MTV if we want them.  We don't want to pay exorbitant monthly prices on hundreds of channels that include lifetime and oxygen or whatever else you may not really care about.  I mean come on.  What's the deal?  We want Game of Thrones without the hassle!

Keeping It Hot and Heavy Metal

Girl Rocks
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Iris Laguna

Keep on Keepin On, as Bob Dylan used to say.  I've just completed week two of the Squidoo Challenge.  It has been a little difficult for me, because I had only intended to do Squidoo as a side dealy to help promote all of my other arty stuff.

I did finally achieve my goal of graduating from the Rocket Squids, and don't you know, I was immediately inducted into the Giant Squids.  I am very proud of that, so it kind of re-invigorated my drive to continue writing articles.  Keeping myself going at two-per week for the time being.  I'll keep this up for at least a little while longer.

Akira - Tetsuo
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Dale Spencer

That being said, let me tell you about the two articles I wrote this week.  The first was about my all time favorite anime movie.  It's called Akira, Messiah or Nothing?  The article poses the question of the main character Tetsuo, who is weak in a time of terrible distress and corruption.  He's a protagonist and a villain in many regards, who's been given a gift, and when he tries to use it, so many things blow up, it's unimaginable.  Akira is a landmark piece of anime, and if you've never seen it, you should definitely check it out.

Bad To the Boneworld Hot Wings

The second article, I wrote this past week, was on my Bad To the Boneworld Hot Wing recipe.  You see, I love me some hot wings, I mean real hot, but the cost of ordering out all the time can add up, so I came up with this simple recipe that anyone can handle.  I'm talking real simple.  I'm no cook.  In fact, anything that involves more than the microwave can befuddle me, at times.  But this recipe, is a no brainer.  It's quick, easy and bone-fide delicious.

On to other news, the countdown to the Syfy Channel debut of Metal Hurlant Chronicles is down to just over two weeks.  April 14, at 8:00PM, and it's on.  Tell me you're not blowing your biscuits over that.  I mean really.  I cannot wait!

Heavy Metal Magazine
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License Photo by Rae Allen

In the same vein, the Americanized magazine inspired by Metal Hurlant is still alive and well.  You to can get Heavy Metal magazine, in online version or delivered to your door.  Why not check out the art.  It seems they're emphasizing the wild comics rather than just the art, so it's kind of cool.

Something else I've stumbled upon is KR Animations UK, who is a Flash animator who has created some amazing Flash animated games, in record time.  He also offers tutorials, as well as some amazing finished products of what he's done.  It's pretty amazing.  You should check it out.

Out Of the Cold, and Feeling the Warmth!!!

Metal Hurlant

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons 

Photo by amintore fanfani

Captain America Girl -- The Winter Soldier
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons 
Photo by pinguino k

Yes, it appears to final be rolling into Spring, and how could I be any more pleased with that.  The Winter months were long, and difficult.  I sustained a minor injury to my left hand from all the shoveling I had to do.   But don't worry about me, I'm right handed, and that hand is still fine.

As many people may know, I write articles on Squidoo.  And I most recently decided to take up the Squidoo challenge.  Basically, the Squidoo challenge, was a number of steps laid out by an entrepreneurial young man, named Marc Guberti, who'd like to encourage strong writing and quality articles on Squidoo.

Marc is encouraging Squidoo participants to strengthen the site, and help the site get more hits on Google searches.  His steps are incredibly well thought out, including being active on Squidoo, and liking and commenting on the articles of others.  His other two steps include writing two quality articles a week, and updating three older articles per week.  Each of these steps makes a great deal of sense, and will hopefully bring up the hit-counter on Squidoo.  However, the overall challenge isn't to just increase the hit-counter, but create an environment, where internet searchers cannot avoid Squidoo, by offering better and more quality content.

Boneworld Logo -- Sword 6

Along with that, I've just finished my first week of doing this, by perusing the site for my favorite articles, and making sure I leave my own personal mark on them to let the writers know what I liked and why.  I also made sure to promote any that really struck me on my very own Facebook page.

I went ahead and updated three of my old articles, and added two new ones, that I believe to be of fairly strong quality.  I added a review called Mass Effect, and Almost All Lost, which is a review of the Mass Effect animated film.  Please check it out if your a fan of animated films or of the Mass Effect games.

How To Draw Breeds Of Cats

I also added another How-To Draw article, called How To Draw Breeds Of Cats.  It shows the step-by-step process of drawing a domestic house cat, as well as a Persian cat.  Right now, it's only those two, but I'll be adding more as I go.

With all that going on, I've had precious little time for anything else.  However, I am keeping a close eye on the count down to Metal Hurlant Chronicles on Syfy Channel.  In case you haven't heard, the heavy metal inspired magazine, Metal Hurlant, has inspired a TV series, that up until now has only been aired in France.  However, on April 14, 2014, at 8:00PM, the episodes will begin to air on Syfy Channel for a much larger audience.  The first night will air two episodes, and each following Monday will see two more, until all 12-episodes have aired.  I am so excited!

Heroes Of the North
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons Photo by 5of7

On that note, I've stumbled across an indie TV show, that I'm enjoying, called Heroes Of the North.  I haven't seen many episodes, but what I can tell is, it's a super hero program of specifically Canadien style heroes.  Each hero seems to be inspired by something specifically Canadien.  One is named The Canadien, one is named Fleur-de-Lys, and one is named Nordik.  You get the idea.  It's a low budget indie TV show, with poor acting, dialog, and resources.  But the shows I've seen are pretty cool.  There's adult content and language, and the skin-tight body suits of the heroes doesn't hurt, either.

You can watch Heroes Of the North, on their own website heroesofthenorth.com, or on BlackFlag TV.  I believe the episodes are aired on Black Flag every day.  And Black Flag now has a Roku channel, if you have a Roku.

Lovely Faces Of Death...And Life, Of Course!?!

Drawing Faces

If you were going to take a crack at drawing a face, where would you begin?

WRONG!!!

You should start at my latest Squidoo article, A Comprehensive Guide To Drawing the Head, which outlines all different variations of drawing the head, including turns, expressions, head tilts, a number of resources, and Preston Blair's phonemes series.

So, there you have it.  But, if you just want the quick and dirty.  Here are all the images I used.

Turning A Head

Male Head Guidelines

Male Head Features

Male Head Final

Female Head Guidelines

Female Head Features

Female Head Final

Facial Expressions

Facial Expressions

Facial Variations

Facial Variations

Preston Blair's Phonemes Series

Preston Blair's Phonemes Series

And, there you have it.  Happy drawing!

Prepping For Saint Paddy's Day and Heavy Metal

Drunken Leprechaun

Whoa!!!  It's been some kind of winter, so far, huh?!?

I'm talking crazy snow.  My arms have been exhausted from shoveling--probably because I'm so out of shape, and all.  These string beans can't move mountains.  They were designed for more delicate work.

Anyway, aside from all that, I've been very busy.  I've had a few set backs, but for the most part, things have been going good.

If you're gearing up for Saint Paddy's Day, as I know you are, I pounded out a great How To Draw a Leprechaun article, over at Squidoo.  Click the link to check it out.  If you like that, there's also shirts for sale, over at Boneworld's Zazzle Store, that you can check out, featuring the drunken leprechaun.  Click the links below to check them out.

Get Drunk and Carry On Leprechaun on Zazzle

Cheers Leprechaun
Get Drunk and Carry On Leprechaun

Most people who've read my articles should note that I'm a big fan of anime, and I've written several articles reviewing anime movies, as well as discussing anime topics in depth.  However, the truth is, I've always been more of a fan of American animation and comics.  I wouldn't say I'm any kind of expert on the subject matter, but I am very interested in it.  And because of that, when the option to review a super hero animation came up, I jumped on it.

I reviewed the feature length animated film Ultimate Avengers, in the article Avengers, Bringing Captain America Home.  Click the link to read all about it.

Metal Hurlant
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Alexis Ziritt

Along the same lines of my American animation and comics, is Heavy Metal.  The movie, I mean, that was sort of a skit based drug induced science fiction film.  There were two movies, Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal 2000, and it kind of ended there.  The magazine it was based off of discontinued.

However, in France, where the magazine originated, being called Metal Hurlant Chronicles, they've created a new series of shows based upon the magazine, with the same name.  It's again a skit based series of twelve episodes.  Many people are mildly aware that this show was created, and that it was originally only available in France, but that has all changed, as Syfy channel has bought it, and will air the episodes in April.  Check out the full story on Coming Soon and ScienceFiction.com.  This is a great day for anyone who was a fan of the original movies and magazine.

Cheers!

Got Me a Roku!!!

Roku

After a good bit of thought, I've finally decided to ditch cable and go for the Roku.  WHAT?!? You've never heard of a Roku?  Well let me tell you a little about it.

A Roku is a magical device that hooks to your TV, that allows you to stream shows over the internet directory to your screen.  You can use the AV cable that comes with it, or buy a HDMI cable, and watch in HD.  These things are great.

Anyway, the Roku offers a number of applications, some free and some not, to stream TV and movies using your existing internet connection.  So, I decided to drop my inflated cable bill, and go with Netflix and Hulu.  I'll probably drop one of them eventually, as I figure out what we like better, but for now, they're only $7.99 each, so it's not such a big thing, just yet.

Roku Channels Screen

On top of these channels, there are a number of other channels that are free, like US TV Now, Crackle and Nowhere TV.  There's also CNN, ABC, NBC and other networks that offer free streaming on the Roku.  To find more, check out the following links:

2014 Roku Private Channels List on mkvXstream Blog
Roku Private Channels on I Love Roku TV
Roku Private Channels on StreamFree.tv

Or, you can read my review on Squidoo, called Cut the Cable, Go With Roku.

How To Draw a Woman's Face

On top of all that, I also updated a couple of step-by-step drawing lessons I wrote on Squidoo, called How To Draw a Man's Face In 9-Steps and How To Draw a Woman's Face In 9-Steps.  I've updated all of the images, using ones that I lined out in Inkscape, rather than sloppy pencil drawn images.  Click the links to check them out.

You can also find the final images in much larger resolution on Boneworld's DeviantArt Gallery.  I'd love to hear what you might think in the comments section.

Purple Stars For Everyone!!!

Purple Star

Wouldn't you know it, I got me another of them Purple Stars.  It seems all those nice folks over at Squidoo must really like me.  I'm not sure what it is, but I got my third Purple Star for Understanding the Genres of Anime.  Click the link to check it out.

It's really a more detailed and pruned down post of the Anime vocabulary I posted on this site, called Making Sense Of an Anime List Of Vocabulary.

You see, I like many people didn't understand anime for a very long time, and I felt the need to discover what it was really about.  Along the way, I discovered that anime wasn't just one thing, it was a plethora of things, and once I identified the major genres of anime, I felt I needed to share my vast knowledge.  And there you have it--Purple Star!

This brings my total for Purple Stars up to THREE!  My other chosen articles are I Wish I Could Draw and My Art Gallery.  Click the links to view them.

If you're unaware of what Squidoo is, it's really a place for writers, like me and possible you, to find a voice, and let it be heard to as many people as possible, while making a little bit of money.  Squidoo is a highly visible unified blog that many people in all different areas of interest are using to build an online reputation.  Squidoo is much like any other blog, but it offers a more unified movement, so the strength of the voices of those that have written before can carry those new comers to find more readers than they otherwise would.  This is the real benefit to Squidoo.  So, if you have something to write about, and you think Squidoo might be for you, why not start a Squidoo account today.

Otherwise, if you'd like to take a look at some more of my work, please check out Boneworld on DeviantArt.