The Frustration of Unoptimized iPad Apps

Returning to Middle-Earth, 2 new art books

Hello Howlers!

In September last year, 2022. I moved into my own apartment with my dog Kili. After 5 years of waiting.
Took around 6month before I stopped to thing about going back home to my parents. It felt like I was in a hotel or something. Just temporary living place.

I also had a lot crap happening during the winter. And then the move that I have never done before, to top it off.
Now it fees like home! And Kili, well he accepted it after 1 month of living here. 🤣

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Back to Middle-Earth

I went back to Middle-Earth after like 5 plus years.
Lord of The Rings Online is a MMORPG based of Tolkiens fantasy world.
It got released back in 2007 and I of course got it.
I remember creating a human male Guardian as my first character. Also remember the first instance you got to do to get to ”training” area. (Those things are now updated)

Seeing those black riders for the first time and all. 🥹
But one thing I still remember clear as day is my travel to Rivendell.
I went at lvl 15 on an adventure from Bree to Rivendell.
A very hard adventure.

Because the area I was going to was lvl 40. I almost died. But I made it.
Walking down the hill, and see Elrond house. Gosh the chills!
The thing is I went back to the game recently and they have changed a lot of things. For starters not same company owning the game anymore. Back when it was released I think it was CodeMaster. When it went free- to play it was Turbine. Now it’s Day Breaker.

I had to do the same adventure to Rivendell because they have somehow reseted my account, even if my lvl 53 have been there many times. So no fast travel. The journey took around 45min with a horse… (Just imagine how long it took by foot)
And when I got down that hill seeing Rivendell same chills happens. Or is it Nostalgia? Anyhow lovely feeling!
Oh by the way, Tombadil is in the game 😏

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Still no Stage Manager support for Affinity app

So people over at Serif still refuse to optimize their iPad Apps with the iPadOS….
They did not approve the Split View that came few years ago. But Procreate and other third-party apps did it. This is my only and best way to use VizRef to be able to work on my art, while seeing my reference. But Affinity, nope.

Now with WatchOS 17 they have improved the stage manager with A LOT! You can re-size the windows and place it pretty much what ever. But Affinity not even close!
Affinity don’t let you re-size it freely. And it covers the other apps. But Procreate, Craft Docs, Bear Notes among others do it!

Serif say they are very optimized with apple product. But I can not see it. And I don’t understand why they don’t do to either. There is nothing that stopping them.
This problem is the main reason I can not work with Affinity iPad apps, because I can not see my reference. I have mention this on social media for many years, but nope.

This is one reason I don’t really like recommend them, because they are not optimized at all. At least not for iPad. Desktop Version is another story, using PureRef over there.

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Bad Day Streaming…

I never do the sketching during a stream. Because I put too much pressure on myself. And I’m little scared what people would judge my sketching process.
But there is another I dislike even more. And that is to have a bad drawing day during those streams. Nothing will work.

And if none is in the comment keeping my mood up, that will just get worse.
All the negativity about myself. The drawing need to become perfect because its a live stream. That no one is watching and so on.
It just better to not keep going if those feelings happens. Why make your day worse when you can do something else?

Streaming has never been a good thing for me, same with social media in general.
I see others streaming as much as me and as long as me and they have people in the chat.
I have never had that luck. Sure some stop by because I’m in their streams. But that happens just now and then. And they only stays for like 3 second while I stay for hours in theirs.

You see I give more of me to others than they give back. And it does hurt after a while. Even if you should not even think like this.
I told myself to stream because for myself. To get better with things I have problem with not to care if people coming by.

But if you have a bad drawing day. That does not work anymore. The tears just start rolling down your face.
And other problem with streaming is to have a specific day and time to do it. It does not work in the long run. Not for me. Because some days are better than others.

I think I will just focus on making good Podcast episodes and stream when ever I feel like it. 😊

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My Art Journey

It’s 1st October and do you know what that means? Inktober has started! As of this newsletter reaches you, I still not done my first. Or have I?😏
Well you better keep an eye out on social media apps like Twitter, BlueSky and Artfol. 😁
And I already have a small idea. I’m planning on using Graphite Pencils. And subject will be a magpie 😁 Those little birds are just very fun to watch. They do some crazy crap 🤣 So I have gatherd some referance to keep me company.

Megumi Fushiguro, Vector Flower

(First Image) I started doing the sketch of Megumi Fushiguro to work on during a stream. But that day was just a very bad drawing day. Nothing worked.
So waited few days and started over. This time it worked better.
Not live stream, but did record it. And the thing is, I dislike starting over. I never do multiple sketches. Dont understand why either.
Sketch and most rendering done in Clip Studio Paint. But later moved over to Affinity Photo for some texture.

(Second Image) Did this vector flower for a video. Doing long form videos instead of streaming is little less pressure for me. Can take my time and so. Can edit it later.
We will see how it goes in the long run.
Trying to become more friends with the vector world. Done in Affinity Designer.

Lately I have not really felt like drawing. Feel a lot of restlessness but still unable to do anything. Really sucks when it happens. Also the big inter web is very distracting as well ! Some times I just hate the internet because it just take all my focus away from something I could have done instead.

But I can not turn it off, because I need the internet to gather the inspiration and to have music on. Gaah 😫

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Show Your Work By Austin Kleon

I recently read the book Show your work by

Austin Kleon

.

And how did I like this book?
Well it was better than the first. But the first book of his I read in Swedish and the translation was just meh. I prefer English.

He mention in the book that if you share what you love, people will find you because they have same interest as you. I’m not really sure about that.
I have posting my art for the past 5 years. A lot of fan art. Sure fan art gave me more followers, but the same person rarely liked a photo twice.
So I’m not super sure if this is true. Maybe for some.

He also tells you to look what others do. And try to copy it a little. And he talking about social stuff. Not their artwork. I have notice a lot that some is very loud when it comes to politics other nothing. I prefer nothing, because politics gets my anger on high alert.
One big thing this book has made me start doing more is to take more photos during my process. To get that behind the scene stuff.

I want to share that kind of stuff more on here.
And one key element for all social media stuff, no matter where you at, is Storytelling. And I sure suck at it haha.
But maybe that is my Achilles heal, storytelling.

Over all the book is pretty okey. It has its moments of inspiration! And I will buy his last book as well. (When ever I have money)

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New Art Books!

I got two new art books!

I will make review videos about them in the very near future. So keep an eye out on my Youtube channel 😊