Summary of Art 2013

And thus, we can finally declare year 2013 over.

Frankly, I can't even remember the beginning months. Probably eaten by routine. Sadly, I haven't drawn as much as I planned to, though still managed to draw a lot. Also, I gave up on dumps almost entirely. Beware, because I'm only putting it off. Too many precious doodles to waste.

2013 seems to be much better than 2012 artwise. I know for certain I've improved A LOT, especially in these last few months. Preparing portfolio for Calarts turned out to be just a motivator I needed. Btw, I turned it in just an hour ago, and hour and a half before the final deadline. Crazy? Yes. Did it need to be? No. Actually, I've completed the portfolio a day before it was due because I wasn't sure if deadline 3rd Jan means by the 3rd or by the end of the 3rd. Add a nine-hour difference and you'll understand why I'm sitting here watching the sun shine without having gone to bed. The clock is ticking... ten minutes till midnight. Not my midnight. My nine in the morning, actually.

Right, portfolio... Actually, probably the biggest event of the year. My plans were to drastically improve in the first six months of the year and work on it for the other half. The way I remember it,  when I came back from holidays in August I wished for nothing more than to spend some time with civilisation, namely playing video games and catching up on the shows. Detestable... Oh well. Happens every time.

Aaaanyway. I fucked up royally. In September I was too busy drawing what I failed to complete during the holidays, getting absorbed by games again ever though I shouldn't have and worrying about the driver's license ordeal that I hardly did anything. And then were only more problems, starting with Maths (I acquired a vast collection of Fs at the start, which could've compromised my whole year. fuck yeah me) and other shit. But in October I actually did something, started practising gesture drawing. Oh boy, you don't wanna know how much I sucked at this. Then November came with a preferred deadline I was aiming at (didn't know what a shitty idea that was) aaand... yeah. I switched to the regular one (9:01 on my clock, so it's just ended), which by extension took all of December from me - yes, including Christmas.

I shouldn't have succeded. With all my fuckups, by all means I shouldn't have. And yet... I did it. With help I don't think I deserved, I managed to fulfill all the requirements. Sent all that was needed. You know how much time I had for completing my portfolio in the end? A week. Oh well, 10 days. But I say a week coz I say so. So yeah, managed to assemble a decent portfolio in a week, I call that an achievement. Last 5 works were done in the last 10 hours before deadline. All thanks to that unexpected "extension" of one day. And boy am I glad.

Don't get me wrong. This year I'm not even remotely in the leagues to compete for a place at Calarts. I give me 8% chance. Not even kidding - that's the actual acceptance rate. Tho in the forum I tend to visit it's closer to 50%. But I have eyes and I know what I have to improve on. Actually, I don't think I would've delivered a much better portfolio if I had more time. Better thought-through, yeah, but counting out the improvement and leaving my skills as they are at the moment, I wouldn't have done any better. So yeah, despite all my fuckups and all, I'm real fukkin proud of me. I applied. That was the goal - to APPLY to Calarts. A wise man once said: "Do one thing that scares you every day". I did a thing that had me freak out for the whole year, does that count? I certainly hope so.

Back to the subject - colors. Vivid lights. Dynamism. All those things I've improved on, especially in the late Summer-Fall. Also, you might notice how I drew that same pose October through November without even realizing. Oh well, I think I need to get some diversity in my works. And while we're at diversity, I learned how to draw faces and bodies much different than those I'm used to. Sure, I need to practise that and it's not like I couldn't have done that at all before, but I'm finally confident about it.

I July I was at home for 5 days and one evening, during which I was inhaling the scent of my laptop and games. Thus, Quirl decided to show what I think about drawing efficiency in July. Seems to be the pattern. That and March is often causing problems.

Now, onto the future... I expect 2014 to be a year of drastic improvement. And I mean: drastic. The changes I've experienced in the last months I feel are just a beginning. I have so much to study, so much to learn! And I don't even feel like reaching for games at this point, which is kinda weird given how I've been limiting playing since the end of holidays. No matter, I won't question this opportunity to focus on art instead of futile entertainment.

Back to the "improve" thing - in April I should get my formal answer from Calarts. After that, I'll try to secure a place at figure drawing workshops in Denmark. The application deadline for the fall season should be somewhere in May, judging as it was for the spring. And if everything goes as planned, I'll be temporarily moving to Denmark for August through December. Hopefully the course won't be too drastic, coz I'll have to work on my portfolio there. The good news is, I'll have some professional help this time. If it all happens, of course, if it all happens.

On my end, I'm also graduating this year. Which means matura, something in the league with A-levels. Not that I need it or give a shit, but I certainly wouldn't wanna fail. And damn, wouldn't it be nice to score big on Maths to show my teacher what I can do? Heh.

You'll have to excuse this word-vomit. As you might have noticed, I've withdrawn from dA and tumblr almost completely in order to work on my portfolio. I'm just dying to get some art done and published. All the projects on the backburned, comics I promised and stuff I owe, all this has been gathering since, well, since the Fall. So yeah, imagine why I'd be a little iffy and word-vomitey.

Might have also something with me starting to drink coffee. For 3 consecutive days. No earlier than 3 AM, mind you - we've got to have some standards. I haven't been sleeping all that much. Actually, I think I haven't slept since the previous morning. And I still don't feel like. Oh well.

If you got something to say or remind me of, or just chat - now would be the time. If anyone got through that wall of text anyway XD

Shit in short: 2013 was good, 2014 gonna be better (and worse coz this time I'll be applying for real; though generally better)