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Old king

February 21st, 2012 No comments

This sculpture is still a work in progress, but so far it’s been both challenging and rewarding. It is of course very much influenced by the works of Alan Lee and John Howe.

At the same time I was playing Skyrim a lot, and all the while I was thinking “man, I really wish they had put some more care into the characters’ design“. It’s as if they were trying to be as generic as possible (cf. Dragon Age, etc…), in order for none of the characters to really stand out. The job they did on the creatures and environment on the other hand is truly outstanding.

And I since I’m back from Frankfurt I wanted to thank again Crytek (Cevat of course, but also Chris and the gang!) for a very fine time at the studio. I will now proceed to reveal everything I saw there. Mmmh…? What do you mean “NDA”…? Oh.

Categories: sculpting, update, Zbrush Tags:

Detailing the Garthim – I lost 35 pounds in 6 months without going on a diet

January 20th, 2012 3 comments

Losing weight is, in theory, simple. But that doesn’t make it easy.

The vast majority of people, and women in particular, are always trying, or at the very least wishing, to lose some weight, no matter how much, for health or aesthetic reasons.

If it were as easy as it appears on paper — that is, take in less energy than you’re burning — the multibillion-dollar diet industry wouldn’t exist.

Whether it’s a reality-TV star peddling a bikini blitz workout DVD, an influencer plugging laxative teas, or a tabloid claiming to have come up with a diet plan that will see you losing 10 pounds in a week, supposed quick fixes are everywhere, because we all love the idea of putting in minimal effort and getting results fast.

But the truth is, none of these things work. There is no shortcut, and anything that results in rapid weight loss won’t be healthy or sustainable. You didn’t gain 10 pounds in a week, so how could you possibly lose it that quickly? To learn more, read here the best fat burner for women review.

before after side rachel hosie
January to June 2019. 

Rachel Hosie

Over the past five months, I’ve lost nearly 35 pounds, or over 15 kilos.

Like many, my weight has fluctuated over my adult life, but at the end of 2018 I was the biggest and heaviest I’d ever been. I felt sluggish, hated shopping, and barely fit into any of my clothes (smocks were life), but I don’t think I realized quite how much weight I’d gained until I had a body scan at the end of November.

I’d put on 11 pounds, or 5 kilos, since I’d last weighed myself the previous July, and seeing the number on the scale was the wake-up call I needed.

Read more: A bad diet could cause more deaths than smoking, according to a major new study

There’s nothing wrong with gaining weight if you’re healthy, but I wasn’t, and my weight gain was a reflection of the fact that I wasn’t looking after myself.

The weight had crept up over the years, as it so often does. I will always love to eat and drink, but as a 20-something living in London, I’d lost all concept of moderation or balance, regularly binge-drinking and overeating.

My diet wasn’t necessarily unhealthy, and I was very active, but I was simply consuming far too much, frequently eating to the point of pain.

Losing weight wasn’t my main incentive, but it was part of the overall lifestyle switch I’ve successfully made. And that’s what’s made this time different to every other time I’ve lost a few pounds.

before after front rachel hosie
January to June 2019: My body shrank while my chest of drawers grew. 

Rachel Hosie

It was time to start putting myself, my health, and my happiness first. No restrictive plans, no strict rules, no thinking of myself as being on a diet, but rather approaching it as a journey toward creating a healthier, happier, sustainable lifestyle. Take a look to the latest blast portable ac reviews.

And it worked.

As a lifestyle journalist with a focus on health, food, wellness, and fitness, I was already well informed about how to live a healthy lifestyle. But there’s still so much I’ve learned this year, from how to train to how to deal with saboteurs (both separate articles entirely).

But perhaps the most important changes I’ve made have been regarding my diet. So here are seven lessons I’ve learned about how to eat to lose weight sustainably.

1. Cutting out foods just results in bingeing.

rachel hosie pudding.JPG
Everyone needs a dessert from time to time. 

Rachel Hosie

Cutting bread, sugar, or anything else you enjoy out of your diet is not a good idea as you’ll only end up bingeing on it. Do you want to cut those delicious foods out forever? Didn’t think so.

While you may think you “can’t do” moderation (stopping after a few squares of chocolate and not eating the whole bar), you can if you stop demonizing the food. There’s no such thing as “good” and “bad” foods, although, yes, there are more and less nutrient-dense foods.

For me, it’s also helped to think of foods in terms of macros — are they a source of protein, carbs, or fats? So a bar of chocolate is a carb, just like a banana or oats, and they can all be part of a healthy diet.

Read more: I tried to eat healthily while ordering all my meals from food-delivery apps for a week

If you love doughnuts, you don’t have to give them up forever to lose weight, and this can make them easier to resist when your colleague brings in a box of Krispy Kremes — you know what they taste like, you’ll eat doughnuts at a later point in your life, you don’t need to eat one just because they’re there. But at the same time, if you really want a doughnut, just eat one and enjoy it!

If you feel like you’re punishing yourself, it’s never going to work.

2. Working out won’t result in fat loss if you don’t also address your diet.

rachel hosie gym.JPG
Exercise is great, but working out alone won’t result in fat loss. 

Rachel Hosie

Before I changed my lifestyle, I already worked out four to five times a week, doing a mixture of weight-lifting, dance classes, and netball. I was also active in my day-to-day life, walking at least 14,000 steps a day. But I was still overweight.

The past six months have shown me how much truth there is in the adage, “You can’t out-train a bad diet.” Or, more specifically, a diet that simply involves consuming too much. Make sure to try out lean belly 3x.

Working out is great for you in so many ways, and it certainly helps the fat-loss process (more on that another time), but if you think exercise alone is going to see your weight dropping off, you may be disappointed.

3. Upping your protein intake will help a lot.

chicken salad avocado.JPG

Erin Brodwin / Business Insider

It’s a complete myth that eating for fitness means plain chicken and broccoli with a protein shake on the side for every meal, but it’s true that keeping your protein intake up is important.

In fact, studies have shown that following a high-protein diet can help maintain muscle and boost metabolism, keep you feeling full when trying to lose weight, and reduce hunger.

“Eating a sufficient amount of protein when you’re losing weight is paramount in order to preserve lean muscle mass,” specialist registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine told INSIDER.

“Eating around 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight,” she said, “alongside resistance exercise, helps to maintain both muscle strength and metabolic rate” — the rate at which your body burns calories. “The digestion of protein also requires more calories in comparison to carbs and fat, and help to keep you feeling full too.”

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Back to Zbrush (WTF!)

January 18th, 2012 No comments

So I finally relapsed into Zbrush. Yeah, I know. It still remains one of the most unintuitive and tautological programs I have ever used but I’m biting the bullet because of Dynamesh. It’s a new feature added in the latest version that fairly closely replicates the Sculptris paradigm: you don’t need to care about topology, you just sculpt away. So I started working on this Garthim sculpture (from The Dark Crystal), learning some of the brushes along the way. It’s by no means finished (I quickly threw a darkish material on it). I’ll try to refine it and paint it in the next couple of days.

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Fishboy in Mudbox

November 23rd, 2011 No comments

It’s official: Fishboy is now a Mudbox citizen! He still remembers Zbrush but overall he seems pretty happy in his new environment… 😀

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10 Benefits Of Defensive Driving You Probably  Didn’t  Know!

November 17th, 2011 No comments

Defensive driving teaches safe driving techniques to drivers.
At defensive driving classes students learn to overcome mistakes in driving techniques, learn to improve their driving skills; learn to make informed decisions and to anticipate situations while driving. Defensive driving classeshave been set up by the government and police departments to make the world a safer place to live in. The need for speed can kill, it is important to teach driver discipline and safety rules. Defensive driving aims to reduce the risk of driving. Drivers must instinctively anticipate dangerous situations and avoid risks while driving vehicles in normal as well as adverse conditions. Defensive driving courses cover aspects like: emergency care, principles of safety, control of fear and emotions, on the spot decision making, quick reactions, fear, and so on.
The benefits of defensive driving classes are many and vary with each state.

 

  1. Most states offer as incentive a reduction of points on your driver’s license following a driving violation ticket and offer the additional incentive of not increasing insurance rates.
  2. In some states a defensive driving course would get at least 10% reduction is insurance rates for a period of 3-5 years. This being a considerable saving.
  3. A defensive driving course will teach safe and accident free driving techniques, check out the latest Effuel reviews.
  4. The course will teach protection techniques and how to handle road rage and speeding.
  5. The defensive driving course will teach safe driving techniques in bad weather and adverse conditions. The course will hone skills in highway driving, night driving, and extreme weather driving.
  6. The course will inculcate critical safety issues and teach emergency action too.
  7. By taking a defensive driving course you will not have to appear in court.
  8. The driving violation charges will be dismissed and a fine will not be assessed.
  9. Defensive driving classes create responsible citizens which mean children and families will remain protected.
  10. Most important the defensive driving classes will improve driving skills, reiterate driving laws and rules and make better drivers of people.

defensive driving class can even be taken virtually. Defensive driving teaches people to be responsible drivers and take all necessary precautions when seated behind the wheel of a car. It protects not just the driver but pedestrians, animals, and fellow commuters. It makes the roads safer.
Defensive driving saves lives.

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Frog-thing texture done (?)

October 19th, 2011 No comments

I think I’m almost done with the frog-thing base texture now. I’ve picked up a couple of things while painting it, so it should make subsequent jobs easier. Just a precision here, since I was asked about it today: the texture is entirely painted by hand, layer by layer (no use of photographs)… :)

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Who needs defensive driving?

October 17th, 2011 1 comment

The short answer: we all do. Defensive driving benefits every driver on the road. It makes our streets and highways safer with drivers who are more aware and understand defensive driving techniques that can prevent accidents. But defensive driving courses are beneficial for many drivers, including:

  • new drivers
  • drivers desiring ticket dismissal
  • drivers with a poor driving record
  • drivers with heavy vehicle licence
  • drivers that need to reduce license points
  • drivers that need to reduce auto insurance rates

The Benefits of Defensive Driving

Defensive driving courses can teach you how to be more alert, aware, and safe on the road. And while they’re great for getting you out of a sticky situation on the road, they’re also useful for sticky situations with tickets, insurance, and more.

“On average, over 100,000 people are cited for traffic violations each day in the U.S,” says Chicago lawyer Jared Staver. “Many states allow people to take defensive driving courses to reduce demerit points on driving records, show driver improvement to auto insurance providers, or to avoid higher fines for infractions.” If you are willing to improve your engine lifespan check these effuel reviews.

Defensive driving can:

  • Get you out of a ticket.
  • Reduce your license points
  • Reduce your auto insurance premiums
  • Save your license
  • Save your life

Defensive Driving Can Get You Out of a Ticket

There’s no mistaking the feeling of dread when you see flashing lights in your rearview mirror. You’re getting pulled over — and probably getting a ticket. Are you a terrible driver for getting pulled over? Not necessarily. Traffic tickets happen — even to good drivers. And if you’re serious about improving your driving skills to become a more responsible driver, you can prove it by taking a defensive driving course that will help you get out of a ticket.

Many states and municipalities allow drivers to take defensive driving to reduce the impact of a traffic ticket. Some options offered in your area may include taking a defensive driving course to:

  • Reduce or remove the fine associated with the ticket (however, court fees may still apply, as well as the cost of the course)
  • Remove the ticket from your driving record
  • Avoid adding points to your license

Often, if you take a defensive driving course, it’s as if your ticket never happened — and a great way to redeem your status as a good driver. You can keep the ticket off of your record, avoid accumulating points, and even save money on the fine.

Keep in mind, however, that using defensive driving courses is not a cure for every ticket. Most states will not allow frequent offenders to get out of tickets using defensive driving courses, as they may set a yearly limit on the number of tickets that can be dismissed with defensive driving.

“Defensive driving courses are the most effective for first time traffic violators who are concerned about the impact of a ticket on their premiums,” advises Staver.

Defensive Driving Can Reduce Your License Points

It’s best to take a defensive driving course before a ticket ends up on your driving record, but if you weren’t able to, it’s not too late to keep points from accumulating on your license. In many states, defensive driving courses can still help you reduce the number of points you have.

For example, New York State offers a Point & Insurance Reduction Program that allows drivers in the state to take defensive driving courses that refresh driving knowledge. Drivers who complete the course may be eligible to reduce as many as four points on their driving record.

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