Khalid ibn Danyal

r ranson wrote:These are fantastic. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for your kind words.

I paint architectural perspective paintings of buildings which are deserted but clearly lived in and tended to.

I use acrylic craft paints on canvas boards.

My tools are fine brushes, fan brushes, some homemade or modified brushes, toothbrushes, sponges, and a steak knife.

I use the color block and reverse shading methods.

In color block, you paint background colors or the gist of a painting in large blocks of color to avoid needing outlines. So first draw on the canvass with pencil, then paint the different areas of the major colors, then paint in details over it. It starts with an unprimed canvass. The reverse shading is when, as in the stone arch below, the mortar color in shadow was painted first, then the blocks of stone were painted over it. This comes from people who paint miniatures. Then I textured the stones by sponging the light reflected off of them in on the shapes of the stones.

How do you all do it?

I need it by June 4th

Fully weaned, not old, not deformed, not sick or injured, not blind, and must still be alive

Color and breed irrelevant, it's going to be eaten at a festival. Will probably turn the hide into a daf.

Properly and kindly cared for for its whole life

Size preference is that I should be able to put it across my shoulders and carry it hobbled if I need to.

Jay Angler wrote:From the "crazy idea department":
1. BC Canada at one point had a business that had imported camels for use as pack animals. A reliable source says that they eventually died out, but Llamas are close relatives and are certainly available around my region, so maybe talk to some Llama owners and if you've never worked with camels, working with some Llamas might build the sub-skills that will eventually transfer?

2. You identify as currently living in high desert. Have you tried going nomad in your current area? There is a fellow in California who's known for being a modern "shepherd" who moves gradually from area to area with his sheep using a very small cart that holds all his needs. Again, this will help you acquire and practice skills that may be essential.

I think it's important to consider that nomadic lifestyles depended on intergenerational skills and responsibilities. You wrote, "build a base village in some oasis," but a village implies a group of people working as a unit. What infrastructure you will need to carry will be very dependent on the size of that group.

I used to be homeless. Lived out of a backpack in the high desert and the US-Mexico Border region for a couple of years. I used to read this website for information and almost set up a permanent squat with a garden.

Oh, I see, i left out a word. Build a base in a village in an oasis. Ie, the village is already there, I just need permission to build a house in it. Like, somewhere to hang out in the off season. Wouldn't even be there all the time. Plus, the village would benefit from the supplies I could bring in. I have a specific location in mind, and vehicles absolutely struggle to get there. They do get there, but it's not often.

But the only way to find out if that is okay, is to go ask in person. And I am not going to talk about it more, because I want to protect them from tourists.

Even if they said no, meeting them would be enough. And I would find a different location or move on to my plan C. Something I learned from being homeless is always make redundant plans of action to be able to respond to unforseen hiccups.

I finally found this section of the forum linked from somewhere else. Sorry, still trying to find my way around. 😅

I'm originally from SoCal, but it's been a long time since then.

I'm not great at introducing myself, but I want to avoid misunderstandings.

So, using a list template...

Job: I make primarily architectural perspective paintings of vernacular architectural oddities. Also some inspirational posters and stuff.

Languages: English, some Classical and Modern Arabic.

Married: Not yet.

Favorite Music: Lyrical Poetry

Favorite Artist: Muad, especially his duets with his daughter.

There's a potluck, what do you bring?
Khaliat al Nahl (sweet dinner rolls stuffed with cream cheese and glazed in honey and sesame seeds.)

Favorite Food:
I'm not picky. But I like strong flavors the best.

Favorite Drink:
Jallab. Preferably with the rose water.

Dogs or cats?
Cats.

Pet peeve:
People assuming what I meant, instead of listening to my words. It's very aggravating. Part of being honest and humble is not over-divulging information. It is not an invitation to guess or critique.

Hey, I saw this had no replies yet, and thought I should pop in with a word of encouragement.

You seem like a very nice fellow, and I wish you all the best. Hang in there bro. You got this. 🫡

I eat pitas pretty regularly. (Spoon is for the maftoul.)

The cut up pitas are so you don't need to use your dirty hand to eat. Procedure is to pick up a piece and use it to pick up a bit of the salatat el quds (the salad) the lahmmeh (meat, this is goat I stewed with tomato and zatar seasoning), and dip it in a bit of the tahine (the yogurt sauce) and stick it in your mouth. No mess. Then the maftoul or if you eat a grain like freekeh, if you cook it with extra water you can get it sticky, but I prefer the loose texture, so I use a spoon.

I'm curious about how they're made, arranged, and how many camels I'd need to carry them.

I'm just so done with living in the world. All this chaos and hardship with no apparent reward.

I want to move to North Africa and build a base village in some oasis and ply the sea of sand, and look at the stars.

What about Miswak tree?

It's native to the area br Geoff greened, and its roots and tender new growth can be used to brush your teeth.

I'm sorta wondering if it will grow in the sahel too, since I plan to move to that region in the future.