pieces' pieces

[pieces o nine]

Insomnia strikes again...

Here's a little wallpaper design altering the digital labyrinth I drafted for my circle. It's now completely under water and that little blob floating in the middle is a camouflaged toad fish.


If yer gonna be starin atcher compyooter ennyweighs, ye jest as well be sailin thru thee labyrinth t' induce calm an sarennitea an such.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

That's nice, what program did you use?

[pieces o nine]

Thank you.

I use Illustrator and/or PhotoShop for all my digital art.

If I ever sprang for one of those lovely fractal makers or some of the 3D modeling software I might never pry myself away from the computer!

[Black Bart]

I am inspired to do more artwork with photoshop but I am also trying to improve my cartoon skills using traditional methods.

Here's one of my latest Spot the differences which was created using Adobe Illustrator:

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Ice flaking off the 'berg on the left side, extra snowflake at the left-upper.  Clouds at the upper right.  Bubbles alongside the right side of the iceberg.  Diving penguin.  Yellow fishy.  Extra waves in water, in near-foreground.   Background land is blue on the left, green on the right.

( I can shift my vision from one drawing to the other rapidly, which makes the changes appear to "blink". Is that cheating? )

[Aggie]

Extra/missing penguin, two left of speaker & flipper position of second-from-right penguin.

I can't do Bob's trick, so I scaled it and visually superimposed it by crossing my eyes - same effect, the differences are in a quantum state of visibility.

[Opsa]

Hey PO9, nice graphic! I tried to actually follow the labyrinth, but there seems to be no way in to the toadfish! (Maybe it's just as well. He might prefer the privacy.)

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Oh! I missed one change.

In the back row of penguins, the 2nd one from the right has raised his flippers in the right-hand picture.

Ag-- that cross-the-eyes is a cool trick. I must try it at once.  (I used to love those 3-D cross-your-eyes to see pictures...)

Edit:  it works.... many of the features that changed appear to flicker, in the central composite picture.

Nice trick, A!

(corrected the incorrect name reference, too...)

[pieces o nine]

I like the penguin art, bart.
Do you use 'mesh' to create your gradients, or the gradient palette, or the old blend-two-points method?


And if you could do "spot the Differences" for 3D glasses, it would be très cool.

[Aggie]

Oooh...  like the labyrinth (hadn't checked it yet - work doesn't like deviantart, apparently).

[pieces o nine]

Thank you.

The site name "deviant" itself might be off-putting to your work server, even apart from some of the NSFW photos!

[Aggie]

Who knows?  They cut out some strange stuff, and leave other stuff intact.

They don't allow any 'net radio, but apparently don't know about the U of C station.

[pieces o nine]

I invested squandered used my leisure hours to perpetrate execute make a subtle-y Halloween-y wallpaper:   Ruby Slippers.

Initial drawing in Illustrator, then each section imported into PhotoShop and manipulated. Save a copy with the layers & effects merged, then merge that copy with the merge version of another section... gah!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Looking at other portfolios of what can be done with little effort and even less artistic talent, by downloading someone else's 3D computer-generated figures and "customizing" them with yet another person's texture mapping program(s), I feel a bit like a scribe who has learned to chisel all 5,000 hieroglyphs onto stone tablets, only to meet some young whippersnapper with a printing block from the local bazaar and rolls of papyrus paper...

[pieces o nine]

Here's some seasonal art you may take and have fun with, if you wish.     

DISCLAIMER:  The Pears Soap Witch is from 1899, but I colorized her and gave her some garbs, because it's kinda *cold* in October (not to mention at high altitudes!).

Pears Witch

Red Velvet Devi garb

Casual Friday garb

Leather

Black Velvet

[Aggie]

Paper dolls? Nice work!

[pieces o nine]

I see Bad Art   -- Bad Art!  Down boy! -   on a daily basis here and am loathe to add to it. Additionally, I am back in a part of the country which is not tres tres receptive to what appeals to me: if it aint got guns, cowboys, huntin, fetchingly abandoned farmhouses, military worship, pitchers of Jesus, or varying-skill approximations of 'Indian' art, it aint art.

Here's a Green Man I did for an artist friend. I usually destroy my personal work upon completing it in a fit of pique, but this one survived the night and lived to be mailed off... 
The photo truly does not do it justice -- I modeled the figure to be as close to perfect as my skill allows, then applied the foliage for the second firing. (It looks kind of deformed in the photo.) It has occurred to me that I could adapt this type of piece to the local flora and/or fauna, thereby appealing to the locals without feeling that I have abandoned my own taste or am encroaching on someone elses culture.

I have a three-day weekend -- quite unusual, as it's a one-day weekend for three-to-four weeks each month on a normal basis. Today I slept a lot, watched movies, and ate blue corn chips. Tomorrow and Monday I resolve to COMMIT ART!

[Sibling DavidH]

It's a wonderful piece, Pieces.  Wish I could do that.  BTW Mrs H will be posting a photo of a church green man when she joins the Monastery, probably today.

[Aggie]

Lovely, Pieces!

Might want to leave off the horns, if you plan to do a local version.    Your part of the country sounds like my part of the country.


EDIT:  Holey Carp - love that Reliquary!

[pieces o nine]

Thank you, Aggie.   



Here is my 2011 Valentine wallpaper.






I miss that herb garden.   

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

ZOMG! I wasn't aware of your handicraft! Are those fully functional? Do you do them on demand? How much do you charge?

[pieces o nine]

Thank you, Zono! I cannot sing, so I saw.   


I started the temple boxes as intense therapy and as a way to combine all my personal interests into one small, neat package. Each one is inspired by a historic building (or part of one) which catches my fancy. I aim to reinterpret it with contemporary materials or colors while still respecting the flavors of the original culture, and like to include hidden or unexpected compartments when possible. I've done commissions (varies depending on what someone wants) and donated a few to various charity auctions for good karma to offset the bad karma I keep acquiring from swearing at bad drivers.



Currently I am working out the design and construction points for a tholos/henge mashup, another Egyptian-based temple with  --SURPRISE!--  internal multi-reflecting mirrors, and a mini chest of drawers based on the Kukulkan. Of course, when I say "working on" I mean thinking about in a vaguely guilty way while napping on the couch...

[pieces o nine]

"And now, for something completely different..."

thumbnail view:   

I generally sneer at stock images, downloadable texture maps, and the like, but I saw this beautiful Shiva Dancing while doing some other research and was struck by inspiration. I (laboriously!!!) deleted the background, recolored with filters and textures, and embossed it.

I've seen this particular DW promo photo in several other manipulations, so hope the Beeb won't come knocking on *my* door for what I did with cropping, re-color, filters, et cetera. Fob watch is from a 2-D tech-type image, and sadly, I no longer know where -- or when -- I found that Tardis.

Next venture will be a return to Illustrator, PhotoShop, and mine own fevered brayne...   

[Opsa]

Neat! You is one talented artiske.

[pieces o nine]

     thank you!

[pieces o nine]

Bone Mother Goddess



Custom-blend of polymer clay with [secret ingredient!] inclusions to roughen/flake the surface  +  aggressive texturizing to simulate the porosity of old bone. I am pleased with the colors, and the weight feels 'right' in the hand -- like bone which has just begun to fossilize.

But enough about me!   

I do welcome constructive criticism, especially from those of you who know what these materials are supposed to look like! What are your suggestions for improving texture or color in future pieces?

Thank you-

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Planning on supply the archaeology black market, huh?

It already looks quite good in the picture, perhaps interring and compact a little to give that fresh-of-the-ground look...

[Opsa]

Love the figure. She's a fabulous shape.

Does she need a little sheen or something? Some waxing or polishing in places?

[Griffin NoName]

Like them just as they are.

My anti-virus blocks deviant art. 

[pieces o nine]

I mentioned doing a painting based on a favorite song in another thread. I found an old photo: c1983. I usually didn't like painting, but I was pleased with this one, and happy it wasn't among those lost in the Great Flood at mom's. (The waterfall behind the figure is more vibrant in the original.) At the time I lived in a luscious jungle of houseplants, kept an aquarium and birds, and lurking cats, all of which were useful models! I will add that this was not an homage to Sigmund Freud!     The figure was from a life drawing class; the snake from a dreamed jewelry piece, and its pose is how I write my initial.

Here's a technical illustration.

[Roland Deschain]

What are your suggestions for improving texture or colour in future pieces?

Visit a tanning salon?

It's a lovely piece just the way it is. To me it's more reminiscent of porous rock, but then that's almost what "about to fossilise" bone looks like. I'd say it's around 20,000+ years old.

[Sibling DavidH]

It looks excellent to me, Pieces; one can't tell from the photo how the texture could be improved.

[pieces o nine]

*is in cranky geezerette mode as PhotoBucket just changed everything again  to make it "easier" [more gratuitously difficult] to upload and name a freaking photo for carp's sake*

I can't access anything that will allow me to title the image normally. Clicking "Image tags" allows me to enter a title, but you'll note that it has reversed  them. I'm tired of trying to fix this. Enjoy.
Or not, as you like. 

day 1: sunny

day 2: snowy

[Griffin NoName]

Like the photos.

Yes, UGH, photobucket seem to have changed their Content Management System. Actually it looks a little like an old version of Joomla and a bit dated Every time I log on they have changed their interface and it is more and more difficult to use. There was nothing wrong with their very first incarnation; all this fiddling is very annoying. oh and the hyperlinks (blue writing) text is so incredibly tiny it is ludicrous - how is one supposed to use the links to navigate if one can't read them, and if they are not needed to navigate, why are they there at all? <>Sorry descended into geek mode <>

[Bruder Cuzzen]

Oh this thread is new to me . Lovely work PoN !
I love your painting , reminds me of Henri Rousseau .
Great job with the car as well , it must have taken forever to finish .
The ' Venus ' piece , or bone carving looks well forged to me , although I feel she ought to be more full figured ... symbolic of fertility , since I figure that was a big deal back then .

And boxes look amazing .

I will have work up some nerve to post some work that I didn't forge or deem to unoriginal or meh .

[Opsa]

Oh Pieces! How sad to see the blossoming tree covered with snow! I hope it all melts soon and goes into hyper-Spring for you.

Have you tried a Flickr account?

[pieces o nine]

Thanks for the nice comments.     

I haven't tried Flicker yet -- was burned by WebShots, am being sorely tested by PhotoBucket, feel resistance to learning yet another one that someone there wll jack around with as soon as an opportunity presents itself. I don't mind learning new things so much as having to learn random, gratuitous changes to the same old things, over and over and over again...



Post your stuff, BC. We're a supportive family.   

[Opsa]

I used to have a Photobucket account, but got fed up with it and all photo sites, too.

A friend of mine had a FlickR account, so I recently started one, too. It's super simple, just drag and drop.

I'm with Pieces, BC. We Toadfish are a good support group.

[pieces o nine]

One of the reasons I'm hanging in there (for the mo, at least) with current job is that I must update my professional portfolio. One client who loves me curates key exhibits at the local museum. In December she tapped me to design and produce 24"x36" installation boards; the public response has been so consistently favorable that they come directly to us. Here are some mini proofs for the last 4 shows.


Christmas Carols were sorted into 3 categories indicated by board color. She always highlights the contributions of 'forgotten' people in each exhibit; one of the 'blue' boards acknowledged the Jewish lyricists and composers of many popular favorites.

[pieces o nine]

History of Lighting was interesting. They wanted something fun so I drew the cord and Illustrator+PhotoShop-fu'd the illusion of loops. The mysteriously unplugged bulb really appeared to glow.


History of Laundry acknowledged the diverse immigrant population of the Black Hills, and the changing societal expectations about who was 'fit' to do what work based on gender and ethnicity. I drew and rendered everything; some of the supplied copy almost completely filled the tea towel! (Curator said she cried -- good tears! -- when she saw the boards.)    


History of the Crouch Line
Just installed over the weekend, this is my favorite design of the series. The little train graphic advances about 4" on each board, making a few circuits around the installation. The steam cloud is on a transparent layer and looks great  whenever it's against the black border.  

[Aggie]

Nice work! They're tasteful and professional looking.
_{which is to be expected from a professional, of course!} 

[Opsa]

Beautiful job, Pieces. Very clean and attractive looking.

[Bruder Cuzzen]

Love ' em!

[Griffin NoName]

Nice.

[pieces o nine]

Two sets for the upcoming exhibit: 23 Ghost Town boards feature histories of some I know of and quite a few i didn't. She specifically wanted to stay away from black silhouettes and to work with a purple-orange-green palette. I combined some stock photos to create and solarize a ghost town; I think that image will evoke disintegrating tintypes and glass negatives, and be a cool addition to a fresh look for each exhibit. Some day I hope to get these with enough time to proof-read for her. I catch typos, but not all when importing her text files under deadline!

They're still doing interviews for the Ghost Stories; we may be producing those at the literal last minute! The spiderweb is an old clip art, but the rest I drew in Illustrator & Photoshop. There are a couple silver dollars reflecting the orange moonlight in the grass at the foot of the tombstone, partly a nod to the gold- and silver-boom town history, and partly a subconscious reference to coins for someone's eyelids/passage. Maybe they dropped 'em and that's why they're still haunting...

[Opsa]

Well done! I especially love the solarized buildings.

I used to love solarizing images in the darkroom. Is there a photo program for that, now?

[Griffin NoName]

Must have : KT meter !!

[pieces o nine]

I used to love solarizing images in the darkroom. Is there a photo program for that, now?

Some versions of Photoshop have a solarize filter; others allow you to craft your own through manipulating layers with color burn/dodge and/or the difference, exclusion, luminosity, etc filters.  I used a photo filter and levels to change the colors on a duplicate layer, then applied "difference" to change all the Ocean o'Sand greys and khakis into purple and green. I don't know what's available in Gimp or similar programs.

Must have : KT meter !!

I don't think I accept spectral explanations for odd sounds, chills, or other. But I also don't think I'd care to have machines allegedly recording voices, presences, etc. where I live or work, either!

[Aggie]

Very cool and spooky!

Pieces, where do you get fancy fonts from?  The Ghost _____ header fonts, for example.  Do you homebrew the letters or use stock fonts?

[pieces o nine]

Fangks!

That font is "Bleeding Cowboys"; it can be found from both legit and illegit sources...




...ignore these haters...