If you're tempting the idea of becoming a typesetter, I've a suggestion for you. Read this little article from Jeremy Mickel about the process in creating his first font: The First Ones the Hardest

And if you're still interested and want more: On snot and fonts


Myself, I don't believe I'll pursue a typography career even though I have a love for the algorithmic maths and culture (sorta). Designing is a wondrous, creative, heady gift if you can get it right. But I believe I don't possess the innate qualities for a life sustaining career. I just fiddle with design. And I'll continue to fiddle with it to my grave. I guess it's the awe I feel when dissecting another's work, to find the minor details hidden in open view. Uncovering your secrets doesn't produce this feeling but knowing you put yourself through hell to find perfection... That is inspiring. And that is why I continue to fiddle with these torturous 1/100th point bezier movements so that fucking M looks legible in low lighting.

Hi guys.  I'm in a photography class this semester.  That's something artsy, right?  I'll be posting my assignments so you guys can tell me I suck at photography.

Woohoo! I'll be submitting things again.

Alright. I've submitted a few new items recently. Did you guys notice? I imagine a few more things will be coming soon. I haven't felt like doing the visual arts stuff in a while.

Since I've begun reading a few more design blogs, I've felt the need to bring my ideas to fruition. I keep notebooks full of creativeness. I've got half-thought poetry, architectural design notes, lamp/lighting designs, physics research (sonoluminescence not cold fusion), scribbles, recipes*. I'll try to put a few things up here.

I'd kill (murder) for some feedback and constructive criticism from this community. It seems that I'm easily overlooked (still) in this detached crowd of 8 million artists.  Sure, I'll get some favs, but hardly do I come upon a voice requiting my work's lack of sheen. Or a few words to guide me in my artistic endeavors. What's worse... My love music, well, there's no feedback there.



Oh, and did you see that last journal? I worked my ass off on the music and birthed an EP. I gave myself a deadline of 2008. Just any time during the last year. So on New Year's Eve, I posted all the worthwhile tracks here and here. It's an EP because it was not finished. There is no scoping theme, no genre slipping glissando from beginning to end this time. I did put in more than before. By that I mean I tried new techniques like frequency dithering and hardware (circuit bending even). I'm not using the name Tendron again. I've changed. The music's direction has changed. Name needs to change, and I need some ideas. Tendron sucks as a name since it's not even a real word. I've set another deadline for myself: an EP (under 30 mins) on this new name during 2009.

*1 egg, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar. 10 mins @ 350°F. This is actually good.

Hey! Look what I did today.

A wonderful idea to help me with a problem: write the artwork's description as I'm creating.

I get these great, wonderful ideas for something artsy.  I create the artwork.  The art takes over for my thoughts as it is now something you can see, feel, touch.  Now that my concept has been realized, my brain gets wiped of what I was intended to manifest. I forget what I was trying to do.  So no good description, no guide to what you are about to see.

That drives me crazy.  I think I'd be getting better feedback if I told you all my secrets.  Are you all just not getting it?  I can really understand.  I look back at my work a lot; don't know how most of that stuff came to be.

I wish I knew Flash enough so that I could submit snippets of my music in the guise of visual arts.

Hmm...

Time to go Google. I'll submit what I find. (This should be interesting.)

Edit: I lied. I don't do the things I say I'll do.

I'm noticing that some of the stuff in my gallery looks dated.  You can tell I was using old school Photoshop on some of those digital pieces.  But is that really possible?  A piece of art whose sole medium is digital and unending, can something like this really looked dated?

Photographs look dated due to the passage of time. Physically they change as the inks wear thin and paper erodes. Some artists can manipulate their canvas to appear as if their painting was done well before they were even born.

What's changed in my artwork? Time can't touch it, and I certainly didn't intend to age anything artificially (I don't think that far ahead). Maybe it's my own expectations?

Nothing important to say. Just blabbing on...

I started working on Eight One Pro. This is a (huge) project I hinted at earlier during the original beta versions. I'm new to the whole font creation thing still. I need to read into typographic theory. I have a basic understanding and knowledge of typography, that's about it. But I'm still going to take a stab at creating a full suite for my favorite typeface.

Here's what I've started:

• Ultra Light
• Light
• Regular
• Bold
• Extra Bold
• Heavy
• Fat

I've got a lot more planned. Even some wingding squiggle shit. The geometry that the font is built on is full of possibilities. Love that mathy-arty stuff. I've recently also developed a boner for 7 segment displays (and similar such items that light up). I want to do something with that style. I'm nerding out.

Hey, I need your help. I need some fresh opinions.

Who on deviantART regularly philosophizes on art theory? Is anyone writing about contemporary art? Link me to some journals. Has anything been written on artistic theory craft? Is anyone blogging about current art trends?

I'm in the mood to ponder.

Where did my beta tester status go? It just disappeared.

That's upsetting.

---

Edit: I fixed it. But still... I wasn't the one who broke it.

Another Edit: Alright, it looks like when dA automatically bills me for my 3 month subscription, they remove my beta tester status. There's a bug. Every time I auto-renew, they auto-fuck up.

I keep finding myself coming back to check dA. For what? Well, I don't know. It's not like I comment on anything that shows up in my message center. If I do comment, it's a cynical remark with little merit.

So why do I keep checking back?

Maybe it's because it's spring now. Maybe it's because I'm sick (sinus infection) and have nothing to do. Maybe it's because I have an itch for that artistic bullshit.

Aha! I figured it out. I stopped taking meds and they are likely out of my system now. I feel like I woke up, like I'm paying attention. I feel cognizant, but that word doesn't effectively describe it. A year and a half of my life went by without fail, without notice really.

Oh well, what's next? I feel like doing something.

Glue who?

Hmm, I forgot all about dA. I stopped being a Whore a long time ago. Well, technically I still am a Whore, just not practicing on dA. I stopped making art, that's for sure. No spurts of creativity seem to happen anymore.

Everything is foggy.

That sums it up.

---

Edit: If you remember my earlier post... I found my van!

<img src="[link]"  alt="It brings a tear to my eye..." />

It's just trapped in Google Maps...

My van was stolen on Christmas day while I was away visiting family. Doesn't that suck? I filed a police report the next day. I'm pretty sure since I haven't found it yet that I won't find it. But if I do, it'll be really fucked up I bet. Apparently, most stolen cars are returned within 72 hours, after that it's not as likely.

I did find out that my van is worth something though. $380. It would cost me more money to donate/scrap it than the value of what the fucking thing's actually worth. Maybe this is a good thing? I just hope I didn't leave anything in the van that could be used against me, like in identity theft. I'm paranoid so I tried to keep the van free of personal papers save my insurance and registration stuff. There was my CD player and a box full of X-Files VHS tapes from seasons 1-4 (just ~15 random tapes, not the whole seasons). There was a "No Parking" sign I stole from many years ago. And there was a huge stack of cardstock (A2) I had in the back for whatever future project might need them. That last one kind of blows...

The head gasket was blown and the block was well on it's way to crack any time. They couldn't have gotten too far.

Anyway, I'm taking the bus from now on.

I'm curious.

Have any of you design-types taken on a huge project? Huge huge.

Let's think of it in terms of a client's lengthy list of items and sub-items needing to be branded, formed, pixelized, printed, reviewed, re-edited, Photoshopped, etc. This isn't really just a project you'll be working on. This is your client's magnum opus. This is their baby, and they fucked long and hard to give birth to such a perfect, wonderful (insert whatever they did here). The artisan insists on covering every facet of exposure or publicity possible. In fact, you start to feel a little inspired by the emotional fervor in which your client envisions how important the world needs to be experienced. Everyone should be given the chance to understand this message, this information, this expression. Yeah…

So that means a large profit as you’re hired for three photo shoots; two magazine articles with artwork; advertising in television, radio, newspapers, the web; designing and coding main website and many subsequent minor sites; logos and typography (branding); merchandise design; art direction for the coming tour. Let’s say it’s anything you, as a designer, can do to advertise. Maybe even fucking billboards.

This is something I see for a design firm, a team of likeminded people. Your client wants, needs to be involved in every step. You’ve decided it’s too good to pass up even though it will be a great challenge.

Any of you do that before? I want to know the secret to completion.

--

Edit: Remind me not to ask such difficult questions.

Hey kids, point me to sounds. I'm running out of ideas. There are only two more months left in the year. I have officially been working on Xxxxx for a year now, and it's only half completed. Seven songs are up for consideration and there are 20+ false starts waiting to be finished. It's been like this for a few months. Creativity disappeared again.

So, link me to sounds. Anything will do as long as I can use it license/royalty free. It doesn't have to be music or voice or anything in particular, just in a sound file format. I often use a WAV file I recorded crumbling a Twix wrapper over a mic. Tons of different tonal percussion elements came out of that. I remember reading an interview with Underworld where they mentioned using a recording of Oprah coughing as a snare drum. I like to experiment like that. It's fun. Short wave radio static plus filters equals voice. Fucked up, no?

Know somewhere I can find samples and loops? Give me that shit too. I want some accordion samples, that would kick ass. Jew's Harp would be cool, too.

LAWLZ I AT WRONG WEBSITE 4 MUSICS

Anyway, I'm going to go read this.

I've been waiting to make this journal for a long ass time. Yay mania! Man, I fucking love Comic Sans and SPARKLES!

Flim is coming to glue. I've invested some time exploring video ideas a la Macroadobedia Flash, but fruition kept its distance.

I

Burger King.Chicken Fries are bomb.

I love Hello, Kitty 2. Mang that ass is hawt. I'd tap it. I'd be your lollipop.. I can be your icecream babay shake dat azzzzz!!

HELLO KINKY!

If anyone actually reads this journal I'll be utterly amazed. I'm giggling at how fucking awful this is becoming. Anglefire is my end all, be all inspiration. Nah, this is more MySpace than anything else. I hope I don't give anyone an aneurysm or something. Luckily I have that disclaimer posted on my journal page. My ass is saved.

Outside of that, nothing artsy has been going on. I'm getting off my meds; just taking the first step though. I should be pharmaceutical-free by the end of the year. I can drink on New Year's eve. That'll be a full year of treatment: nine months starting up, three months coming down. A waste of time/money. However it'll feel real nice to close that chapter in my life.

[link]

For when I can upload Tendron videos...

Wow, the influx of deviations tapered off, didn't it? My meds kicked in full force when I started taking a new script, but then I suppose my body got used to it. My inspiration has fallen considerably again however I'm going to try to just push through it. Maybe completing some old projects will be easier than starting new ones. I've too many great ideas I can't finish them all. I guess I get sidetracked by whatever new idea hits me, then I have to race like a mad man to start it so I don't forget or lose my inspiration.

You guys remember that Emver thing? That was almost a year ago now. I tossed out an idea to use PHP (or another language) to process a customizing feature on my website, but kind of lost interest after I realized how much I'd have to learn in order to do what I wanted. I am a lazy mother fucker. Maybe I'll start with that. In regard of my inability to learn (read as lazy) I'll probably drop a few features so's I can get a finalized product out. Then if the need to cursorize hits me again I'll go throw some updates at it. You know, I'd rather just build a web based image editor for icons and cursors...

And I believe the next journal I spit out won't look as plain as the last few. I'm going to get all gradient on your asses. Mwahaha!

If dA keeps growing (25% in 2 days ) then why don't they hire some new development staff? With the new paid accounts and prints dA is selling, they can afford to get some help. This steady and increasing influx of revenue should help fulfill those promises dA keeps sliding back under the bed. I miss my devPacks.


I hate Fiddle Faddle.


I wish we could submit CMYK files for prints. I wish we could submit .eps files. I wish we could print on t-shirts. Those are my only wishes for Prints. I kept it short because there are a few forums threads covering this topic excessively. I get heated about my CMYK.


And to sum it all up, I don't care for this community much anymore. I feel betrayed. I am an old school mother fucker so perhaps this is my net-senility flaring up. You good-for-nothing whippersnappers always gettin' in the way, opening your mouths whining about 7th grade hormones and "nonethical" ban politics. It seems to me as if the selective group of cool ppls, you know, good artists, from way back when came apart. Some people wised up, I suppose, left the site and never looked back. The rest were spread apart by all the newbz floods and gradually lost interest in being deviant. I just keep coming back to check my devWatch out of habit.