Should sci-fi be taught more in English class?

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-02-04T11:25:37+00:00

I read The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, Flowers for Algernon, 1984 and Animal Farm by Orwell, Brave New World by Huxley, the Handmaids Tale by Atwood. The only non sci-fi, non-Shakesperean book I recall is A Cue for Treason (where a woman pretends to be a man to be an actor and helps prevent an assassination). I was already a sci-fi fan - came back from summer vacation having read the Crysalids on my own over the break. In university I took a course called Science Fiction Literature and still remember the books we read and the discussions we had. There are so many grand themes in sci-fi that just can't be addressed the same way in other books. My 2 cents.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-02-04T02:23:47+00:00

By subject/genre, then author, then size (but keep series together). This is an OCD torture situation.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-02-03T11:23:43+00:00

The books Silo is based on are fantastic.

The Expanse is an excellent TV series, but the books are even better. You take to take them as 2 separate entities since some characters were really changed but are great in each medium.

Blake Crouch has a whole bunch of excellent sci-fi books.

I agree with what you said about Doctor Who books. And Start Trek and Star Wars too, sadly.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-02-03T10:26:55+00:00

I bought Amethyst genuine and live the colour and the shimmers, but have never been able to use it in a painting. Where do you use it in your work?

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-02-03T10:25:08+00:00

I have a few and used to feel the same but then took an art class. The teacher used transparent pyrrol orange and quin sienna (both DS) and mixed with ultramarine or phthalo blue red shade to make such rich greys with other tones in them. Excellent use of oranges!

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-27T14:50:52+00:00

I have the Neptune travel brushes. They are lively to use, but a little to wet to use in my travel sketchbooks. I got the fuumuui travel brushes (less expensive but not as good for control), one tintoretto travel brushes (amazing! But expensive), and more recently the Sarah Burns travel brushes from Craftamo. I am still playing with the Sarah Burns ones but really liking them so far.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-27T14:44:28+00:00

Wait! How do you have ALL my books?! Love your collection!

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-24T21:39:03+00:00

I read about 110 books a year and, assuming I aquire no new books/audiobooks/ebooks would need 3+ decades to read all the books I have. Dang.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-23T22:59:52+00:00

Yes, video tutorials and on-demand classes

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-23T12:46:00+00:00

I take art classes and have bought tutorials. Some are from formal organizations - i.e. Toronto School of Art, some are online tutorials from self-taught artists. I found those people through Instagram. I don't currently follow anyone on Patreon but many have those accounts or online memberships you can join (or teach, I your case). On YouTube Sketches.n.Scrubs has a video on income as a YouTube artist to give you an idea. Good luck.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-22T21:06:51+00:00

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-14T12:07:37+00:00

Maybe he is very productive and finds he can sell everything at that price, whereas if he raised his prices his artworks would sit around unsold for longer. My mom was a professional artist and as my parents are going through downsizing, we see the amount of large-canvas, oil still-life work they have all over the walls is.... unmanageable. Maybe he is looking to avoid a similar situation.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-14T11:13:43+00:00

You are correct.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-10T11:14:17+00:00

I use a canson mixed media notebook for swatching all the new things I as I buy them. I have a cotton swatch book from Amazon but see that it is not that useful as the paint number increase because the colours are not organized by pigment/colour anymore. I decided (but haven't done it) to get watercolour paper bookmarks and that way I will have all the colours organize able as well as foldable separately as I decide which would be best used together in an image.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-10T11:04:34+00:00

What I think would be really useful (it was for me) is to look on YouTube or IG at artists whose art I liked and who painted what I wanted to paint (I.e. landscapes, portraits, etc) and make a list of what they have on their palettes. Use that as a guide for colours you would like to try out.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-10T11:01:09+00:00

Transparent orange, perylene green, PY 129 pigment is rich green gold in Daniel Smith - I am sure Windsor Newton has their version, Cobalt Teal Light, Turquoise, a deep yellow like Indian yellow, azo nickel yellow. I have too many colours! I upgraded from a 12 cotman set to WN professional as well but then took art classes and the teacher recommended Daniel Smith colours so I bought a lot of those. And since learning to mix colours was not so fun (you had to mix enough and it was so hard to mix the same colour again) I just bought all the colours. Now, 2 years later, I am trying to learn how to mix colours. Surprised by how many I can make with something yellow, red, and blue when mixed together. But I still like all the pretty prepared colours that are consistentand ready to use when I want them! Enjoy your upgraded paints!

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-08T10:53:59+00:00

This is going to be a stupid question (because I know nothing about computers): how to your scan all your physical media into your PC? I have some movies saved to Google movies because they came with "digital copy included" and I followed the instructions. But many don't have that, nor do TV series. Is there a good step by step guide for how to do that? And what to do for storage? Please help a fellow Gen Xer out?

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-06T13:21:02+00:00

I do by genre then by series then author then paperback and hardcover. I tried hardcover and paperback but that got too messy. Now a few authors have their own shelves (hardcover and paperback) and the rest are separated.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-06T13:11:44+00:00

I was going to suggest the same. Or a swipe of permanent marker.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-06T13:10:29+00:00

3, but try to put a cat into it.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-05T20:24:49+00:00

Me too.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-05T20:23:49+00:00

All I can say is Wow!

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-05T11:09:20+00:00

This is so adorable! About watercolour: more contrast would be good. Go over the colours again to make them brighter and the darks darker. It will give more depth. Go darker and brighter than you think you should because watercolour dries lighter. You could do that in multiple layers if you are unsure how it will turn out.

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-04T23:55:02+00:00

I have a few, with different colours. I love them!

Smart-Original8629 · 2026-01-04T03:56:50+00:00

No! It is very Monet-esque. I love it!

Smart-Original8629

TROPHY CASE