General Discussion: How do you work? - Now with added Challenge!

[Peppermint Pig]

Work at a nice big desk. I have recessed ceiling lights with a dimmer, and work from a basement office/entertainment room, so it's quite easy to set the right mood and be free from distraction. My chair isn't anything special: back-rest squeaks a bit, no armrests (who needs them??), and just enough of a cushion. It's not totally falling apart just yet, so it does its job.

I work from a dual 450 G4 with two 19 inch CRT's and a high refresh rate (prevents eye strain to an extent). I do nearly all of my pixel work in Photoshop 3.0.5. I built up some proficiency with mouse-based drawing, so I rarely use a tablet for pixel related work.

I'm not so much a slave to substances as other artists here appear to be.

I can roll right out of bed and work, and I'm not too fickle about the environment. I prefer to pen out a score of art at a time over a couple of hours, but it really depends on the first ten or twenty minutes: work can be daunting at first. If I'm not cursing myself for doing a poor piece, I'm spending several hours pouring over details, double checking as well as admiring. I spend about as much time pixeling as I do just looking at things. If I have a really good day of pixel work, this can translate into a chain of good days that keep me up late at night (or into the light of day...).

Of course, I do have a few preferred pixel aids to keep me at the terminal longer, such as snacks: a glass of water or juice (apple cider, cran grape, orange juice), or some sliced fruit (peaches, pears, or pineapple). Salsa and chips or hot chocolate are also useful if I need to boost my attention and comfort.

I like having some music. If I pixel in silence too long, my mind can get restless even while pixeling. I listen to any music (metal, electronic, rock, post-punk/new-wave etc), but I often resort to classical or dream-pop. Too much audio pizazz can diminish my pixel-time in the long run, so it's always better to side with low-tempo works. Guess it really depends on the subject matter.

What I really need is severe social trauma

Heh... I prefer the calm and cool logic of an emotionally quiet mind. Trauma and familial distractions can really take me out of the zone, but I've grown to subconsciously block most of that out. Still, people breathing down my neck all the time can be a bother.

[The B.O.B.]

   When I pixel, I definitely need some music in the background. I guess I'm more-so a music Nazi; as in I won't listen to anything other than Heavy Metal(Dismember, Kataklysm, At the Gates, Devildriver, a lil bit of Metalcore, Callenish Circle, etc., and ya gotta have some Iron Maiden in your diet kids!!)..
   The atmosphere has to be dark for me to continue pixeling( which I noticed is apparently very normal among fellow pixelers). I also tend to agree that the darker the atmosphere is, the more focused my eyes become with the piece. I also tend to always zoom out and in every 3-5 min. to try and spot anything that looks odd from afar. I even go so far as to stand about 15-18 feet away from the cpu to see if the distance adds any type of flare to the piece that can't see up close.
  As for food, I always need a cup of water near me when I pixel, to take a sip out of every now and then. I ussually have some type of chips to munch on when my cravings begin. Other than that, though I enjoy some fruits moreso than chocolate, mainly bananas and carrots( No, I'm not a vegetarian...)
   I hardly ever watch t.v., so I'm not in the know, and never really have it on unless I'm tired or feeling the need to take a break from the computer...otherwise, I'm a hardcore pixel dork all the way...