~mellie-chan

I got my Art Foundation result on Monday, and I got a merit. I'm happy and disappointed at the same time... I'm glad because I only needed a pass to get onto the degree course I'm starting in September, and in that respect a merit is a bit of a bonus. But on the other hand, I'd promised myself right back at the beginning of the year that I'd get a distinction, basically just to throw back in my A-Level art teachers' faces because they didn't think I could handle art at uni.

I admit that, during the first term, I did find myself questioning if I was really cut out for it... But it helped me sort out in my head what I like and dislike about the subject. I am not a fine artist. Fine art frustrates and annoys the hell out of me... Other people's work is fine (as long as it makes some sort of sense to me and I can tell what it's trying to be/say/do without having to read an essay on it), but I'm not cut out to do that myself. The project briefs leave me cold because they're just so open, and I need something with a little more focus. That, and I find the whole art world incredibly pretentious - I don't mean any people in particular (and I definitely don't mean anyone I know specialising in fine art), I just mean the art world in general.

But I wouldn't go as far as decribing myself as an animator yet. That's what I aspire to be, but I need to work and learn to get there. One day what I'd really like to do is make my own cartoons - I know with a gallery of anime stuff that sounds hugely clichéd, but it's what I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. I've always enjoyed creating characters and telling stories about them, I just generally keep them to myself because I'm scared of sharing them with others. Obviously I'm going to have to overcome that, but at the moment my work isn't where I want it to be and I don't feel like it's up to the standard of being ready to show people.

I'm trying to get out of the anime style. I haven't been uploading anything recently because I feel like I'm just another teenager trying to draw pretty anime pictures, with no real recognisable style of my own. I still like anime and manga, and I'll continue to watch/read because I enjoy it... I just need to do something a bit different when I draw. I'm working on it, although I doubt I'll ever get to a point where I'm totally happy with my own style, because I don't think anybody ever does. There's always room for improvement.

I seriously didn't mean to ramble that much. WHOOOO. Anyway, going back to uni for a second, now that I have my results I should be getting my accommodation allocated soon... Hopefully before all the people waiting for their A-Level results. I don't mind if I don't get my first choice of halls... but it would be really good if I did. *FINGERS CROSSED*

ALSO. Is anyone going to JapanEX? I should be, at least one of the days, if not both. If I can only go for one though, I don't know which day it will be yet. I will be cosplaying, but in an old costume as I haven't had time/money to make a new one. If I can go both days, Saturday I will be Shikamaru again, and Sunday I will be Sakaki again. If I can only go for one, I will be Sakaki as it's more comfortable and easier to wear (and doesn't require going round the tube with crazy hair). I'm looking forward to the convention though, it sounds like it's going to be really interesting. (And it's Harry Potter weekend, which should make everything even more interesting.)

My photos from the May London Expo are here, for anyone who hasn't seen them yet.

I haven't been that active on here recently, mainly because of uni work and also because my scanner died (again... but it is actually properly dead this time. RIP scanner )

BUT I hand in my final major project next week, and after that I'm pretty much free until I go back in September. I have a conditional offer for 2D Digital Animation at Herts, so as long as I pass foundation (which I very much hope) that's what I'll be doing for the next three years.

Also we have a new scanner. It's part of the printer though so it's connected to my dad's PC rather than mine, but it scans so fast and such good quality. *-* Having that, and the prospect of lots of free time looming, I'm finally in a drawing mood again. It's been a bit crap really the last few months, because I've had so much uni work to do that whenever I tried drawing something for myself I felt guilty that I wasn't using the time to be doing work. Then I had a major block, so in the end I just put off drawing completely. I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

The really important part of this post though - London Expo! Is anyone going? I'll be there cosplaying Shikamaru (chuunin version) on the Saturday, and I'll be wearing my Tamaki costume again on the Sunday. If you see me please come over and say hi, I'm not scary. XD

You so know you want to do this:

The first ten people who reply to this journal get put up here, along with three of my favourite deviations by them. But you have to put this in your journal as well, so no cheating! You must also be watching me.

1. ~KittehChan


2. ~avi17


--

Sorry I've been so quiet recently... I've been drawing, but I never feel happy enough with my stuff, or feel that it's finished enough to upload it. I do have some of the work I did for my first uni assessment though, so if anyone wants to see it...?

So I started my art foundation course at the University of Hertfordshire last week. It's all going well so far; I've made a lot of friends, commuting on the magical pink bus hasn't been too bad and the work itself is fairly interesting. My group's started on a graphics project... I haven't done any graphics work since my GCSE a couple of years ago, so I'm a bit rusty :< I like how a graphics project is so organised, but when it comes to the actual ideas and getting them down on paper my mind is entirely blank. As is probably evident from my lack of updates. But oh well, it's only two weeks and then we move onto 3D.

After 3D is lens and digital media... Photography and animation = YES. So~ looking forward to that. Textiles too, because I haven't done that since year 9... which was a really long time ago. Damn I'm getting old.

Wednesdays are supposed to be for lectures and seminars, but my group didn't have any scheduled so it's a day off for us. Yesterday I was like 'YES a day off <3' because I've been having to get up really early, then coming home late and being completely exhausted, and the idea of a lie-in really appealed. Now that it's actually come down to it though I kind of wish I was there, because I'm really bored. I spent most of the summer being at home on my own all day, but after being surrounded by loads of people for the last couple of weeks I've gotten used to the routine of it.

Last Friday we did life drawing, but unlike when I did it at school it was with naked models rather than clothed ones, and two old men at that! So for the first time in my life I drew a penis. That was quite fun.

Is anyone going to the next London Expo at the end of October? If you are make sure you come and say hi~ I'm going both days with ~crazyinmind and ~KittehChan... Look out for the dead sexy Tamaki and really hot Azumanga Daioh waitress group.

Mood: eeeh
Listening to: Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence
Reading: Wild Swans - Jung Chang

I got my A Level results yesterday, and they are as follows~

ICT - A (523/600)

Art - B (472/600) I WAS 8 MARKS OFF AN A. AGH!

English - B (447/600)

ICT I already knew what I was going to get because it's a coursework based course, and that all got marked back in May. English I'm happy with, because I found that lesson so difficult and I was sure I hadn't done that well in the exams, especially the second one.

Art I'm disappointed with though... I got As in two of the units, but the first one was only a B and that brought my overall marks down. I so wanted an A, because it's always been my favourite subject and it's what I want to do. All year my teacher was telling me that I was only capable of getting a B and I really wanted to prove him wrong... Oh well, I nearly did, I guess. The worst part is that I know where I lost marks on and I didn't do enough to fix it when I still had the chance.

But still, my grade was good enough for the entry requirements for the foundation course at Hertfordshire uni, so I've sent off the stuff they wanted and hopefully they'll get back to me with a solid confirmation or something. They already sent me the materials list and a brief for a summer project... really need to start working on that soon.