Concept Art Workshop

The people at Concept Art had a workshop a few months back.
Go to that link, they explain it better than I can.

It was extremely cool, though. Much like a musical festival of art, with all of these different creators sitting on various stages giving demos or answering questions. Most everyone's sketchbook I saw was amazing.

They always had models posing on the main stage to draw. They were dressed like superhero's and held superb poses.
Here's one of mine:

Noise Pop 2005

There were so many bands playing in the Bay Area for a week that I missed many. Below were some I saw in or around Noise Pop.

Polysics @ Hotel Utah: Japanese elector/pop/punk. Wearing red jump suits, breast patches, and black visors they hoped around and did erratic Devo-esque dances to electronic computer pops and whiny guitars. Think New Invisibles only more aggressive. And the lead singer yelling very slowly “We are...Poly-sics. From JAP-pannnnn. Koninchiwa" in between songs.

Kings of Convenience @ the great American Music Hall: If Belle and Sebastian are too loud for you this is the way to go. Tender virgin-boy pop from a duo of Swedes. The best crowd I have seen in awhile. During the closing number, when the fuzzy haired, lad with the coke-bottle lenses starting taping around the stage singing, “I would rather dance, I’d rather dance, than talk with you” they erupted in applause and began dancing themselves.

Portastatic @ Bottom of the Hill: Jim Wilbur was substituting for the bassist. Therefore it was half of Superchunk and Mac’s fatter brother. In true chunk fashion all of the song were belted in double time. Most of the crowd were attending for the opener ‘Heavenly States,’ and talked through the set. This one fat guy and myself were jumping monkey-like near the front in time with the performers. I thought it was superb.

Modest Mouse @ The Berkley High Theatre: After they played ‘Float on’ mid way through the set the teenagers behind me started to discuss what shirt color would match their wardrobe better.
Jeremiah has returned and the band kept the drummer they took up in his absence, making for a riotous percussion section and boosting their noise level tremendously. Still, Modest Mouse is not arena rock. It felt awkward. I learned this though: the new songs are better live. The old songs crush the news ones.

Slint @ Great American Music Hall. A superb set from some late 80’s indy rock pioneers. Too metal for my current tastes, but the guitarists was able to weave some incredible screeches and squarks from his ‘ax.’

Since last session:

• Drinks: 7
• Read: The Vampire Lestat, Rice: hh
  • The vampire chronicles are super hero stories. Instead of spider sense, they can read minds. Instead of spandex they wear cloaks. They fly, they punch through walls, they have a healing factor. All the books follow vampires who only feed on “the blood of the evil doer.” So there that is.
  •I only read Interview last month, I figured it was about time. Everyone said that this second novel (Lestat)was superior to the first. The opening half was, but the second portion became bogged down dull backstory. All of which (I am assuming) is a set up for book three. Which I suppose I will read, than to hell with all of these vampires.
  
• Watched: The Englishmen who went up a hill but came down a mountain: hh
  Bah. Bor-ring and predictable, even with all the cute welsh accents.
• Listened to: Muse, Absolution. hhh
  Some good bits. Unless you’re a completist, burn yor buddies. Very Ok Computer.
• Cockney Slang of the day: Orange and Pear = Swear.
  
  

The Rotting Strip

A few weeks back, ‘Kitten’ noticed a prevalent gas smell in my apartment. I checked the stove, and the heater. All were turned off. Not having a sense of smell I soon forgot about this strangeness.
Three days ago, when passing the apartment adjacent mine (we have a common wall dividing our kitchen and bathroom) there was a large black sticker covering the doorframe.
“Placed by the Chief Health Inspector of San Francisco. The removal of this device is a felony.” The signature of the C.H.I. and a few other blokes were scribbled a crossed.

I have discerned the following from the maintenance fellow:

The thirty-year-old Asian man living next door,who sported the Prada shoes and the Burberry ties had died. Rent had not been paid. After trying to contact him multiple times the landlord called the police to break the door down. There he was. In the apartment. Crack pipes littering the floor around what was left of him.

I say ‘what was left of him’ as I found out just today that he had not died two weeks ago, as previously though, but two months ago. You know, about ten feet from where I sleep, eat, and shower.

Pleasant dreams!

Since last session:

• Drinks: 6, wine mostly
  
• Read: South of the Border, West of the Sun By Hurakai Murakami: hhhh Not as epic as Wind-up bird, but very endearing and pleasant to read. A simple tail of true love and how it destroys you.
• Watched: Funny Face: hhh The only time Hepburn and Astaire were together on screen. If that is your kind of thing, you will love it.
• Listened to: Portastatic, Autumn was a lark. hh A bit of a let down. Not nearly as enticing as Summer of the Shark.
  
• Cockney Slang of the day: Lemon Curd=Turd

Messenger Bot (concept 2)

concept-one
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Some concept sketches for a little messenger droid that appears in the second chapter of Claviger.

Messenger Bot (concept 1)

concept-two
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Some concept sketches for a little messenger droid in the second chapter of Claviger.