Category Archives: Art

Craisin.com Revamp – Status Update!

For the last couple of months, I’ve been slowly working on the domain revamp (per previous post).

So far, I’ve done the following:

  • Step 1: Found new hosting — DONE
  • Step 2: Backed up everything from the old server — DONE
  • Step 3: Transferred the blog from the old server to the new — DONE
  • Step 5: LEARN how to create my own WordPress theme — DONE
    I followed this useful and easy-to-understand tutorial. Yep–did Step 5 before Step 4! Take that, The Man!

On-going tasks I’ve been working on:

  • Step 4: RESEARCH — IN PROGRESS
    I have a million articles bookmarked right now in terms of effective blogging, and best practices for blogging. Disliking the CONFORMITY and seemingly FORMULAIC guidelines mentioned a lot of these articles, I’m picking and choosing the things I think are most suitable for myself. Take that, The Man again! *upper-cut!*

    In terms of CREATIVE research, I’ve seen a bunch of coooolll designs, and I’m grabbing a lot of great ideas from really original designs: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/23/50-beautiful-blog-designs/

  • Step 6: FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT PHOTOS — NEEDS MORE RESEARCH
    Picasa 3′s stepped out of beta mode and has gone official. But there’s still a lot of things I wish it had: non-member commenting, a way to customize the root gallery display format, noting which photos have been commented on. I guess I want it to be like Gallery =D (Why don’t I just use Gallery? Hmm.. I want a seamless integration of the photo gallery into my webpage, and to be honest, I’m intimidated of the customization needed to make it work for Gallery. Also, I like that photos on Picasa are stored externally. Picasa’s also got a great desktop/photo viewer software application, and it was kind of tedious for me to convert pics from Picasa to Gallery. Got photo gallery suggestions? Let me know! :D (As an FYI, I’ve decided I don’t like Flickr for my own use… it’s not my style.)
  • Step 7: IMPLEMENTATION! — IN PROGRESS
    With the things I’ve researched in conjunction with the ideas I’ve had, I’ve been putting all of these together slowly but surely.

I’m really EXCITED about the progress I’ve made in the last few days, actually! Being a grouch and grumpy during Thanksgiving Day (obligatory holidays were not my cup of tea yesterday), I spent most of my time at my computer researching and tweeking around with possible layout ideas.

So far, I’ve doodled some sketches yesterday night, some that I’m rather pleased with. I’ve figured out the core color that I plan to use. And I have the basic structure and placement of my content figured out.

Craisin.com 2008 Revamp Spoilers!

  • I will be using my own hand-drawings for a portion of my new design
    I did really well with my design back in 2005 (screenshot) because it was original and it visually stood out a lot. I figured the best way to do something no one else can do is to… just… draw something from my head, and have it integrated into the design.

    I’m taking some time to figure out where I can put in more little hand drawings for accents and to bring out small details, if I have enough time. I may ask to borrow Brent’s WACOM to finish off my drawings! :OOOO

  • Effort to make the blog more interactive
    I plan to get more creative with the commenting portion of the blog. I’m currently researching ways to get more people involved, since I haven’t put in much effort in doing this in the past.
  • Portfolio: A portion of the site will be used to display my latest artwork — I’ve realized this is important for me to keep up online, especially since I’ve been taking art classes lately.
  • Aiming to have new design done by 2008 year’s end
    Optimistically aiming to have new design up LIVE by Dec 31st! :O This might be the bare skeleton of what I envision for the full-content of the site, but I would release other features over time. Minimally: have at least the blog, photo page, and an About page up with the new design.

Preview of possible sketch to use for revamp design? :O

Have an idea for my redesign/content revamp? Ooohhhh Let me know! =D

More Drawerings

I decided to add my Intermediate Figure Drawing pieces to my Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/craisin/

 

I’ve been working with charcoal a lot more again, to get better at it. I feel like this class has helped me improve a LOT, especially from where I started earlier this year in the beginner’s class. My instructor, Gordon, is really supportive and suuucchh a sweetie! He “Oooohs” everytime he comes by to look at my stuff. I’ve befriended a really great classmate who I also took the class with last semester, Nam, who offers a lot of great positive advice and suggestions.

Something for me to think about, something Nam told me: “You want to EXPLAIN the back of the knee more. You’re drawing what you’re seeing, but you need to EXPLAIN it more to the person looking at your drawing.” Greatly put. I never drew (hohoho) the connection between visual drawing and COMMUNICATING in the way I used to in writing essays. It makes so much more sense now, the way he put it.

Twittle-twattle

After much thought (actually, I really didn’t think about this too much), I’ve decided to make available my twitter account. http://twitter.com/craisin

Just a heads up that almost everything is probably geared towards the coworkers since they’re pretty up to date with the day-to-day, hour-by-hour situations.

Also, I think after ever class, I’ll be posting up my drawings from the class: http://twitpic.com/photos/craisin

Sloooowwwwlllyyy getting back into the e-world.

well you know my name is craisin and i *STILL* like to do drawerings

Art class ended a few weeks ago. Here’s an update on some pieces I finished off with. (I wonder what my grade was for class?? *shrug* I wonder if leaving class early every Thursday to get home in Lost made a difference?)


   

  

   

   


Aaaannnndddd a new toy!! A wacom tablet!! (that is 0% mine.)
I drew this at Brian’s two weeks ago on his Wacom Bamboo tablet. It’s SOOOO addictive! Anyway, just messing around:

And since btam is gonna be away for a few days, I’m “taking care of the tablet” for him hohohoho:

Ummm… I didn’t know what to draw… and I was stuck thinking about clothes.. and figured since all the previous Figure Drawing pics were all nude…. *shrug* why not? HOW LUDE!!!! Anyhow, Wacom Intuos3! It draws soooooo smoothly! Both the Intuos and the Bamboo took some getting used to, but is verrryyy addictive when combined with Photoshop capabilities: layer, UNDOING!?, opacity changes (notice the underdrawing?), and probably other stuff I have yet to utilize! SOOOOO FUN! sooooooooooooooooooooo addictive!!

well you know my name is craisin and i like to do drawerings

Mom: How is your art class going? I haven’t seen any of your work yet
Me: Oh, I can take it out for you to see, I guess. It’s too heavy to bring out of the car all the time.
Mom: How is it going?
Me: It’s going well! … mm… I’m getting good at drawing…. breasts.
Mom: What?! That’s not practical at all. What are you going to do with that skill?
Me: Heeeyyyyyy, what if I turn out to be the BEST breast artist IN THE WORLD?! You don’t know! ….. okay, I’m getting good at drawing hands.
Mom: That’s more like it.

A week or so later…

Me: Alright mom, want to see my drawings?
Mom: Allrriightt, let’s see if your breasts are really that spectacular…

IMG_1775 IMG_1782 IMG_1778 IMG_1780 IMG_1783 IMG_1784 IMG_1786 IMG_1788

some of my better stuff from the figure drawing class so far. i x10 suck at faces and only scribble some face stuff in if i already did everything else.