Influenzal Randomocity

Yes, I'm sick. I'm guessing it's the flu.


I've felt poorly the past several days but it never seemed to get any worse. No better, either, though. Yesterday, though, it finally reached a point where I had to leave work. I came home and died for most of the afternoon.


I'm still feeling it today. I'm up and around because I have things I must do, but as soon as those things are done I'm collapsing again. Hopefully I'll be back to sufficient strength to go to work Monday.


I did make a decision, though, as to what skill set I want to cultivate in this new year. I've always admired those artists who can meet someone and quickly draw a sketch of them. I've decided this is something I want to be able to do, too.


How am I going to do this? I may look at some books and videos for guidance, but mostly I'm going to develop this skill by practicing. A lot.


I tried this before and didn't get very far, and I finally figured out why--I was sketching the faces of people I actually know, people who are important to me. That sort of put too much pressure on me to get it right, I think. Now, I'm going to practice by sketching celebrities, people I don't know personally, and I'm having a little more luck with that.


I mean, if I sketch Johnny Depp, say, and I screw it up, I won't feel like I let him down in some way, since I don't actually know him. But since I know what the man looks like I'll be able to tell if it's not a good likeness.


My first subject is this alternative model I follow on Facebook--"alternative" in the sense that she has tattoos and piercings, and dyes her hair freaky colors. Anyways, to me she is almost superhumanly hot so I don't mind spending all this time looking at her lovely, lovely face while I try to capture her beauty in my sketchbook. No, I don't know her personally, but that's kind of the point. The first few pics I did were pretty bad but I just turned the page and started on another one.


Anyway, that's my goal for the year. I'm going to get much better at this over the next few months, I can guarantee it. Eventually I'll be able to draw people I actually know and have it actually look like them. Instead of looking like some sort of freakish mutant with huge eyes and lips.