A banner and news

Once I decided that this blog is OK enough without a banner, but now... I just know it's too interesting to design them, so I made one. This blog has long name that's not too easy to fit there. I got a bit lazy and just drew the title and shaded a bit (with a tool I don't usually use for anything).

I just think... Cigar is a good mold. I like that I have one to see this physically. So of course Overkill (Sam model) is right dude for the banner.

Wonder if I don't have problems today when publishing this, because it's a tradition when I publish a new blog banner.


I also have a problem... It's about those photo stories I want to publish and have a nice stack waiting that happening. I want to improve with them, to make them better, more realistic, less stupid. I am too perfectionistic with my own works, and I count dolls and tack pieces as artworks too. Sometimes I just can't see a photo having any quality, if there's one or few pieces that make it all look failed - for me, having no skill with saddles. Also I wish my dolls could have real clothes, but I simply have no idea how to make any (I'm not a sewer). My dolls have rough anatomy because they're meant to work well and to be hidden under clothes. I could of course test to sculpt also lower pars of their limbs (except hands and feet that need to be all bendable), instead of gluing some soft materials there, but right now I haven't the right type of wire to make armatures, so I can't try.

Is it OK to say that don't read it wrong if you see some crazy looking dolls sitting on my models? They can be funny, but they also ruin the realism.

Lack of realism makes me easily not to want to publish things that generally could be worth posting. (Now don't ask why I then replace humans with rats and cats, haha.)

Photo stack: Juoru rides Vissy

Grrrr, imagination and the titles don't meet. But this is called as a photo stack instead of story, because I don't know a story for this. It's again just one moment I captured in many photos. These also aged fastly, because the bridle seen there are already retouched... And they were made just before these pics.

A black cat boy on Vissy (Cortes "C"). I left Asko visible in one photo as I somewhat think he kept a riding lesson for Juoru. If that explains the over-long reins...? I've made shorter reins afterwards.

That bridle has at least two or three different types of leather in it. The reins aren't from the same set but from some older. I also can say I stopped using blue-tack for attaching bits after finding glue that dries to be sticky enough to stay in place (and it doesn't harm the plastic, like I think blue-tack can do if kept on too long).

Those straps just look too clumsy now when I have improved quickly a lot in making bridles... Only the noseband is nice as it is OK to be wider.

This also could be an update for the first 'riding lesson' photo story. If this new one just could be a story...

Artistic info:
Here's pics of those bridles after two retouches. First, I added tongue buckles and a flash noseband, also changed shorter headpiece strap, and knotted the browband (it was ridiculously long). The flashie was made for another bridles, so it's metal pieces are 'silver'. I didn't care because the bridle is not the best I have made. At the second retouch I got the flash noseband off and straightened the bit mouthpieces and added glue to them, so they stick without help.

After the second retouch (flash noseband off). Ignore the crazy rider, hehe.

That browband doesn't really fit well there, after I added the knot...

I also injured a finger while making tack, so, using it felt creepy when I wrote the upper part and oldest photos. (Now when I publish this, the finger is fine.)