alias_sqbr: (happy dragon)
I've been feeling fairly critical about things recently. So, a post of things that have been making me happy that may make you happy too.

Reading my dreamwidth network without the feeds. The ratio of stuff I want to read to stuff I don't is much more useful.

The Manga Guide to Databases by Mana Takahashi: For anyone who has wanted the fundamentals of Databases and SQL explained to them in the form of a cute manga about a princess and a fairy. No, really, it's adorable. It's not the best textbook ever, I did learn some stuff but a lot of the explanations were very shallow, I think it would work best as introduction in conjunction with a more dense text with lots of in-depth definitions. And the plot is pretty light, I can't see it appealing to anyone who isn't genuinely interested in databases (which I am, having used them at my old job with no theoretical training beyond my second year Computer Science data structures course) But I was the perfect audience, and I enjoyed it :)

The Morishima Akiko tag at daily_yuri (she can also be found at Lililicious), especially "Off Time" and "Happy Picture Diary", which both show the happy lives of adult lesbian Japanese women (as opposed to angsty schoolgirls as in a lot of yuri). Her comics are always so adorable and happy.

Some vids (mostly angsty, because angsty vids make me happy):

  • Rolling in the Deep: all the Xmen films. The Charles/Erik vid I've always wanted. (Well, it's more focussed on them rather than the broader themes than I'd like, but that's not really an objective flaw)
  • Seamstress Nikita: The Nikita&Alex vid I never knew I needed. I've watched very little Nikita but the complex codependent mentor thing hits all my buttons.
  • Don't Lose Yourself Doctor Who. Donna ;_;
  • Around Us Avatar the Last Airbender. I had to go back through a few pages of bookmarks to find something genuinely happy :)
    alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (genius!)
    First: I have a bunch of somewhat dried out Fimo in various colours if anyone in Perth wants it. It's still useable, but a bit crumbly, so you'd want to be making something simple where you don't mind a rough texture. You could probably put new fimo over the top to get a nicer surface. There is apparently stuff you can buy to make it less dried out.

    Second: Some time ago I installed Photoshop Elements on my laptop (it came free with my tablet) and have been using it for most of my art since then. The smaller screen and lack of features was a bit limiting at first but in some ways it was good to be forced to keep things simple and it's been fine for most purposes. A couple of recent pictures would have been be impractical without grouping layers so I drew them on the larger desktop machine with a full version of Photoshop and was struck at the difference to both using the laptop and to what it was like using the desktop machine before.
    I REALLY appreciated being able to use all those extra features again (once I remembered where everything is) but also I think my process has become more streamlined and my art more loose and spontaneous after being forced to work within the extra limitations. I think I'll switch between the two computers from now on, keep me on my toes :)

    Third: Art! All done on the desktop machine, as it happens.


    Full Metal Alchemist: Roy and Miles on deviantART
    Roy and Miles at Tumblr

    I linked this already but not properly, so you get it again. The other two are based on prompts and went into my scraps, so no previews.

    Wolverina at Deviantart Traced from a photo of [personal profile] gretel

    Jellyfish at DeviantArt, Jellyfish at Tumblr based on a photo by [profile] aristgd.

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    alias_sqbr

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