I finally have time to try out the Wacom drawing tablet that I got to borrow, and learn to use Photoshop in the process.

It’s so, so hard. I used to think drawing with a mouse was hard, but using the Wacom tablet pen is like a whole another level of hardness.

Ok, I’m prone to not a little hyperbole. But still, it’s like when you’re learning to ride a bike, or learning to walk. Wobbly and out of control. Or maybe it’s my hands, or my eye-hand coordination.

This is my first attempt at doodling. It’s a fine example of my painting technique with oils. I go brushing around quite quickly at first, without correcting anything until later. I don’t even feel like I need the Undo function, or the Eraser. I’m painting! You don’t get a second chance! That’s part of the fun!

(You may click to enlarge if you so wish, but it doesn’t get any better than this)

But I’m sure I’ll learn soon enough the decadent ways of Ps. It will certainly be easier and faster to show off my lame pictures when I’m drawing them on my laptop.

I never used Ps before. There are so many possibilities, and I don’t know what half of them will do – even when I try them out! I need Photoshop for Dummies.

Since I updated WordPress, all my previously approved comments seemed to have been moved into the spam folder. Wonderful, huh? Anyway, I went through all the spam and found some funny ones.

Usually it’s just your run-of-the-mill url floods or simply some completely incomprehensible drivel. But some of them are deceptively believable.

Check this one out:

How soon will you update your blog? I’m interested in reading some more information on this issue.

Aww, interested are you? Too bad that the post in question introduced my blogroll, so I don’t see how you could call that one single issue. Spam!

Great post! I’ll subscribe right now wth my feedreader software!

Oh kewl! You’re like, using feedreader software! I’m also using feedreader software! I love saying feedreader software because it’s so clumsy!

The best information i have found exactly here. Keep going Thank you

This was for my Joker clown post. Clearly, information on the Joker and clowns is in high demand these days. Thank you back, I will keep going.

I really liked this post. Can I copy it to my site? Thank you in advance.

I’m flattered that you want to copy my first post ever, where I simply introduce my plans regarding the blog. But I can totally see how that can be instantly likeable.

Can anyone tell me who the hot brunette is that may be a new cast member on Stargate Atlantis?

http://www.koldcast.tv/video/2384

Sorry, first of all I’m not anyone, and secondly I don’t follow up on Stargate Atlantis.

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This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. I’m huge on fast growing free adult porn forums. The name of the website is very inviting, “f*cking for you too.” Thousands of videos are not going to be enough! And thanks for thinking that my blog is a board.

My favourite, however, has to be this one:

unseal known demeanour (badge strange send for enjoyable in misery of that self-dissected approaching roomie viagra on line
rapidly at an end the hinterlands ling confabulation folio destroy unsuitable purely seemliness on correctly-modulated mete out.

So wonderfully postmodern! Sweet and innocent spam poetry! My heart melted at this.

Unseal known demeanour.

It’s a badge strange to send for the enjoyable misery of that

self-dissected, approaching roomie

Viagra on line!

Rapidly at an end of the hinterlands,

ling confabulation folio destroys the unsuitable purely seemliness

on the correctly-modulated —

mete out.

Beautiful, isn’t it? A couple of grammar errors here and there, so I added definite articles and 3rd person suffixes. I’m so touched by this lovely poem. Keep them coming!

For the record, I do know that the word ye in the title should be spelled y^e. Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t allow special characters in the post title. The spelling with the e in the superscript is the old written form of the Middle English definite article, basically the. Originally the definite article was denoted by a thorn (þ) in Old English, but with the invention of printing during the Middle English period, something else had to be concocted.

Hence we have y^e which these days is often erroneously spelled as ye. And that, my friends, means you, as in the archaic personal pronoun. So if you see a store called something like Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe (as in Edinburgh in Scotland, witnessed by yours truly), the store owner apparently wanted to call their store affectionately by names. “You old Christmas shop you, you naughty girl!” (Are shops and stores masculine or feminine though?)

Ye originally came to be used as the second person plural, the singular form being thou, but it spread to other uses as well. It could be used as a singular pronoun in nominative position, and as both singular and plural in an objective position. Fascinating how English exploits syncretism to the extreme.

Anyway. Here’s a newe paintinge for ya.

(Click to enlarge)

This is supposed to be Heath Ledger. I think it has a fair amount of likeness to him. The colours aren’t quite accurate, because I couldn’t take a non-overexposed photo of it and had to increase the contrast and highlight the midtones. It’s slightly sharper than in real life. This is the photo I used:

I didn’t paint the face narrow enough, and the expression is more benign methinks. Not as much chest hair, either.

My mum likes the painting though and she’s a hard person to please. She keeps saying that it looks so much like her old colleague who passed away some time ago. She liked that guy I guess.

Here it is in frames – mum is really good at picking frames that enhance the appearance of a painting:

My parents’ living room looks quite colourful with so many of my paintings in frames, against the backdrop of a warm yellow wallpaper. (The Yellow Wallpaper was a weird short story us English students had to read in basic studies, for your information. By Charlotte Perkins Gilman.)