Retitled: In My Wake?

EDIT: It didn't quite occur to me that some other designers have gone unnoticed.



http://fezcocrafts.blogspot.com/2009/05/ffx-2-leblanc-release.html

I don't usually do the aggregate thing, but since this is his first model, I've gotta help him get his name on the map. This is Fezco's LeBlanc, done much in the same style as my own Lady Luck (i.e. a massive FFX-2 character). Personally I think the finished product puts Lady Luck to shame, a notion which is compounded by the fact that it's his first design. I'd love to say it turned out so well because he's a good student (implying that I'm a good teacher), but come on. First shot? I guess I helped a little, but that kind of result on your first go is just genius.

Anyway, if you were crazy enough to try Lady Luck, you should definitely try LeBlanc. If you weren't crazy enough to try Lady Luck, you should still try this one. I may just have to add it to the built roster myself...

Anyway, appropriate aggregators (messrs Rementilla and James), I believe you know what to do with this.

EDIT:
There are two other designers I'd like to point the spotlight at...



http://dwpapercraft.blogspot.com/2009/05/sandy-final-version.html

DW also released his finished version of Sandy Magus recently (sorry for the delay, I'm a few days late on this release). But he's another designer worth keeping an eye on. If you do a bit of exploring, you'll see he's also close to a release of Seymour Guado, as well as some related FFX projects.



http://lunaticpapercraft.blogspot.com/

Last, but not least, we have Lunatic, who I mistakenly assumed was already on the collective radar. A double check of Paperkraft.net reveals that he is not, but certainly should be. He's already released a nice layout of Elena as well as Tifa's outfit while attempting to...ascertain information from ol' Don Corneo. Considering just ceding my proposed "Turks pack" project to Lunatic. He seems more interested in getting it done than I am, and I have confidence that his layouts are more or less what you'd see from me anyway. So it's all gravy.

Anyhow, these two have been on my link list for a few weeks, but it didn't occur to me that I could help get them a bit more into the community's collective view (Oh who am I kidding, I want to help them because they thanked by name, unlike some).


Anyway, back to the grind.
(I'll get back to my own business soon. Stay tuned, etc.)
((What a self-serving re-title, eh?))

Compilation Update

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LF54H8FZ

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ylihu0hlifd
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qet2mjuzzkm

Updated the Final Fantasy Papercraft compilation. In case you're unfamiliar: this is an archive of everyone else's Final Fantasy models. Updated version now includes the FFIX party by Chamoo232, the FFVII models of Okaci, Ninjatoes' Kingdom Hearts Cloud, and a few other items.

Sprite Stitchery

I know I said I'd try Setzer first, but the 8-bit sprites have such a lower color count, I figured it would be best to try the easiest possible option first. Considering it was my first attempt at cross-stitch, I'd like to think it isn't half bad, but obviously I'm biased.

I chopped out the sprite and stitched it on to my belt, then went over the remaining white with brown and black sharpies. I do have some black cross-stitch fabric and some waste canvas for stitching directly on to other articles, but like I said this was my first attempt, so I didn't want to waste anything fancy. And I certainly didn't want to just let it sit on some stretch of white uselessness...not when it turned out so nice.

So if you live here in Denton, tag the guy wandering around campus with the black mage on his belt to win a prize!
(Don't...don't actually touch me, that'd just be weird...)

Anyhow, there's a lovely little freeware program called Stitch Color that I used to go about this. It takes inputs from many different image types, then converts them to DMC colors (the official cross stitch rainbow, I guess you could say, each with a reference number so you can run out to your local fabric store and buy the ones you need), and charts it out nice and large.

I would encourage anyone nerdy enough to put videogame sprites on their clothing to give it a try. Just be warned, it takes real manliness to bust out the sewing kit. You better be up to the task.
-_-




And now for something completely different (if you don't want to listen to me rant, stop reading now or skip to the bottom for the condensed version).

I started the sprite last night while watching the film adaptation of the Golden Compass. I originally heard about the books as a result of the film's release, but I never actually saw the movie before looking into the original version. As I've mentioned recently, the books had a rather heavy impact on me, and as such I feel it is my responsibility to put a message out, to everyone within the sound of my voice, about this movie:

Chris Weitz is a mutilator and a destroyer of quality!

I haven't seen any of his other works, so apologies if anyone happens to be a fan, but I can say that, as someone who read (well technically listened to) the books in their original splendor, that that movie was the most, rushed through, watered down, censored piece of refuse I have ever willed myself to witness.

And the worst part is it wasn't 100% wrong! They nailed the steampunk-esque environment, and they had a nearly perfect cast. Scoresby was a little older that I'd imagined him, but that inexplicable cowboy from the end of the Big Lebowski fit the role perfectly. Daniel Craig? Nicole Kidman? Abso-freakin'-lutely. Some of the kids might've been...well...better, but it's hard to nitpick with child actors. For the most part they performed admirably. As much as I love Sir Ian McKellen (after embodying both Gandalf and Magneto, what nerd couldn't?), I actually think he was an odd choice for Iorek. Though, I don't think I would've had nearly as much issue if he'd been given the lines he was supposed to have.

Defeated in single combat, my backside...He's Iorek for Jeebus' sake. He was exiled for being too badass.

The whole thing was an exercise in purging all subtext and just forcing the characters through immediate twists and turns, aiming only to hit the high points of the story, and never explain why.

"Okay, I'm running away from Mrs. Coulter now. Oh look some guys, let's not explain why they're after me. Blamo, there's some Gyptians. Okay, now we're on a boat. Oh look at me, I can read the Alethiometer without even thinking twice about it. No no, don't tell me who my kickass father is now, let's save that till the end so we can have some effing Darth Vader nonsense, where I get to be Luke and say 'you can't be my mother, it's not true, it's impossible!' Oh look, now the movie's over and we didn't actually reach the end of the condemned story. Boy, the part of Lyra sure was fun."


HAAAARGH! >_< style="font-style: italic;">incredible series based on the atrocities carried out in that God damn movie.

Sigh...

That is all.






Grargh, even the soundtrack was rubbish! >_<

An update of miniscule proportions

(Couldn't think of a related picture, so here's something cute by Capsicum)


I've been thinking about putting together a Final Fantasy Papercraft compilation archive for a while now, so here it is:

Full: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JVYOH8MX

Part 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?amwnoxjmedn
Part 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?hj1dom2wjeh

I get a lot of questions about people looking for all the awesome Final Fantasy models by other designers out there, and I've made reference to my meticulously organized papercraft folder before, so I figured it was time to make another big compilation. I would actually recommend using MegaUpload this time, just because the .RAR is in one piece (MediaFire only allows 100mb per file, and the whole thing is about 125mb).

So, short update on where my own projects stand: I was in League City all last week (about 300 miles from my usual location, Thanksgiving and all that), so I haven't made any real progress on anything. This week is "dead week," meaning review time, and next week is final exams. I'd like to get some work done on Heidegger this week (which isn't unreasonable...I've never been one to study), and maybe get him built this weekend. Once finals are over, I'm pretty much free 24/7 for a solid month, which means I'll be aiming to churn out as many models as I possibly can.

I still haven't gotten much of a consensus on which of the Sephiroth models to choose, so if I get there before any solid opinion is formed, I'll likely go with the battle stance. However, the field models are mighty easy to set up, so it's entirely possible that I'll try doing more than one.





Edit: Almost forgot. I've managed to convince myself that this would be really fun. Need to run down to a craft type store to get the necessary materials, but otherwise I'm ready to give this a go. After spending the week with my family, the bizarre similarities between housewife and gamer hobbies are becoming apparent. To them "papercraft" means scrapbooking. To us "cross-stitch" should be referred to as "pixel art." A little unsettling, but whatever.

First attempt is gonna be Setzer.

For comic effect

This is just getting silly...

I'm not planning on building them all, but they are all potentially buildable.
(There are many more than pictured, I just got bored of importing so many files)

Also it makes for a hilarious screenshot

It's my blog and I'll...camwhore if I want to?

Felt like doing the pointless, self-centered thing and posting my collection. Also because I'm a bit concerned that all this "I haven't testbuilt any of it" stuff is making it look like I don't know how to do anything beyond hakos (not that I haven't made my share of simple crap.)

The following is my entire collection, with a 3 inch hako-Zoidberg for scale.
Apologies for the wretched state of my camera.


Pretty much the whole thing.


An outdated calendar-ball I drew Zodiac signs on, Chomp-Chomp, 4chan Party Van, Prinny, Toast, Futurama Brain Slug, Skull, Domo-kun hiding behind the skull, and chibi Pyramid Head.


Okami Amaterasu, Megaman Servbot, Shin-chan and Whitey


My current project: an army of Katamari cousins. I'm about halfway through all the available models.


Double-size Nomad Moogle (not mine), Cactuar, Tonberry, my faithful chocobo Plato, and Vivi


Inital testbuilds of the Wizard's Petasos, Maat's Cap, and Drachen Armet


Windurstian Conquest Flag


Cardian


Double-size model of Fran

Original Scale Highwind. (Did this one last summer)

Double-size Highwind V1 (my first real project this summer)

Double-size Highwind V2


Double-size Highwind V3


Ceiling cat (getting Zoidberg up there wasn't easy...)

Sluice Surveyor Mk. I (talking magic doll from BLM AF quests), Kingdom Hearts wizard

Most of the collection on a shelf in my bedroom, where it normally resides.

The V3 hanging over my monitor (seriously, how the Hell could I be seeking this long on Bard)

The double-size V1 and V2, plus Fran, in their normal locations.

If anyone's interested, I'd be happy to help find the original templates for anything shown. Many of them are on the /po/ Archives, or in /rs/ under the names you'd expect. If you can't track them down, I can help find where they're hiding, or post the copies I have.

If you have any questions and don't feel like waiting around, feel free to instant message me (s/n is in the profile), and if you play FFXI on Asura, I recently started playing again and world transfered from Cerberus, so the new name is Oka. Say 'hi' if you like.