LATEST WORK:
Here’s the last portrait I finished, painted in Rebelle 6 Pro. It’s Yulhee, formerly a member of Laboum.
.jpg)
As usual, the background was more of a struggle than the actual subject, since I always try to go for something more interesting, but just end up falling back on some textures. I think part of it is because how lacking in dynamics most digital brushes are. I was part of the beta-testing for version 7 of Rebelle, and they’ve made some advancements in that area, but truly dynamic bristles still isn’t available (but they are in Photoshop), so for now, I’ll still need to export to Photoshop to use those brushes. But I will lose the high quality impasto effects and the watercolor physics, so my hope is Rebelle will eventually get the dynamic bristle brushes I’ve been wishing for.
WEBLOG:
So, 2023 is gone, and here’s my annual recap post, summarizing the major aspects of the year for me.
I focused more on writing and music in 2023, so I didn’t paint as much as I did in 2022. Around June, I went on this quest to find the ultimate guitar that matches my preferences and needs, so I bought and sold non-stop until I found several that I really liked, then sold the rest.
The ones I have kept are just the survivors of the first round. Next comes the long-term assessment where I will practice and record with these guitars for as long as it takes to narrow them down to as few as I can, then sell off the rest. It could be months or even years. The goal isn’t to end up with just one guitar, as I realized along the way that it would be impossible, not because a single electric guitar can’t cover all my needs in terms of tones and features, but because I simply enjoy the pleasure of owning more than one high quality guitar for the sake of variety. At bare minimum I’d want to have two acoustics (nylon and steel string), one 6-string with tremolo, one hardtail 6-string with piezo, one Evertune 6-string, one 7-string with tremolo, one 8-string with tremolo, and one guitar with Sustainiac. Ideally, I’d have two to three additional guitars for the sake of variety, so maybe around eleven or so.
As for basses, I pretty much have my bases covered (pun intended) with 4, 5, and 6-string, two short-scales, and one fretless 4-string. But since I sold the NS Design Omni Bass CR-5 electric upright/fretless 5-string, I’d want to replace it with something really nice, like a Marcustico or Rob Allen.
I added two MPE synths/keyboard controllers to the studio because I like the idea of more expressive performances that isn’t possible with normal synths and keyboards. One is the Roli Seaboard Rise 2, and the other is the Expressive E Osmose.
I added a composer’s desk since I ran out of room in the studio for the new synths/keyboards.
I take ergonomics very seriously, and part of my quest to find the ultimate guitar for my needs includes achieving the ideal ergonomics, since the guitar is a pretty terrible instrument in that regard. The most popular product out there that addresses this problem is the Performaxe, which I own. Here’s a photo from their website:
Unfortunately, the Performaxe was a bit disappointing in terms of ease of use. Adjusting and attaching it is too fidley compared another product from Etsy that I prefer, which is this one:
It’s called the NBNarrow, but the last time I checked, it was no longer being made. In the photo, you see it attached to my Ibanez RG5170G, and it’s actually been heavily modified. I actually bent the metal frame and reshaped it to be more like the Performaxe, then reversed the placement of the adjustment screws and added foam to the bottom of the frame and the top of the inner screw so it doesn’t damage the guitar’s finish.
These guitar support stands can make almost any guitar as ergonomic in the sitting position as brands like Strandberg or Klein, and because they are adjustable, they’re actually more versatile. Of course, they can’t do anything for guitars without forearm contour, or contoured neck-helel joints, or lack of deep carve for the lower horn to allow good upper-frets access, but at least your guitar will sit ergonomically on your lap without having to put it into that classical position, which will throw your spine out of alignment because the two legs have to pushed apart so much and at different heights.
You’re probably wondering what the heck am I doing with all these new studio gear. Well, I’ve been working on some new tracks, practicing to level up my instrument skills, and also teaching music.
Here are a few tracks I’ve been working on for a while but haven’t finished yet (not enough time since my main priority is my novels):
For this one, I envisioned an ancient and powerful vampire waking up in the modern world from its deep slumber, then after seeing how arrogant humans had become, decides to show them why they should be terrified of the dark. Some people told me it reminds them of Dream Theater, but I was never really a fan of that band.
This one is supposed evoke the kind of City Pop songs I grew up with in the 80s.
This one’s a remake of my dream pop song from the 90s. The original was recorded on a 4-track cassette with cheap gear and my lackluster vocals. Now, I’m remaking the song with modern gear and all the knowledge and experience I’ve picked up in the last three decades.
…
In 2023, I finished the first draft of my third novel, Darkness Falls, which is the first book of an epic urban fantasy series. I’m currently doing another polishing pass before I send the manuscript out to beta-readers for feedback. The word count is at around 147k, but will probably be closer to 150k by the time I’m done.
For those of you who have read my graphic novel series, Enchanted, this is sort of a complete reimagining of that series. But that’s not really accurate, since there aren’t any shared characters or even plot. It’s more like I took the framing device of a modern group of powerful mages and their infighting, then from there expanded and added all the themes and ideas that interest me now at my age, such as corruption in institutions, the ethics of free will, political machinations, and class struggles. If you like magic in the modern age, conspiracies, political thrillers, extra-dimensional threats, and philosophical quandaries that can only be explored using fantastical premises, then Darkness Falls is for you.
Once I get the manuscript out to beta-readers, I’ll start on the second draft of Wings of Promise. I think it’ll only need two drafts before it’s ready to be sent out to agents.
Related to this topic, is my friend Mel Melcer’s debut novel, Refractions. I helped her out on it as a consultant for all the Chinese translation of the fictional tech terminologies in her story, as well as anything related to the Chinese language and culture and geopolitical considerations.
If you are a fan of sci-fi political thrillers like The Expanse, I think you’ll like this book, since it has a similar vibe.
…
With so many things going on, I often don’t have the time to just relax and enjoy movies, TV shows, video games, etc. Usually, I use my lunch and dinner breaks to watch something.
My favorite TV shows in 2023 were Succession, The Last of Us, Rick and Morty, and Reservation Dogs.
My favorite movie of 2023 were The Killer, Past Lives, and The Menu.
The only game I played in 2023 was Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’m still very early in the game, since I just don’t have the time to indulge in gaming these days. In the past, I probably would have been less strict with myself, but in the last several years I’ve been more vigilante in how I spend the precious free time I have, as time is running out to accomplish the last remaining aspirations and goals I still have left in this lifetime.
My favorite music releases were:
Plini’s Mirage EP
Yukika’s Time-Lapse EP
Loossemble’s self-titled EP
