# week 52 of 2025 **december 22-28** ![[sanka.png]] [Modern Illustration Archive](https://www.modernillustration.org/archive) covers stylish illustrations from 1940s through the 1970s. I love retro mid-century illustration styles with the wonky shapes and zesty color combinations. There's a bright looseness that you rarely see anymore. Never was a Sanka fan but I can appreciate a cup of coffee that large. --- I've been enjoying a much-needed break from teaching. It was an extremely long and arduous semester. The one coming up promises to be the same. Thankfully I'm feeling rested and (mostly) ready for classes to begin in a week. When I get tired and overwhelmed, I have to remember to focus on the work itself instead of doing [things that are not doing the thing](https://strangestloop.io/essays/things-that-arent-doing-the-thing). I'm always struggling to find a balance between order and chaos. At least that's how I see it. I like this mindset better… > I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. > > ― E.B. White ### neat design resources [Dithering Part 1](https://visualrambling.space/dithering-part-1/) teaches you how classic dithering techniques work. This is a fun page with lots of cool graphics. [Reference Angle](http://referenceangle.com) is a service that lets you pose a human head and then it finds photos of faces similar to that pose. Filterable by gender, age, emotion, etc. Nice tool for artists, especially cartoonists or storyboard artists. [Film Grab](https://film-grab.com) is a collection of images from movies that can sorted by artist, style, aspect ratio, etc. Nice tool for exploring composition, lighting, and color inspiration in movies. [Resource Boy textures](https://resourceboy.com/textures/) are pretty solid, especially for free. There's a lot of other resource types on the site, however I particularly like the textures. I'm a big fan of layering textures on digital work to quickly add a bit of zing. [Fictional Brand Archives](https://fictionalbrandsarchive.com) is a collection of logos and brands from movies, shows, and video games. ### a reminder to share with my students > The amateur does not know what to do.  > > The master knows what not to do. > > — James Clear ### some gems from [the kid should see this](https://thekidshouldseethis.com) [Triskele Paper Globes](https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/how-to-make-triskele-paper-globes-handmade-3d-paper-ball-ornaments) make for interesting ornaments. I'm a big fan of paper art. [Speed wrapping in Japan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBOd5tujWmk) came a few days too late to use for this past holiday season. I love the simplicity and style of Japanese culture and their appreciation of the little details. [Disney's Ink and Paint Department](https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/disney-last-four-ink-and-paint-artists-hand-painted-cels-academy-museum) are keeping the classic tradition alive even if it is only for fine art instead of actual animation production.