September Ink

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"Iroshizuku Chiku-rin" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/50 sec, ISO1250
 “Iroshizuku Chiku-rin” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Can you believe it’s already September? Actually, summer vacation seems to have been very long this year. It seems like so long ago that we traveled to Morocco and Spain at the beginning of the kids’ vacation, and then there was a long trip to Japan for Mariko and Bay, and then another few weeks of relaxation for them at home. But now, it’s back to school!

Speaking of September, the new month means I get to change the ink color that I use for my nightly journal. As you can see in the photo, I will be using Iroshizuku Chiku-rin ink. It’s such a nice color, and I love how the color varies where the ink pools up. The edges of the thick lines are darker than the middle. I’m sure there’s a term for this, but I don’t know what it is. 🙄 Anyways, it’s a nice change of pace from the intense Tsutsuki ink I used for August.

Also in the photo is my High School class ring. Bay was telling me that they have started ordering class rings at his school, and so I had to show him mine. He was surprised that I had one. I guess I don’t seem like the type of person who would care to get a class ring. Honestly, I don’t think I am the kind of person who would want one, but now I am glad I got it. 😁

I hope you had a nice Friday!

おやすみ

Back to the 90s (2015) – Movie Review

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Back to the 90s is a movie about a teenager who accidentally travels back in time and tries to repair his mom and dad’s rocky relationship. It’s a fun story, with some touching moments and a couple good plot twists thrown in. Add some nostalgic ’90s references (Tamagotchi!) and you have a nice, entertaining movie. Nothing amazing, but the acting is strong, and the ending is both satisfying yet leaves you wanting more. (sequel please?)

I really enjoyed Som and Tam’s characters, and learning about their motivations brings a welcome level of complexity and interest to the story. It’s also the first time I’ve seen a Thai movie, so that made it fascinating to watch. Cool to get a glimpse into an unfamiliar culture, even if it is off by two decades and covered with a Hollywood-like polish. 😁

BTW, I came across Back to the 90s by reading Age’s blog, Write Them All. Lots of good things to read about there. Check it out if you have a chance!

I definitely recommend Back to the 90s if you like romcoms or are a fan of Baifern (the actress who plays Som), which I have now become. Enjoy!

My rating: 8/10


Everyday Notebook

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"Everyday" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/4 sec, ISO320
 “Everyday” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight’s photo is of my Traveler’s Notebook. I bring this with me everyday in my bag to work, and I have my Pilot Kakuno and LAMY Safari attached. And recently I added my Uni Kuru Toga pencil to the kit.

In my notebook, I like to jot down things, like song names and random ideas. I also use Google Keep for notes, but it’s fun to write on paper even if it is not available “in the cloud”. I think it’s kind of cool that these little bits of information exist only in one place, and they can be lost forever. Eventually, all things come to an end, and so it will be with these notes. Isn’t it neat that they will exist only for short periods of time? It’s liberating to know that all things end, and not to get too tied up in trying to make things permanent.

It’s funny to me that I am trying to keep objects in my life that will last until I die, but then I don’t worry about things being lost? I don’t think it’s consistent but I am not going to think about it too much. Maybe it’s like the theory of relativity vs quantum mechanics. Who knows? Someday I might discover a unifying theory. 😆

Ok, time for bed. I hope you had a nice Thursday.

おやすみ

Takoyaki, a New Pencil, and an Edit

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"Takoyaki Dinner" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO800
 “Takoyaki Dinner” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Our younger son requested takoyaki for dinner, so we got out the electric takoyaki pan and cooked up a few batches. If you don’t know what takoyaki is, it’s a ball of batter, filled with octopus and other small ingredients (we also add cheese) and cooked into what looks like a donut hole. It’s then topped with a sweet sauce, Japanese mayo, green seaweed flakes, and dried bonito flakes. It’s a popular dish in Japan, and originated in Osaka. Since Mariko is from Osaka, I think she’s got natural talent in making Takoyaki! 😀

I received a nice little goodie in the mail today: a Kuru Toga mechanical pencil. The special thing about this pencil is that it has a mechanism which will rotate the lead slightly each time you lift the pencil from the paper, thus ensuring the lead is always sharp, or at least has a consistent angle. I tried it out for a little while, and it seems to work!

"New Pencil" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
 “New Pencil” Cedar Park, 2017

My Amazon order actually came from Japan, so it took a couple weeks, but it was only around $4.50 US, with free shipping! I excitedly showed Mariko the pencil, but she was unimpressed… letting me know that Bay has had a Kuru Toga for a few years already. 🙄

Later this evening, I scanned in last night’s sketch and did my usual edit in Photoshop. Basically, I cut and paste the nose, mouth, and eyes, then adjust the position, size, and angle of each to what feels right to me. I can use that information on my next drawing so that I can get closer to my ideal sketch. And even though I have only started using this technique, I think it helps! For this latest sketch, I didn’t have to edit too much… just a pixel here and there, and resizing the eye on the left a little. The top image is the before, and the bottom is the edit. Can you see the difference?

To see all the sketches I’ve been working on, you can check out the Flickr album “My Sketching Journey”, or my Instagram account barron.sketches which I created just for posting sketches, watercolors, and stationery items.

I hope you had a nice Monday!

またね～