Anime

Anime

Anime is an art style either done by hand, or computer animation originating from Japan. The word “anime” is a Japanese term for all forms of animation but, outside of Japan, anime specifically refers only to Japanese animation or drawing style associated with Japan.

I think anime is very interesting, because it has very distinctive methods and techniques such as the eyes, facial expressions, and the body. First, lets begin with the eyes. The eyes are most commonly drawn quite large, with lots of small and big circles/squares/rectangles representing light reflecting off the eyeball. This creates an illusion, which makes it appear much more realistic than it actually is. Most artists also add shading, to give it more depth and actually make it look more like a real eye.

The facial expressions are hard to explain, but if you’ve seen it before, it is easier to understand. Something that will make this easier to explain is if you understand there are more realistic anime and more cartoony. For cartoony anime characters, they have special signs that anime fans or most people understand, but when you really stop and look at the signs, it is just downright weird! For example, when drawing somebody nervous or anxious, they usually have a water drop on their forehead or head. When characters are angry or frustrated they have a strange sign that has four curved lines put together to form a sort of star. The star is usually put on the left or right side of the head or forehead and the characters have large, angry eyes with smaller irises and pupils, and with an open, yelling mouth. Sometimes artists will add some teeth or a single sharp tooth to show that the character is, I don’t know, angry like a bear, because bears have sharp teeth or something? When drawing surprised people, they usually have even larger eyes than normal, with no iris and a tiny pupil in the middle of the eye. The surprised eye also usually has some added lines under it and I don’t know why. There are SO many different facial expressions and this blog would be EXTREMELY long if I were to try and describe every anime expression of both cartoony and realistic anime. For realistic anime, the expressions make much more sense than cartoon anime, but still not accurate. They are very similiar to the other anime cartoon style just minus the weird symbols.

An anime body sometimes follows normal body proportions but some artists also make the body less accurate, for example, making wider hips or smaller legs or whatever they think looks good. They do it just to make it look how they want it because it is their art. I sometimes draw normal body proportions, but sometimes I draw some things smaller and some things larger just to make it look how I want. And that’s fine!

If you are interested in either starting to make anime art pieces or just improving your skills, I would recommend looking at pictures of anime art, watching anime cartoons, or even just watching a drawing tutorial on YouTube or any other search source you use.

I discovered and learnt how to draw anime when I decided it was a very interesting, beautiful and unique art style. I decided to learn more about it by looking at some pictures of anime, and I also watched a lot of drawing tutorials. I didn’t ever follow any of the tutorials step-by-step, I just watched a lot of them until I kind of got an idea of what to do. I absolutely love anime and I hope you know what you love!

Do you draw anime? If not, what do you draw?

Do you have any favourite anime characters? What are they?

What are your thoughts about anime? Do like it? Do you not? Explain why.

-xXToxicCupcakesXx

Herbs

Herbs

Before the invention of common medicine, people used herbs to treat diseases, sickness, heal injuries and stay healthy. People used flowers such as lavender and calendula to make a face mask that nourishes your face and keep it looking healthy. Herbs can be used to balance out your diet and keep the blood pressure down.Some examples of cool herbs are:

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Infused leaves can alleviate the symptoms of coughs and colds. They can be used as a compress to soothe fevers and headaches. Add it to foot bath to treat Athlete's Foot, an itchy foot fungus.

St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
An infusion of the plant can be used to soothe anxiety and nervous tension. A mild tablet can help with depression and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Always consult a doctor first, though!Fun myth: if you tread on St John's wort after sundown you will be swept off the ground by a magic horse that will charge around until sunrise and then deposit you on the ground. - apparently.

Eyebright (Euphrasia Officinalis)

Eyebright is famous for treating eye problems including slowing down age-related weakness. Eyebright can also reduce mucus discharge during colds and flu. Apparently, it can reduce memory loss.

- Do you think you’d need or want to use any of these herbs? Explain.

- Do you know any thing else about herbs? What is it?

- What is your opinion about herbs? Are they useful, boring, interesting…?

~ HotdogDotme

Lego Is Cool

Lego is Cool!

I think Lego is fun to play with. You can build houses, cars, planes and whatever you want.

When you're bored and you have lots of imagination, then you can go play with your Lego.

Here are some Lego sets you can get: Minecraft Lego, Police Lego and lots more.

Some people think Lego sucks, I don’t know why. I think because they like video games

more and that is unfair. There are five kids I know that like Lego and I am happy

because of them.

So if you ever see a Lego you should ask if you can play with it.

- Do you like Lego? Why or Why Not?

- What sets do you have?

- What have you built?

- Who is your favorite character?

~SharkFinn99

Electric Cars

Electric Cars

What is an electric car? An electric car is the future for transportation. It means no more polluting gas and oil and  toxic air not to mention the climate increasing heat it is going to do a lot of great things for us and wildlife!

When you usually drive electric cars, they currently run at around 250 km per hour until they need to be recharged again. Some can go for 450km/h and even faster for speed! For prices, it depends what model it is, where it is, what style it is and the newer or older it is. Electric cars are the future, do you think so?

- Do you like electric cars? Why or why not?
- Do you want an electric car? Which brand would it be?

- What do you think the future is going to bring for cars?

~Octopie54

Dogs!

Dog Blog

I really love all sorts of animals, but my absolute favourite are dogs. One reason why dogs are so great and how they are different from other animals is that dogs come in all different sizes and are great for many different people. There are house dogs and ones that stay outdoors. You can have a small, cute one or rather a larger one that could be great as a guard dog.

Dogs can do many different lifesaving jobs. The Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds are commonly used as police service dogs and are observant and good at tracking down people. In the past, Dalmatians were used in the firehouse for guarding the horses and wagons, an easy target for thieves. After natural disasters, there are dogs that help locate buried people. For people that have disabilities, there are well trained service dogs that help in many ways;  seeing eye dogs who help the blind, dogs that help diabetics manage their blood sugar levels and dogs that support people who have physical and mental disabilities in doing daily tasks. Golden Labradors are often trained as therapy dogs, helping people with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). They have a way of cheering others up.

Dogs are also great companions. The most well known dog companion is the Golden Retriever. They are known for being obedient.  They are friendly and also great with kids. There are also many other dog breeds that are great companions. There are many reasons why dogs are considered “Man’s best friend”.

• Do you like dogs? If not, why?
• What is your favourite dog breed? Explain why.
• What other interesting facts do you know about dogs?

 ~mystery16~

Art is Awesome

Art is AWESOME!

You are probably wondering why I think art is awesome and there are many reasons why art is fantastic. I have four reasons why art is awe-inspiring.

First of all, it is very calming, especially when you are playing your favorite music. Second of all, your imagination grows and can help you with other things like writing homework.Third, it can help you solve or forget problems.Finally, the fourth reason and the most important reason to me, is that everyone’s art can be different and unique.

Many ways to do art!

- What art style do you have?

- Have you used art to inspire you with anything and what?

- Do you do art often and why do you do it?

~Iloveart!!10

   

Best Books

Best Book Series for 5th Graders — Ever

By the time you hit the fifth grade, your world of books continues to expand. In those individuals who read daily, vocabulary grows. Regular reading exposes students to numerous writing styles and learn new ideas. Students become exposed to proper grammar and while looking at the words, their minds are able to comprehend and store the information.This is when tastes start to develop and students begin to have reading preferences. 

When I was in the 5th Grade, I was into reading Judy Blume books. I had just been exposed to Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and when I read Tiger Eyes, I really started to "see" the scenes of the books in my mind. It was as if something clicked.  I could visualize the details, change them to suit my preferences, follow a story-line, and next thing I knew, I was hooked. I began to devour novels of all different types and sizes, deciding on favourite authors and even began to write some of my own ideas into stories for fun!

Examine the list → Grade 5 Best Reading List Ever 

What books from here have you read already?

What books would you like to try and why?

What is your all-time favourite read? Was it a single book or a series? Can you tell me why in your opinion it is your overall favourite?

~Forest16