forum Does anyone else have all these hobbies you really want to try but don't know if you'll actually like them?
Started by @The-N-U-T-Cracker
tune

people_alt 59 followers

@Becfromthedead group

OoOoOOOoOOOOooooooOh so I have another not-quite hobby to add to my list: Needle Felting. it looks pretty fun

I know this is a late response, but I checked out needle felting a bit, and I'm dying to figure out how it works to see if it's something I can learn how to do. I saw some needle-felted pokemon earlier today, and I thought they were the cutest things ever.

@The-N-U-T-Cracker

OoOoOOOoOOOOooooooOh so I have another not-quite hobby to add to my list: Needle Felting. it looks pretty fun

I know this is a late response, but I checked out needle felting a bit, and I'm dying to figure out how it works to see if it's something I can learn how to do. I saw some needle-felted pokemon earlier today, and I thought they were the cutest things ever.

I've done it before with some scraps of wool on a piece of felt, but I never tried anything big and I don't have a needle of my own. How it works is you take some wool or fiber (If you want some high-quality Angora wool then my sister has an Etsy shop… You should just, casually buy something and ignore the awful photo of my face used as a profile picture) and a felting needle (you can find them pretty cheap at craft stores), and you basically just stab the fiber until it felts. I'm not good at explaining so here's a video tutorial my sister used to learn, you can actually find owls she made with the tutorial for sale on her shop

@The-N-U-T-Cracker

Oh, that's really cool
would definitely try it if it weren't such an expensive craft to do, because it kind of looks like it might be…

Some of the wool on my sister's shop is 5 dollars, and the needles are about 6, so overall it wouldn't be too expensive

@Becfromthedead group

Okay, I guess not. Not unless you do it a lot. I know yarns and stuff definitely add up (I unfortunately have to use acrylic 90% of the time because wool is expensive and cotton is hard to find, even though they're indisputably better for most knitting)
I need to go get a job so I can actually afford my own hobbies… being a broke college student is fun.

@Tiani

One hobby I would recommend if you are thinking about it is song writing. I just got a cheap keyboard which sometimes makes funny noises if you play it too long but it does the trick. I've only successfully finished 1 song but it was pretty damn good ( My music teacher said we gave a masterclass in songwriting ) So even if you don't get much done it's super fun and if you do finish an idea it's super rewarding to listen to your hard work paying off

@The-N-U-T-Cracker

One hobby I would recommend if you are thinking about it is song writing. I just got a cheap keyboard which sometimes makes funny noises if you play it too long but it does the trick. I've only successfully finished 1 song but it was pretty damn good ( My music teacher said we gave a masterclass in songwriting ) So even if you don't get much done it's super fun and if you do finish an idea it's super rewarding to listen to your hard work paying off

I've wanted to try songwriting for a while now, I just never got around to it…

@Becfromthedead group

Yeah, it's totally worth it! I've been writing music since I was about 8 years old, and it's a pretty cool hobby. Most of my stuff is instrumental, so you know, if lyrics aren't your thing, you can always just make up a tune and chords with it. There are also songwriting programs out there if you think you'd like using software instead of writing manually (but I'm not really into that, so I don't really have any knowledge on that).

@Becfromthedead group

Like I said, I don't really know anything about music writing software… I've always done it on pencil and paper. I'm probably going to not have great advice because music has always come really naturally to me, and I've taken a ton of theory courses, but I can still try!
So the way I typically go about things is I hear a tune, or I mess around until I have one that sticks. If it's not catchy, and you can't at least sort of sing it (this goes for instrumental music too), then it's not a very good tune. To start with, you only need a few measures of music, and they will usually act as a little intro/whatever plays first to get attention in the song. I'm sure there are people who don't necessarily start in the beginning (like maybe in the chorus for a piece with lyrics), but generally this is how I've done it.
Then, add harmonies. No, it's not as simple as that. There are certain harmonies and chord progressions that sound good together, and I'm not really sure how much you know about them, or if you have a good ear for music, but I'm sure I could answer questions if that's something you're not so sure about.
Harmony is usually followed by how something is played: what volume? what tone? etc.

But I will say this: there is no single right way to go about it, so you may have to experiment some. I have used different methods for different songs. In fact, I have written full melodic lines for an entire song before touching harmony, and I have also written full songs without listening to what it sounds like. Songwriting is all about experimentation and what works for you. You might even find that you like messing around putting notes into software and seeing what sounds best. There's no wrong way to go about it, really. My one piece of advice that I'm sticking to is to make sure you can sing your melody, at least sort of.
Also, what kind of music are you interested in writing? That definitely affects how you might want to go about it.

@Tiani

I would have no idea, I write songs to be performed live so I don't record them. If I want to layer sounds I use a video editing app however I am going to look into some applications in the future

@Yamatsu

I feel like blacksmithing would be fun (to jump on a COMPLETELY different subject), but I have neither the time nor the money/equipment to do so. I applied to a college that has a metalworking course or two, but I want to use a forge and make tools and coathangers and doorknockers and whatnot, not sculptures. Then again, a steel Ouroboros bracelet would be pretty dope.

@The-N-U-T-Cracker

I discovered copper torching today and I kinda want to try it but unfortunately, asking my dad if he can buy me a blowtorch and a large sheet of copper is s l i g h t l y suspicious

@Yamatsu

Another technique I found cool is brassing metal like iron or steel. All you need to do is heat the metal and then you run a brass wire wheel like on a Dremel across it. The brass color will deposit onto the metal, so you have that fancy color while retaining the durability of the iron or steel!

@shattered_heart

@"NutEllaDraws (There's so mushroom in my heart for you)"
Hi, could I bring the subject back to digital art for a moment? I've heard quite a bit about it and have always wanted to try it, but still know nothing about it.
Is it an ipad that you use? And what are the programs you would most suggest? I read your previous list but was curious if there were paid ones that you would also recommend.

@The-N-U-T-Cracker

@"NutEllaDraws (There's so mushroom in my heart for you)"
Hi, could I bring the subject back to digital art for a moment? I've heard quite a bit about it and have always wanted to try it, but still know nothing about it.

Sure thing!

Is it an iPad that you use? And what are the programs you would most suggest? I read your previous list but was curious if there were paid ones that you would also recommend.

I use my laptop and a screenless drawing tablet for making digital art, but an iPad with a good stylus (like an Apple Pencil) can work as well. And when it comes to art programs, I've never used any paid ones. I've heard great things about Corel Painter, Rebelle, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, and of course Photoshop, but I've never actually tried them. I still think Krita and/or Sketchbook would be the best programs to start with, but Procreate is really affordable if you want to try that out instead.

If you have any other questions feel free to throw them at me.

@shattered_heart

So, I'm allowed to get a tablet for studying with and I'm wondering can you do digital on that. I don't think I will be getting an ipad as my dad doesn't particularly like the apple brand. I don't know what tablet I will be getting yet, but it will most likely be a decent one.
I'm really nervous as I'm not sure whether my parents will actually let me do digital art. I just want to make sure it's actually possible first.