So I would have to say that the biggest project I had within Section One of my 101 List was creating a portfolio website. And it's officially finished. 2.75 years ago when I started this 101 Things extravaganza, I had very minimal web experience. All I really knew was basic HTML you'd need for blogs and such. Like how to make something bold? Haha! So when I finally cracked the whip and decided to buckle down and start this project, it was quite an ordeal. Please refresh your memory at my post "I hate web design." Well, now here I am today and not only is it a major part of my JOB, but I actually set out with a portfolio site design in my head, designed it on paper, and coded it from scratch for screen. If I really sit down and think about it, I can't believe it, especially considering how much trouble I had when I began. So without further ado:
www.katienelsondesign.com
It's simple yes, but it's clean and crisp too. And I'm pretty proud! Um, if you can't tell that from my gushing over here. But I gush in case someone with minimal web experience yearning for more stumbles upon this blog and gets the message: No you CAN do it!!!
In other task completion news, like I mentioned in the last post, I went to the opera Barber of Seville (#36), which was all kinds of entertaining! I threw together some Chicken Curry and Asian Fruit Salad for Chris and I and watched the outdoor double feature of Night of the Living Dead (#16). Very very cool. I switched the "get shoes" "get boots" "splurge on this" "splurge on that" tasks like a million times (#52/53). When all was said and done I bought a $70ish pair of black shoes awhile back, a $100 pair of running shoes last spring, and a $70ish pair of black boots this weekend (actually they were only like $20 on sale!)
There you go! Mostly I'm just buzzing on the whole website deal. I mean I read that old post of mine, and I was seriously ready to give up! I thought I'd never crack the code, pun intended. Between this and running, maybe things AREN'T so impossible :)
Showing posts with label Graphic Design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Graphic Design. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
"I hate web design"
This is what I just googled to make myself feel better after scrolling through pages and pages of forums related to the web design problems I'm having. This has been going on since 7:45 this morning, as well as like 2.5 hours last night, and several hours on Sunday night. I've spent 99.9% of my time troubleshooting and .1% on the actual design part.
In my current breakdown, I found this guy's blurb to be the most comforting:
I hate web design. I really, truly, sincerely do....For those not in the know, this is a basic breakdown of what is involved in web design:
1. Put a single object/word/picture on the page.
2. Waste an hour trying to figure out why Browser ‘X’ doesn’t like that.
3. Try to fix it.
4. Have something else stuff up
5. Fix that
6. Repeat the whole process with the next element you’re trying to put on the page.
Ain't it the truth. Last night I figured out how to place the navigation bar I made like a month and a half ago over the background, and then how to change the length of this dotted line I wanted underneath the nav bar. And yeah that took me two hours. Oh but wait. I'm an idiot, and CSS backgrounds stay fixed, while the stuff you put over them are "fluid". So basically if I change the size of my browser the nav bar will move around while the background stays still. I mean duh, right? But apparently I'm an idiot. I have to figure out how to fix the nav bar now. But even if I do that? It's like, I'm literally like one millimeter off the ground and have all of Mt. Everest above me. I don't even LIKE web design!! Using the aforementioned percentages, it's 99.9% technical and .1% design. I didn't go to school to become some coding programming geek (absolutely NO offense to the coding programming geeks out there...without you, this bitch fest you are currently reading wouldn't exist!).
In any case, I can't tell you how many times I've given up, and then got back on the bike, only to give up, back on bike, give up, you get the picture. I think about just grabbing one of the 934803412908 free CSS templates out there. But then what's the point of having someone else's design showcase my own? Then I want someone to make MY design FOR me. But then I think about the Big Scary Future that is my career and how print design will cease to exist and how I better know how to do this because only web design jobs will remain. The horror. Not to mention this LIST. Number Freaking ONE on this list is to learn how to build a website, jeez.
So I guess I'll keep scratching and stabbing at this behemoth. Guh. Worse comes to worst, I could try just doing the whole thing in Flash as I think that'd be easier. My design is seriously SO simplistic...nothing complicated at all. Although, simplistic isn't always easy. Like check out the smashing Mr. Nate Smith's portfolio site I found today! VERY similar to how I want mine, right down to the rounded-tablet-with-dropshadow. Simple, clean, beautiful...and I bet it is crazy complicated Flash. Ok maybe not CRAZY complicated, but I don't know. Maybe I'll give 'er a whirl. Try some things out in Flash and see if I can replicate it. Too bad Nate and I can't stumble into one another in a dark bar where I whisper dirty promises into his ear in exchange for his web design skills. But no...Milwaukee can contain only so many talented people in one week or the world will implode.
In my current breakdown, I found this guy's blurb to be the most comforting:
I hate web design. I really, truly, sincerely do....For those not in the know, this is a basic breakdown of what is involved in web design:
1. Put a single object/word/picture on the page.
2. Waste an hour trying to figure out why Browser ‘X’ doesn’t like that.
3. Try to fix it.
4. Have something else stuff up
5. Fix that
6. Repeat the whole process with the next element you’re trying to put on the page.
Ain't it the truth. Last night I figured out how to place the navigation bar I made like a month and a half ago over the background, and then how to change the length of this dotted line I wanted underneath the nav bar. And yeah that took me two hours. Oh but wait. I'm an idiot, and CSS backgrounds stay fixed, while the stuff you put over them are "fluid". So basically if I change the size of my browser the nav bar will move around while the background stays still. I mean duh, right? But apparently I'm an idiot. I have to figure out how to fix the nav bar now. But even if I do that? It's like, I'm literally like one millimeter off the ground and have all of Mt. Everest above me. I don't even LIKE web design!! Using the aforementioned percentages, it's 99.9% technical and .1% design. I didn't go to school to become some coding programming geek (absolutely NO offense to the coding programming geeks out there...without you, this bitch fest you are currently reading wouldn't exist!).
In any case, I can't tell you how many times I've given up, and then got back on the bike, only to give up, back on bike, give up, you get the picture. I think about just grabbing one of the 934803412908 free CSS templates out there. But then what's the point of having someone else's design showcase my own? Then I want someone to make MY design FOR me. But then I think about the Big Scary Future that is my career and how print design will cease to exist and how I better know how to do this because only web design jobs will remain. The horror. Not to mention this LIST. Number Freaking ONE on this list is to learn how to build a website, jeez.
So I guess I'll keep scratching and stabbing at this behemoth. Guh. Worse comes to worst, I could try just doing the whole thing in Flash as I think that'd be easier. My design is seriously SO simplistic...nothing complicated at all. Although, simplistic isn't always easy. Like check out the smashing Mr. Nate Smith's portfolio site I found today! VERY similar to how I want mine, right down to the rounded-tablet-with-dropshadow. Simple, clean, beautiful...and I bet it is crazy complicated Flash. Ok maybe not CRAZY complicated, but I don't know. Maybe I'll give 'er a whirl. Try some things out in Flash and see if I can replicate it. Too bad Nate and I can't stumble into one another in a dark bar where I whisper dirty promises into his ear in exchange for his web design skills. But no...Milwaukee can contain only so many talented people in one week or the world will implode.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Starting Over......
This past weekend, I officially wandered waaaaay too far off the beaten path (#17 and then some...), but last night I decided many things:
1. to start a 28 day detox from the treachery that has been my mental state recently
2. to be more positive, less self indulgent, and healthier in body, mind, and spirit
3. to get going on some freaking tasks already!
And in the last 24 hours I've already accomplished two things!
#95 - I finished Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: LOVE! If you aren't hardcore Christian, but are open to hearing about it from a more logical standpoint, this book is for you. It was very inspirational and honest about the human condition: where we come from, who we are, where we're going...that sort of thing. I wouldn't mind reading it a second time just to more fully absorb everything Jack had to say!
#1 - Ohhhh Dreamweaver. So today I decided to follow this ginormous epic tutorial on how to build a website with cascading style sheets (CSS), as opposed to your 'old school' tables. It was CRAZY complicated, but after a few hours, I really got the hang of it! Below is the ungodly ugly site they made me build using the worst design elements imaginable, but hey, I don't care! I'm super proud I was actually able to do it all!

YAY! Super stoked!! Again, not something I'd put in a portfolio if you paid me a million dollars, but hopefully one day I can figure out how to combine my swank design skills with my new CSS knowledge. In the meantime, apparently I'll be able to practice as we'll be rockin' the CSS here at work as soon as John comes back from training in Florida. And who's the first to be trained? Yours truly. Wish me luck!
And going back to my opening sentiments, I will say the following: Sometimes wandering off the beaten path actually brings you closer to the right one. See, occasionally you take the wrong path...a selfish path full of jagged rocks and deep potholes (vampires?) that hurt you, as well as the other people walking with you. Suddenly you find yourself making some INSANE decision to completely walk off the path altogether! AND you drag those people in with you! So then you're in this dark thicket of God knows what...there are thorns and Rodents of Unusual Size, cesspools, and maybe even quicksand that could trap you there indefinitely. But look here, what's this? You might see a clearing up ahead, or hear voices (real ones, not ghosts). Turns out, it's the path you were supposed to be on the whole time! The "good path"! So basically you took a short cut. It might not have been the best decision because you probably didn't make it out of the deep woods unscathed: scraps and gashes galore. But you made it, and with a much clearer head on your shoulders.
That was me this weekend for sure! So I'm rebooting, debugging, defragging, running scan disk, all that stuff to try and be a better person for myself, as well as for those around me, whether I know them now, or know them in the future.
1. to start a 28 day detox from the treachery that has been my mental state recently
2. to be more positive, less self indulgent, and healthier in body, mind, and spirit
3. to get going on some freaking tasks already!
And in the last 24 hours I've already accomplished two things!
#95 - I finished Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: LOVE! If you aren't hardcore Christian, but are open to hearing about it from a more logical standpoint, this book is for you. It was very inspirational and honest about the human condition: where we come from, who we are, where we're going...that sort of thing. I wouldn't mind reading it a second time just to more fully absorb everything Jack had to say!
#1 - Ohhhh Dreamweaver. So today I decided to follow this ginormous epic tutorial on how to build a website with cascading style sheets (CSS), as opposed to your 'old school' tables. It was CRAZY complicated, but after a few hours, I really got the hang of it! Below is the ungodly ugly site they made me build using the worst design elements imaginable, but hey, I don't care! I'm super proud I was actually able to do it all!
YAY! Super stoked!! Again, not something I'd put in a portfolio if you paid me a million dollars, but hopefully one day I can figure out how to combine my swank design skills with my new CSS knowledge. In the meantime, apparently I'll be able to practice as we'll be rockin' the CSS here at work as soon as John comes back from training in Florida. And who's the first to be trained? Yours truly. Wish me luck!
And going back to my opening sentiments, I will say the following: Sometimes wandering off the beaten path actually brings you closer to the right one. See, occasionally you take the wrong path...a selfish path full of jagged rocks and deep potholes (vampires?) that hurt you, as well as the other people walking with you. Suddenly you find yourself making some INSANE decision to completely walk off the path altogether! AND you drag those people in with you! So then you're in this dark thicket of God knows what...there are thorns and Rodents of Unusual Size, cesspools, and maybe even quicksand that could trap you there indefinitely. But look here, what's this? You might see a clearing up ahead, or hear voices (real ones, not ghosts). Turns out, it's the path you were supposed to be on the whole time! The "good path"! So basically you took a short cut. It might not have been the best decision because you probably didn't make it out of the deep woods unscathed: scraps and gashes galore. But you made it, and with a much clearer head on your shoulders.
That was me this weekend for sure! So I'm rebooting, debugging, defragging, running scan disk, all that stuff to try and be a better person for myself, as well as for those around me, whether I know them now, or know them in the future.
"Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around."
[Vanilla Sky]
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
wordclouds drifting by...
On Pop Candy today, I discovered this little gem of a site: Wordle! where you can type in some text and finagle a cute little "word cloud". Now while the site is pretty fun, being a graphic designer, I find myself a little constricted by its randomness. So I busted out my own typography skills this afternoon and created my own cloud:

The significance of this little set of lyrics comes out of my thoughts from yesterday whilst listening to this Fiona Apple tune...its uncanny relation to a certain ex bf. The words couldn't be more true.
The significance of this little set of lyrics comes out of my thoughts from yesterday whilst listening to this Fiona Apple tune...its uncanny relation to a certain ex bf. The words couldn't be more true.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Busting out all over
It's finally June! So there are definitely some sort of official summer month feelings happening, especially now that it's finally warm. But it's never a dull moment in Wisconsin because while today the high is 80, Wednesday the high will be a crisp 58. Yeesh.
I will admit that I'm a little stressed out over here. Thoughts and feelings in regards to all KINDS of things are swirling ever more, and I wonder if and when my brain will calm down. And in other news, I actually caught myself wishing for my old life today. Something I never thought I'd do! It was brief, but it was just a general wistfulness for "Simpler Times". I quickly snapped out of it, however, when I remembered that those times were NOT simpler. I was stuck in a pretty complicated situation. And speaking of...you'll never believe the main article that popped up when I logged onto Yahoo this morning...
Men prefer being solo over a bad marriage: study
Sigh. But hey, I mean who DOESN'T prefer being solo over a bad marriage?? I certainly would! But the article says "Men are 10 times more scared of marrying the wrong person than of never getting married at all" which is pretty sad. Now no offense to my men out there, but in all honesty, women are generally the more understanding, supportive, and flexible gender (I understand that few bad apples have spoiled the bunch though). My point here is that when it comes to marriage, we're all over here really willing to make it work. We try very hard because it's genetically programmed into us. So I think what men are REALLY afraid of isn't marrying the wrong person, but rather having to work hard at something. Now of course I'm speaking from a personal standpoint having been hurt when the "love of my life" decided I wasn't really worth the work. And I also know that some women pull some wicked stunts like cheating and just generally throwing in the towel when it comes to making the marriage work. So yep, I admit all that. But let's just put the exceptions aside for a second.
The article goes on to say "It's so important to these men to get it right. My best advice to single women after bachelors is to be patient. If you're in a hurry to get married you'll be frustrated." Amen. You don't have to tell US twice. But I don't think it's our fault we're frustrated. Like I previously mentioned, we're a patient gender! How else do you think we put up with our men's occasional BS? I remember so much about my relationship with John that I had to be *patient about whether it was his general crazy antics or his job woes or his ex frustrations or even his daughter and everything that goes along with that...very very patient. And I guess asking for a marriage in return is asking for too much, I don't know. But nothing in life is foolproof. Yeah you want to try to get things right, especially if you've already been divorced once. But almost everything in life requires a bit of faith. Faith that you are making good choices from your college degree to your career path to the person you love to the way you raise your kids. I think these men must have just lost their sense of faith. Although perhaps it's simply the fact that they confuse faith and fate. I have faith in my choices, but I know that it requires hard work on my part in order to make them the right choices. If you throw yourself completely into the arms of fate, taking absolutely no responsibility for your choice, well then yeah, you might get stuck with a lemon for a marriage.
At the end of the day, if these men are perfectly happy being bachelors for the rest of their days, than so be it. No skin off my back. Until you drag me down with you! I just hope that they're honest with themselves and thus honest with the women they date before it's too late. Don't make future plans, play domestic family life, and act as though marriage is the path you're heading down if these things scare you. To conclude, the article actually ended on quite an amusing note. Turns out that researching this info scared the author straight: "I found I was looking at men 10 years older than me and it was like looking into the future. If I didn't change, nothing would." And now he's living with his girlfriend and they're talking marriage. If only it were that easy!
***
Ok sorry about the little June Blog detour there! The reason I think I was dwelling a bit on my old life is because I saw the Sex & the City movie last night. It definitely made over $50million for a reason. Women everywhere are trying to find love and perhaps those who already have like to remind themselves of how lucky they are! Those of us still looking, however, are more frustrated than not and it gets old. And perhaps that's why Yahoo put up that article! Just to torment us even more!!
Alright enough, let's get to the updates.
#1/#2 - One of my current stresses is starting up my personal portfolio website. Web design is rough work. It's like being a chemist. Would you know how to go about making that soda you're currently drinking from absolute scratch? Do you even WANT to know? At the end of the day, I'm just hoping that, like math in high school, the logic and programming will be sort of fun in a sick way. In any case, it's underway. Here's to hoping the roadblocks will be few and far between.
#45/#50 - In my last recipe for the month I used watercress, thank you very much. I made this smoked salmon watercress avocado salad with a lemon vinaigrette.
#50 - This month's atypical produce item will be rhubarb! My boss sent out an email that she grew a great crop this year and she's bringing some into work tomorrow. Not sure what I'll make, but I'm intrigued!
#51 - Soda's back in the game (I drank a sip at 12:01am on June 1st!) and out is snacking after dinner.
And done!
I will admit that I'm a little stressed out over here. Thoughts and feelings in regards to all KINDS of things are swirling ever more, and I wonder if and when my brain will calm down. And in other news, I actually caught myself wishing for my old life today. Something I never thought I'd do! It was brief, but it was just a general wistfulness for "Simpler Times". I quickly snapped out of it, however, when I remembered that those times were NOT simpler. I was stuck in a pretty complicated situation. And speaking of...you'll never believe the main article that popped up when I logged onto Yahoo this morning...
Men prefer being solo over a bad marriage: study
Sigh. But hey, I mean who DOESN'T prefer being solo over a bad marriage?? I certainly would! But the article says "Men are 10 times more scared of marrying the wrong person than of never getting married at all" which is pretty sad. Now no offense to my men out there, but in all honesty, women are generally the more understanding, supportive, and flexible gender (I understand that few bad apples have spoiled the bunch though). My point here is that when it comes to marriage, we're all over here really willing to make it work. We try very hard because it's genetically programmed into us. So I think what men are REALLY afraid of isn't marrying the wrong person, but rather having to work hard at something. Now of course I'm speaking from a personal standpoint having been hurt when the "love of my life" decided I wasn't really worth the work. And I also know that some women pull some wicked stunts like cheating and just generally throwing in the towel when it comes to making the marriage work. So yep, I admit all that. But let's just put the exceptions aside for a second.
The article goes on to say "It's so important to these men to get it right. My best advice to single women after bachelors is to be patient. If you're in a hurry to get married you'll be frustrated." Amen. You don't have to tell US twice. But I don't think it's our fault we're frustrated. Like I previously mentioned, we're a patient gender! How else do you think we put up with our men's occasional BS? I remember so much about my relationship with John that I had to be *patient about whether it was his general crazy antics or his job woes or his ex frustrations or even his daughter and everything that goes along with that...very very patient. And I guess asking for a marriage in return is asking for too much, I don't know. But nothing in life is foolproof. Yeah you want to try to get things right, especially if you've already been divorced once. But almost everything in life requires a bit of faith. Faith that you are making good choices from your college degree to your career path to the person you love to the way you raise your kids. I think these men must have just lost their sense of faith. Although perhaps it's simply the fact that they confuse faith and fate. I have faith in my choices, but I know that it requires hard work on my part in order to make them the right choices. If you throw yourself completely into the arms of fate, taking absolutely no responsibility for your choice, well then yeah, you might get stuck with a lemon for a marriage.
At the end of the day, if these men are perfectly happy being bachelors for the rest of their days, than so be it. No skin off my back. Until you drag me down with you! I just hope that they're honest with themselves and thus honest with the women they date before it's too late. Don't make future plans, play domestic family life, and act as though marriage is the path you're heading down if these things scare you. To conclude, the article actually ended on quite an amusing note. Turns out that researching this info scared the author straight: "I found I was looking at men 10 years older than me and it was like looking into the future. If I didn't change, nothing would." And now he's living with his girlfriend and they're talking marriage. If only it were that easy!
***
Ok sorry about the little June Blog detour there! The reason I think I was dwelling a bit on my old life is because I saw the Sex & the City movie last night. It definitely made over $50million for a reason. Women everywhere are trying to find love and perhaps those who already have like to remind themselves of how lucky they are! Those of us still looking, however, are more frustrated than not and it gets old. And perhaps that's why Yahoo put up that article! Just to torment us even more!!
Alright enough, let's get to the updates.
#1/#2 - One of my current stresses is starting up my personal portfolio website. Web design is rough work. It's like being a chemist. Would you know how to go about making that soda you're currently drinking from absolute scratch? Do you even WANT to know? At the end of the day, I'm just hoping that, like math in high school, the logic and programming will be sort of fun in a sick way. In any case, it's underway. Here's to hoping the roadblocks will be few and far between.
#45/#50 - In my last recipe for the month I used watercress, thank you very much. I made this smoked salmon watercress avocado salad with a lemon vinaigrette.
#50 - This month's atypical produce item will be rhubarb! My boss sent out an email that she grew a great crop this year and she's bringing some into work tomorrow. Not sure what I'll make, but I'm intrigued!
#51 - Soda's back in the game (I drank a sip at 12:01am on June 1st!) and out is snacking after dinner.
And done!
Labels:
First Update of the Month,
Graphic Design,
Meh,
Musings,
Recipes,
Relationship,
Update
Thursday, November 29, 2007
big blog part two
Ok part two will be devoted to artsty musings:
Today Nicole sent me this link to a guy, Nick Pitera, who I think (if it is the same guy) is this amazing artist...both audibly AND visually! Currently he seems to be gaining popularity on youtube for his VERY unique rendition of The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World":
So strange, but so completely awesome if I do say so myself! In any case, if you check out this Nick Pitera's blogger page, you'll also find he can draw like a MF! Don't you love finding people who can do 23948392042 things really well?? Well, to be honest, it's more like a love-hate relationship because I'm tooooootally SUPER jealous ;) And you know what made me even MORE jealous? Looking at the work of all of his fellow blogger friends (who also attend Ringling College of Art & Design I believe). DIES!!! I wanna BE them! Why can't I be that talented?!! I reeeeally want to post some of their work below, but I should probably ask first. For now I'll just give a couple link0's to my faves:
Kelly Versaggi
Her "Patricia Portrait" "Kitties" are fab, but the "Monster Under a Lamp" (toward bottom) is unbelievable cool.
Kim Kuchenbecker
Her adorable "Small Tribute to Bill Watterson"...and the accompanying story made me a little teary!
Anyway, I want to be talented when I grows up!! I seriously need to work on some stuff. At least I finally got a chair from the rents so I can work on my mac at home jeez! For now I'll just post a sampling of item #6 on my 101 List...my Monica Tim Wedding Gift/TBA Project. It's sort of self-explanatory, but the street contains tons memories and inside jokes that Monica and Tim share. This thing is 3 feet by 1 foot in size...HUGE! Hopefully they find a place to put it? Yikes! Anyway, I really like how it turned out and I think they did too! :) So here is the badboy in its entirety with a smattering of closeups:

clickie here for larger version!



The manhole cover is a Dharma symbol!! LOST!



The kitty has an engagement ring around his collar: this is how Tim proposed to MoniCAT!
Today Nicole sent me this link to a guy, Nick Pitera, who I think (if it is the same guy) is this amazing artist...both audibly AND visually! Currently he seems to be gaining popularity on youtube for his VERY unique rendition of The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World":
So strange, but so completely awesome if I do say so myself! In any case, if you check out this Nick Pitera's blogger page, you'll also find he can draw like a MF! Don't you love finding people who can do 23948392042 things really well?? Well, to be honest, it's more like a love-hate relationship because I'm tooooootally SUPER jealous ;) And you know what made me even MORE jealous? Looking at the work of all of his fellow blogger friends (who also attend Ringling College of Art & Design I believe). DIES!!! I wanna BE them! Why can't I be that talented?!! I reeeeally want to post some of their work below, but I should probably ask first. For now I'll just give a couple link0's to my faves:
Kelly Versaggi
Her "Patricia Portrait" "Kitties" are fab, but the "Monster Under a Lamp" (toward bottom) is unbelievable cool.
Kim Kuchenbecker
Her adorable "Small Tribute to Bill Watterson"...and the accompanying story made me a little teary!
Anyway, I want to be talented when I grows up!! I seriously need to work on some stuff. At least I finally got a chair from the rents so I can work on my mac at home jeez! For now I'll just post a sampling of item #6 on my 101 List...my Monica Tim Wedding Gift/TBA Project. It's sort of self-explanatory, but the street contains tons memories and inside jokes that Monica and Tim share. This thing is 3 feet by 1 foot in size...HUGE! Hopefully they find a place to put it? Yikes! Anyway, I really like how it turned out and I think they did too! :) So here is the badboy in its entirety with a smattering of closeups:
clickie here for larger version!
The manhole cover is a Dharma symbol!! LOST!
The kitty has an engagement ring around his collar: this is how Tim proposed to MoniCAT!
Labels:
Graphic Design,
Happy,
Monica's Engagement/Wedding,
Musings
Friday, August 24, 2007
Nothing all that new to update, but I'm in a MUCH better mood and excited about life because I HEART THE GRADIENT MESH TOOL!!! One of the artists here at work sent us a bunch of graphic design related links, one of which contained a link to various gradient mesh MASTERS! Oh man these people are crazy. Here's an example:

um, what? This is an ILLUSTRATION people. Not a photo...not even photoshop'ed. I know it's hard to understand the significance of this without actually working in Adobe Illustrator, but trust me, it's intense. For more of Yukio Miyamoto's work, please visit his site!
Anyway, I was so inspired (in addition to the fact that I've always wanted to be SO much better at shading in Illustrator), that I found a tutorial on how to do a pepper. The artist provides you with the pepper photo that you use as a base for the colors, as well as the step by step process to create the realistic looking pepper just in Illustrator. Well, HERE is my very first attempt at the gradient mesh tool!


SO! I mean it's no Yukio by any means, but I was pretty proud! Yay pepper!!!
And speaking of peppers, the other night I made my last recipe of the month, Orange Kung Pao Chicken! I followed Z's recipe and then added orange juice and zest to the sauce. SO GRAND! I loved it! Plus I satisfied my atypical produce item by adding some sugah snap peas. Yum!
Sooooooo this weekend will consist of more maid of honor duties, more Miller Lite, and possibly Coldstone Creamery???? ahhhh I can't resist!!!!!!!
um, what? This is an ILLUSTRATION people. Not a photo...not even photoshop'ed. I know it's hard to understand the significance of this without actually working in Adobe Illustrator, but trust me, it's intense. For more of Yukio Miyamoto's work, please visit his site!
Anyway, I was so inspired (in addition to the fact that I've always wanted to be SO much better at shading in Illustrator), that I found a tutorial on how to do a pepper. The artist provides you with the pepper photo that you use as a base for the colors, as well as the step by step process to create the realistic looking pepper just in Illustrator. Well, HERE is my very first attempt at the gradient mesh tool!
SO! I mean it's no Yukio by any means, but I was pretty proud! Yay pepper!!!
And speaking of peppers, the other night I made my last recipe of the month, Orange Kung Pao Chicken! I followed Z's recipe and then added orange juice and zest to the sauce. SO GRAND! I loved it! Plus I satisfied my atypical produce item by adding some sugah snap peas. Yum!
Sooooooo this weekend will consist of more maid of honor duties, more Miller Lite, and possibly Coldstone Creamery???? ahhhh I can't resist!!!!!!!
Labels:
Graphic Design,
Happy,
Monica's Engagement/Wedding,
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