Costume Update, Fall Break, and the Second Art Critique

So I'm beginning to think the whole update-every-Monday isn't really working.  So I guess my posts will just be random.  I'd really like to be able to update once a week, but what with school and my ongoing search for a job I think I can only legitimately promise an update once a month.  I'll likely have more than that, but hopefully no less.

Now, on to the art!

Over the weekend I worked a lot on my Hallowe'en costume.  For fun, I drew how I want my costume to turn out in more of an aesthetic design.  It's like I turned my notes into a work of art themselves.  Not that I think they look super professional and amazing or anything, but it's just different than what I normally do.

My costume has three different stages or "options" if you will.  The first option is just the tunic and the blouse, in case it's really hot or something outside.  The second adds a second set of sleeves that can attach to the tunic with leather or some other form of laces.  And the third adds the liripipe (the hood - it's kind of the only technical term I know for any of the parts of my costume, so you'll probably see me dropping it around a lot.  You got to admit, though, it's a cool name for a hat).  At the moment, it's the only thing I'm really worried about making without a pattern.  It's kind of a complex design and because I'll have to buy my own fabric, I really don't want to mess anything up.
Although this picture took a great deal of effort and it's a very good reference for me, it really doesn't serve a purpose unless I actually make my costume.  So, I now present to you my peasant blouse:

Originally the design was based off this tutorial: http://urban-sidhe.deviantart.com/#/d5459gt

But then I had to make a whole ton of modifications because I accidentally made the sleeves too tight.  (I don't really read tutorials, I just glance through them and then pretend I know what I'm doing).  I plan on making my own tutorial about all the adjustments I had to make if anyone is interested.  I'm incredibly pleased with how this turned out.  I've never actually made clothes for an actual human being before without having a tangible pattern.  It was a rather exciting adventure.  The neckline gave me some grief, but I think it turned out alright in the end.  Oh, and sorry about the interesting camera angles, I was taking the pictures myself and I didn't really want it to look like I was awkwardly holding my iPod backwards at arm's length.  I'm not entirely sure I succeeded or not. 

 And my parting gift is my latest AP art project which was technically due today.  I'm not entirely finished with it, yet, so I'll explain some of the finer details later.  All you really need to know is that it's a tree-building-thing.

I'm Not a Procrastinator, I'm Just Slow

This post is only going to be full of pictures and pages of my sketchbook.  I don't know where my camera is and I don't really want to go looking for it, nor would I wish to deal with the poor quality pictures it takes.  So this week is about doodles and sketches.

I did this quick sketch in my AP European History class because I was bored and I wanted to make bread.  It just sounded like a pretty nice option at the time.  So then I went home and actually did make bread.  Italian Herb Bread.  But since it really isn't my recipe, I won't be sharing it.  I'm sure you can look one up online, if you like.  It's really good bread.  I actually made it in honor of . . .

Yep, September 21.  The 75th anniversary of the release of The Hobbit.  Also the day before Frodo's and Bilbo's birthday.  My friends and I all ate bread and then later my sister and I watched the Rankin/Bass animated Hobbit.  I adore that movie.  I really hope the new movie turns out amazing, but I know in my heart it'll never replace the movie I grew up with.  (Although just to be clear, I have, in fact, read the book and I know there is absolutely nothing in the world that could be better than the original).  I also made a goal to have the Silmarillion finished before the Hobbit comes out.  I feel really bad that I haven't read that one, yet.

So there I was, happily minding my own business, standing by my corner after school, waiting to pick up my friend, when this bee starts flying around me. Patiently I wait for it to realize I am not really a flower and, if you'll excuse the pun, buzz off. Well, despite the fact that I began to twist and turn in ways that a flower most certainly can not, the bee still would not leave me alone and promptly insisted on trying to fly up my shirt sleeve, at which point I threw my box of chocolates and Coca-Cola lunchbox across the school lawn and nearly tipped over backwards. Needless to say, the bee at last realized that this was no ordinary hydrangea and left me to the bemused and amused faces of passersby.

And now, the thing I've been most excited about showing, my plans for Hallowe'en.  Oh yeah!  I'm actually dressing up this year.  And as an added bonus, I'm making my own costume, too.  Currently the story is I'm going to be an Apprentice Painter in the Renaissance, though this is liable to change.  The costume most certainly will not be 100% historically acurate, but I hope it'll at least look pretty cool.  My oldest brother initiated a family-wide costume challenge recently, so this is why I've finally buckled down and decided to make a full scale costume and not just ones for dolls.  Wish me luck!

By the way, if you like my drawings, feel free to check out my online gallery at autnott.deviantart.com