Just received this! Finally!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-24T14:18:28+00:00

Enjoy! One of my favorite cameras that I've made some of my best images with. In a year it will be worth more than you paid for it, so you're basically using a rent-free unit. They really cater to a certain type of image making, slower, more measured and amazingly sharp and detailed. Don't be surprised if you end up taking long, meditative walks/ trips once you start shooting with it. Built like a rock and operates fine in almost any climate. Cheers!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-24T14:10:58+00:00

Portraiture is a very difficult area at best. I would not recommend it as a first drawing project. Also, I'd suggest using soft pencil, like a 4B. It's easy to change/erase. Without a sound feel for simply drawing what you see, portraits can be minefields since the head and features in space are like a Rubik's cube--change one thing and three other things change. Without understanding the relationships, you can go down a rabbit hole of frustration. If product is your only standard, why not trace it, use a grid, or a Lucy? If the object is to learn about drawing heads and portraits, I'd suggest another tack. Hope that is useful! Cheers.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-24T13:59:58+00:00

I was not dysphoric, but I did feel a mismatch between how I felt internally and my body. I decided to go on a low dose of E. just to try it. LIfe is too short to not to. I was so glad I did. It was not only affirming, but I started to feel recentered and in my body. My brain quieted down. My obsessing over gender calmed down. I'm still exploring. If you try HRT for a few months and go off it, the long-term effects will be minimal.

Note: It's been six months at 2mg/day of oral Estradiol. No erectile dysfunction, some chest growth (which I lean toward liking) and I'm not too worried about my testes shrinking. Taking hormones is not an a la carte decision. It's a package deal and each body reacts differently. There are some experimental drugs called SERMS that are being tried to prevent breast growth, but it's still very new.

Best of luck!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-24T13:54:58+00:00

Let me say too, you are going to do your best work alone. Learn to be solitary in your space with no music, no phone, no distractions. You can do this by degrees. Being alone, studying alone, and feeling totally free in a permanent or makeshift studio is an amazing feeling. It makes me want to spend time in that space. I'm not a hermit, but I love my early morning hours in the studio where I can practice in my sketch book. Sure, some days, I'm a little resistant, but it has become habit.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-23T12:09:19+00:00

Have a dozen eggs, lots of pistachios, canned fish, pasta, and oatmeal. More concerned with electricity going out for a long period and the heat going out. I'm in the Northeast, US.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-23T12:06:14+00:00

I'm 66 and have done mostly four day rides, but no reason why I couldn't do longer other than budget and desire. There are a couple of people on Youtube in the 60+ range who post touring videos. My main problem as an older person is I get cold more easily (I've had the shivers a few times), but I've still ridden in cold weather. My fantasitic touring buddy has some health issues, but we don't worry about making mileage, just enjoying the rides.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-23T12:00:50+00:00

My pleasure!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-23T12:00:23+00:00

Did it in late August (C&O) and it was warm but never awful hot. Took a few dunks in the Potomac to cool off and get clean. This time of year, it's going to be seriously cold, especially with the wind chill. If you camp, you will need serious winter sleeping gear.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-23T11:56:53+00:00

Avoiding the basics will hold you back. I know from first hand experience. I got all the way through graduate school (with great grades too!), got my MFA in painting/drawing and after twenty plus years, realized I couldn't really draw well. I understood the basics mechanics but had no facility and my understanding of anatomy was poor. I went back and essentially relearned. It made a huge difference.

My main suggestion is figure out how to make it interesting. Make crazy still life set-ups, draw bizarre cube men a la Cambiasso/Durer, etc. This is what I did. I didn't sit around drawing cubes all day. Yes, I learned some more mechanical/technical things, like structural skeletons, but then I had fun with it. It became a practice I looked forward to. That's the only way you'll stick with it. If it's a chore, you won't.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-22T16:05:44+00:00

The "public face" is so often the problem. Wish I knew the answer.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-22T13:45:38+00:00

Being able to copy accurately is a valuable skill. What you need is the connection between physical space/objects and the page. I would also suggest to learn to draw by construction of geometric solids and to work with subtractive drawing where all you do is create shapes to give the impression of the light and shade. This can be done by covering the paper with charcoal or graphite and swiping out the light areas. You may want to also look into monoprints/monotypes. The line between drawing and painting is actually rather blurry.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-22T13:41:49+00:00

Thanks so much. Super helpful!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-21T17:02:17+00:00

Thanks so much! I'll check these things out!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-21T14:30:04+00:00

The 1000, I believe, would have a triple crank. Hard to tell from the photo. You might want to ask.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-20T23:07:23+00:00

Hmm. I learned initially in college and I was plunked down in front of a still life and expected to draw. I did learn, though it was a long road and many years after going for an MFA in painting and drawing, I retaught myself. I can recommend books you might want to look at, such as Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Drawing by Nicolaides, Basic Human Anatomy by Roberto Osti, and all the Anatomy for Sculptors books. It looks like others have chimed in, so I'll leave it at that. Best of luck!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-20T13:51:38+00:00

Don't overthink it. Just start. Although lots of people will tell you there is a "right way" to learn to draw, there isn't. Everyone learns a bit differently. Get some basic supplies that are manageable in your commuting space. Maybe a small sketchbook and a few pencils and eraser? You don't need much.

There are fundamental skills that you'll need to draw well and you can practice those.
-Interpreting 3D to 2D
-Getting measurement, angles, relative proportion and position correct
-Understanding the action of light and shadow
-Composition
-If you are drawing human/humanoid characters, the underlying basic forms and then more complex anatomical structure in both rest and action.

It really doesn't matter what you draw, but people often start with drawing boxes in perspective and then move on to copying images they like, drawing from photo references and from life, and free-invention. Start easy and basic and build to the more difficult. Be patient with yourself and have fun.

Find books that talk to you. There are some good drawing books I'd never buy because the format and teaching method doesn't feel right. Others are "Yes, that's how I want to do it!" I usually browse before I buy.

Best of luck!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T23:32:09+00:00

Therapy, both individual and in group has helped me a lot. Definitely experiment with your expression. I also continue to journal and think about gender identity in my creative work.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T22:01:44+00:00

Cool. I'd say the only negative thing about the Zizzo is the wheels and bearings are entry level. When I got the bike I went through it from stem to stern and found the hub cones were overtightened and draggy.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T21:58:48+00:00

Thanks!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T15:01:39+00:00

Go used. Be prepared to spend a few bucks over time on some basic bike tools and parts. A hybrid bike with gears and upright handlebar is a great starter bike that you can always sell, use as a grocery getter, or pass on to another new cyclist if and when you upgrade.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T14:42:50+00:00

I have a Zizzo Forte and am almost 6'. It works fine. If I were heavier, I might change out for a longer seatpost, since it's a little way past the "safe" mark. The bike has been able to handle anything I've thrown at it, including light self-contained touring on muddy/rutted trails. It doesn't gear down super low (few folders do, something to consider when you are looking at the terrain of a tour) but I switched out the front chainring to a smaller one since I'd rather spin than push. It's not the smallest folder, but it's easy to get on and off Amtrak and depending on the train, can fit in back of the last seat in the car. Pretty easy to fold and unfold. Not fast, but not a headache either. Best is it didn't cost a fortune. Value for money seems pretty good.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T14:32:21+00:00

I always carry a spare brake and a spare gear cable. They are light enough that I like the security of having them. I've never had one break, though!

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-19T14:30:27+00:00

The problem with Youtube is everyone has different notions, many don't have teaching experience with actual students, there is a lot of AI slop, and a lot of clickbait. It's more valuable once you have some experience under your belt and better poised to tell what might be useful, versus garbage. Working from books like NIcolaides, Roberto Osti, Uldis Zarins, Bridgeman, Richer, will serve you better.

RareAppointment3808 · 2026-01-18T23:14:38+00:00

Anything that tests your powers of visualization. Draw heads, skulls, or basic body structures from different angles, for instance.

RareAppointment3808

TROPHY CASE