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Comments
Oh, this is cool! Nice work!
Dana
Thanks, Dana! :lol:
I think she may be a future Anne McCaffrey or some such.
Now this is what I am talking about!
Pros:
This is just a warm feeling render. As kids will do, it is so very true how they imagine themselves fighting dragons and such. My son used to climb up on a long limb in a tree in our yard with his little nerf tube and fight the dragons. He would shout to me..."Look Dad, i am slaying the dragon!" So, this render rings soooo true. This little darling is definately handicapped...NOT!
Cons:
Honestly, I can't find anything that needs improvement, everything is just perfect. Maybe you could teach me a few things here...lol.
ENTRY ACCEPTED.
:-)
Here are a few more of BWSman's renders to share.
:-)
1 - Snake Salesman
2 - Last Dance
TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO SOMEONE IN A WHEELCHAIR!
Thoughtless ridiculous things tend to be said, and it they can be offensive, even if you didn’t mean it. If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself the next time you’re around a wheelchair-user, read on for the top ten things to never dare say or ask to a wheelchair-user. Unless you don’t mind us running over your toes then speeding off with sh#!-eating grins on our faces.
1) Slow down there. You might get a speeding ticket.
We may be on four wheels, but please hold off on comparing us to other four-wheeled vehicles–such as a car (ah-hem). I’ve been in a wheelchair for 20 years and I’ve probably heard this line about 1,000 times from random strangers (my family and friends know better). When you do see a wheelchair user and have the urge to blurt the speeding ticket line, always remember these two things: It’s not funny and it’s not original.
2) What happened to you?
There are countless other ways to go about asking why someone uses a wheelchair other than asking them point blank, “What happened to you?” There is a polite way to ask this, but you really can’t go there unless you know them a little bit first. It’s really not any of your business, just like how you wouldn’t want your personal issues open for discussion with strangers either.
3) How fast does that thing go?
This is a question power-wheelchair users hear constantly. It’s a valid question, but a rather annoying one that really doesn’t matter. It’s small talk, like the weather, but it’s a small talk we’ve had way too many times. Let me save everyone from the trouble and share how fast power wheelchairs can go, so you don’t have to ask anymore: Top speed chairs can go between 6 to 8 miles an hour and most power wheelchairs go around 4 to 5 miles an hour tops about as fast as a bike ride.
4) Do you know so and so in a wheelchair too?
Since a disability is one of the last minorities to be more understood by the mainstream, many still have some archaic ideas about it, and one is that they think we all must know each other. This world is not a village. Just like you would never ask an African American if they know your friend Michael (who is also African American), you should never ask this to someone who uses a wheelchair.
5) Is your significant other also in a wheelchair?
A nurse at my doctor’s office actually asked me this one and it blew me away because it was such an old-fashioned idea (and she wasn’t that old). Asking this rediculous question will make you sound ancient.
While some of us end up dating and marrying another wheelchair-user, it only happens like 15% of the time, if that. So do yourself a favor and simply never ask this question, unless you don’t mind shoving your foot in your mouth real far.
6) I’d rather die than be disabled.
I was told this by a fellow student while in college, “I would rather die than be like you.” I don’t think she meant anything by it, but it’s certainly stayed with me all these years. And by the way, maybe you do feel this way and you’re entitled to your feelings, but it’s probably never a good idea to share this with someone with a disability.
7) You’re good looking for being in a wheelchair.
Gussy yourself up real good, lose some weight, buy a new outfit, slick back your hair; however you make yourself look hot, chances are when you go out in public looking this way you may get some crazy quips from random walkers-by. And one of the most common, the backhanded compliment, “You’re too good looking to be in a wheelchair.”
If you really want to flatter someone in a wheelchair who has their head on straight, you’ll get nowhere with this compliment. Instead, just tell them that they look great without the wheelchair qualifier. Remember, beauty can be found in any place, even in the seat of a wheelchair. If we can go to the moon, an attractive person in a wheelchair is possible.
8) Good for you.
Perhaps one of the most outrageously awful things you can say to someone who uses a wheelchair is “Good for you!” whenever we do something basic, like pick up dropped groceries at the grocery store or I dunno, go out in public. Older folks do tend to say this more often than younger people, so it’s hard to get mad at a senior citizen when it happens, but when you do something as simple as drive your wheelchair up a ramp, and someone says as you whiz by, “Good for you,” you almost can’t help but want to punch them in the face.
9) Can I ask you a personal question?
No one in a wheelchair can go unscathed from this notorious preamble of a question. And whenever I hear it, it reminds me of an episode from My Gimpy Life (a great web series starring Teal Sherer, an actress and paraplegic), who when getting money out an ATM, a guy in line went on to ask her if she could have sex by first asking if he could ask for a personal question. Again, a valid question, but one you shouldn’t ask a wheelchair-user unless you’re close. We are not talking parrots on display for your amusement.
10) Hey speed racer. Can you pop a wheelie?
And lastly, there’s nothing like calling a full-grown adult who uses a wheelchair “speed racer.” We are beyond wanting to be named after cartoon characters. Sometimes we have to go faster when we’re late but please don’t call us speed racer as we roll by.
If only more people remembered we are still human with normal functioning brains (I know, hard to believe), then a list like this wouldn’t be so necessary. So pass it around, retweet, like it, (lick it if you can) and help change the world little by little by committing these faux pas to memory.
Now THIS is a real hero!
:-)
Check out these handicaps...NOT!
:-)
Finally, someone else says this! I'm tired of sports personalities being called heroes just because they win a championship game. It's a game, it's not life and death!
Dana
That second guy is insane! Not because he's in a wheelchair...because he's jumping out of a perfectly good plane! :bug:
Dana
Awesome work! and very true story . I really like this bit :
"And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland."
It is so true, after the first time the word autism came to play in our household, I was devastated. I know, it sound terrible. I had 2 greatest fears in life one was loosing a child, and the other have a child with autism .. those fears are past. I've lost a daughter 5 years ago at birth, and before healing completely my second fear have crash landed ... I can honestly say I do not fear anything else now ( except money .. now my greatest fear is to be rich ;) )
Now learning that started totally separate grieving process .. not grieving, because something ended, but thinking about all the possibilities that are vanishing, doors that are getting closed .. and it was some months, before I released, that it might be different, but will for sure not be so bad, and it is my job, to make my son's life as good as it can, even if it means to be the stricktests parent in the universe, and even if people do not like it, that I keep my sons bed time in vacation, and his meal times, and always prepare things that he like to eat aside of new things to try, and keep an eye on him if her is playing in the garden, and check on him every 5 minutes if he is another room. And even if it costs myself, I am going to make sure that my son will live happy and full life. Because I see all the hard work, patience and determinations are what he needs, what works for him and what is changing him into this fantastic loving boy I adore to spend time with :)
Sosorry for ranting again :)
This is very generous of yourJaderail. Thank you :)
I'm still trying to come up with something inspired, but in the meantime I reworked an older render to fit this theme. The original render had the little girl sitting on a Big Wheel (and it used less freebies.)
Title: Dream Big Dreams
Awesome render :)
My belief is, (and my wife IS a doctor, I am a therapist, we have a clinic), that the term "Autistic" is overused. If a child doesn't show adult traits, like paying close attention, consentration, etc...he/she is labeled as autistic. They are a child for Christs sake! They have an imagination, they want to touch and experience all they can. No, they may not have a very long attention span, but that is because they are curious and their minds are growing. Back when my dad was a child, kids were kids. They got dirty, messed up, and in trouble all the time. That was the kid in them. My dad had hair down to his waist at age four, yet he was never claimed as gay, or little girlie. He collected frogs, rocks, and even a few things from my grandmom's purse, but he was a child...all child. The expectations of children to act like adults is rampid and I just think the Autism thing is a clear way for parents to not take responsibility for their childs actions in a society that no longer accepts childhood. "What, he did what?...well he's autistic you know!" ..." Ahhhh, well that explains it!"
The MDs diagnosed my son as autistic, because he couldn't talk very well at four years old, then years later he was tested and showed a very high IQ, extremely high, so they then said his mind was ahead of his tongue at age four. He is now 26 and has never been in any trouble, believes in a monogamous relationship (wouldn't consider cheating), doesn't judge anyone, especially gays, says it's none of our business what folks do with their sexuality, Loves his mom and dad, doesn't smoke cigarettes, has been offered drugs and turned them down, doesn't drink, thinks people need to pay better attention while driving, is still a virgin saving himself for his wife, and loves going to church just so he can help clean up the chapel after services. I'd say he turned out pretty good for someone diagnosed wrongly with Autism at age four.
:-)
The lovely Novica wants to donate $5.00 GC to each of the two honorable mentions. Thank you so much for that.
Boy, the HMs are racking up this month...lol.
:-)
As much as I can understand where you coming from, and sometimes it can be overused, the autism is real. I will use my son for example, until he was 1.5 his favorite thing was taking a piece of string and swirling it.. could be also sock. do nt matter how much time I spend with him, building the blocks, he was only focused on one thing. his contact was poor, at age of 2 he could only vocalize 1 sylabe, and nights were terrible, very terrible. we barely slept, he was awake every 2-3 hours, screaming, how much power his lungs had. At age of 2.5 he could count to 10, and started to reconize the colours, but stil was only interested in few things, twirling the strings or socks being his favorite, there was no way of getting him to walk beside us, because at this very young age he was (and still is) strong and fast, like you would not belive .. actually no one belived me that my 2.5 year old was stronger than me, until they tried to take something from him, that he really liked. there was no way in the world, you could actually take it, and getting him to do whatever he didnt wanted was a struggle like no other.
And we still were on age, is there something, is there not, he is so young, maybe we should wait and see...
By now we are a few steps away, he walks nicely by the hand, do not run off almost at all ( the exeption being where there is water around, he does not understand the danger of water,, so we need to plan all the trips really good, and see surroundings), he communicates, and even do not want to play with strings anymore, trains is his things now, he loves to play with his train, and his tractor .. Still most of what he is saying is "misplaced" there is no way of having conversations, but he has more qualities, just as I said his counting skills and recognizing shape skills are way beyond 4 year old.
Awesome work! and very true story . I really like this bit :
"And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland."
It is so true, after the first time the word autism came to play in our household, I was devastated. I know, it sound terrible. I had 2 greatest fears in life one was loosing a child, and the other have a child with autism .. those fears are past. I've lost a daughter 5 years ago at birth, and before healing completely my second fear have crash landed ... I can honestly say I do not fear anything else now ( except money .. now my greatest fear is to be rich ;) )
Now learning that started totally separate grieving process .. not grieving, because something ended, but thinking about all the possibilities that are vanishing, doors that are getting closed .. and it was some months, before I released, that it might be different, but will for sure not be so bad, and it is my job, to make my son's life as good as it can, even if it means to be the stricktests parent in the universe, and even if people do not like it, that I keep my sons bed time in vacation, and his meal times, and always prepare things that he like to eat aside of new things to try, and keep an eye on him if her is playing in the garden, and check on him every 5 minutes if he is another room. And even if it costs myself, I am going to make sure that my son will live happy and full life. Because I see all the hard work, patience and determinations are what he needs, what works for him and what is changing him into this fantastic loving boy I adore to spend time with :)
Sosorry for ranting again :)
I don't know if you know about Temple Grandin Krissy there is a movie (Temple Grandin, 2010) about her life. It was this movie and her TED talk that made me realize that for people afflicted with autism that the doors of the future are not locked forever. They are just locked a different way. Temple is a very inspiring woman and a genuine human being. As a parent her achievements would make me very proud.
It sounds like you are following in the footsteps of Temple's mother and if those footsteps helped bring Temple to her achievements then you are well on the way to helping your son find the keys to unlocking the doors to his bright and wonderful future. You just keep doing what you are doing.
That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm terrified of heights; I could never do that.
Ha, I doubt I could teach you anything. When I have nice renders, half the time it's just sheer luck and/or the lighting gods have smiled upon me.
As much as I can understand where you coming from, and sometimes it can be overused, the autism is real. I will use my son for example, until he was 1.5 his favorite thing was taking a piece of string and swirling it.. could be also sock. do nt matter how much time I spend with him, building the blocks, he was only focused on one thing. his contact was poor, at age of 2 he could only vocalize 1 sylabe, and nights were terrible, very terrible. we barely slept, he was awake every 2-3 hours, screaming, how much power his lungs had. At age of 2.5 he could count to 10, and started to reconize the colours, but stil was only interested in few things, twirling the strings or socks being his favorite, there was no way of getting him to walk beside us, because at this very young age he was (and still is) strong and fast, like you would not belive .. actually no one belived me that my 2.5 year old was stronger than me, until they tried to take something from him, that he really liked. there was no way in the world, you could actually take it, and getting him to do whatever he didnt wanted was a struggle like no other.
And we still were on age, is there something, is there not, he is so young, maybe we should wait and see...
By now we are a few steps away, he walks nicely by the hand, do not run off almost at all ( the exeption being where there is water around, he does not understand the danger of water,, so we need to plan all the trips really good, and see surroundings), he communicates, and even do not want to play with strings anymore, trains is his things now, he loves to play with his train, and his tractor .. Still most of what he is saying is "misplaced" there is no way of having conversations, but he has more qualities, just as I said his counting skills and recognizing shape skills are way beyond 4 year old.
Sounds like a pretty normal kid to me. Children have an instint to protect what is theirs, maybe for survival sake, but kids will fight for what is in their hand if another kid tries to take it from them or anyone for that matter...that's normal. Some go to extremes even. It's instinctive in us all humans to protect what is ours. A two year old will not walk beside you because he is on a journey of his own to touch and feel and experience all things so they will wander off. Water...yes...beware. They love it and do not understand it's depth sometimes. Most only know of it being deep enough to bath in. That's what parents are for, to guide, protect and teach them in their experimental journey. They need positive encouragement to help build good self esteme, not tell them something is wrong with them. That can cause an inferiority complex and make them feel they have done something wrong and don't fit in with normal people.
My son has great self esteme, in a world where some kids can be cold, cruel and mean. They seem to target the weak sensitive ones. My son has had three martial arts under his belt by the time he was seven. The school bully would pick on him and he would do nothing, just walk away. The last day of school, the big ole' school bully was picking on a preschooler and my son told him to leave him alone. The bully said "what you gonna do...nothing?" "Keep picking on him and you will see!" my son said. So when the bully shoved the little kid down to the ground, my son jumped the bully, kicked his butt real bad, then stuffed him upside down, head first, into a huge trash can. All the kids in his class were frozen up against the wall in disbelief and amazement. The teacher walked in and sent my son to the office. The principle of the school gave my son a blue ribbon for kicking the bully's butt! He was wishing someone would. When my son returned to the classroom, someone asked him "why did you let him pick on you all the year? why didn't you stand up to him? you kicked his butt! My son just replied, "He can pick on me all he wants, it doesn't bother me, but I was not going to stand there and watch him picking on a crying preschooler!" This is a true story.
:-)
We have another doner, our judge this month Cecilia.robinson will donate the following:
For all the three winners - Lisa character morph for Genesis.
For the two HMs - H5 face texture with mustache to go with the skin that comes with H5.
For ALL who enter (after the contest is over) - Gal Pal Dress textures and Wavy tresses hair textures.
:-)
Hey thanks Music for hosting this month in honor of BWSman! I remember when we all found out about him losing his legs. In fact, I think he was posting from his bed at the hospital complaining about not having a computer that was fast enough to render anything while he was recovering! LOL! I made this tongue-in-cheek render for him 2 years ago when he was trying to figure out how to get upstairs using his crutches.
An old NAE in honor of BWSman: The Rocket Chair ; )
Hey thanks Music for hosting this month in honor of BWSman! I remember when we all found out about him losing his legs. In fact, I think he was posting from his bed at the hospital complaining about not having a computer that was fast enough to render anything while he was recovering! LOL! I made this tongue-in-cheek render for him 2 years ago when he was trying to figure out how to get upstairs using his crutches.
An old NAE in honor of BWSman: The Rocket Chair ; )
That is correct. I remember this render. Thanks for posting it again. Do you remember when he got his new legs, the springy ones? He challenged me to a foot race and I declined knowing he would outrun me for sure...lol. Somewhere, I think, he posted a picture of himself standing by the curb, on his street, with them on ready to run. What a guy!!!!
:-)
Firstly, I want to greet you and thank you for allowing me to take part in this event. I believe it requires much strength, sensibility and personal wisdom for the participants to enter anything there. The theme is very wise, but also difficult to handle - both in executing of artworks to be submitted and the judges' advice. I admit it's more than rare situation to see a contest like this being run, but fortunately, judging on the general posts there, the community seems more than ready to handle it! It requires really a lot of sensibility and subtlety, yet I believe you are going to fit the mood perfectly. I'll do whatever I can to support the contest. It's my first time to judge a DS-related competition, thought I have experience in running literary contests myself. Please, be honest and let me know on how can I improve my judgments.
As the opening is ready, we can move onto pictures :).
Cyonix, your non-entry is the first one render and if all of them are going to present such level, the judges will be very happy ;). The idea is refreshing and I see you hid parts of the left leg to make it looks shorter. I think you may want to include some kind of protection on the leg (it is too exposed now in my humble opinion). The light is realistic. I would be glad to see some links to the stuff you used there, especially the tennis ball. Good job and I think it should still count for you being eligible for the entry prizes.
Kesh, I think you're free to use 3DS files as long as they meet normal rules for freebies. There's PropViewer, a free application you can use to convert OBJs and 3DS files, among others. I tried it and it usually does a good work. You'll encounter problems with texturing in it, though, you can apply only a single texture. But if you know how to texture a model in DS, then fine. There are other kinds of software to convert 3DS files, check the July contest, somebody asked the same question and there were useful tips on the case. KaribousBoutique, I hope you will find it helpful too.
KaribousBoutique's entry is set in a little bit toon-like style, but it somehow fits perfectly. The introduction is truly wonderful and if it was for me only, it would win a place at one of my literary cafe's competitions. It's not the place, but believe me, writing is difficult, but very important, it makes us human. And including a short story along with your render brings it all to life. I love the boy's pose - he's stunned by how pleasant the place he had found himself in could be. I also honour the efforts you must have put into making the sign (I couldn't :P). If I were you, I'd make the further planes a bit less blurry (I guess it's not so far from there). I really don't mind that you actually can't see the problems the boy experiences. Sorry, Music2U4U, I cannot agree it's a con. In fact, it's a very subtle way of creating an artwork (this way the viewer see's a BOY, not a HANDICAPPED boy). I'm unsure if the others judges agree with me on it, but that's how I see it. Moreover, the explanation sums it up, not to mention life isn't a box of chocolates and most people notice the vision has something to do with "otherworldly", so to say. Good job!
Mmalbert, I adore custom-dialed characters and your girl is cute. Apparently, she must be imaginative! I like the realistic look of the sky and grassy field. The hairstyle she's wearing is great too; also, I like the stuff she's carrying, like that fluffy dragon toy. What puts me off a bit is that thought balloon - it messes up the realistic look of the landscape. And I really don't see a purpose for the wand, it distracts the viewer in my humble opinion, but if you think it's another toy, let it be if you like. Overall, the image clearly shows she does know how to be happy, regardless of some less-abilities.
Also, a bit off-topic, do you notice that kids who happen to have some problems with moving around tend to be more creative and more eager to learn? I presume it's because when other kids engage in sports, they discover how wonderful books are and so on. Mmalbert's image shows this definite pro of such children. Good job!
SkyWalker77, you did a fairly good job on your rocket chair. I know it's difficult to find nice free landscapes, if you happened to find one, can you share the link please?
Lastly, I'll let myself quote a very wise passage from KaribousBoutique (yeah, there are literally dozens of wise sayings in the thread, but I really can't quote all of them, please excuse me):
As for my own entry, I have a concept, but I'm afraid it would violate the theme. I'm considering making an artwork for the wonderful short story by RedNigthmare, "Half-Full" (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7699971/1/Half-Full). Would it be possible please?
Hi Cecilia,
Thanks. This is a really old render. I'm thinking about revising it for this month - not enough freebies in this one to count anyway.. ; )
There are quite a few free landscape models at ShareCG and at Rendo... they are just a little tricky to find.
The one I used in this render is "the Hills" by fober. I'll try to find you the link when I get home or you can search "hill" at ShareCG, Poser section.
If you are using Bryce, there are tons available there as well.
Have fun!
- Sky
Great news, Sky! I'll wait for your entry. Fingers crossed!
Just to say, the gifts from me all the participants will get require freebies, so everybody will be able to use them.
Beat me!
Dana
Thank you for your critique, Cecilia. The purpose of the wand is that, in the girl's imagination, it transmogrifies into the falchion the Dragon Rider is wielding. The toy dragon corresponds to the dragon -- and that's why I also placed it on the wheel -- the pink in her clothing corresponds to the pink outfit of the Dragon Rider, and the balloons/pinwheel signify wind/flight. Originally the Dragon Rider's outfit had a backpack on it, but I ended up deleting it because it looked a little odd on her tiny figure. I kept the BratPack anyway.
As for the thought bubble, this is more of a concept render than a realistic one.
skywalker77, your render made me laugh...that look on M4's face. :lol:
I wish my autistic son was a pretty normal kid. He's smart, yes. But when I read what Krissy has written, I completely understand what she's saying -- kids with autism aren't like neuro-typical kids. My son is a twin. His sister is a whole minute and a half older than him. I've got a daily side-by-side comparison of what "normal" and "autistic" look like. And when Ev was little, like Krissy's son, he would do EXACTLY those things. Played with a weird object for hours on end. Extremely disordered language development. No conversation, even in "pretend." My daughter will sit with her toy cars, ripping around the living room with them, making fake crowd noises and declaring one of them the ULTIMATE WINNER. Ev plays with cars... but usually he sits with them in his lap and moves them back and forth in front of his face. Evan roams the house making odd noises, going apparently nowhere in particular. He doesn't always respond to his name. He does not have conversations. Ever. When he was potty-training, he'd sit on the toilet reciting the same three lines of "Dora The Explorer" he'd heard on TV the day before. He has extreme difficulties answering "why" questions or questions about what he did in the past. Evan can't seem to distinguish between yesterday and a week ago. If Evan had gotten more services before he was 5, who knows if any of this would be different. I don't think about it because my son is my treasure, regardless of his abilities. But I think Krissy has the right idea -- get a diagnosis and get TREATMENT. Early. The more help a child gets early on, the better his chances are later in life -- and that goes for the non-disabled ones, too!
Let me make one more thing VERY clear -- not every person on the autism spectrum is disabled. I would never in a million years suggest that. I know some brilliant, amazing, productive, sensitive people who are on the spectrum. Several are engineers who make a great deal more money than I ever will! Autism isn't a disability. But when the grand total of a person's autistic traits add up to extremely limited language, no eye contact, inability to understand non-concrete concepts like time and money, and virtually no inclination to be social... well... THAT is a disability. At first glance, Ev looks like a pretty normal kid. But anyone spending 4 minutes alone in a room with my son would immediately know he is autistic and he is disabled. Sometimes I wish he had some OTHER developmental disability that wasn't so political at the moment. It's hard enough to grieve over that trip to Italy... but it's doubly hard when there are people out there (not saying you, music2u4u! but there are people in my life who roll their eyes at the term "autism.") who doubt that Holland even exists.
It sounds like you are following in the footsteps of Temple's mother and if those footsteps helped bring Temple to her achievements then you are well on the way to helping your son find the keys to unlocking the doors to his bright and wonderful future. You just keep doing what you are doing.
I had the pleasure of seeing Temple Grandin speak to friends of the Humane Society in my city. (As you know, she designs humane methods of getting livestock to the slaughter.) She is an inspiration and an amazing woman. She personally gives me the strength and hope to keep working at opening those doors! ♥
Clarification on Rule 3, please:
"3. Base figures (V4, K4, Genesis and M4) don’t count as a purchased item or a freebie and may be used as needed."
is that any base figures, any base figures from DAZ3D, or just the ones listed?
Yay! If I can make at least one person laugh each day then I feel like I've really accomplished something genuinely useful! ;)
(even better if they give a big snort in public and make everyone around them wonder what they are reading) :lol:
Hey! When did the smileys come back on line? Now that made MY day! :-P
That's funny, I was thinking about that avatar as I was posting earlier. I always wondered what that was a picture of.