More rambling - Tears of a Machine

This post is being dedicated to another drawing I’ve made (well, I can’t really seem to write about something else… too mundane to me. That’s why I never keep a diary… heck… regressing again =P).

Tears of a Machine

Simplicity. That was what I had in mind. And with that in mind, I finished this in about an hour (the fastest drawing that I’ve ever made). To be honest, I’ve finished this about last week, the same day I finished Project Armageddon. I’m just too lazy to make a dedicated post for this drawing. Anyway, back to topic.

With simplicity in my mind, I restrained myself from shading it (to reflect source of light) and also from adding background. Initially, I also wanted to add in more droplets, to spark questions whether it was really tears that flowed out from the subject (Machine), or just rain falling down.

It looked too crowded and clunky after adding more droplets, so I decided against it. As for the fonts, well, I have no sense of “font fashion”, so experts in the field (probability of 1 to drop by here seems… implausible) seeing this might cringe at the uncreative fonts. Nevertheless, using “flow” and/or “bubble” theme for Tears seems to illustrate the privilege of humanity, while straight, sharp, and the calculated randomness of the black/white tone paints the stereotypical thoughts on the efficient Machine.

This drawing was inspired by a scene in the prologue of the main story (my fiction story).

*Regression ahead… but otherwise on topic*

Drawing this got me thinking… how do we define humanity? Is it a privilege that is automatically bestowed upon any entity born as a human? More specifically, it is a privilege bestowed upon a class/group/category/hierarchy/yadda yadda as long as it includes the one which proclaim, while excluding as many as possible. Many seem to agree with this, consciously or subconsciously.

But the definition of humanity is still not yet addressed, so I will try to do so. In layman understanding (I’m going to avoid to the cliché “As the Oxford Dictionary defines yedde yedde”), it means showing compassion or do not commit acts of cruelty. And by cruelty, it means those which tugged at your heart/moral compass, including the many which got away due to loopholes exploited from the definition by the Law.

Seriously, if humanity is defined as such as the layman’s understanding, why in Earth do we need Law to define it to us? Or even people exploiting loopholes in Law?

If that is human’s humanity, so why impose it upon others? Why do some have to insist that this Earth is ours to partake, non-human existences is ours to abuse? On the same note, why do some insists that a non-human existence rights must be voiced out, using human’s law and definition? (Most of them meant well, but still, think…) We may have the right to partake some, if not all, but under what impression that we have the right to define all?

(Using a very cliché sci-fi scenario) What if sentience is found in non-human existence? For example, as being found in machines? A fully operational artificial intelligence? (while many skeptics said it is impossible, but yeah, why are humans making the definitions again… O.O). Is it alive then? If not, how do we know one? Does it breathe? Does it eat? Can it be creative? Can it think? Converse? Maybe does it have a soul? Or can it cry?

Perhaps, instead of trying to define it all, we should ask, why do we need to so eagerly define? It seems to me that it’s like a child, throwing a fit, trying to get noticed. (Yeah yeah, some may accuse me of doing so myself, and I do not deny the possibility. I’m still human, duh)

To borrow a quote from an anime, Ergo Proxy, (some people’s theater mind: Oh no! Not another anime freak! I’ve seen that from a mile away. Yidd yiddi yoddo yoddo yuddu yuddu.)

"I think, therefore you are"

The need for people to live, on the definition of other people, in order not to be ignored.

Of Cobwebs and Dust - Clearing them all out

Whew, it seems like its been a while since I last post here (heck, it even seems like I haven't been visiting here too... o... whatever... technicalities technicalities...)


Well then, what am I going to do now? Nothing of interest (to the world) that had happened since the holidays began. Then, suddenly, I began to receive inspiration(s). I don't know the source of it, but I do know that whenever I got the feeling of an inspiration, I can draw and write! So maybe I'll be a little bit narcissistic by posting my drawings here!!! Wahahaha.



Project Armegeddon


This drawing took me 11 days to complete, from the day where I got that "inspiration feeling" (dang, that two words sounds weird) till today.

A little history first, before I go an monologue about my drawing. Project Armageddon is a little short story (which was completed, but I never wrote it down due to sheer laziness). Project Armageddon was born out of another novel in the works, and is a prequel to said novel, giving reasons for the antagonist's actions. If this short story of mine ever materialized as a book, this is the front cover that I would like it to have.

Now, about the drawing. This isn't my first time drawing stuff, but due to a lack of drawing lessons, the drawing didn't turn out quite as I expected. Although it didn't turn out as I had imagined, it still turned out well. I realized that in all my previous pursuit for perfection, the drawings turned out to be distorted. This time, I just let my fingers ran. Or was it my imagination? Anyway, the two main focuses of the drawing took a very good form (to the clueless, they're the tentacle-thingie and the beefed-up guy in a muscle-man-like pose... ok, they do have names, but I don't want to reveal their names just yet :P).

Initially, I wanted to finish the drawing there and then. But then, I thought, why don't I try inserting a background into it? Well, it was a challenge for me back then, as it always ended up being disastrous if I insert a background into it. This is mostly due to my lack of sense in dimensions and distances. The background would always appear warped as I tried to emulate how horizons would be viewed in reality.

Then, I thought, why don;t I go for a balance between perfection and oddity? Taking a lesson from CGI, where the closer we try to emulate reality through artificial means, the more we perceive it to be fake. (if you don't understand, compare between big-eyed anime drawings with for example Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within). With the oddities in the background being hidden in plain sight with the emulated reality, the background turned out quite well. Very well indeed!

Initially, while writing this post, I had imagined inserting some of life's values that I had gleaned from drawing this picture (yes, you read it right. I had a tendency of learning life values from almost any experiences that I encountered.). But then, I had a feeling that this post is getting too long, and also because I've forgetten what I wanted to write down. =P


Till next time!