Swordtember, Pirates of Dark Water, and Bible Review
I haven't done an art challenge in a while, so I thought I would try one this year. I happened to see some prompts around deviantart and decided on Swordtember. I never follow prompts, though, so I decided to make my own. Well, they're not really prompts, but more like half of them are characters who have notable swords and a few original characters/illustrations with swords.
So here's the first:
A fanart of the main character of Pirates of Dark Water, Ren.
I wanted to focus on the character but also the sword, so I thought I would make a whole page/ sort of collage out of it. This is an 8.5x11 piece of bristol and I sketched/inked it traditionally, colored it with copic markers and watercolor. One of the main challenges I faced was of course the feet and hands, and I always find men challenging to draw. So this was practice for me as well as Swordtember.
About Pirates of Dark Water (and my little review):
A long ago but not forgotten animated series that I loved and (like so many) wished had been finished. Pirates of Dark Water was such a unique and interesting story, truly an original that captured my attention and stuck with me for a long time. In case you're unfamilair with the show, this is the story of Ren, who is the son of King Primus on the planet of Mer, who washes ashore and dies in Ren's arms at the very beginning of the story. Dark water threatens all life and the entire planet and the seas are full of pirates, criminals, deadly creatures, and diverse locations. Equally all are ultimately at the mercy of the dark water and its spread; only the 12 Treasures of Rule can hold the menace at bay. Ren is tasked with finding the treasures with a mystic compass before it's too late, armed with the broken sword of King Primus.
What I find as one of the interesting points of this show is that it was named for the villians instead of the heroes, and they're also the secondary villians at that. The real menace is the voracious mystery that is the dark water, devouring everything in its path and threatening to engulf the entire planet. I am a real nerd for worldbuilding, and this story has one of the best of any animated shows I've ever seen. I guess that's why it stuck with me for so long, that and the fact that it showcases a diverse cast of characters and real attention to plot and story (well, you know, as much as could be in a cartoon). All this, and hand drawn. Traditionally animated. So much respect for these shows that didn't sacrifice story like some modern shows for graphics and fast turnaround and weren't afraid to take the time to create something truly memorable.
I really think this could have been pulled off as a live action show and would have held it's own in the face of similar genres/stories like Pirates of the Carribean. It would have been interesting to see, that much I'm sure of!
Alright, and here’s the Bible review:
After a year and a half, I finally finished reading the Bible. It's been a long journey and it was well worth it. I knew it would take me some time but I really didn't think it would take me over a year. Before I first began reading it, I had a strategy, because I have tried several times to read it all the way through and failed. It's not like anything else I've read, both in structure, context, and in content so I knew this time I had to have a plan and give myself the time I needed both to read it to completion and to understand what I was reading.
So here was my strategy:
I read at least two chapters a day, at most four. There were a few times I would read more than that, but it gave me a stopping point so I could remember where I was if I missed a day or a few. One of the challenges I kept facing and one of the reasons I would quit was because I would forget where I was and what I had read. Sounds silly, right? But I'd nevertheless get confused and re-read a chapter or skip one and that for some reason would frustrate me to the point I'd put it down and forget about it for a while, only to come back and really not remember what I had read. I don't know why this kept happening and it sounds ridiculous, but it did. The other reason was length. The Bible is intimidating; both with length and comprehending. So I decided to inch my way through, no matter how long it took.
I'm not going to go into specifics or my opinion or anything like that, because I know it's a very sensitive subject, and just as a disclaimer here, I'm speaking from my own experience. I'll only say that one thing I do know is this: at least now I know what it says, and no one can tell me what is or isn’t in it. Reading it in full has changed my perspective on a lot of things. I recommend reading the Bible if you have an interest in what it really says. That way you can form your own conclusions and others can't tell you what is or isn't in it, whether you should agree/disagree, love it or hate or just don't care, especially people who have never read it themselves. Even people who have read it will twist it, and maybe they even mean well, but they do. They'll take a certain verse and make it mean something else, without any credit to what came before or after it. That’s all I’m going to say I guess. Scary topic.
Anyway, next I’ll be reviewing Fragment by Warren Fahy and showcasing my next Swordtember. Currently I’m reading Shogun (this could be a new favorite) and Cleopatra’s Daughter (unfortunately DNF, so disappointing, may go back and finish it later). I just finished reading The Woman in the Green Dress.
So that's it! Thanks for reading this journal, I'll be back soon!