SOLDER IRON ART

What could you do with a roll of receipt paper and a soldering iron? Make art!

The finished piece!

Receipt paper is usually 'thermal paper', which means one side of it is coated with a chemical (including the dye) that reacts to heat, providing a way to print text and images without ink.

Taking a heat gun with the right setting...

Finding the right heat setting to make the strokes I wanted took a few tries...

And then taking a soldering iron on the right setting...

Higher temperatures create thicker lines, lower temperatures create thin lines...

And voila! A drawing made without a pencil, pen, brush, etc, but with applied heat!

I also made a quick rose for Charles, hehe, in return for the 3D printed rose (using the Form 1) he gave me. ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ Happy belated Valentines Day!

And then here's some random things I carved into leftover pieces of foam from work:

This was just a quick interlude post- I'll be back to more RWBY updates in a few days!

SUN + RWBY + OTHER ARTS

Last December, after more than a year of not visiting family, I flew down to Florida for a week to meet up with the ol' crew again - mom and dad, along with some of my cousins and friends and families of friends. They had driven down to meet me there, ready for beaches and a Christmas without snow and cold, which Florida readily gave. The trip had been a long time coming, and seeing family again really brought back memories. I took the opportunity to catch up, to soak in the presence of the people who I had lived without for the past few years, to breathe in a salty air that was so unlike the air up north, to drink in the scenery of sky, water, and sand. A week's worth of family and sun rejuvenated me. It was more than enough - I was ready to go back and tackle the new year.

Happy 2014! Happy year of the horse!

There's a full lineup of things-to-happen this year - but I'll start with just updating on the things I've already worked on so far. This is a LONG and PICTURE-HEAVY post! Contents are below, click the 'Read more!' to read more!

In order of appearance:

I

An update on RWBY scythe

II

A recap of my week in Florida

III

A living-hinge book cover I designed

IV

Some speedpaints I did

Click below to read more!

ROUGH ANIMATION + PAINTING DRAPERY

Just a quick update on some arts! I had done a rough animation yesterday just to take my mind off things. Nothing fancy, just an original character of mine getting wind-blown. I'm going to be trying out more animations in the future - it was rather relaxing, working on it, and I definitely learned a few lessons from it.

The following piece below came about from a desire to practice digitally painting drapery. Though most of the piece was spent focusing on her coloring, I actually spent an inordinate amount of time trying to fix her slanted anatomy and legs. After enough time though, I called it, and just went on to finish painting, haha. Next time, I'll work on anatomy more!

I didn't manage to capture all the WIPs, but click "Read more" to see some of the early work in progress shots!

M'LADY

Quick sketch post of another mechanical lady done in pencil - mouse-over for color!

Above: M(echanical)'Lady

ROSES, SHAVINGS, AND CURLS

I thought I would continue my rose-theme from last Valentine's Day, which was a fruit and veggie salad made from tomato and strawberry roses (post found here: [Valentine Roses]), and make something rose-themed for this year's Valentine's Day as well.

The idea for this year - a rose made with wood shavings. I, with the help of Charles and some other MITERS people (Bailey, Heidi, Steve), shaved off curly wood shavings from a piece of wood, which I arranged into rose-like shapes. This was my first experience using the shaving-wood-tool, and it turned out to be really fun! A bit late in the making (though the idea was formulated a few days before V-day), but here it is. Happy super-belated Valentine's Day!

Above: Roses made from wood shavings!

Above: Man strength! Thanks for the help, guys!

Above: From this...

Above: ...to this!

(Closer shot of the big rose)

Above: The rose-arrangement with Spray-on Adhesive.

Looks like snow!

ARTSING UPDATE

I've been commissioned for a few projects lately but I haven't been updating much on any of them, sadly. But when things start rolling out with them, I'll blog more about them here! In the meantime though, here are a few practice sketches I'd made sometime in the past month!

Above: Duck ship!

Air-based, but mobile in water too- I'm thinking

possibly used for cargo or construction...

Above: More animal-inspired designs!

Scout ships, and a floating island of rock and water..

Above: Character designs for a rodent-based species.

Skilled in scavenging and metallurgy, they built a culture dependent

on craftsmanship and trade. Though their small form is undermined by many,

they hold their own in battles and political alliances.

Above: A Persona design, based on the Shishi (Chinese Guardian Lions)

(This was for a comic)

Above: (Top) Color practice using a photo ref. (Bottom) Photo ref of a cosplayer.

(No color-picking involved!)

I've been trying to expand my portfolio, so I'll be posting some more WIPs and practice sketches on my blog and tumblr.

DAYS AND DAYS AND DAYS

Yes, this took ages - days and days and days. And more days! I wanted to create something epic, and I was inspired by so many awesome artists at DeviantArt and ConceptArt that I just ....went and tried. :)

...Trying was really hard, haha. What would take a pro or at least a seasoned artist normally a few hours took me a few weeks of on-and-off working (and of trying really hard). But I guess I have to start somewhere, right?

(After days and days and days of working on this, I finally called the 'end', and stopped working on it. To be honest, after seeing this image for so many days, I got quite sick of it, haha... :)

The digital painting was done all in SAI, from conception to detailing. In hindsight, I spent a lot more time on the details than probably necessary, and it took me several several tries to get a desired effect (and not always achieved). Not to mention I had no idea how to make anything remotely sci-fi-y look cool, so I spent ages designing her 'suit' and wings. In the end, everything kind of just blurred together - the viewer might not always see the details, but as the artist, I can say a lot of thought went into every single stroke.

Here's the finished image, one I'm quite proud of:

Above: Cyborg Angel, digitally painted in SAI

ARDUINO-TAN

Arduino-tan, the Object-tan of the Arduino Uno microcontroller board! What is Object-tan? It's the name given to an "moe anthropomorphized" object, in this case the Arduino. There have been many Object-tans already created, as its a fairly common occurrence in the otaku culture to make something look cute. There are OS-tans, a Wiki-tan, console-tans, and so much more...

Above: Arduino-tan! Arduino-chan? Arduina-chan?

Arduino Uno-chan? Arduino Una-chan? ..tan?

Pretty much anything can be moe-anthropomorphized. Food, military vehicles, animals, laws, household appliances, buildings  - nothing is safe from the cuteness! D:

OTAKON 2012

Warning: Long post ahead!
TL;DR - The Otakon 2012 trip was overall very successful!

This past weekend I went to Otakon 2012 as Shiina Mayuri (Mayushii) from Stein's Gate, and had a blast! There were definitely a lot more Okabe's (the main male character) than any of the girl characters, but I'm glad we managed to find all but one character from the cast!

Above: Julia (as Christina) and me (as Mayuri) with Okabe #2.

Above: So many Okabe's! This was perhaps less than half of the total

number of Okabe's we encountered over the weekend.

In addition to the Black Rock Shooter canvas, I also submitted 3 chinese-styled wallscrolls and 2 sketches to the Otakon 2012 Art show.

Above: BRS canvas (this has its own post - check it out! ^_^ )

Above: Wall scrolls submitted to Otakon 2012!

Above: Sketch of gender-bender Legend of Korra cast.

(The finished version had some breezy leaves floating throughout the pic as well.)

Above: Working photo of the Mako-Bolin sketch - I don't have a pic

of the finished version unfortunately!

To read more about my trip and submitted art, click below to read more!

BLACK ROCK SHOOTER PAINTING

For Otakon 2012, I'm going to submit about 5 pieces of artwork into their Art Show, and I'll be documenting their progress here. The first one to be done was the Black Rock Shooter acrylic painting!

Above: BRS in Acrylic!

(Black Rock Shooter is a character from an anime of the same name, for more info: CLICK HERE. :)

I had submitted an acrylic painting to Otakon 2 years ago, and I honestly don't remember how much I priced it and how much it sold for, haha. If anyone has any advice, please let me know!

The cheap-student's setup: Cardboard box table with a newspaper covering, and a flattened cardboard box underneath as a spill/drip precaution. It might be hard to tell in the following GIF, but I'm using those transparent CD covers and some plexiglass found at MITERS as substitute mixing trays. So if you don't have a palette/mixing tray, those are a good substitute.

Above: My workspace becomes subsequently more cluttered.

I am but an amateur artist and only a hobbyist, but here are a few color theory tips I can share:

(1) Brown and blue plus some white make lovelier shades of gray than the store bought colors (or even regular black mixed with white). A brighter blue results in a warmer shade of gray whereas a darker blue result in a colder shade of gray, and etc.

(2) Blue and with a little green mixed with some darker red (or yellow) create some interesting darker blue-green colors that when used with black create a nice backdrop/undertone color. I used this combo to get the color of BRS's hair, bikini top and shorts. The photo doesn't show it much, but the black does have a blue-green undertone, thus making it less of a strictly black and white painting. Careful not to mix until muddy!

(3) White lightens a color, but won't brighten a color. If you want a bright blue, for example, either buy a brighter blue color, or try and selectively 'tone-down' the area around it to create the illusion of a brighter color, as what I tried to do. You're going for a stark contrast, and you can do that by either complementing it, or making everything else much less intense (in the immediate surrounding area). By setting darker colors next to their much lighter companion with a few flecks of straight white on top also helps to create an illusion for a brighter color area.

Above: I used up 2 CD cases (back and front), and 4 rectangular strips of plexiglass.

Above: Example of (3) - tone down the blues in the surrounding areas

to make even regular blue look more intense than usual.

This might be a little light to see, but here's a comparison of the original sketch to the version I drew on the canvas. Looks really messy, right? I also took out 80% of the chains I was initially planning on drawing into the final painting just as an aesthetic choice.

Above: Canvas (right) based off the original sketch (left).

Above: Final version.

Size comparison to my laptop  - the painting's not too big!

More Otakon cosplay and artworks coming up in the next few days - Peace!

OTAKON PREP (1) AND TOTEM

(AKA - One way to make a wall scroll, part 1.)

There are 4 asian-styled wall scrolls I'll be creating for Otakon 2012, and I'll be detailing how everything goes here. Since my ink cartridges arrived in the mail today, I thought I'd test out my transfer paper and spray-on adhesive. So I printed a dummy picture onto a sheet of the Lazertron "Iron on Inkjet Transfer Paper for White or Light coloured [sic] Textiles" and took it to MITERS to iron it onto some fabric.

Above: Transfer sheets, sharp scissors, fabric. Iron not shown.

Above: (Left) Original image on regular computer paper.

(Right) Image ironed onto off-white fabric.

As you could probably tell by the above pics, I did a botch job of ironing. Be sure to (1) have a clean iron, (2) iron the corners of the sheet as well, and (3) wait for the fabric to cool before trying to remove the back of the transfer paper! Note: The colors on the fabric are truer to the colors on my computer screen.

Next, I wanted to test out my two adhesive methods - spray on and fabric tape. Except, don't be like me - read all the instructions before starting. My major mistake? My transfer paper instructions told me, "DO NOT USE STEAM." On the other hand, my fabric tape instructions told me, "DO USE STEAM." But I didn't read that. Until I started wondering why my picture was bubbling and yellowing and the transfer sheen was starting to come off. Hmm.

So then I just applied my spray-on adhesive (after reading the full instructions), and things stuck.

Above: Adhesives and the dummy red fabric backing for testing.

Above: After applying the spray on adhesive.

Not the greatest job in the world, haha, but for a test run, it'll suffice.

Add some round dowels at the top and bottom, and voila - final prototype:

Above: Wrinkled and rough-edged, but still feasible.

So all in all, the effort was educational. I've tweaked my wall scrolls plan a bit and will try again after my final images are completed. If I get it right the next time around, maybe I'll write an Instructable on it.

~~~

In other news, I got to see Totem, the newest show by Cirque Du Soleil, a few days ago. And it was amaziiiiing! :D The stage mechanics, the acrobats and performers, the music, the costumes - they were all awesome. (But if I had to choose, my favorite act involved the duo on a single trapeze...)

Above: The Cirque Du Soleil tent. I came outside during intermission with some friends to try

and figure out where the performers went when they disappeared into the ceiling... MAGIC.

Above: Inside the tent before the show. The giant turtle shell structure actually

blocks the coolest part of the stage, in my opinion.

Check out their official website (CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - TOTEM) for more pics, videos and info! If you get the chance and are interested, do go and see it! :)

A WEDDING, THOUGHTS, AND A QUICK ANIMATION

On Sunday 5/27/2012, a friend who lived a few doors down from me got married.

Above: Abby and Dave,  pronounced wife and husband.

There were so many things I didn't know about a Christian wedding. Like how I had to sit on the bride's side because I knew her better, or how the bride and groom had to kiss every time someone tapped the side of their wine glass with a knife (during reception). But it was quite fun - we stood up and sang hymns, prayed and blessed the couple quite a few times, danced to swing and classics at the reception after. And it was very sweet, especially when the bride waltzed with the groom.

We had a few tears shed, a couple of baby wails, and a duo (siblings of the couple) who played the violin and piano preceding and following the ceremony. Due to the groom's association, there was also quite a large fraternity gathering, who mobbed the groom after the reception for a fraternity group hug and picture. All in all, I felt incredibly special to have been part of that moment. The bride looked beautiful, the atmosphere was magical, and watching their grandparents dance to the "Cha Cha Slide" definitely made my day.

The realization hit me a little later that I was already at that age, and that I would probably be attending a few more weddings involving my friends in the next couple of years. I respect the decision of couples like Abby and Dave, who have thought long and hard before taking this next step, and I understand marriage is large commitment many men and women shy away from.

There are always quotes and sayings that poke fun at marriages, equating them to business relationships or captivity. Perhaps it really is for some people. But after witnessing my first wedding ceremony, marriage seemed to mean something more than having a wife or husband. It means accepting another person into your life, and having a constant companion with you to help you battle your worst moments, and be there with you when you celebrate your best. It means a man or woman you choose to share your life story with as it unfolds. That, in itself, is such a special position.

The part of the ceremony that really got me came just before the vows. Abby and Dave told each other their faults, like how he may forget her at times, or how she may lose her patience. But despite those faults, they declared their acceptance of the other, their care and love for one another, and the mutual will to talk and work things out together - to face each other and confront their problems as a team, one at a time. Their vows reminded me that it takes two to maintain the relationship - if one person is only giving, or one is only taking, that bond would collapse.

Their maturity and honesty really moved me. For them, it was hurdle they tackled early. And for Abby to find someone who loved and cared for her as much as she did him made me feel so incredibly happy for her. I suppose if such a hurdle ever comes within sight in my own lane, I'll also do my best to decide on this important decision with my significant other.

~~~

In other news, a few days ago, I found this cute little animation program called "Pencil", and drew up with the following quick sequence:

Unlike flash programs and other digital animation software, this program mimics traditional animation, like a flip book with see-through layers. The interface looks a lot like paint, with the addition of a timeline and the ability to create frames. They also give you the option to see before and after frames, like a digital version of applying a lightbox. Unfortunately for Windows and Linux users, you can't export your sequence into a movie. But you can export it into a flash file, which you can then convert into mp4, avi, etc, using your own (or free online) methods.

I'm finding Pencil to be a really good tool for learning and practicing animation, though working on sequences with a tablet is still a little awkward. In the future, I think it would be nifty to try and animate a fight sequence...

Above: A sketch made to relieve stress just after my big final.

So here's to you, Yutaka Nakamura, genius fight animator and key animator for so many of my favorite anime. If I ever went and created an animated fight sequence, I'll send it to you as fan mail.

~~~

To leave off, here's a pic of a resistor menorah that I made for my laser harp in my Microcontrollers class:

Above: I only realized its resemblance afterwards...

I think it looks pretty cool - made the board a bit tidier, too. Too bad my class wasn't in the fall, because then this little resistor menorah would have been made around the appropriate holiday. ...Happy [early] holidays? :)