I’ve been neglecting this blog for homework. Before you say it, I know, I know! Nothing should come before the blog! Unfortunately, my instructors don’t agree. So here is some of my favorite recent work.
And that’s it for this post. I have more, I just don’t feel like getting them web ready right now. Hope you enjoyed this.
I was doing a quick tutorial last week. I can’t remember where I found it or I’d post the link. However, there was one tiny little step they had me do that I never would have considered.
Instead of the default “Multiply” layer mode on the Drop Shadow style, they had you change it to “Color Burn”. Only problem is, it doesn’t really work if the background is a light color. It looks incredible on textured backgrounds though, and still looks good on darker smooth backgrounds.
Try it out next time you are applying a drop shadow on a dark or textured background. Also, you don’t always have to use black as your shadow color. I’ve noticed using a color the same hue as the object casting the shadow can create some pretty nice looks.
Tonight I discovered possibly the coolest piece of technology to date: a 3D printer! This isn’t your everyday 3D on a 2D surface either. This is, hold it in your hand like a real object 3D. Take a look at the video.
As amazing as that is, it doesn’t stop there. They are planning on using this technology to build houses. Also, this technology is being used in the medical field to help replace organs. They are even able to save unusable organs such as the liver with this technology. Not to mention they are working on building functional kidneys.
THIS is an amazing video. Its nearly 20 minutes long, but completely worth the time.
All I have to say is, “Take THAT, Hollywood!”
Today I was messing around in Photoshop and discovered this really cool way to make a texture. Since I want to remember how I made it, and thought it would be cool to share, I’m sharing it with you.
1. Start a new file. I originally did it on a pretty large canvas, but as I’m doing it here, I’m using a canvas of 300 x 250.
2. Fill your canvas with a color of your choice. I originally did a dark brown color, but I’m going to try a lighter color now just to see if it works as well on other colors. Here’s what I have so far.
3. Now we are going to add some noise. Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise with the following settings.
Amount: 5%
Distribution: Gaussian
Monochromatic: Checked
And here’s what I have.
4. Next we need to add some brush strokes. Go to Filter > Brush Strokes > Angled Strokes with the following settings.
Direction Balance: 50
Stroke Length: 15
Sharpness: 3
5. Okay final step is to add a Spatter Brush Stroke. Go to Filter > Brush Strokes > Spatter.
Spray Radius: 10
Smoothness: 5
And that’s it. If you want it to be seamless, pull it into The Gimp and use their Seamless Tile filter. For some reason, a $700 program can’t do what a free program can do. That’s something for another post on another day though.
Anyway, this is it. You could probably try using gradients and things and see what kind of stuff you can come up with. I found that using other patterns creates some pretty cool effects. Here’s some examples.
I’ve been living in Texas for five years now. I wasn’t a huge fan for a long time. Mostly because of the overwhelming pride that this state is so famous for. It was really annoying at first. I was especially annoyed when the Raiders beat the Cowboys, and all I heard on the news was whining and excuses. Texans are extremely proud of their football, and when they lose, it was an “unfair” game of some sort.
However, I soon discovered things that were of the Texas brand, other than football. Their music, wine, and beer are all amazing. Not to mention the countrysides, landscapes and attractions.
My first experience with Texas country was at a Cross Canadian Ragweed concert. Wade Bowen opened for them, and I absolutely loved what I heard. Not to mention it was an awesome live show. I also discovered how much of a party school Texas Tech is, but that’s something for another day and another post.
Since then, I have discovered amazing bands like Reckless Kelly, Josh Abbott Band, and Bart Crow Band. I’ve also discovered entire stores dedicated to Texas music. There’s a little store in Gruene that I always stop in at when I’m nearby.
I have never been a huge fan of wine. I never could tell why anybody would ever want to drink it. Until a colleague introduced me to Llano’s Blush. Yum! For a while I settled on just that. But since I’ve discovered quite a few other Texas wines that are equally amazing.
At Christmas, there was always Guiness. I’m not sure why anybody drinks that nasty stuff, and I decided early on that dark beer was not for me. Then somebody talked me into try ing a Texas dark beer. It’s not quite as dark as Guiness, but it’s so good. For once, a beer you can drink for the taste! If you ever come to Texas, you must try Zeigen Bach. Yum!
Last spring, I went to visit Robert in south Texas. That is when I discovered the beautiful wildflowers that grow alongside the roads. There’s every color imaginable and they are so sway in the breeze. It’s like a magical dance.
Unfortunately, I live on the Caprock which really isn’t all that beautiful. No wildflowers to speak of, or green for that matter. The sunsets are stunning though, and the clouds are like nothing I’ve ever seen. Also, driving off the Caprock is a stunning transformation that is indescribable.
I’ll be the first to tell you how much I love the Riverwalk in San Antonio. It’s a beautiful place, and there’s tons to do. There’s almost always some kind of festival or parade going on. If not, there’s plenty of shops, restaurants and shows to keep you busy. You can spend a lot of money easily on the Riverwalk, but you can also just walk it and enjoy the view and the people.
In the five years that I’ve lived here, I still have not seen all of this state. Everything I learn about it, is amazing though. There’s plenty to do, and so much to see.
However, I have yet to see a beach as beautiful as those in California. The seafood isn’t as good as in California either. I’ve seen lots of trees, but still have yet to see one as tall as a California Redwood. Also, the only thing “bigger in Texas” are the clouds. They are worth the trip though.
TexMex is overrated, and California has better Mexican food. They also have better steakhouses. I’m not a huge fan of Texas BBQ. It’s basically everything you don’t want to eat covered in BBQ sauce to mask the taste.
Either way, both places have their positive and negative points. I love both states, but I don’t see myself moving back anytime soon. Texas is still a whole lot more affordable than California.
I have been attending church since I can remember. I even have the order of most of the books memorized. The first major memory I have is when my parents took me to a new church and I was forced to go to kiddie church. I hated that because I was so shy then. Another little girl came up to me and asked how much of the bible I had read. I don’t remember my exact reply, but it was a long the lines of “None of it.” She then proceeded to tell me that she had read the entire Old and New Testaments. She also explained that her friend standing next to her had read only then New Testament.
Now that I’m older, I’m not sure that I believe them, since they were not old enough to have even been able to read that much. Let alone, comprehend it. However, at the time I remember being incredibly ashamed that I had not read the Bible as they had.
Since that time, I have read many scriptures and participated in many bible studies and had my fair share of devotionals. I have also read countless fiction novels. I had yet to read an entire book of the Bible. Until a few days ago. My first book was Ruth because my mom had gotten her mixed up with Esther. When I told her that Ruth was not all that interesting, she remembered that it was the book of Esther that I should have read. So I read Esther. I loved it!
Since then I have read half of Genesis, which I apparently had confused from my lack of actually reading it. Apparently the balls of fire and pillars of salt were from Sodom and Gomorrah, not Noah’s Ark. I’ve always heard that you should never take anybody’s word when it comes to what the Bible says, and I’ve always checked the scriptures I was read in church and read what was around them to get the context. However, that was the extent of my “checking up”. I’m ashamed to admit that, but it’s the truth.
So, I’ve decided to read the entire Bible. Maybe slowly, but I will finish it someday. I’m currently half way through Genesis right now. I may or may not continue on to Exodus, or skip around. I’m not sure. Is it okay to skip around? I know the pastors do it a lot.
I still remember the first time I joined a social media network. It was Myspace, just like a lot of other people. Eventually I moved on to Facebook, and joined Twitter along side that. Since it’s helped me keep in touch with my family since I moved from California to Texas, I don’t know how I could live without Facebook. Twitter keeps me up to date on everything web and graphic design.
Now, Google+ has been introduced, and I’ve found a whole bunch of other random “social” type websites. I was introduced to Turntable.fm tonight, which is basically chat rooms where people play and enjoy music together. I have to say that it is a pretty great concept, and is done well for something that is still in the invite phase (unless you have a Facebook account, that is.)
While I love my social networking accounts, I’ve begun to feel a little overwhelmed by it all. How many social networking sites do we really need? I’m currently an active member of 4 social media websites, and an inactive member of countless others. To be honest, I just don’t have the time or energy to keep up with it all, but they each have their own perks.
I didn’t plan on this post to be a “+1″ for Google+, but if anything can give you all the perks of all these sites, its going to be this. It has the friendship structure of Twitter so I don’t feel odd “following” someone that is a stranger, yet posts interesting things. It’s similar to Facebook in it’s overall structure, and I can create a “Business” circle for my LinkedIn needs. Not to mention, Sparks reminds me a little bit of Stumble Upon, though I think SU takes the cake on that one. Okay, that’s it for my Google+ plug. Unfortunately, they didn’t pay me for that.
I just like the idea of having one social media site that gives me all the perks I love, in one. I’ve lost interest in Facebook after being an avid member for years. I look forward to Google+ giving Facebook a run for its money. We’ll see what happens.
I’ve tried this blogging thing a couple of times without ever being to dedicated to it or really having an idea of what I wanted to talk about. Each time has been a complete failure, mainly because I never kept up with it.
Now with a little motivation, and maybe some help and encouragement from some friends, I’ll keep up with this blog.
I have thoughts and ideas, I’m just not very good at expressing them. I tend to babble on without ever making a point. Hopefully, this will help me organize and consolidate my thoughts better. Not to mention express myself in words rather than pictures.
I have a few friends and coworkers that have blogs and I enjoy reading them. What’s more, they are often so thought provoking, that leaving a comment just doesn’t seem to be enough. So hopefully, this will be a way to respond without junking up their comment feeds.
Anyways, that’s it. We’ll see what happens from here…
