Unown Secret Code

So I've been looking over legendary Pokemon lately, just for fun because they are super cool. And I came across something I guess I already knew, but never thought about.

The Unown.
And no, I didn't spell it wrong, in fact I didn't even know that was how it was spelled until I found them, I had first heard of them from one of the Pokemon Movies, and had just heard 'unknown' not 'unown'

The Unown are a type of Pokemon, with one for every letter of the alphabet, as well as an exclamation point, and a question mark.

If you haven't caught on by what I just said, combined with the title of this post, then let me just blurt it out. Unown, can be used as a secret code!
Here's a picture of them, which came from bulbapedia.bulbagarden.

                               

Now do you see why they make the perfect code? I've actually been working on drawing them out on paper, I don't have a picture, but I made a quick little note in paint:

(In case you can't tell, it says Hi!)

But if you want to get started whipping out codes without spending forever drawing them, here are some links to help you out until you become a Master of the Unown!
Pokemon Unown Text Maker - A scratch project by vwn754h
Unown.Font  - Here, you may download a font that will let you type in unown in programs like Microsoft Word
Unown Alphabet - Use this simple site to code up a message in no time!

Dot-to-Dots

I love dot-to-dots. They are just so fun, challenging, and well...fun!

Now I'm not talking about those little 10 dot ones that every kid starts out doing. My favorites are the 300+ ones that have those little special dots that make you stop, and spend an hour looking for the next dot that could be anywhere on the page.

That's right, the ones that take about 20 minutes minimum to finish. Those are my kind of dot-to-dots. Now, by this point some of you are probably thinking that I'm crazy for loving extreme dot-to-dots, but here's a few reasons why I love them.

Thinking Skills:
I first really got into dot-to-dots while doing logic classes as part of my school classes. I loved doing them, because for me they were really easy, especially compared to the word problems, aggravating riddles and other such features the logic class offered. Dot-to-dots help improve thinking, eye-hand coordination [that part of dot-to-dots I admittedly need to work on, since I keep skipping numbers every so often] and for younger people, it's a good way to work on numbers.

Art Improvement:
Alright, so of all the things I might have said, this is probably the one you weren't expecting. How in the world do dot-to-dots, improve art skills?

Well, the answer is actually really simple. As you are sitting there, connecting dots, you occasionally stop to see if you can figure out what the heck the picture is supposed to be. Once you figure it out, your movements start to become more sure, since you can start to piece together what part of the picture you are doing, and thus, you are improving your art skills by making smoother, less erratic lines, small, fine details when those dots are bunched together real annoyingly, and recognition of what you're drawing, because let's face it. We've all done at least one or two pictures where we've started off just letting our hand do all the work.

Fun
Alright, don't say you didn't see this coming, because did I not say in the opening sentence that I find dot-to-dot's fun? And really, they are. No matter your age, dot-to-dots are a fun way to spend your time, so go on and hunt some down and get dotting!

What's the longest dot-to-dot you've ever done? I think for me it was a maned three-toed sloth with 1000 dots!

Winter Art

With winter drawing closer, a lot of your guy's art is probably beginning to either be snow themed in excitement for the upcoming season, or clinging to bright and summer themed, in a sort of denial of the snow that will most likely be falling sooner rather than later.

Whatever the case, let's be real here. A lot of you are probably starting to see more winter themed decorations around, and if you aren't well...just wait until Halloween is over. Ever notice that the day after Halloween Christmas decorations seem to just pop up out of nowhere? It's just like they don't care that there's an entire month between Halloween and Christmas, the stores just want to start making cash from Christmas shoppers.

But back to decorations. When you're an artist, you tend to take in details, store them, and incorporate them into your pictures later down the road. So as you're seeing snow-themed decorations, chances are your pictures are going to become snow related.

So why not do it intentionally? Start with using different shades of blue and white. Maybe sprinkle in some pale indigo, a little hint of green for evergreen trees if you want, and of course a pencil. Those are going to be your main colors most likely, perhaps with sprinkles of other colors for animals, people, rainbows, or maybe for magic if it's a fantasy setting.

When doing your picture, mainly your background, try to give it a smooth, crystalline look. Add in small, fine details such as snowflakes, animal tracks, even a good shading can transform a picture!

And remember to have fun drawing! When you've got a completed winter picture, or maybe you have one you drew some time ago, feel free to pull it out of the shadows, and show it off in the comments!

Drivers Ed

Well, guess who started Drivers Ed two Mondays ago?

When the date of my first class was approaching, I was told by my friend who was friends who have gone through it, and practically all my family, that it's an insanely boring class, those of you reading this who have gone through it, are probably nodding right this second.

But, I'm currently taking it right now. Every Monday and Friday...and, well...you guys, it's honestly not that bad.

Every class, I bring in all the papers I've been given in previous classes, my notebook, a pen, and most obviously my purse with my phone and drivers permit in it.

I sit in class from 3:30 to 5:45, taking notes, watching videos, and during break I play a game on my phone. It's really not that bad.

Drivers Ed often gets a bad rap, but if it makes better drivers, if it helps keep us all safer on the roads, then isn't a little discomfort worth it?