Building a Powerful Comic Book Portfolio with Alvin Lee is open for registration

NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AT SCHOOLISM.COM

Course Name: Building a Powerful Comic Book Portfolio with Alvin Lee
Start Date: 02/20/2009
Seats Available: 15
Pre-Requisites: Good knowledge of perspective and human anatomy
Cost: $998

Register at SCHOOLISM.COM

Nine Lessons in Total.

Lesson 1: Introduction to Tools and Script Analysis

In this lesson I will begin by running through all the necessary tools you will need for this course. From the proper drafting pencil to use, using a french curve, down to basic photoshop skills to scan and remove non-photo blue from the penciled page. All of the different tools you will need as a professional will be covered during this lesson. After you have been familiarized with the tools I will move forward to analyzing a script with you where you will be thumb-nailing layouts of a page, providing me with several different variations of trial and error until you have the strongest layout and why. Strong storytelling will be the foundation of this assignment.

Lesson 2: The Hero
You will be introduced to the hero and his unique features. I will cover the basic anatomy of a Hero and from there you will be completing a turnaround of the Hero that I provide for you mimicking my own personal style. This will be a test of consistency and accuracy, you will learn the fundamentals of having to draw the same character repeatedly in different angles. I will teach you how to do render a proper turnaround with the usage of guidelines which will be repeated on the hero's face.

Lesson 3: The Heroine
I will introduce you to drawing the heroine and the delicacy of a woman's figure. More importantly which lines to keep, which to take away. You will be repeating the same process and completing a turnaround of a full figure drawing I provide for you. Again you will be replicating my style but doing so in different angles to test your ability to create consistently out of your own comfort zone. I will also be covering the alluring features of a woman's face.

Lesson 4: Exaggerated Proportions and Foreshortening
After you have been accustomed to penciling the fundamentals of a comic book character we will then move on to explore the excitement of exaggeration. During this lesson I will show you interesting ways to encourage your creativity with human anatomy, especially for comicbooks. I will be providing you with a drawing of a disproportionate figure and you will be analyzing that in the form of a turnaround. After that is completed we will move on to dynamic foreshortening. I will be showing you different techniques to really make something look like it is coming towards the viewer. We will be completing a study on both arms and legs and how to foreshorten them properly.

Lesson 5: Dynamic Hands
The complete penciler must know how to draw not only realistic hands but also powerful ones. In this lesson I will be showing you tricks I have learned during my career to help you understand hands, how they work and how to exaggerate them to create a desired emotional effect. During this lesson you will also be doing a study on the expressions of your own hands and using them as your own lifedrawing tool. Those principles will be applied to a set of exaggerated comic book hands, to test your understanding and consistency.

Lesson 6: Detailing and Textures
This lesson will cover everything from the basics of light and shadow to the intricacies of detailing a page using different comicbook styles. The different techniques covered will include using hard shadows to define a character, crosshatching to create shades of dark to light, minimalistic lineart and texturing for different surface materials. Those individual comic styles will be put to the test on basic shapes to demonstrate each's properties which will then be applied to the human figure.

Lesson 7: Lightboxing and Perspective Guidelines
During this class you will learn the techniques of using a lightbox when enlarging a thumbnail. I will show you how to complete an accurate perspective grid so that you characters coincide with the backgrounds properly to avoid mishaps. I will be covering the importance of using the copy, trim and bleed lines on a comicboard and lastly I will have you enlarge your own layout previously provided to me in Lesson 1 and prepare the page for the penciling phase.

Lesson 8: Backgrounds
In this lesson you will be introduced to the establishing panel. The one panel that will showcase your versatility in drawing environments that surround your characters. I will be showing you different techniques in using perspective grids and also the application of textures for different surfaces. I will be providing you with a floorplan of an environment in which I will be helping you create the elevation. I will also be showing you tricks of the trade in making backgrounds easier for you, especially when you are limited in time. Also I will be covering a brief segment on the usage of speedlines.

Lesson 9: Penciling
Everything we have covered during the previous 8 lessons will be culminated into this final lesson! Just to give you an idea, you will be applying the light and shadow techniques in lesson 6 on the layout you provided in Lesson 1 on the page you enlarged in lesson 7. The Hero and the Heroine from lessons 2 and 3 will be drawn on the final page using one of the unique comic penciling styles and the end result will be a completed penciled page, packed with everything a powerful comicbook portfolio should include!

WWE: Stone Cold Breaks his friend's Nose with a Stone Cold Stunner

The disrespectful, beer-drinking hero, and the middle finger flashin bald headed Stone Cold Steve Austin was recently shooting a fight scene in a new movie with MMA fighter Paul Lazenby, when he accidentally landed a solid left hook.


The MMA fighter bled for about 20 minutes and then the medical experts took care of his wound.There was no revenge from the MMA fighter as he was left with two black eyes and a broken nose because he considered the whole thing as a giant and freak accident.

And That's The Bottom Line,Cos Stone Cold Said So!

The fight with the wallpaper - round one

Who thought of this hideous wallpaper? I mean - fair enough in an old peoples home, but in someones bedroom??

To top it all off the wardrobes in the bedroom had been covered in a different kind of wallpaper:

It's a really bad photo, but it's a pink floral pattern. I mean - come on?! Blue flowers, pink flowers, big flowers around the ceiling? Crazy, if you ask me!

Now I've painted layer no. 1. I guess I'll need another two leayers to get the walls completely white, but it's well worth it. This is what it looks like after one layer:

Technology: Your Keys are no more Yours--It can be duplicated using Software

Who would have thought that this day would come when your keys can be copied exactly using a software?Well this is no more an impossible thing now as the scientists have made it possible.

There are expert locksmiths out there that can reproduce a key from high-resolution images, but new software developed by computer scientists at UC San Diego has simplified the process to a fearsome degree. In fact, their "Sneakey" system can reproduce a key with only a grainy cellphone image or, in one case, a picture taken from 200 feet away with a five-inch telephoto lens.

“The program is trouble-free. You have to click on the photo to tell it where the top of the key is, and a few other control points. From here, it normalizes the key’s size and position. Since each pixel then corresponds to a set distance, it can correctly guess the height of each of the key cuts,” explained Benjamin Laxton, the first author on the paper who recently earned his Master’s degree in computer science from UC San Diego.

The researchers have not released their code to the public, but they claim that anyone with a decent working knowledge of MatLab and computer vision techniques could create a similar system without much obscurity. Their suggestion: treat your keys like you would a credit card.

Thanks for giving us all one more thing to worry about guys. Hehe!!!

today's jobs

Today I have:

• installed shelves in two wardrobes


• sorted out/unpacked/organized 7 wardrobes


• wallpapered the bathroom door


• carried stuff (three bin bags full!) to the recycling shop


• carried 8 boxes up to the attic and organized the attic


• gone shopping for food - a girl has to eat too you know


• installed the hi fi - finally! I've got tunes again!


• listened to 4 cd's


• met a painter/decorator to get a price on the jobs in the flat, got slightly annoyed with what he wanted to charge and hence decided to do it all myself.


• put up a shelf for the microwave

and quite a few little bits more too. I'm knackered. I will have a cup of tea and go to bed. That's if I don't remember any more jobs that should be done asap...

Spotlight: Carlos Rubio

Here's a shameless plug... but it's something I wanted to share.

His name is Carlos Rubio. He's a fellow Toronto subway sketcher and a student on Schoolism.com.

Carlos took the "Art of Caricature with Jason Seiler" and in a few months his paintings and skill levels have improved dramatically! While I know he's a hard working guy, it's still very impressive.

Side note: he was one of the 50 really dedicated artists that came to the zoo last Saturday despite the rain. We're proud of you Carlos and everyone else that came!

Here's his BLOG. I hope you'll take a look.

Politics: Why Obama might be the Winner--There are 8 strong reasons behind it

Well everyone knows that Barack Obama holds a very strong position in his presidential election run than the Republican John McCain.There are 8 strong reasons Barack Obama will however win handily.











1.Obama's supporters are more energized.

Obama draws massive crowds wherever he goes and has energized young and first-time voters in a way that will astonish pollsters relying on traditional turnout models. Obama supporters see their votes as an exciting chance to create a brighter future.





2.Obama has a superior ground game.

Obama is better controlled at the neighborhood level than any Democratic presidential candidate in history.His campaign is also making milestone use of technology—using e-mail, text messages and social-networking sites to keep in touch with supporters and recommend them to the polls.





3. Obama has a superior air game.

Obama is so flush with cash that he's able to saturate TV and radio in key markets at the end of the campaign with ads that counter McCain's criticisms of him and initiate attacks on McCain.It's not just the money but the strength of mind to respond rapidly and passionately inside the space of a single news cycle.





4. McCain has lost his brand.

Yes, he's a unstable man running in sensitive times under the banner of troubled party. But he started off with the image of a bipartisan straight-shooter with a obvious, selfless sense of proportion.Now that McCain's finally settled on conservative tax policy as his theme down the stretch, his campaign is so desperate for traction that it's going schoolyard.





5. Palin is turning out to be the disasta' from Alaska

I'm confident historians will rank McCain's decision to choose a rookie governor from a low-population state to be his running mate as his major miscalculation. Palin's youth, spunkiness and old-fashioned bona fides fired up the Republican base, sure. But her unawareness, on display in early TV interviews, embarrassed the rest of us, and polls now show her as a distinct drag on the ticket.



6. Obama hasn't lost his cool.

Historians will also note the textbook discipline of the Obama campaign, which stuck to a set of fairly simple "change" messages while the McCain campaign kept trying out new themes. This control has been mirrored by Obama's own equanimity, particularly during the debates in which he looked and sounded far more presidential than the nervous, simpering McCain.



7. McCain hasn't been able to fight the Bush head winds.

No matter how many times McCain said "maverick," he still couldn't create adequate distance from the deeply disliked president to make the sale to voters hungering for new leadership.





8.Obama has been lucky.

Things have been fairly quiet all year on the terror and national security fronts—McCain's strengths. And the chief crisis of the campaign season—the economic meltdown—not only played into one of Obama's perceived strong suits, it also caused McCain to appear impulsive and indecisive in the face of a sudden challenge.

This is not a mock or an assurance, but is expected that luck to hold at least through Tuesday night.

Mad Looking Chairs designed by English Designer From Trash

English designer Osian Batyka-Williams makes mad looking but hard to reuse objects into unique, if not particularly comfortable looking chair designs.

Reusable components are salvaged from thrown out furniture and fittings, and then combined with a touch of FSC plywood to create exclusive hybrids.



The tube chair is made from stainless steel tubes

Technology: Calorie Burning Chair

Are you worried about your fats? Do you want to loose some of your calories,but don't wanna leave your chair? Then stop worrying, because the Calorie Burning Chair might do the work for you.

The Hobart I-Cool seat idea has your best interests at heart. It wants you to lose weight but knows that you shouldn't have to leave your chair to do so. Using a "proprietary" system for "temperature regulation," users are said to shed pounds while just sitting there in a fashionable "micro environment." But to us, the seat wrongly resembles a George Foreman Grill. Despite its obvious name, we're not certain whether the I-Cool makes you shiver, sweat or both to increase sedentary calorie burning rates, but we do know that office warfare already leads to many a rogue thermostat lacking proper regulation. In other words, it's tough to imagine that this chair, however cool it may look, will make you any more able to down McMuffins all day without packing on the poundage. But a man can dream, can't he?

Technology: Thanko-Your weather Favorable KeyBoard

No matter if the weather is hot or cold,warm or chilly, your Thanko Heating Cooling Keyboard is ready for any condition.


This lovely weather supporting keyboard was a great addition to your desktop for the summer, but temperatures have gotten chillier now and we're all wondering how to keep our wrists warm. Why, with Thanko's upgraded heating AND cooling keyboard, of course! The wintertime edition has three different warming spots that'll make your hands all grilled. And if things get too hot, switch it back to fan mode to cool your fingers off. This astonishing weather-weathering peripheral is available on the Thanko website for roughly $50.

moving update

It's something weirdly satisfying about being exhausted.

For three days in a row I have unpacked boxes, sorted out wardrobes, cleaned kitchen cupboards, put up shelves, filled holes in the wall, sanded things down and organized paperwork.

I am pooped. Completely knackered. Every muscle in my body is aching after lifting, carrying and god knows what. And it feels good! It's a physical kind of tiredness. I go to bed at night and fall asleep sooner than I can say "good night".

Today I did trip no. one to IKEA. I shall count how many trips I'll do connected to this move - bet there will be a few!

Tomorrow a man is coming to give me an estimated price to wallpaper my bedroom and paint my bathroom. Friday I'm off to buy paint for the livingroom. The kitchen and hallway will just have to wait...

I don't want bookshelves for all my books. I'm thinking of either hide them in a low, long sideboard or put a long row of wallfitted shelves just under the ceiling all around the livingroom to get them out of the way. What do you reckon? Ideas anybody?

Comic book artist Alvin Lee teaching online comic book course

Schoolism is pleased to announce that Comic Book artist Alvin Lee is going to be teaching a Comic Book Fundamentals Workshop starting February 20th, 2009.

Pre-Requisites: Good knowledge of perspective and human anatomy.

15 Spots available. Registration will start some time this week so keep checking back for updates.

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Other classes open for registration,
The Art of Caricature with Jason Seiler - starts Oct 31, 2008
Digital Painting with Bobby Chiu - starts Dec 08, 2008
Character Design by Silver - starts Jan 05, 2009
Storyboarding with Kris Pearn - starts Jan 26, 2009

Visit Schoolism.com to register.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!

Everyone...I hope you are all having a SUPER day today!!! I woke up to a wonderful surprise in my inbox....My dear sweet friend Diann Scholl blessed me with a "Million Dollar Friend Award"!!! Absolutely made my day!!! THANK YOU DIANN!!!! I've added it to the right of my blog and have chosen 5 people to pass my award on to.......I noticed after I had passed mine on Diann has chosen a couple of them before me...but hey, they deserve it!!!

Rita Loyd - http://ritaloyd.blogspot.com/

Christina Lytle - http://christinalytle.blogspot.com/

Fabrizio Martellucci - http://craftingmad.blogspot.com/

Shirley Boyer - http://abitofthisabitofthat.spaces.live.com/

Valerie Brincheck - http://www.thesumofallcrafts.blogspot.com/

These are all AWESOME Artists and you will love their work!!!!

Another friend of my from a group I'm in, Greta, shared with us a wonderful link to a Foam Board ink pad holder she made for her stampin up ink pads she has www.rebelinker.blogspot.com/2007/10/inkpad-holder-for-6.html ....Well I loved the idea but I don't use stampin up ink pads......I decided I wanted to create one to fit my needs....I have some wire racks on my ART desk...I thought it would be great to have them displayed between these wire racks...so I fashioned me one....I REALLY like the way it turned out...thought I would share it with you.....

Mind you, I KNOW it's not pretty....but it IS very useful!!! :) I modified it to fit what I needed it for and am happy happy with the outcome...the only downside to it was I burned myself several times last night with my glue gun!!!! :( Anyway, just wanted to share it with you!!!

Ok, now it's off to work for me this morning!!! As always I want to Thank You for stopping by to visit with me today!!! I hope you all have a very blessed and happy Wednesday!!! Be safe...until next time...

Technology: Robot will be your Cleaner

Now you don't have to worry about all those boring laundry,sweep and clean up kitchen works at your home that you have been doing for years.

Because the robot(robo-maid) developed by Tokyo University's Information and Robot Technology (IRT) cleans almost all those boring cleaning stuffs that you don't wanna do everyday.

Sure, it looks like a helpful robot strapped to a mobile toilet, but this robo-maid developed by Tokyo University's Information and Robot Technology (IRT) center won't be helping with the after birth of your Turducken dinner. Assistant Robot is domestic enough to do the laundry, sweep, and clean up the kitchen... but there are limits what its 3D sensors will respond to. Its creators claim that it can recognize when there's more laundry to do and won't be harassed from doing its task by the roar of the crowd from the television. That gives men about 10 - 20 years to get their act together before this robot could conceivably go production.

Happy Tuesday....

Everyone....I hope you all have had a wonderful day!!! Whew it has been cooooollllll here today.....Our morning started out at 32° and I believe our high was 49°...Fall is here fall is here!!! I must admit, however, it is a nice change of pace!!!

I couldn't stand it any longer......I just HAD to play with paper today!!! I started this card this morning and finished it this evening......It looks simple but elegant don't ya think.....I am REALLY happy with the way it turned out and will be making more of these!! The tree and the Happy Holidays are some new stamps I got this weekend....Great purchases huh!!! Me thinks so!!

I stamped the Tree with pigment gold ink and sprinkled ultra fine embossing powder on it, shook off the excess and embossed with heat gun.....took a gold pen and went around the edges of the black linen cardstock.....then I took some black and gold ribbon I ALSO got this weekend placed at the bottom below the tree.....then stamped with pigment gold ink the happy holidays and embossed as I did the tree....cut it out and put some raised dots on the back to lift it up off the ribbon when I adhered......

Behind the top layer of cardstock I put a layer of wallpaper...I also scanned the wallpaper to make my envelope and the inside layer of the card!!! I adhered the layer of wallpaper and the top layer to the base of the card which is black linen cardstock!! I printed the inside layer and also a phrase.....Whoala!!! Simple and elegant!!!

I had fun making this and it just makes me want to make more and more!!!! So what have you all been creating!!! I am SO looking forward to this weekend being able to stay snuggled up in my cozy home in my awesome ART Studio creating away!!! Doesn't that sound FUN!!! :)

I, as always.....want to THANK YOU for stopping by to visit with me!!! I hope you enjoyed my card!!! Please remember to come back and visit with me again!!! Take care, may God bless you all.....until next time.....

WWE: Cyber Sunday--Who Won Who Lost.

The Animal Preys Jericho.

With special referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin overseeing the match, Batista defeated Chris Jericho to become the new World Heavyweight Champion


The Dead Man is The Last Man Standing.

In a brutal Last Man Standing Match, Undertaker used his deadly submission move to weaken Big Show and claim sweet revenge over The World’s Largest Athlete who knocked him out at No Mercy earlier this month.

Rey Mysterio Wins

In a No Holds Barred Match chosen by the WWE Universe, the Ultimate Underdog was able to slay the Big Red Monster.

Jeff Hardy Looses to Triple H.

Despite a valiant effort from Jeff Hardy, it was WWE Champion Triple H who reigned supreme.

Technology: Giant Dead Insect Inside the Mouse

Did we ever think that a mouse will contain a giant dead insect inside it? Well this is no more in thoughts because it is seen now in real.

I know there are people out there that are into bugs...Jame Gumb (aka Buffalo Bill) and Gil Grissom for example—but this crap is just gross.

Nonetheless, if you are a budding entomologist you will probably get a kick out of this USB mouse with a giant green beetle forever preserved in a plastic tomb. Also available in spider and starfish versions.

This acrylic USB computer mouse features a green beetle embedded in the clear plastic.The actual specimens add an element of interest and excitement to your daily computer use, while adding some personality to your desk or office.

Mother Julia Blogs For Her Lost Son

Julia Hudson, Jennifer's sister and the mother of murdered 7-year-old Julian King, updated her MySpace page yesterday with a truly sad and depressing message.

"LETS SEE IM 29 YEARS OLD I HAVE ONE CHILD AND I'M ALWAYS BORED, I LOVE TO HAVE FUN EVEN START A LITTLE S*** HERE AND THEIR i HAVE TWO YOUNGER SIBLINGS MY SISTER IS JENNIFER HUDSON YES THE JENNIFER HUDSON AND MY BROTHER IS JASON,

I GUESS IT'S TIME TO UPDATE THIS WHEN I STARTED MY MYSPACE ALL OF THE ABOVE WAS TRUE , NOW BECAUSE I CHOSE TO DO WHAT WAS NATURAL TO ME AND LOVE SOMEONE , IT COST ME MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY MY WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL LOVING SUPPORTING MOTHER DARNELL, MY TRUE BLUE BABY BROTHER JASON , I LOVE U BIG BABY ...

AND LAST BUT NEVER NOT LEAST MY ONLY SON JULIAN , MY INNOCENT BABY ONE THAT WAS SHELTERED FROM ALL THE EVIL OIN THE WORLD BECAUSE WE LOVED HIM SO MUCH... BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVING SUPPORT, I KNOW SOME OF YAL HAVE YOUR OPINIONS AND YOU ARE ENTITLED TO THAT , LIKE WHY IS SHE LOGGING ON TO MYSPACE AT A TIME LIKE THIS , LET ME TELL YOU WHY I WAS HOPING THAT , THAT WAS A WAY TO MAYBE HELP ME GET MY SON, MY BABY THE ONE I CARRIED UNDER MY HEART FOR 8 1/2 MONTHS THE SON IT TOOK ME 21 HOURS OF LABOR TO BRING HERE THE SON I GREW TO KNOW AND LOVE FOR JUST A FEW MONTHS OVER 7 YEARS THATS WHY ...

AND NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ACTUALLY CARED THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT , THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS , THANK YOU FOR POSTING HIS PICTURE ON YOUR PAGES AS YOUR DEFAULT PICTURE THANK YOU... BUT HIS LIL SOUL IS AT EASE, I TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT JULIAN IS WITH MY MOTHER AND MY BROTHER AND MOST OF ALL THE LORD AND NOW HE'S MY ANGEL HE'S PROTECTING ME... ..

the finished product

So here it is: the finished product after a few weeks of preparation, cuts and god knows what else.

Yesterday I was modelling at Tony & Guy where this girl did her final exam on me and another 8 models. We were all given silver make up all around our eyes (very David Bowie if you ask me...), pale lips and all dressed in black. Very trendy, very arty and very different.

It was a long but fun day. And despite some peoples opinions I really like this style!

Chicago Police Department says the body is Julian King's

Chicago police have confirmed the body they found earlier in the day was in fact Julian King, Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew.

Cops say they are reviewing surveillance tapes in the neighborhood where the SUV was found.

Police also say they are zooming in on the timeline -- it's still unclear when the SUV showed up in the neighborhood with Julian's body.

Cops have not named anyone as an official suspect. They have called William Balfour "a person of interest." Our law enforcement sources, however, have said Balfour is indeed the prime suspect.

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond says the boy had been shot.

Good bye old flat - Hello new!

I just don't understand where it all fitted? I lived in a bedsit for christ sake! 27 removal boxes I filled - thank god I sold my bed weeks earlier so I had a place to put all the boxes whilst packing..

And in the new flat the un-packing has begun... Did I really own this much stuff? Have I used half of it? Where do I put it now? I've given loads away. Will sell some stuff on eBay. But crikey - it's pretty chocking how much junk I've collected over these years back in Sweden!

The boy was shot to the Head

A source close to the investigation of the body believed to be that of Julian King says he suffered at least one gun shot to the head.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet confirmed the boy is in fact Julian King.

Sean Howard, a spokesman for Cook County, says Jennifer Hudson has not yet arrived to ID the body -- but should be there shortly.

Jennifer Hudson Moving for Body Identification

Jennifer Hudson is on her way to the Medical Examiner's office to identify the body of the boy who was found dead in the back of the SUV this morning.

The FBI has said the body appears to be that of Julian King, Jennifer's 7-year-old nephew.

THE HEARTLESS MURDER & it's details

New reports about the body believed to be Julian King, Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew.

The Chicago Tribune cites law enforcement sources who say the boy was shot multiple times while in the back of the vehicle. Police are testing the clothing of the suspect in custody for gunshot residue -- we believe that to be William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister.

FBI believes that the body is of Julian King

The FBI has now said the body discovered today in an SUV in Chicago is "believed to be" that of Julian King, Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew.

Chicago cops have not yet commented.

It is worth noting -- the Amber Alert for Julian has been called off.

Julian King's Body Found in SUV

Chicago cops have found the body of a child and are investigating whether it's the body of Jennifer Hudson's nephew, Julian King. The medical examiner has not yet made an ID, but we are now told the body is that of a 7-year-old African American boy, the same age and race as Julian.

The body was found inside a 1994 white Chevy Suburban. It is the same SUV owned by Jason Hudson, the murdered brother of Jennifer. Before his arrest, cops were looking for William Balfour, the suspect and estranged husband of Jennifer's sister. The license plate of the Suburban matches Jason's SUV.

The SUV was found a few miles from the area where cops arrested Balfour.The SUV is now being towed from the scene. Unclear if the body is still at the scene. No ID so far.

Neighbors say the vehicle has been parked there since Saturday. Balfour was arrested Friday night.The SUV has been towed with the body still inside the vehicle. The SUV is now at a police garage in Chicago.

Toronto Sketchcrawl at the Zoo!

What a great turn out it was! Not even the gloomy weather and rain could stop us--that's what being an artist is all about, right?! It was really great to see friends and new faces come together and sketch whatever they saw. I just wish the zoo stayed opened for a lot longer, but it just makes me want to come back more regularly.

Also check out the Sketchcrawl forum for more awesome sketches around the world!

And here's the link for the Toronto Sketchcrawl thread...so start sharing what you saw!

<3Kei

the meercats


mandrills


cute halloween kids!


.. our fine group!

$100,000-- If you can get Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew Julian King.

Jennifer Hudson is offering a $100,000 reward for the safe return of her 7-year-old nephew Julian King. He's been missing since the fatal shooting on Friday of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother.

In a statement Sunday evening from publicist Lisa Kasteler, Jennifer Hudson appealed to the public for its help, offering the reward and asking that any information be given to Chicago police.
"Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian," the statement said.


Chicago police ramped up search efforts for Julian around the Englewood neighborhood, where Hudson grew up, and transferred custody of a "person of interest" in the killings to state authorities.


"Detectives are working 24 hours on this case," said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. "There's a lot of forensic evidence. We have to work the evidence and try and solve this case. Most importantly, we want to find the child."

Jennifer Shows Up for Body Identification

It's always hard and painful for someone to identify your own mother and brother's dead bodies,but it's "standard operating procedure" for a family member to do this, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Jennifer Hudson showed up to identify the bodies of her mother, Darnell, and brother Jason.

UPDATE: William Balfour is now under the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Cops told us the IDOC have taken Balfour for breaking the terms of his parole.

The nature of the violations are unclear, but it's told that although Balfour is in the custody of the IDOC, the "homicide investigation is still active and ongoing."

Search For Julian King Continues

Where is the 7 year old boy gone? Is he also dead or someone is hiding him somewhere? Will he be ever found by the authorities? The question remains.

The search for Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew continues to intensify. It is being told the operating theory among Chicago detectives is an "ongoing domestic dispute" between the suspect, William Balfour, and his estranged wife, Julia Hudson.

Chicago cops would not be more specific, other than to say there is an "underlying domestic aspect" to the investigation ... that there was "trouble in the marriage."

The cops continues to interview people, but no one other than Balfour is in custody. As for Balfour, so far no charges have been filed.

Chicago cops are now using flyers with Julian King's pic to find the missing boy.

The boy hasn't been seen since the bodies of Hudson's mother and brother were found Friday in her home in the South side of Chicago. The two had been shot to death.

The police will be handing out the flyers today all over Chicago, particularly on the South side.

Jennifer Hudson seeks Aid

Jennifer Hudson has joined the campaign for her missing nephew, Julian King, through her MySpace blog.

It reads: "Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately.Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time."



Sincerely,

The Hudson Family

new house

So I am finally in my new flat! Exhausted, tired, happy and satisfied with the day.

We started at 10, picking up the removal truck, and then we carried stuff as per usual. We were done by 4 pm, in my new flat with boxes pretty much everywhere. The cats (especially Tylor, bless him - Kif just had a ball even though a bit confused) were stressed out and even though we took it in turns to be with the cats in the kitchen, where they were locked in, it felt good to leave them alone in the flat for a bit to calm down.

So we ventured out again with the removal van. Drove off to a neighbouring area where I'd found a couple of arm chairs on eBay. I hadn't seen them so it was a bit of a chance buying htem like that, but I'm well chuffed! They are beige/brown, 50's armchairs in extremely nice condition. the cats like them too... Hope they don't shred them too much!

Now Tylor has had a good old cuddle, Kif has helped me unpack some stuff and I am soooo ready for my bed! (or shall I say settee? My bed arrives on Tuesday.)

I love my new home. As soon as I have found the camera in one of the boxes I'll add some photos.

Sorry about the spelling on this blog - I just had a beer and it went straight to my head. And tasted amazing! :-)

Halle Berry: I take responsibility for my own sexual pleasure

Halle Berry has revealed her top sex secret: she’s made herself responsible for her own enjoyment.

The actress was recently voted the Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire and in the interview to accompany her victorious photo shoot, she explained: “You know that stuff they say about a woman being responsible for her own orgasms? That’s all true, and, in my case, that makes me responsible for pretty damn good orgasms.

“[They’re] much better orgasms than when I was 22, and I wouldn’t let a man control that. Not anymore. Now, I’d invite them to participate.

“I’ve learned my tricks. I know what I like. I do not wait around. I initiate. And I’m not all about frequency; I favour intensity.”

Halle added that she was surprised to win the title this year: “I was astonished. I was like, ‘I’ve just had a baby. Don’t you guys know..? This isn’t the year to pick me for this…’”.

The Things We Lost in the Fire actress gave birth to daughter Nahla in March.

Health: Tea doesn’t cause you to turn black

The benefit of tea is not only cutting-off the dullness of the morning sleep, but there are also many important things that we all must know. Tea has many good properties that help us keep healthy and fit. The idea of getting black and a change in your skin color if you drink tea is totally wrong and other people think that the skin gets rough, your liver is affected, there are black spots on your skin if tea is drunk. Well all these ideas and thoughts are totally baseless and have no value. But if tea is drunk in excess amount then you can expect some adverse reactions.

Tea contains Flavonoid which has antioxidant, and these are found vastly in both black and green tea. If this antioxidant gets more in your body because of having much tea then it keeps your heart more active. Research has shown that, compared to the antioxidants we get from fruits and vegetables, tea have much more of it. Not only tea contains more than 15 amino acids, but it also has vitamin B, Folic acid, carbohydrate for metabolism and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which is very important for our body.

Therefore if we consider the benefits of tea and having it then there are lots of them. But we should also keep in mind that excess intake of anything for the body is not good at all.