Inktoberfest - The Aftermath

Inktober 2017 has completed, and I'm happy to say that I've made it through unscathed.  Where in the beginning, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep up, by the end of it, it had become part of my daily routine.  I found that it really tapped into just how creative you can be, outside of drawing of course.  I mean, a lot of these words provided were so vague, but that also worked to your advantage.  Being creative means having no boundaries, and most certainly for some words, I really had to find a creative way to convey those words ("Poison" is definitely one that stands out for me).

Though I mostly just sketched my way through each day, I don't regret putting a small bit effort, compared to how I've seen others have.  I came to realize that it isn't how fancy your drawing is... just draw and follow the rules.  If it was based on how fancy my drawings ended up, you can certainly see when my good days were.

My friend and I who were keeping each other accountable each day were discussing our plans moving forward.  I may not have the same dedication for drawing each day after Inktober, but it certainly has made me realize that I would like to improve on my skills.  It has reminded me how much fun it is to draw, even if mostly on your own terms.  And there is certainly something to be said about drawing on physical media, compared with digital media... the fear of drawing something permanent without the luxury of the "Undo" option.  I love it :D

Interested in checking out my contributions for this year?  Search for pippopottymouse in IG.

Google Isn't Having an XL-ent Time

I don't quite consider myself an early adopter.  I've always believed in "trailing edge" technology.  This has always given people like myself a "wait and see" attitude, so you can let the rest of the masses unearth the issues for you.  Because of this, I've also taken an attitude to go with "the successor to bleeding edge", because more often than not those mistakes will be corrected upon, and additions will be made to make the sequel tech that much better.

I've resigned myself at this time to be willing to spend a little bit on a flagship smartphone, as this appears to be the trend nowadays, especially when the Google Nexus line was effectively killed off.  I'm also a little brand loyal, and seeing as I've only known the Nexus line for my personal devices in the past, there's something to be said about staying true to stock Android, and guaranteed updates straight from the source.  Sufficed to say, I've been keeping my eye on the Pixel line since their introduction last year.

Now, considering I've kept to the mantra of "going with the successor", I like many others had waited patiently for the official announcement of the new Pixel line of phones earlier this month, and wasn't disappointed (maybe save for the lack of headphone port).  It also certainly seems as well that the XL line is being pushed as THE PHONE to get.  Now that the phones are out, the reports of the screen of the XL have been making headlines.

Mind you, I don't really have any qualms sticking with the 5" Pixel (especially considering that it's not suffering the same fate as its XL sibling), but it is a shame that these reports and articles are tarnishing the little reputation that Google is trying to build as a company that can compete in the high end along with Samsung and Apple.

Then again, I still try to keep tabs on other devices nowadays to see if there's anything that might change my mind.  It's interesting to hear about the OnePlus 5T being teased, and how the Essential Phone has now just dropped in price.  If either can provide stock experience WITH OIS on their cameras, then I may just consider jumping ship.  Otherwise, as mentioned, I may just fork out for the 5" Pixel.  I can't deny all the software tech Google's packaged in their phones this year.

I just hope that Google can learn from this current debacle.  Perhaps the recent purchase of HTC will help it realize its hardware division for more than just the "squeeze" IP.

SUPPLEMENTAL (November 1):
I'd recently heard that the display panels used on the XL are from LG.  Funny enough, the 1st gen ThinkPad Yoga that I have also happens to use an LG Phillips panel.  This 2-in-1 laptop is known to have "ghosting" occur on the panel, so it's not a permanent burn-in.  I'm wondering if this is a similar issue with the Pixel 2 XL, as I had recently tweeted about, but I haven't seen enough tests involved to confirm this.

I'd like to think the #Pixel2XL screen issues are like what's affecting my #ThinkPadYoga 20C0, cuz it's also an LG panel too :P #ghosting

— Phil Angeles (@Flippin_Eh) October 28, 2017

At least w/ the #ThinkPadYoga 20C0, it's not permanent. Try going to https://t.co/RDtC11AXhT to test for #ghosting or #imageburn #Pixel2XL

— Phil Angeles (@Flippin_Eh) October 28, 2017

If that's the case, I'd probably be able to live with the XL as I've had my Yoga for a few years.

Inktoberfest

My usual online social platform of choice has been Twitter over these years.  Primarily because it's allowed me to share my quick thoughts or interesting links, and kill 2 birds with one stone by allowing those same posts to be shared to Facebook at the same time.

Now, only a handful of people are aware that I also have an Instagram account.  I'm not particularly active there, I think mostly because I've seen how "bastardized" (in my eyes) it's become... mainly with the overuse of hashtags (I mean... is it really that important just how many categories through hashtagging your photo needs to be in?).  If ever I've ventured in, it's because I'm curious as to the number of visual artists there are uploading their works (mostly drawings), and trying to find some inspiration through their styles.  You'll find that a majority of people I've followed there are visual artists.  As for myself, you'd figure I'd do the same, but I haven't.  Sure, I've uploaded a few photos, but none are drawings.  I guess because I don't really draw or sketch as much as I used to.

Now, a close friend of mine reminded me about Inktober.  I'd first been made aware of this period last year while doing the odd browsing thru IG.  The fact that you don't really need to worry about what to draw... just draw something based on the word of the day provided, certainly appears to make things pretty easy.  In all honesty, I was looking for an excuse to be a bit more active in IG, and perhaps Inktober may provide that first step.  Plus, it does afford for me to practice up on my sketching skills, and be a little more creative.  I also bought this little travel sketchbook awhile back, so I plan to use this for my drawings.

The prompt list for this year is out, so as of this writing, I've officially got 2 weeks to come up with a plan on how creatively I want to tackle each word.  It's a bit daunting to even think about doing a word a day for the whole month of October, but it's also exciting.  I haven't quite decided whether or not to reveal my IG account to friends/family... perhaps closer to the end of the month.  We'll see.

Wish me luck.