Issue 167

Hello!

The focus for the last couple weeks was to get a new Youtube video out and finish up another illustration. I got the first done, but the latter is still on the drawing board. Normally, this would eat away at me, seeing it sitting there, unfinished. But I've been trying out Slow Productivity this year and just chipping away at stuff a little at a time in favor of having a productive year rather than a scattershot of days of scrambling to finish everything before the sun goes down. I think it's going well, but I'll let you know in December.

Alright, here's 5 things I thought you'd find interesting this weekend.

Enjoy!

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LATEST

I do all kinds of things that never end up in the newsletter, so this spot in the header here is just a quick run down of what I've done recently that I didn't want to devote an entire segment to:

• Drawing Inspiration Roulette: 4, 5, 6​
• Latest Podcast Episode: Marketing 101 For Artists​
• Previous Episode: How To Build A Fanbase​
• Patreon Process Post: Transference​

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1) AI Art is the Symptom NOT the Problem

From the Department of Video Works

I made a video!

After my last AI video I felt like I didn't fully capture my thoughts so I wrote a short essay that summed up the my thoughts a lot better. I had some extra time in my schedule last week to make a video and threw this together.

I'm hoping this is the last AI video I feel compelled to make because I'd rather divert my attention to comics. But I did want to plant my flag on the topic in a satisfactory way before moving on.

You can watch it here: LINK​

PATREON: One of the perks is you get to see my videos early, read my video scripts before I make the video, and give input on things as I make them. Also, every week I show patrons the process of at least one drawing. At the end of the month some patrons get all my working files to learn from and pick apart. Sign up here: LINK​

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2) The Mecha Masterworks of Cut Transform Glue

From the Office of Scale Models

I'm impressed with the scale and creativity of these scratch built robots and spaceships by São Paulo based model maker Henrique Ventura.

He makes these things from spare printer parts, wood, and 3D printed components. Brilliant stuff.

More here:

Twitter: LINK​

Youtube: LINK​

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3) The M-15 Belphegor is a Wild Cold War Civilian Aircraft

From the Office of Wings

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If you've been following what I post here for very long you'll have figured out that I LOVE weird vehicles. Especially failed diesel-punk garbage like this agriculture jet designed in and for the Soviet Union.

The M-15 Belphegor was designed to be a more efficient and modern replacement for the Antonov An-2SKh. However, when they tested it out it was clunky to fly, expensive to operate, slow, and noisy. Consequently only 150 were manufactured out of the thousands that were initially ordered.

What I like about it is the unconventional design that makes it look like it's from Miyazaki's Nausicaa, Mad Max, or a B level sci-fi film.

More photos and back story here: LINK​

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4) The Idyllic Illustrations and Comics of Sarah Webb

From the Illustrators Division

I'm currently lost in the the dense over growth of Sarah Webb's illustrations and comics. I found their work while researching inspiration for my Dusk Bunnies print and just fell in love with her organic style.

Webb currently works in the animation industry in Los Angeles, but is originally from Alaska, and I think you can see a lot of her upbringing in her work.

More here:

Current webcomic: LINK​

Website: LINK​

Instagram: LINK (No art, but a "personal visual journal")

Twitter: LINK​

Tumblr: LINK​

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5) On what ifs

From the Inspirational Thought Unit

Do you ever find yourself playing the What If? game? It's a horrible game where you fantasize about the paths in life you didn't take. You ask yourself questions like:

"What if I had chosen a different major?"

"What if I had asked so-and-so out on a date?"

"What if I had started a youtube channel in 2009 instead of 2023?"

The problem with this is you get caught up in thinking patterns that aren't healthy for you, and ultimately waste your creative energy on something that won't benefit you.

I stumbled on a substack post by screenwriter John August where he suggests new rules for the "What If? Game:

• Only ask What If? questions about the future. What If you now devoted yourself full-time to writing? Or, What If you stopped carrying this torch for screenwriting, and pursued something else you enjoyed? Which would make you happier?
• Only think about the person you are today. A 20-year old has different options and challenges than a 49-year old. How much of your current life would you be willing to up-end?
• Recognize assumptions. Don’t assume you know where a path would take you. Rather, ask whether traveling that path would be interesting and fulfilling.

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Now THIS is a What If? game worth playing.

Read the rest of his post here: LINK​

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That's all for this week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and hope you have a great weekend!

-Jake

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