Amanda's Sketchbook - Updated Nov.4.2010

[Amanda Kate]

Hello, my name is Amanda and I'm an art student interested in game art with a bit of free time that wants to be filled with drawing...so that is what I'm going to try and do, as well as make improvements and stay positive. :) Any comments or critique is welcome, I'd also be interested in joining a sketchbook group if there are any out there with open spots or people willing to start a new one to help stay motivated. Just drop me a message or leave me a note here and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
It is currently Sunday, March 7, 2010 and I am going to post a few things I've been working on this week before I go to bed.

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Quick sketch of a friend at school.

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Picture I am working on for another friend's birthday.

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Acrylic paintings I am working on for my baby cousin's room. (apologies for webcam quality photo.)

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[Amanda Kate]

Sunday, March 7, 2010. Quick portrait sketch in between family dinner and addiction to Torchlight.
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[Amanda Kate]

Monday, March 8, 2010.

Quick sketch of one of my characters while waiting for a squad to get their butts inside a dungeon.
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[AlexEh]

Hey Amanda welcome to the forums! Hah it seems useally sketchgroups fall apart so I'm just gona stay away from them. But I do have a small list of people whos sketchbooks I check frequently. I could add you onto it hah.

Any life drawing avalibale at your college? If so try and take advantage of it :D

[Amanda Kate]

Hello Dy.lanea and thanks for the welcome! :) Haha, I guess that makes sense since I havn't gotten any notes about finding a sketchgroup thus far. That would be awesome if you could add me to your list though, more motivation for me to keep up with this.

I took figure drawing at my college last year and I always feel like I'm making excuses about it which isn't helping me with my staying positive...hmm, what I can say is that it was my first experience with drawing from nude models and using so many different techniques and materials in what seemed like a short time. I didn't really understand what exactly the professor's expectations were early on and he was always always brutally honest which was a first for me so I was frustrated the whole semester. Looking back on it I think it was good for me and I wouldn't mind giving it another try..I'm not sure how compatible my class schedule is with taking it again but I will definitely ask my adviser if I can ever get a hold of her.

I type too much sometimes, apologies! ._.

[Mac Con]

Hi to you and all the best to the future in this site you seem very comfortable in you lines of your life poses and can't wait to see more like this from you but remember it's all about expressing yourself try some fast work or tonal peaces

[spawner187]

hi amanda welcome to CA, I like you acrylics, you got the features in the portrait that's good, just keep practicing, keep posting, i will be around....cheer up!!

[Amanda Kate]

Hello Mac Con and thank you! :)
I will keep your advice in mind while I draw this week. I'm trying to schedule a 'drawing party' with a friend for sometime this week so hopefully I'll have a bunch of fun stuff to scan in at some point.

[Amanda Kate]

Thank you also Spawner! :)
Guess Mondays are the day for posting, haha.
I really enjoy acrylics and I'm actually taking a painting class this semester so hopefully I'll be able to snap some pictures and post them up here once I get my works to a place I'm comfortable with.
I will definitely keep practicing and posting, thank you for the good motivation! :)

[AlexEh]

Darn no update D: Ok ill add you onto my list, but stop my sketchbook sometimes.

Yea, that's one thing I felt about college last year. Drawing was completly new to me and they were putting onto me a whole lot of information and I don't feel I had any time to really process alot of it. I feel that now I have a firmer grasp on drawing when people suggest new ways of doing things or thinking I am at least able to try it out.

Idk I just kept drawing in my sketchbook and I feel that taught me alot more then school did. Just keep drawing =) Even if you only have 5 min inbetween something you might as well draw. Every morning and evening I draw on the bus and train. Even if its only 10 min.

[Amanda Kate]

I know! Sorry, I was running around like a crazy person doing homework yesterday..and I was just getting good about updating consistently around 2am over the weekend haha. xD

I've added you to my baby collection of sketchbooks to check out so no worries I wont forget. ^^ Yea, things tend to move pretty fast in some art classes in college..my graphic design class I seem to be working on something different every week or two which is nice but I don't feel like I have time to develop things as much as I want to sometimes. Anyways! I was drawing a bit yesterday so I shall scan them in and update this sketchbook here.

Also..I wish I could draw during my commute to classes, but it's usually a 5 or less minute walk from my residence hall. x3 I shall find more time somewhere though. :)

Is it bad if my scanner is making like..growling noises? o.o Anyways..no time for that now, update~ness!

Pencil sketch before bed last night.
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Thumbnails for a personal logo I am designing for a graphic design project.
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[AlexEh]

Cool stuff. I suggest doing some anatomy or observational drawing when you get the time. :D

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks! Hopefully I'll have a chance tonight to draw some actual human beings. 0_0 I might be tagging along with my roommate to visit some friends during their rp club meeting and I'll carry my sketchbook along with me. :)

[Krato]

spend more quality time on your pieces

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks for stopping by Krato, I will! :)

[Amanda Kate]

Alright quick update of some things I did today before I go to bed!

One of my neighbors while she was doing her homework.
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Work in progress of a friend's dream car. (Red Chevrolet '99)
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Random people sitting around campus.
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[Amanda Kate]

I totally forgot to post that I was working on this one a bit yesterday also, my bad. x.x
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[Amanda Kate]

Ahhh I swear I did not forget that I set a goal to update this everyday! 0.0
I've been studying for my western art history exam tomorrow and watching a friend's home movies but here is the painting (acrylics) I was working on during class this evening.

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[AlexEh]

Home movies eh? I wana make animation D:

Portraits looking intentionally flat, I had do do stuff like this too last year :D I suggest placeing some more saturated colors into it. Alots on the mid to low saturation level. Judgeing from the bad photo.
You need darker values in the car depth is achieved by shifting values from dark to light and vise versa constantly. Nothing will stay the same value for any length in time. If it looks like it is you jsut need to look harder :P Once you add on color to that we are also juggleing hue shifts and saturation shifts along side value shifts. It's 20 x harder @___@

Yay more sketchs form life! :D Try and spend more time with the drawings, keep your lines as organized as you can.

[Amanda Kate]

Haha yea, my neighbor and her brother were pretty cute kids.
You should make more animations! ^^

As for the flatness...I'm currently on my last week of studying expressionism which has been quite a challenge for me. I will try again to find the battery charger for my real camera instead of having to use my phone in crappy lighting when I forget to take a picture in the well lit studio. Much apologies! ._.

I will definitely work on values more as well as the other elements you mentioned. I didn't get a chance to go with my roommate to draw random friends of hers but I still have my neighbors who are willing to pose for the most part, haha.

Spending a lot of time seems to be a problem for me and a constant reminder from people, I realize and thank you for continuing to point it out. :)
No excessive amounts of video games and procrastinating this weekend, I have papers to write but I will take drawing breaks for sure. I will continue to keep trying!

[Amanda Kate]

I got some pretty good drawing done tonight I think, and I'm uploading before it's technically tomorrow so I don't break my chain of an update every day. ^^

I would have liked to get more into exploring values but poor lighting and friends who can't sit still for hours prevented me.. I will try to change that. e_e

(45 minutes)
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(30 minutes)
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(35 minutes)
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(5 minutes)
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[AlexEh]

Great job with the drawing today! I definently suggest studying some loomis, it's a good starting area to work on structure. For rendering I think it would be a good idea to just draw or paint some really basic items around the house and shine one light source on it.

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks Dylan! I will definitely check out loomis and do some studies of basic items around the house this weekend when I am home and can find a better desk lamp. ^^

Here's some drawings from this afternoon, my neighbors are still super excited about posing for me but the moment I tell them they are free to move again they are all like OH THANK GAWD. Who knew sitting could be so painful? :p


(20 minutes)
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(30 minutes)
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[Amanda Kate]

Today was a rainy and busy day..not very fun. I found a decent lamp to use and this interesting toy...fruit? o.o' I'm not exactly sure what it is but I tried to work on capturing all the colors and how the light hit it. Was a challenge and I will have to spend more time practicing for sure.

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Woot for me keeping with my one update a day for a whole week! Hope everyone is having a pleasant weekend. :)

[spawner187]

hi amanda!!, i was watching your sketches, and Dy lanea, posted that spend more quality time in your drawings, and so you did i was scrolling down the page and was very big step, the difference between your first sketches and those last ones, keep the same flow, i can see soon you will improve great......oh and the digital is better to, are you in arts college?
which grade?.

well see you later i want to scan something too....keep it....

[Amanda Kate]

Hey there Spawner! :)
I know..I know ._. Rushing on stuff has become a very bad habit of mine, and I'm trying hard to fix it. I'm glad there is a noticeable step from the top of the thread to the bottom. ^^

I am currently a junior in college and I am studying art with a minor in something with a long title that is technically computer science x3 ..but my school is not specifically an art college which has been a bit of a challenge but I'm trying to make the most of it as I'm nearly done.

[spawner187]

cool! computer science, well you including me are in good hands here in conceptart community, i'm positive you will improve, it really feel good when you make an effort for what you honestly feel you want to do the rest of your life, well here in mexico is kinda a joke to try to be an artist, yes here are few good artist, but you know the world is outside of the little pool, in the ocean where the sharks are, i have a lot problems making clients to pay me, i know i'm not the best but is decent shit you know hahaha...
they always think oh is your hobby?... damn NO!! is my AIR!!...and yeah where are having a talk in two places...by the way..

[Amanda Kate]

Yea, my school likes to call it a "well rounded gaming major" and I didn't really do as much research I should have in high school I just wanted to get out of the house and living at school, so I got stuck taking programming for two years before I decided I *needed* art, heh. e.e Yea, I know I can and will improve if I put in the effort, I believe anyone can do nearly anything they want with enough time and effort. Just gotta get to it. :)

I'm hoping I can get a job doing what I love for a living, that would be quite amazing I think. That sounds really difficult and discouraging being an artist in Mexico. ): The world can be harsh sometimes. Hopefully it wont always be like that. But you tell 'em!

I just mentioned in your thread we are talking in two places, haha. Not sure if you are online or not or if you use it often but I added you on msn. ^^

[Amanda Kate]

ZZzzz took too long drawing and chatting and it's time for bed. Here's an early update for Sunday just in case I get too absorbed in the two papers I'm going to write tomorrow. e.e

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[AlexEh]

Wow, its already looking alot better. Good job with the still life, good to0 see your not afraid of useing saturated colors and dark values. Ya... I spent a good year doing only quick bad drawings when I first started. It didnt do much good for me >__<

Once I started spending more time with my stuff I saw alot more improvement. But one hand I feel like I started spending more time on my drawings when I felt ready to.

Lol I'm used to seeing heads larger then they should be but on that last one the head is very small! Also the cranium should be a little larger.Good job on the hand. You need to study anatomy though, your not really seeing the sub structures of the arms :D

Good luck on the papers, I hate those @__@

[Abrodos]

Your works have improved a lot! Last figure drawings are much more well-proportioned. Don't underestimate the importance of drawing and painting from life, it's the only thing that makes us improve.
Keep up the work!

[Amanda Kate]

@ Dylan: Thanks! Will keep spending as much time as I can as soon as those darn papers are out of my way, only 7 pages to write. e.e I see what you are saying about the head and structure, I will keep an eye out for that. Also, I got a hold of Loomis' figure drawing book, looks like good stuff, I will read through it as soon as I get a chance!

@ Abrodos: Hey there, thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement! I will definitely continue to draw and paint from life, I enjoy it and need it, haha. :)

[spawner187]

You are getting better, is everything from life?, don't you have a anatomy book? check out http://www.posemaniacs.com/, is a cool site for studying anatomy, I Agree wiht Dy Lanea about the head but I like the expression, keep it up.


Ooops! I Didn't saw the 2nd page, hehehe, well everything is from life..

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks! Most of the drawings are from life..all the people that look like people are either myself, neighbors/friends, or people on my school campus. ^^ The little fruit thing was also referenced from my desk as well as what I'm adding onto this post as the daily update. I do have a few anatomy books and just got a new one that I have yet to look through..I've got to finish those papers, arg! D: Agreed, posemaniacs is a great tool, I will definitely try to make use of it more often.

Anyways, took a break from writing papers and doing homework to do another study, this one was pretty difficult and I could probably spend all night and not get it done exactly right, but I tried to do the best I could with the hour or so I had.
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[spawner187]

Amanda hi again, The sunglasses was a good challenge I think you are progressing fine, if you want smother Look in your digital paintings? try to experiment with custom brushes, take some minutes playing with settings, also if you have digital airbrush can give quick finish touches, set a low opacity and while your doing it pick the gradients that result from the taper effect of the brush...see ya!! around keep it up!!

[AlexEh]

Watch out for the edges on the last one, it's a quick still life but I suggest trying to take more time getting the edges right. I find the way to go about it is have a clear idea in your mind what you are trying to do then with the hard round brush, color pick the colors around the area you are painting and slowly begin to blend it by useing the opacity setting in the brush settings.

Coul use some more darks too :anime:

[Amanda Kate]

Hello and thanks for the advice guys! ^^

I will spend more time on my next still life and try to make it more solid.


I just finished my first trio of paintings (They are all acrylics on 18x24" oak tag paper) for one of my art classes so I'll post a quick update here before I go wash my hands and spend some time with my friends I've been ignoring all night, haha.
(Again, sorry for the poor quality photos, I have yet to find my camera charger cord..I'm about to just buy a new one soon..)

http://i42.tinypic.com/v8n4b7.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/2nj98gk.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2ibyc5u.jpg

(upload manager not working for me atm, will use it to host these here later when I can get it to work.)

[spawner187]

Hi Amanda!, hey of the 3 I like the portrait, the class was about fauvism?, the first one makes me trip, the last even you painted a composition in a flat form, the darker outline suggest dimension to my eye, has some semiotic in it? and the perspective is like the Gothic paintings...are you going to frame them?

but definitely I like the portrait, because the high key of colors and more abstract to give the final shape of each element of the piece.

keep it up!!!

see you around..

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks Fernando! Sorry for my delayed response it has been a busy day I got contacted last minute to work on a new project and I just got back from my 3 hour long painting class critique. x.x That first part of the class is about expressionism so fauvism is pretty close, yes. I don't think I will frame them, I need to pick one and refine it more later.

Next I will be working with cubism, should be interesting

I don't really have the willpower to work on much at the moment after the super long critique (I will probably draw a bit before bed but I don't think it will be before midnight and I don't want to miss a day of updating) so I'm going to post an older work of mine that is not yet finished but think has potential.
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[spawner187]

hi Amanda, it's ok, don't worry, I understand but It's good willpower to keep your sketchbook after all the work you have in school, I will make my try's in the DSG and tell you to check out the stuff, so you can smash me with tons of critics, there will be time...cheer up!! I will be around your sketchbook to encourage you, ok by the way I think that's fine that you frame the one you like best and work more on it, cubism I have, a big book of picasshole( have you ever seen Art School Confidential?) those kind of book that the people call coffee table book, (but is in my studio hehehe...without coffee table), you should add to this hot chick you did, the skills you improve later..I like the concept...keep it up!!

[Amanda Kate]

Ahhh another crazy week that is almost over! : O I had some time this evening and a friend willing to pose (again!) so here's a legit update.
(40 minutes)
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[Amanda Kate]

The original for of this is longer but my scanner is not that big. x.x
(20 minutes)
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[Krato]

nice updates, i suggest you get the hogarth and bridgeman anatomy books and start studying from those as well as what your currently doing :) ill update sunday maybe

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks for stopping by Kratos! :) I will definitely look into hogarth and bridgeman, thanks for the suggestion!

[Amanda Kate]

Today is kinda a weak update because I was trapped most of the day at a baby shower(it wasn't that awful, the chocolate fudge cake was good xD)..I was creative there though, my cousin had onesies and fabric markers for everyone to make something cute for the soon to be mommy.
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And I also did a quick sketch of a mini landscape inspired by watching someone who makes environments for a living doodle in photoshop for like one minute and it was a million times better than this. I have a lot of work to do, haha.
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Tomorrow I will have a more serious post, I promise!

[spawner187]

Hi Amanda
Hey a like your studies from life you are good, very funny the baby shower thing, in the landscape you got the depth, is organize, just more practice with color, landscape is very challenging with that, I know you're progressing step by step..see ya, keep it up!!!

[Yautja892]

Nice start to a sb Amanda and welcome to CA! :yayca:I noticed your post in the ssg group. I'm also looking for a group as well. I had one in the past and it helped me stay focused and updated. Let me know if your still open for members? Great improvement your making, especially the life drawings. They have a better sense of mass and form to them. Post #41 is a good example of that. Try and experiment with your line weight a little more. Some of the line work has the same value. One good way of pushing this is pushing your lines darker into the area's of focus or you want to have a hard edge such as parts of the body where you can see the internal structure easier, such as the joint's or where bone is closer to the surface. I'll be watching your progress.

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks a bunch Yautja! :) I kinda sorta found a group to work with throughout the week, Spawner and I have a daily challenge thing of sorts starting today and I'd be glad to add you to my list of sketchbooks to check as well. I'll contact you about the group thing.

Thanks for the advice, I will try to experiment with line weight more when I draw.

[AlexEh]

Hey Amanda nice update. A little trick to give more depth to a landscape is to have objects become darker as they come closer to you. At night objects will get lighter suggesting some sort of light source near you.

That is all :D

[Amanda Kate]

Hey Dylan, thanks for the advice!

Quick still life/study before bed.

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[AlexEh]

If its still intact I say keep working on it got lots more to work out :D Wooo for still lifes! Gona be fun watching you develop over the next months miss <3

[Amanda Kate]

Thanks Dylan! I might go back to this in the future, sadly I had to dissemble it so I could read a few chapters of the book for homework..gonna be another busy week! I'm trying to make time for everything though and next week is spring break woo! :D

[Mac Con]

Thanks Amanda for coming back and I will post more as soon as possible, been preoccupied with other matters lately been waiting to hear word back from university to whether or not I’ve been excepted and the news finally arrived I got in yahoo to me but now I’ve got to choose between Computer Games (Art and Animation) or 3D Computer Animation there is nothing different in what you learn between the two courses it must be how you approach the lesions looking for some advice from people in the industry today so here’s hoping I think I like the look of 3D Computer Animation because I think there will be more job opportunities but Computer Games (Art and Animation) was my first chose P.S your life model work is coming along nicely and your chose of colours on the three paintings are very well brought together they look bold and distinctive like the partitions of a church window

[spawner187]

Hi Amanda, You did it!! great, that's good, Sometimes I feel stupid just saying- Oh! yeah! cool, etc.. but you know I would feel worst been a bomb dropper, what I mean with that, Always destroying with my comments becaming a pain in "right there", and forgetting to say something that encourage you, because I already now you are trying hard considering all the work you have.

I'm self study, but once I took like two months from an art program classes and met the teacher, but I quit because I injured my leg, I couldn't climb the stairs.
Later in a collective exposition the teacher was around there and some artist friend call him, My friend said- Hey Fernando your master (he wasn't you know, how I just took two months) and he is Fernando don't you(the teacher) remember him and bla bla bla, so he said flat out the next time you invite me to see your artwork when you make 50 artworks exhibition not five, I just was thinking-How somebody can be so mean, more been an Art teacher?- I felt bad but just stay calm, and always thinking life is more about how much you're able to take, and keep standing up for the next round.....So keep it up!!!

[Krato]

im no expert on enviro landscapes but the atmosphere in the distance de-saturates the ground and features (like mountains or whatever) also you lose detail the farther back you are, so your foreground should have detail then the distant background. If you into enviros do studies from photos and keep an eye out for that stuff, or even better do it from life, but those arent that easy to understand and it requires an understanding in values, perspective, atmosphere, textures, and so on.

with your still life the mouse and phone are on different planes so they dont really work out to well. i guess the values are alright given that there in the shade but give these more times because there is so much more you can learn from a still life if you give it enough time. :)

[Amanda Kate]

Dear Sketchbook and and random followers/viewers,

Long time no write! I know I've been awful about updating since school let out for the summer and I went on vacations and back to work and all that jazz. But I feel like now more than ever is the time to get back into some serious artageness.
I've been slacking majorly and need to pick up the pace to get things done for my self improvement, independent study class at college this year, as well as my portfolio and final art project next semester.
So as not to revive this thread with empty words, I'm adding in some things that I have worked on over the past few months up until now.
I'm not going to update daily, but when I feel like I have something worthwhile to show. If anyone from my old sketchgroups happens to still be around, it would be nice to chat again. :)
Anyways, I'm looking forward to Portrait Day tomorrow (Nov. 1st) - I will be drawing one yet again! Happy Halloween and to anyone that may stop by hope you enjoy the new stuff!

Also, I tried changing my thread thumbnail but it didn't work the way I wanted it to..I was hoping the smaller image in the first post would become the thumbnail and not one of the larger ones..anyone know how to fix that?

[AlexEh]

Lalalala! Long time no talk Amanda glad to see your still kicking around. Hope things are well for yeah! :anime:

[Amanda Kate]

Happy Self Portrait Day! :D Here is mine, also posted in this thread:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=199075
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[Krato]

their is a major lack of studies going on here i dont know what you're aiming for but if improvement is it you need to do allot more studies then you are right now!


also my name has nothing to do with god of war, its just krato ;)

[Amanda Kate]

their is a major lack of studies going on here i dont know what you're aiming for but if improvement is it you need to do allot more studies then you are right now!


also my name has nothing to do with god of war, its just krato ;)


Improvement is always a good thing, and I agree..I'm trying to get back into the habit of drawing so I will try to do more studies, however they may be quick with the busy schedule I am on.

I have been doing many studies of shape, color, and now transparency in the art class i am taking, the one above with the spheres and boxes is from that class, perhaps I will post more of those when I have a chance.

Ah I see, my apologies, I will change that in my signature. :)

[Amanda Kate]

Here are some renders from a recently finished project for my 3D modeling independent studying. If anyone is experienced with Maya or this sort of thing feedback would be much appreciated. :)

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