Reeves is crap paint. Try using it up as a paint you sketch with rather than finishing a whole piece with it. The reason why economy (or student) quality paints such as Reeves are not so great (even for beginners) is because if you try to do any sort of color mixing with them, you end up with mud. Reason why is because the pigment to medium ratio is poor (less pigment and more fillers/mediums in the tube than a more pricey brand). I teach art classes to beginners and I am now requiring that they purchase artist-grade acrylics, oils or watercolours for class. Here's a bit of a shopping list for you... obtain the following: Golden-brand paint in these colours: Hansa Yellow Opaque, Quinacridone Magenta, Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) or Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna, Zinc White and Titanium White. Also, pick up some Golden Acrylic Glazing Medium (Gloss) or Retarder Medium to mix into your colours instead of adding water. Adding water to acrylic polymer emulsion paints breaks down the paint, therefore resulting in a less saturated, washed-out or "dull" surface. You can mix water with watercolour paints, but try using acrylic mediums such as the glazing medium instead of water. The paints I mentioned and the medium will run you about $60-$70 depending on where you live (the stuff is cheaper in the USA). If you have any questions at all about art materials, please message me and I will answer your questions. I've worked in art supplies for a some years now and have extensive product knowledge about the stuff.

As far as composition goes, I get my students to use their own photographs only. The reason is because if you take photos off the net (even though you are giving your painting away this time around), the composition has already been solved for you, so you aren't learning much when it comes to that. Use your own photos and crop them using a viewfinder window to obtain a composition for your work. Oh, and also another good practice tip would be to sketch out at least 5-10 different compositions in thumbnail format in a sketchbook (using a pen or pencil or whatever you want). That way, you will have a nice little plan before starting on a canvas.

It is always best to draw or paint from life when you can, but when you can't get outdoors to paint, be sure to stick with your own photos (or composites even; you could do this in Photoshop and then print it out).

When mixing, do not use black. I say this because it is good to learn colour theory, and then make up your mind whether or not you'd like to use black to darken areas. Complimentaries create neutral grays, so for example: Red & Green, Blue & Orange, Yellow & Purple. Theoretically, you can mix equal parts of any two complimentaries and obtain black. Add white and you get grey. Zinc white is a good one to start with because Titanium White can be overpowering. Try mixing both whites together in order to create a "Mixing White" and then use that when tinting (tint = adding white to a color). Another little trick to obtain black (and subsequent grays) is to mix Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber. You can mix Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna to create a warmer black/grey.

And now, for some books that you simply must purchase and read through! I'm real picky when it comes to good art instruction books... so here are my recommended selections :)

Color & Light by James Gurney

Landscape Painting by Mitchell Albala

Composing Pictures by Donald Graham (Disney's art instructor for many years)

Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting by John F. Carlson - written in the 1920s, this is THE DEFINITIVE book on landscape painting. The man's writing is sharp, witty and to the point)

One more thing... failure and criticism from others (and yourself) are your friends. Failure will drive you to create better work, and criticism will help you know where you aren't doing so well. Praise is great, but it can be extremely dangerous because if too many people praise you and not many give suggestions then where are you at exactly? You won't know if you've made a mistake (especially if you are just starting out).

Quantity (and quality) are everything... paint paint paint! Paint one a week or even daily if you can! Create your next post on Reddit when you've completed 30 paintings. Seeing your progress would be nice. Start a blog to keep track of your progress. Also, try and enroll in a night class at your local art university/college. Take the basics like Life Drawing first.

Oh, and... paint for yourself, first and foremost. Do not give a shit about "is this going to sell?". Do not care. Just do it for yourself. And don't be afraid to create something out of your comfort zone (pure abstraction or something with shocking subject matter).

Good luck!

It's not pretty lol. We tried to zip tie everything together to make it at least understandable haha

EDIT: Hijacking this post since there are a LOT of common questions. Oh and /u/smilenataliew is the wife :)

FAQ:

>How did you connect everything to the TV/What adapters did you use?

NES through Gamecube (bottom 4): We have a 4-input composite switcher (those Yellow/Red/White cables) between the N64 and Gamecube, connected to our TV's 3.5mm composite port (which looks like a headphone jack), which we convert with cables like these. We do not recommend a composite to HDMI converter, as the output (might) look garbled from older systems (it did for us).

Wii: Component cables to HDMI converter, then into a remote controlled HDMI switcher (switcher and controller can both be seen to the left of Kirby Amiibo/the Wii)

WiiU & Switch: HDMI to the same HDMI switcher

>Don't the controllers just fall out when you open the case? How are they secured?

The NES controller is resting on a WiiU controller stand, oddly enough!
The SNES controller is the most finnicky. It's slightly leaning back on its own cords, but it's hard to get it to stay put.
The N64 controller is leaned against a stack of N64 games--it's definitely the system my wife and I have the most games for already!
The Gamecube controller is leaning against two other stacked gamecube controllers.
The Wii controller is just just leaning up against a thick piece of cardboard (more cardboard is also holding up the NES and SNES systems since the bottom of their doors would block view of the systems otherwise. My wife intends to wrap all cardboard with contact paper to make it all more decorative, she's very crafty!)
The WiiU has the same controllers as the Wii, except for the screen one, which is on a stand that actually charges the unit while it sits on top of the WiiU system!
The Switch controller actually stands on its own with the joy cons connected to them, but I've decided to actually show the charging station we bought with the joy cons connected to it so that they'll always be charged and ready to go!

>Where are the games?

Behind the controllers! In fact the N64 controller is leaning on a stack of them.

>Cable management? Do you have controller extenders?

Lots of zip ties in the back, and as for controller cables, we bought ~100 of those velcro straps for cords so we can wrap them up for neat display storage without wrapping the cords around the controllers. We also have extension cords for all corded controllers since the consoles don't exactly come out of the unit!

>Where can I get the display case?

It's a piece of furniture so it's a bit expensive, but it's definitely what we wanted after searching for a couple weeks! It's on Amazon

>You could have just emulated it all!

I love having and playing on the original consoles, but emulation is also awesome!

>Where's the Virtual Boy?

It doesn't connect to the TV so I didn't feel the need to get it for this project, but I DO want it for my collection! (Also kids should wait a bit before they play with a 3D device, even the 3DS)

>Where's Nintendo's even older console, the Color TV-Game?/Where's the 64DD?

Those were released Japan only, but I might still want to get them! I believe the controller and the console for Color TV-Game are both one unit, and space is limited, so it might be tough to integrate it if I want to get it!

>Where's the TV? CRT??

Mounted on the wall above the mantle. Sorry, no CRT...yet.

>PHOTOSHOPPED!/I swear I saw this before!

lol why would anyone photoshop this? Definitely real. I'll provide a few more images if I can. And definitely my setup! Though I'm sure I'm not the first to do something similar.

>lol fake niece

The niece and story are real, but if I'm being perfectly honest this is more for me than her haha

I know the feeling.

Remember that you don't always have to know what you want to draw. Sometimes, it's nice to just put pen to paper and see what happens. For example, if I'm feeling uninspired, I'll do some of the following:

• Contour drawing Look at your reflection in the mirror and draw what you see without looking at what you're drawing or raising the pen off the paper as you draw. Do it in one, continuous stroke. If you don't feel like drawing your face, you can always do this with any object you can think of. The focus here isn't on perfection, but rather to train your eye and hand to work as one. Here's a page of contours I did a few months back.
  
  
• Blind drawing Similar to the above except this time you close your eyes while drawing. Focus on a mental image - perhaps a popular cartoon/comic character - and draw that. Here's a few I did a while back.
  
  
• Scribble drawing This one's really fun. Simply grab a pen and - without looking - scribble all over the page. You can scribble as much or as little you like, it doesn't matter. Once you're done, look at your scribbles and see if you can find interesting looking shapes within. Perhaps that scribble looks like a face? Or maybe this one looks like a dog? I often do this whenever I feel 'stuck.' Here's two I did a few years back.
  
  One of the best quotes I've heard about drawing goes something like this (forgive me if I butcher it) : "Your pen contains excellent drawings. The only way to gain access to these drawings is by getting rid of all the bad ones first."
  
  Basically, draw. Draw as much as you can, even if it doesn't always work out for the best.
  
  Oh, and before I forget, I highly recommend the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. This book had a huge effect on my approach to drawing when I first bought it a few years back.

Thank you. Yeah, it was a quick sketch so not as accurate as some other portraits but it was one I had on hand. Some level of drawing is obviously innate; I was about 15 when I drew that and I could draw portraits when I was 10. But a big part of drawing is not your ability to do, and more of your ability to see. How you perceive shapes is a huge factor. A lot of people can learn to draw if they can learn how their brain interprets what they're looking at. When a lot of people try to draw faces they start out ok but when they notice that it doesn't look the same right away, their brain freaks out and starts to make up for it by making lines where there shouldn't be lines and filling in things that shouldn't be filled in. This results in the amateur looking portraits of heavily outlines eyes, noses, and mouths which don't exist in the real world. When you draw upside down, your brain isnt as used to seeing these shapes so you focus more on recreating what the object actually looks like versus what you think it should look like.

This book is a great resource and I highly recommend it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0874774241
I just noticed that its a newer edition but it seems to be getting good reviews. The 1989 version is a classic and is excellent if you can get a used copy. Cheers.

Zoom In

One of my favorite phases, the 50-60% illuminated waxing gibbous moon shows most of the lunar landing sites and is contrasted nicely between pockets of craters and smooth, undisturbed seas. The long shadows near the terminator reveal the depth of the impact craters, and if you zoom in, you can make out various small features not usually visible on these types of shots, such as the Hadley Rille.

​

For more astro shots, you can find me on instagram @cosmic_background. I give live updates during my astronomy projects and offer processing tips in my stories.

​

Equipment I used for this shot:

Orion Dobsonian Telescope

Skywatcher Mount

ZWO planetary camera

Sony a7ii

While the above equipment is what I usually use for these shots, much of it isn't necessary. You can create incredible images using a $100 camera and a $250 scope with a bit of practice. Feel free to DM me if you want some tips on how to get the best images with equipment you already have. The best astrophotographers learn by pushing their equipment to the limits before buying anything new.

​

A rough outline of my process:

After collimating, aligning, and focusing my scope, I take pictures of the "details" of the moon, using the planetary camera. The sensor is only 1.3 megapixels, and is heavily cropped (and barlowed), so it only covers a small portion of the moon. One frame covers less than the sea of tranquility. I take usually 2000 frames of a section, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on seeing conditions and my goals for final resolution. The camera tops out at 150 fps at that resolution, so it goes quickly. I then reposition my scope, leaving enough overlap so the software has an easier time, and take another batch of images. Covering the full moon takes anywhere between 75-100 individual tiles, and each tile usually has 2000 frames, so I take hundreds of thousands of shots minimum. So many shots are necessary to average out the atmospheric turbulence, which can be corrected for in post-processing with enough shots. This gives you a sharper image than would otherwise be possible.

Next I switch to the sony camera, and take long exposures of the moon that capture the surrounding stars and Earthshine. The moon will be completely blown out, but if the atmosphere has sufficient visibility, the stars and earthshine will faintly come through over the glare. If necessary I switch to a 300mm lens to capture stars, but not alwayy, as the telescope tends to do a better job masking the glare. I take hundreds or sometimes thousands of shots of the stars, as is necessary to make them stand out over the sensor noise of the camera.

Once I am confident I have taken enough pictures (anywhere between 300gb to 1.5TB worth) I take it in and begin processing

I upload the raw images to a program called PiPP to debayer the images (there is a bayer matrix associated with color digital cameras, something that is processed automatically by internal software in digital cameras, but dedicated astro cameras require it be done manually). Once debayered, I upload them to software called autostakkert to align and stack each batch. This process is completely automatic.

Meanwhile, I convert all my .ARW files I took with the Sony and convert them to .TIF files so they can be read by more software. Once the detail lunar images are done processing, I upload my sony data to autostakkert and stack them all.

Next I use software called Registax to sharpen the stacked images from Autostakkert. This has to be done manually for each of the 75-100 stacks I took, and is probably the most tedious part of this whole process. I could also use the unsharp mask over the finished image in photoshop, but registax has better sharpening tools (referred to as wavelet adjustments) that gives you much more control, to prevent artifacts and ringing in the image.

Next, I bring in my tiles into photoshop in small batches to allow photoshop to attempt to auto-align/autoblend them without crashing. More than about 10 images and the system hangs, but it can do a few at a time, no problem. These images are 32 bit, and even though they are generally smaller than 1.3MP each, they are huge files because of the image depth.

Once the images are all aligned and blended in photoshop, I add the stars as an HDR layer and do some final contrast and curves adjustments until the image feels right.

Here is a link to the 494MB PNG: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CUrQi1ShrTfkFjDm4xGYZDRK940h9Eof/view?usp=sharing

You have my blessing to use as a wallpaper, for any other use DM me.

​

Please let me know if the picture has problems loading for you. I want my pictures to be easily pulled up on any computer without sacrificing details, and it's a tough balance to find!

Well this is my bible, I bought it when I first got into photography as a hobby and it honestly is so enlightening.

Understanding Exposure

It pretty much breaks down the different conditions in which you can find yourself, from lighting to framing etc and talks practically about how to get your head around f stops. In truth there is no 'right' way of doing things, as long as you have a basic understanding and get the results that you desire.

If you do ever wish to invest more time and money into things I'd recommend getting a decent second hand variable lens that can give you wide angle for things like landscapes, and also a good zoom to help you with portraits and the like.

I hope you do find the time one day as it is such a rewarding passion.

It looks like wizardry, but it really isn't. I drew like a five year old until I resolved I was going to learn how to do it. I learned "the secret", and actually lost interest because "the secret" was actually more interesting than putting in the work to getting good at it. And that's really all it takes... practice. The OP is good because the OP has practiced for a lot of hours. And that's not to diminish the OP's skill, because it is definitely an extremely skillful drawing. Only that it's not magic, it's practice. I respect the amount of work that the OP put into learning the skill.

The "secret", by the way, is that you don't learn to draw, you learn to see. When you learn to see what is really in front of you, that's when you start to draw realistically.

There are numerous books that teach you the basics, but the one I learned from was Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. (Clean amazon link).

If you look at the sample drawings from that book, it looks like magic how much improvement people go through in the first 8 weeks. It's not. If you go through the exercises, you too can destroy the sense of magic of seeing someone draw realistically. :)

Edit: Look at page 19 and 20 of the sample display. Those are actually after only 4 days.

I'm not saying it was Arts, but it was Arts.

The secret is that drawing is just like learning any other skill. Amazing progress can be made from practicing or learning a little each day. I'm trying to find it, but there's a thread online where, over a few years, this guy goes from barely drawing cubes to lovely oil paintings.

If you want something more concrete, I highly recommend Betty Edward's fantastic book. She will take you from stick figures to professional-looking portraits.

I started drawing when I was 25 you can do it too if you try! Most people can only draw stick people if the only drawing they ever did was in grade school. You’ll find at first that you draw like a grade schooler, because well, that’s the last time you drew. You just pick up wher you left off. I find that is what discourages people from continuing. It’s to be expected though. You can practice your way up in no time. I know you’re not exactly asking, but thought I’d throw it out there for anyone who feels the same and feels like they can’t draw. You’ll catch up quicker than someone who’s really a child but it’ll take some work and some practice obviously! Just don’t give up because you draw like a child... to be fair you pretty much are drawing like a child at first. I recommend picking up a couple book and checking a couple YouTube channels!

Edit: r/ArtFundamentals is helpful used to be known as drawabox. First book I picked up was Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I’ve picked up many many more since then!

This is looking really good! Keep it up!

I highly recommend you check out these books... they are something I wish I had read (or been available) when I was your age.

1)Color and Light: A guide for the realist painter

2)Imaginative Realism

These two books do a really good job of explaining some practical 'rules' for painting. You do not always have to follow them, but you should for sure know them and learn them.

3)Dynamic Light and Shade
This is just a book that is full of really great black and white drawings that that show how much can be expressed without any color. It is a great book to study from and to try copying images from.

I love this ❤️. I said this all this time during game development in my very best Dwight voice.

Edit: since this is at the top of the thread now, here is a link to the game for those who were looking for it and a link to the how to play video on YouTube.

Thanks so much for checking it out and for all your support. I'm feeling very thankful this Thanksgiving.

I had really good luck learning to draw at age 25 after no real effort, interest, or talent beforehand by reading Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I try to plug the book on every thread like this in the hope that someone will stumble across it just like I did years ago.

Here is my before and after (having read the book) drawings:

• Before
  
• After
  
  tl;dr: I drew like this, stumbled across this book on slashdot one day, now I draw like this and you can too.

I have been using a safety razor for a couple years now (Merkur 180 with the Feather blades) and it is the best. I thought about getting the straight, but I am more comfortable with the safety. The blades are super cheap, so I don't mind replacing them.

RESOURCES!

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain - I hear it's an awesome book. Definitely on my wishlist.

Mark Crilley - Awesome dude, and just plain fun to watch. He doesn't really go into much detail on most of the stuff he does, but it's really cool to watch his workflow. Check out his videos on perspective drawing.

Proko - In my comment above. Does really nice figure drawing stuff.

Ctrl+Paint - Mainly for digital painting, which I'm trying to get into.

Draw with Jazza - Really good illustrator. Hard to follow sometimes, though.


I'm probably forgetting a lot, but resources are everywhere! Go find em!

I'm not sure about straight razors, but I switched to double edged safety razors and it is so much better than Gillette crap. I bought this Merkur Safety Razor, 100 Derby Blades, Shaving Soap, And a shaving brush.


I spent a total of $60 and the only thing I've spent money on since is different soap. I bought these things over two or three years ago and I'm not even close to running out of razor blades. I get a closer more refreshing shave and I don't spend anywhere near the money I used to spend on shaving. Also, I thought it would take me longer to shave, but I spend about the same amount of time shaving.


I've never used an old school straight razor, but I'd like to at some point. However, it would be a considerable investment initially. At least $120ish for a nice blade, you gotta buy sharpening stone, probably also on a special strop for finer sharpening. So there is more time in preparation and conditioning before and after shaving. I would imagine that it could be very satisfying if you're willing to spend the time and money.

> I'm kind of back on my feet and could afford a DSLR. Worth the investment ?

Maybe.

I started really getting into photography about 18 months ago after I started using a Canon A1 camera which I bought for £20 ($35) on ebay.

I started taking photos and got some nice results considering I had little photography experience.

Then I decided to take the plunge and invest in a digital SLR, I bought a Canon 5D MK II, a £1500/$2000 camera.

I started getting so obsessed with lenses, memory cards and gear that I stopped taking photos. I got a few decent results and took some photos that I'm really proud of but I never really got the magic back of the photos I took on my old A1.

I think photography equipment can be a path to better results, but it's no substitute for ideas and inspiration :)

PS: whichever path she chooses to go down this book, Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera is almost obligatory.

If you dig Alkaline diet then, I think you like this book I that just published on Amazon that is free today...

YOU CAN GRAB IT HERE FOR FREE A LIMITED TIME: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RD8MM7L/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_31tZCbR3RYFWB

if outside of the USA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RD8MM7L

AN HONEST REVIEW IS WELCOMED ;)

Calvin and Hobbes... Every child should have this!

Nice work /u/Ravens23.

An old friend of mine recently had a heart attack and was off work hospitalized for a couple of months. He shares my love so i got him this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Needless to say, he loved it at 55 just as much as he did a 7!

Alas, they only gave me a handful of ARCs or I'd totally be down with that. Though if randomactsofkindness wants me to donate a couple copies, I'd happily do so. I might offer to do so anyway, but I'm scared they'd think I was tooting my own horn.

As for buying it - it can be preordered here, here, or here. I'm sure it can be picked up elsewhere but those are the easiest places to preorder.

And Thank You!

Edited to add: And yes, we're huge Star Wars/Star Trek fans over here at Casa... Us? Grar! Grew up in Texas but never took Spanish! Biting me in the rear! Argh!

that is the one that i have even though i'm pretty sure the blu-ray-box contains the same bonus material.. i might buy this one as well soon

Everyone should check out Ben Rich's book "Skunk Works" he worked under Kelly Johnson and took over the Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works after he left and worked on the SR-71 and rhe F-117. It's a fantastic book and a interesting look into one of the most beloved aviation divisions of all time.

http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003

Couple ways you can help her out...

1:buy her the book Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allan Carr, I quit for a year and a half after reading this and know about a dozen other people who have quit after reading this book. I recently fell off the wagon for about a month (relapses, they happen) but am now back on it thanks to option 2...

2:As mentioned in other comments get her an e-cig and see if she can switch to them, it's far less horrible and makes quiting cigarettes easier (it's still a rough ride off the tobacco) and it doesn't make you smell at all.

When you approach her about this, be cool about it, it's an addiction and one that is hard to kick, do whatever you can to support her in getting over it. Making her feel guilty will only make her want to go smoke and she probably won't care if you know about it or not if you come at her with a bad attitude about it.

Good luck and I hope she can kick it!

I got this one on another redditors suggestion and I've been very happy with it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NL0T1G It's inexpensive at $30, and it seems to be a quality razor.

For blades, I went ahead and ordered 100 blades that the same redditor recommended. They've been fine, but I've been reading a lot about wet shaving lately I've found that most people recommend trying out a lot of different blades to see what works best for you. I kind of wish I wouldn't have bought 100 of a single brand before trying some others out. No big loss, it was just $17 for the 100 blades. I'd say look for a sampler pack of blades.

On a serious note - if you haven't successfully quit yet, read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking (start by reading the reviews), and instead of thinking "this project would go great with a smoke," you'll be thinking "fuck yeah, I tackled this project and didn't need a cigarette to enjoy it." I read it and quit cold turkey the day after without much struggle about 5 months ago, just a friendly tip.

Merker Razor

100 blades

Spend $50, lasts like more than a year, also once you get used to it, a more enjoyable and better shave, same amount of time w/ skill

relevant good luck! :)

Feeling Good - The New Mood Therapy By David Burns MD

Recommended to me by my therapist. Changed my life for the better. In print for over twenty years, it's almost definitely in the library.

The book is one of the funniest things I have ever read while also being informative and captivating. Douglas Adams was such a great writer.

Please check it out!

Read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_(photography)

That's a bit of a complicated explanation, but it's probably the most comprehensive online.

There's an excellent book called Understanding Exposure that would teach you everything you need to know about photographic exposure.

If you have some extra time and cash I highly recommend reading Skunk Works. Some great stories from the guys who built that plane and created Area 51.

Amazon preorder page!

Sounds like a very interesting read, I am digging the cover art as well!

I will keep an eye out for the ebook version and get it as soon as that is available... I just finished the latest book in ASOIAF so I need reading material... After burning through those 900+ page books I think I will burn through 'normal' books faster.

What are good starting points?

I just got a Surface Pro 4 a while ago and the pen that comes with it has really got me interested in drawing. It's something I've always wanted to do, but thought I never could do. With the Surface though, I could make as many mistakes as I want (and learn from them) without having to start from scratch or need fresh supplies constantly.

I'd absolutely love to draw or paint a portrait of someone, for starters, but the problem is I have absolutely no idea where to start. There's just so much out there to pick and choose from. Any ideas?

I've heard the book Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain is good, but there's just so many resources out there it's a little overwhelming.

That's too bad. There's a chapter about them in Douglas Adams' (Author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) book Last Chance to See. It's actually a really good read, if you liked his other works I would definitely recommend taking a week and reading this.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

This book is amazing. It works if you want it to. My wife and I quit smoking 6 years ago now and it was the easiest thing ever. Neither of us have ever thought of smoking again. Other people smoking do not bother us. Please, if you want to quit smoking get this book.

What? Sorry, that didn't make much sense. So you have a locking mechanism that unlocks a chain lock? I would love to see an example of this.

Edit: Apparently it is like this. Never seen a lock like this before. Now the question is how do you lock it when you leave? It must be pretty annoying.

These Far Side books and these Calvin and Hobbes books are clearly showpiece.

They are also awesome.

I have a very think beard and shaving with a safety razor has greatly reduced irritation and other shaving issues. I did the research a few years ago and here is the exact equipment I've been using since then:

Merkur Long Handled Heavy Classic

Feather Razor Blades

Note though that feather blades are known to be the sharpest ones available and aren't usually recommended for beginners (they are made in Japan and laser cut). The consensus is that a new user should buy a sample pack that includes a variety of blades first. Then after putting them each under a trial shave decide which one is best for you.

If you want to really get into it, I'd recommend searching for wet shaving techniques on youtube and watching some tutorials. I recommend this guy's channel.

Edit: Here is the site that I bought my blade samples from: http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2&zenid=122d4b8441a2cf87676bab4889929f2c

Also, if you don't want to go through the trouble, gillette sells these types of blades at all the major stores. Also, it's worth noting that blades are a lot cheaper if you buy them off ebay. Either way though they are substantially cheaper than buying cartridges.

An immature internet writer adulterating the writing of Shul. Search for "Sled Driver pdf" if you would like to see the 1st edition original. I'm not sure if the account in fancy, limited, later edition was as brief, but it was definitely terse, understated, tongue-in-cheek, and professional. None of this highschooler self-congratulatory, chest-beating cowboyish fantasy.

You might be able to find it at a local library: http://www.worldcat.org/title/sled-driver-flying-the-worlds-fastest-jet/oclc/237046663&referer=brief_results
Here is another book highly worth reading: https://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003/

Haha, they're among my favorite books. If you haven't read it, you should also check out Last Chance to See, which Adams wrote with Mark Carwardine, about a project to travel around the world and see various rare animals on the edge of extinction. I've always felt it was a bit under-appreciated.

Oddly the blu-ray version is significantly cheaper than the DVD right now (and includes all the extras on DVD, only the movies are on blu-ray). $50 vs. $91

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026L7H20

I agree with Stall0ne that the extras are great!

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324497247&sr=8-1

Was on sale for like $50 during Black Friday Week this year. I grabbed one too. Love me some Calvin and Hobbes.

Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed is mostly about the F117 but also has a lot of info on the SR71 that came before it including how they got Titanium from the Russians through a dummy company in the UK, awesome read.

It’s silver.
And I borrowed it from work.
Haha

Digi 1st TC-04 Hand Tally Counter, Digital Pitch Counter Clicker Handheld Mechanical Number Click Counter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T8K04OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tbdVAbC4JWE9T

Could it be caused by anxiety? If you think maybe so, try some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy such as the excellent book "Feeling Good-The New Mood Therapy" by Dr. David Burns. The book is really good, just reading it can teach you so much.

>"I've been good, one drag won't hurt." And it doesn't hurt, but the second and third "One drag won't hurt" turns in to a full cig and slowly drags you back in.

YES. I've quit maybe 6-8 times before and it never worked because of this.

This past time, I read this book and at some point during the book, I said that I'll never have a cig again and was happy with the decision. It was a "FUCK YEAH!" moment, rather than a scared, uncertain one.

It's been 1.5 years since my last one - after smoking about a pack a day for 12 years.

Good luck, all! You got this.

Ex-smoker here. I hope this gets enough upvotes, because I feel everyone should read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155/ref=lp_B001XSUEK4_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334789359&sr=1-1

It is for anyone quitting, or friends/family supporting someone who is quitting. The best part about quitting is you already are an ex-smoker. Right now. This very day, you are already an ex-smoker. You dont have to carry that label around with you any more, and it doesnt have to be what defines you as a person.

There will be challenges. Lots of them. You might fail. I did. Keep trying. Challenges will come at obvious times, and non-obvious times. These range from drinking (as some people have mentioned) to things such as having a cup of coffee, to after sex, to stressful days, rainy days, the changing of the seasons... you name it. Nicotine has a 1-2 hour half-life. This is why people generally smoke once an hour unless you chain smoke. It stays in the blood for 18-20 hours. That's it. Everything else afterwards is all psychological addition.

Just remember. Keep telling yourself. You are already an ex-smoker. Read the book as well. It will help you.

Godspeed. You are no longer "a slave to the weed."

been using this every single day since i got it for christmas. love it. $34 on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-TEM500--Muffin-2-Slice/dp/B000B18P96/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341714797&sr=8-1&keywords=back+to+basics+toaster

>and one bomber shot down 7 in one minute at the peak of the attacks

I can't get my head around that number, it seems like something out of a videogame where you have a impossibly big number of bullets.

Reading a bit the wiki, I think I had heard once about this mission (the "big bombing to a bearings factory" sounds familiar). I'll have to check out that book! To say that I want to read it is an understatement lol.

So far the only really engrossing book about aviation that I've read would be Ben Rich's Skunkworks. Being a long time fan of the Skunkwork's planes, it was insightful to see what went on behind the scenes.

Last Chance to See - one of my favorite books ever!!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B000CRFWEU/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0

Hope that helps!

Ah. Interesting. It's funny that you mention that because the following two items were already on my Amazon Wish-List: This and This

I did some research awhile back and learned that I was being totally ripped off by the razor manufacturers, especially in the realm of refills.

I wouldn't need shaving cream recipes, though, as I own a little company that makes the best shaving cream I've ever used. We use an absurd amount of aloe and shea butter in ours. We also make a shaving lotion and a shaving gel, but I prefer the cream.

I failed at this when using a frying pan, but it cooked perfectly in this thing

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-TEM500--Muffin-2-Slice/dp/B000B18P96

I love mine!

Read Skunk Works - http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003 - if you want the whole story - great read - and Kelly Johnson is a pimp.

I wish I had those, I have the super-fancy archival quality three volume set here but I'm always afraid to open them. I wish I still had my oversized paperback books with the creased covers and occasional half-colored comic.

I've never seen Yukon Ho!... I must have it, Although I do have this, there's something awesome about having the originals.

I coloured this one. It's all guesswork, and you will never get the colours 100% right but you can get pretty close by looking at color photos of historical clothing and other man-made objects from museums, movie sets, paintings etc.

Over time you will get a feel for how colours for different materials (clothing, stone, wood etc) behave in different lighting. You look at what time of day and setting the photograph is taken in and adjust your colors to reflect the proper tones. You are practically a painter aiming for realistic colors so knowledge in how colors interact with the atmosphere come in handy. I'm self taught but early on I learned a lot about this in this book by James Gurney: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Light-Realist-Painter-Gurney/dp/0740797719

I prefer velcro. These things are great and cheap.

Never been into a straight razor so I use a metal safety razor instead.

I use a Merkur Model 180, a cheap shaving brush (about $15) and simple shaving soap. (about $2.50 each) I buy 100 Razors and one blade lasts a good 2 weeks on average.

Its about $60 initially, then 2.50 every 3 months for new soap, and $16 around every 3.8 years for blades. (3.8 years is an estimation based off 2 week blade use, haven't reached it yet myself.)

Yeah, its going to be more expensive over time for sure compared to your set up, but it beats $34 for 8 razor heads every 3 months.

Love your drawings!

Please, please read this book. It completely changed my life around and helped me confront depression.

http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-The-Mood-Therapy/dp/0380810336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346383828&sr=8-1&keywords=Feeling+good

Ben Rich, or as it states in the book his cover name "Ben Dover".

http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003

If you haven't, you should read Skunk Works. I highly enjoyed it.


http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003/

Oops, I wasn't speaking precisely. Mine's merkur, not gillette; I just meant that the size, shape, cut, and fine style details are the same.

Compare the handle, head, etc.

No issues with it, it works perfectly. If I had to buy it over, I'd get one that didn't require me to put my fingers so close to the blade in order to screw on the head; although several years now and I haven't cut my fingers, so maybe it's not a real danger.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334096016&sr=8-1 you're welcome!

I read the book ["the easy way to stop smoking"] (http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155) By Allen Carr, in five hours and haven't wanted to smoke since. Jan, 10, 13. I wasn't trying to quit I wanted to look like I was, to get my wife to quit nagging about quitting. I had failed at least a dozen times before this. It was painless, and I have no cravings. Good luck.

I found this book to be especially helpful in overcoming the tendency to draw what you think you see.

Get one of these, then it's nearly as quick as cereal :)

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-TEM500-Muffin-2-Slice/dp/B000B18P96

I already placed my order :)

I quit the Allen Carr way. It was easy. http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

Lottery? It's only like $60.

I've liked these for light-duty IT and household cable management. They are approx $10 for 100 little 8" velcro straps. So $0.10/ea.

Or buy a Merkur and shave like a real man!

Hey man, you might enjoy looking up this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342485946&sr=8-1&keywords=drawing+on+the+right+side+of+the+brain

As somebody else who has resolved himself to learn how to draw, that book took me from shitty stick-figures to a Clint Eastwood sketch that still instills gushing feelings of inner pride from myself. All within days mind you.

For the lazy.

>Wendy has the ability to see souls that have not moved on—but she does not seek them out. They seek her. They yearn for her . . . or what she can do for them. Without Wendy's powers, the Lost, the souls that have died unnaturally young, are doomed to wander in the never forever, and Wendy knows she is the only one who can set them free by sending them into the light.
Each soul costs Wendy, delivering too many souls would be deadly, and yet she is driven to patrol, dropping everyone in her life but her best friend, Eddie—who wants to be more than friends—until she meets Piotr.

>Piotr, the first Rider and guardian of the Lost, whose memory of his decades in the never, a world that the living never see, has faded away. With his old-fashioned charms, and haunted kindness, he understands Wendy in ways no one living ever could, yet Wendy is hiding that she can do more than exist in the never. Wendy is falling for a boy who she may have to send into the light.

>But there are darker forces looking for the Lost. Trying to regain the youth and power that the Lost possess, the dark ones feed on the Lost and only Wendy and Piotr can save them—but at what cost?

the ones we got from there all went brittle (just a couple months) and now just snap into pieces when you try to use them.

after trying some no-name 'hook and loop' ties that would fall apart (one part was just glued to the other), we now use actual 'velcro' branded cable ties like these. they come in various sizes and colors:
https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Black-2-Inch-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6

And it's at a fair price of only $34.00

I cook on Saturday and Sunday, put it into storage containers, and eat through the week.

For breakfast, I have a bowl of Special K or I fire up this --> http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-TEM500-Muffin-2-Slice/dp/B000B18P96/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1267750494&sr=8-3 and make a breakfast sandwich.

Do you have a recipe for that? It looks dank! 10/10!

'Last Chance To See' - one of my favourite books
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-See-Douglas-Adams/dp/0345371984

Far Side Collection @ Amazon.com

Calvin and Hobbes Collection @ Amazon.com

Worth every penny.

Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking https://www.amazon.com/dp/0615482155/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_NU.RBbM3JNKSH

Circle Jerk response to quitting smoking incoming...

Even if you have quit smoking I suggest you read Allen Cars Easy Way To Quit Smoking.

I suggest reading the book. Much more indepth and informative.


[For the cheap.]
(http://thepiratebay.se/search/easy%20way%20to%20stop%20smoking/0/99/0)

For the rich.

Dissects addiction in such a way that you will never crave it again.

Get a roll of these velcro ties and never have that problem again. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E1Y5O6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Ln6ZBbXX90FJH

If you're not lucky enough to have those in your garage, buy this.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299748839&sr=8-1

Seriously, just buy it. No excuse is good enough.

Currently reading Ben Rich's Skunk Works and it's mind-numbing how far ahead of its time the Blackbird was. "We are traveling at twice the speed of a sixteen-inch shell, and we don't turn on a dime. A tight turn takes between sixty and a hundred nautical miles, and if a pilot gets a little sloppy he could start a turn over Atlanta and end up over Chattanooga."

this one?

Dude read this Book before you take drugs for it

Read this book!

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347874080&sr=8-1&keywords=the+easy+way+to+stop+smoking

Something similar to this?

You need the collectors set.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475

You must be new to the internet.

You should get this
http://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-Bill-Watterson/dp/0740748475

Or just plunge in with The Complete Calvin and Hobbes.

US$94.50, http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289175321&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0740748475 is within view.
Book Two, pg. 196

Anyone can learn to draw.

Get this book.
It's THE classic on learning to draw when you think you can't.

Here you go.

You obviously have the drive. Go here next:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Drawing-Right-Side-Brain/dp/0874774241
(but remember: that's just a step, too).

I did the same just using Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and about 1 hour a night of practice.

There's a summary under the product description with the reviews on amazon.com

I don't know what exactly is going in this situation, but this exists

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CRFWEU

http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Model-180-Handled-Safety/dp/B000NL0T1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335392352&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0026L7H20/ref=mw_dp_mpd?pd=1

It's a mobile page, but it's all I have access to ATM. DVD version also available. 26 hours of pure middle earth!

https://www.amazon.com/Grandpa-Becks-Games-Inc-SQ-192/dp/B07CRRBXLV/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530947636&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Grandpa+Beck%27s+Games+the+Bears+and+the+bees&dpPl=1&dpID=61Jk9BS2q

good...good...do you have this? http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-v/dp/0740748475
if not it's the best although it's rather heavy...i'll try to pick a picture I would want you to do for me...

Here's a step by step how to get started.

1. Have parents that have already been developing games for 8 years.
   
   
2. Go work for them.
   
   source
   
   Archive in case he deletes that post
   
   Not quite the "i just took the biggest risk of my life" post you thought it would be, yeah?
   
   EDIT Wow. OP really owned me with that great explanation. Got me downvoted into oblivion. +30 to -52. But as Doc Brown would say "There's only one problem future boy....if your game just came out in August, then how are half the reviews for the game dated from July?"
   
   Downvote me all you want reddit, but when I get even a slight whiff of BS or attempted manipulation, I will call it out. I don't care how many fake internet points I lose, because that's just how I roll.
   
   But in all seriousness, I do wish you well in your game. I know how hard it is to create something and sell it on amazon.

If you don't have one of these yet then you're not a true fan.

You can get it here. I got this for my sister several Christmases ago and selfishly regret not keeping them for myself.

I still have all the individual books from my childhood Waldenbooks sales but this is the classiest set of any comic strip I've ever seen.

I quit with Chantix, which makes the nicotine just not work, and so when I tried to smoke, it just tasted like shit and did nothing to me, so I would take a couple drags and then toss it. It does have side effects including horrible nightmares for some people though, and is only available through your doctor, but for me it was very helpful. For my wife it gave her horrible nightmares and she couldn't take it.

There is also a book by Allen Carr called the Easy Way to Stop Smoking which has helped a lot of people I know.

Sounds like dead like me beat you to it.

http://www.amazon.com/Lightbringer-K-D-McEntire/dp/1616145390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319261361&sr=8-1
>Wendy has the ability to see souls that have not moved on—but she does not seek them out. They seek her. They yearn for her . . . or what she can do for them. Without Wendy's powers, the Lost, the souls that have died unnaturally young, are doomed to wander in the never forever, and Wendy knows she is the only one who can set them free by sending them into the light.