a smol miscellanea

Fascinating account of the Twitter debacle a couple of years ago. Learning more about what actually went on behind the scenes was equal parts illuminating and enraging. Definitely worth a read! ★★★☆☆

Enjoyable fantasy novel about Orhan the engineer who happens to find himself in a city under siege. Unfortunately for him, it somehow falls to him to figure out how to defend it.

Amusing, interesting, and quite educational for anyone interested in siege warfare! I liked it. ★★★★☆

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for providing a DARC.

Brilliantly useful book! I don’t read a lot of manga, but I do watch anime on occasion and sometimes wonder how much I’m missing because I don’t understand the symbolic language of the genre. Though short, this book opened my eyes to subtext I’ve been missing.

Much is self-explanatory to my western eyes, an iconography I’ve been trained to understand via comics and cartoons, but a lot is completely new and will reveal hidden meanings, and deepen my understanding when I see them in the wild. Great book! ★★★★★

Thanks to Quarry Books who allowed me to read a DARC of Draw Amazing Faces by Pypah Santos.

The book consists of a short introduction, eleven chapters covering, in order, Santos' approach, proportions and perspective, shading, lighting and rendering, drawing the eyes, nose, mouth, ears and hair, putting it all together, faces in color, and further practice, ending with a 2-page index.

Though the art style is not my personal favourite, there are lots of great drawings throughout. The book is well laid out with helpful in-depth tutorials, both the illustrations and text clearly explaining things. I particularly liked that Santos showed examples of rendering faces in different mediums, and covered the box method in addition to the same basic techniques usually shown in books of this ilk.

I really liked this book and will be buying a copy to add to my art shelf. ★★★★☆

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Figure Drawing: Rhythm and Language of the Human Form by Gabrielle Dahms.

The book begins with a short introduction, then covers a wide range of subjects pertaining to drawing the human figure, and ending with an index. Though text-heavy, it is interspersed by a number of drawings in various styles, showcasing different techniques.

This is not for beginners or those wanting to learn how to draw. I’m not entirely sure who the target audience is. I suspect the companion workbook is needed to gain any real benefit, as the author seems more concerned with theory and contemplation rather than hands-on lessons.

In all honesty, it reads more as a love-letter to figure drawing than a manual in how to actually accomplish it. It’s not a particularly instructive book. I’m glad to have read it, but I personally prefer a more didactic style. ★★★☆☆

Quick read about a young woman navigating her first year of college, whilst trying to finish her increasingly popular fan-fiction series. Add in burgeoning romantic feelings, her twin’s withdrawal, some parental drama, and an ethical quandary, you get an engaging YA novel. Excerpts from the Potteresque “Simon Snow” books, as well as snippets of Cather’s fan-fiction, are interspersed throughout the text. Though, for me, it didn’t quite stick the landing, it’s an enjoyable read. ★★★☆☆