Monday, September 30, 2013

Link Round-Up: Breaking Bad

@thingsbydan  @thingsbydan  @thingsbydan

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@thingsbydan  @thingsbydan  @thingsbydan


The 5 Best Breaking Bad Moments, prior to the finale.

7 Things I Learned from the Breaking Bad Finale

10 Things we learned about TV exit strategies from the creators of Breaking Bad

10 ways that Walter White is exactly like Scrooge McDuck

11 Breaking Bad Finale Facts Revealed on Talking Bad

22 Reasons to Love Aaron Paul

Lecture: Are these Real Languages?



"What do Game of Thrones' Dothraki, Avatar's Na'vi, Star Trek's Klingon and LOTR's Elvish have in common? They are all fantasy constructed languages, or conlangs. Conlangs have all the delicious complexities of real languages: a high volume of words, grammar rules, and room for messiness and evolution. John McWhorter explains why these invented languages captivate fans long past the rolling credits."

Tech: Comic Machine App



The Comic Machine is a digital comic platform for the iPad that uses layers of images and text to create a new more dynamic expression for digital comics. It's still a work in progress, and my initial download proved to be a bit clunky, but the general concept is sound and the video demo gives you an idea of the possibilities coming down the line.  Issues yet to be resolved include scaleability, but this is definitely the most commercially viable attempt at taking motion comics mainstream that's I've seen so far. I will be developments in this software closely.


Tech: Océ 3-D Fine Art Reproductions



Not willing to let Fujifilm corner the market on 3D-printed fine art reproduction, Canon's Océ Group, which is responsible for developing the company's large format printers, is now collaborating with Dutch researcher Tim Zaman and the Kröller-Müller and Rijksmuseum museums in the Netherlands to accurately duplicate famous paintings.

Zaman has developed a photographic scanning system capable of capturing not just a high-res image of a painting, but also critical details like brush strokes and paint textures.  The results are said to be extremely  convincing.

There's no doubt that 3D-printed fine art recreations are going to be a big business, but they're also going to cause serious troubles for museums.  Not only will convincing forgeries become more and more common, making it more common for museums to become the victims of fraud, but the increasing sophistication of these forgeries will make it increasingly more expensive to verify paintings, raising the cost of new acquisitions considerably.  At the same time, with the exclusivity of paintings declining, interest in museums will slowly begin to decline, making fiscally difficult for museums to maintain the collections they already have.

It's just another example of forward progress at the cost of cultural values, not unlike the decline of physical books.  On the other hand, who wouldn't want a Van Gogh hanging in their living room?


Tech: Customizable Robot


"Customizable Robot: Intel Makes Science Fiction A Reality"

Intel has created a robot that can be customized to the individual owner's needs that will cost well under $1,000. Intel futurist Brian David Johnson joins "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to discuss this remarkable scientific achievement.

Short Film: Meet Buck


"Meet Buck" Directed by of Denis Bouyer S.T.E.A.K Kollective

"Buck is an ordinary guy. Well, if you accept the "deer head" thing. Today, Buck is going to spend the afternoon with his girlfriend who's so happy to see him (she's pretty much happy all the time). But when Buck finds out that her father is not the tolerant and sympathetic guy he expected, the Sunday afternoon turns really bad. Really bad. Like baaaaaaad bad."

Short Film: Doug ‘n’ Dog


"Doug 'n' Dog" directed by Damien Guimoneau of Bellecour Schools

Doug is an amateur scientist, trying to invent a money tree with very mixed results. His puppy feels a little neglected that no attention is being paid to him and turns to mischief with his ball just as Doug is putting the finishing touches to his latest experiment.


Papercraft: Cardboard Dragon




Crafts: Picard Quilt


Captain Jean-Luc Picard Quilt by Candy Coated Quilts

This awesome quilt featuring a pixelated Picard is composed of approximately 4,500 two-inch squares of cloth and is sized to fit a queen-sized bed.  It took just over four months to create for a wedding gift.  One thing's for sure.  Ain't no under-bed monsters penetrating this supa awesome blanket!  The back of the design features Picard’s red uniform and comm badge.

Sculpture: Anatomical Toys



Anatomical Toys by Jason Freeny

New York based designer and artist Jason Freeny slices open pop-culture characters to reveal their insides. For creating this amazing “Anatomical toys” series, he takes the vinyl toys of animated icons like Nemo, Stewie Griffin and Mario, cuts half toys and then fills it with Sculpey modeling clay. After that, he cuts the bones and internal organs of toys with dental tools.

Sculpture: Nuclear Bomb


"Nuclear Bomb" by Israeli artist Eyal Gever

Eyal Gever explores catastrophic events through sculpture.  In this pair of sculptures, simply known  as "Nuclear Bomb" and "Large Scale Smoke," he depicts the fiery mushroom cloud of an atomic explosion and the suffocating carbon and debris that billows up from a volcanic eruption.  Gever explains his fascination with disaster, saying “My work captures and freezes catastrophic situations as cathartic experiences.”

Installation: Tower of Babel

The Argentine artist Marta Minujin used thousands of books written in different languages ​​to build the work “Tower of Babel” in Buenos Aires in 2011

"Tower of Babel" by yhe Argentine artist Marta Minujin, 2011.
Photographed by
Source: The Guardian

This outdoor installation in Buenos Aires was composed of thirty thousand books written in a wide variety of different languages that the artist received from readers, libraries, and foreign embassies.  My heart cried out in pain at the sight of all those books being left outdoors, but I have to admit, that's a beautiful site.  I'd love to see something like this moved into a more permanent space.

Installation: Matchstickmen



Installation: Digital Grotesque




Architects Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger have fabricated what they are claiming is "the first [...] human-scale, enclosed structure that is entirely 3D printed."  As if we don't all have three of these at home.

Their human-scale 3D printed room, "Digital Grotesque" is the final result of a project that’s been in the works for some time. Made entirely from sandstone, the 16 square meter cube features intricate geometric forms reminiscent of the works of H. R. Giger, designed by algorithms to “create an architecture that defies classification and reductionism.”  That is, unless you consider "creepy" to be a classification.

Illustration: Walter the Cook

Walter the Cook by Duran

"Walter the Cook" by Duran
Breaking Bad fan art.

Illustration: The One Who Knocks

The One Who Knocks by matoelgrande

Breaking Bad fan art.

Illustration: Breaking Bad Sketches



Posters: Heisenberg

Heisenberg by Marko Manev

 Prints available for purchase from the Bottleneck Gallery.
Breaking Bad fan art.

Posters: Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad by Andrea Sorrentino & Marcelo Maiolo

"Breaking Bad" by Andrea Sorrentino & Marcelo Maiolo


Posters: Breaking Bad


Prints available for purchase from BigCartel. US$40


Posters: Breaking Bad


Prints available for purchase from Society6. US$17.60


Paintings: Gus

Gus by Matthew Dunn / Tumblr / Store

"Gus" by Matthew Dunn
A portrait inspired by Breaking Bad.

Paintings: Breaking Bad Portraits

by www.samspratt.com

"With Breaking Bad coming to a close tonight, I wanted to finally give my painting of Jesse “Bitch”, its Walter White companion piece."

Mash-Up: Breaking Bad / GoT


Nitrozac and Snaggy of The Joy of Tech imagine a crazy alternate reality where Walter White and Jesse Pinkman cook meth in the dungeons of Westeros, as if Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin wrote Breaking Bad.  It's not as much of a leap as you might initially suspect.   Lord Walder Frey and Walt have quite a bit in common, and Hodor makes a pretty good stand in for Walt Jr.

Illustration: Night Gathers

Game of Thrones: Night Gathers by Cat Staggs

Copic Marker, white pen


Artist: Alyn Spiller


Illustrations by U.K. concept artist Alyn Spiller

Paintings: Game of Thrones Portraits


Prints available for purchase from Society6. US$18.72
"Did this as the live demo for my Digital Illustration students. One of them requested Khaleesi as the subject."

Infographic: Sci-Fi Starship Comparison



If you’ve ever wanted to compare the size of a Star Destroyer to that of a Borg Cube, here you go.  Loechel has compiled dozens, maybe hundreds of star ships from practically every major science fiction franchise ever into a single infographic, including: Star Wars, Star Trek, EVE, Warhammer 40000, Halo, Babylon 5, Robotech, Stargate, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, V, Starship Troopers, Titan A. E., Farscape, Red Dwarf, Independence Day, Aliens, Silent Running, and Event Horizon…  Download the full-sized version at DeviantArt

Link Round-Up: September 30, 2013

Saint Walter by Jason Heuser

Prints available for purchase from Etsy.  US$80

"Remember his name."

Fashion: Star Wars pencil skirts

News: Serbian president unveils Nikola Tesla monument in New York.  I give it a year before the statue becomes the local Steampunk cosplay meet-up site.

3D-Printing Fine Art Fakes Is Here to Stay

The Artful Collector: Dealing with Art Hierarchies

Decrypting Rita is a sci-fi comic with robots. It's pretty cool. Decrypting Rita is a slice-of-life comic with regular people. You might like it. Decrypting Rita is a fantasy comic with dragons and hat ladies. It's a little experimental. Decrypting Rita is set 120 minutes into the future, in the here and now, in your teenage brother's D&D campaign, in a place called the Skylands. It's also scrolly. Decrypting Rita is a comic by mefi's own egypturnash. It's worth reading.

Kotaku has collected pictures of real Totoro themed bus stops in Japan.

At Maker Faire New York, the DIY movement pushes into the mainstream

Seusstastic Park, ‘Jurassic Park’ As If It Were Designed by Dr. Seuss by custom figure creator Sillof

Interview: Dave Elliott


Dave Elliott, creator of the fantasy comic book series Weirding Willows offered some advice for aspiring comic book creators in a long interview on deviantART.  Here’s an excerpt from his interview:
"Marvel and DC look towards IDW, Boomstudios, Dark Horse and Image Comics for their talent. They do that because there is no hiding when a creator can’t keep their deadlines or has an emotional meltdown … If you want to draw something in particular, you’re going to have to do some samples of that character. You can always get more eyeballs on your pages by doing mash-ups where characters meet who couldn’t in their own books.  Have Batman meet the new Sherlock. Draw how you would imagine the Justice League would look in J. R. Tolkien’s world. Have Blade and Buffy team up against the Twilight characters."
He had me at "Blade and Buffy team up against the Twilight characters," but the whole article is a good read.  Meanwhile, if you're not reading Weirding Willow, you should check out the preview panels in Elliot's DeviantArt gallery.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Ads: The Scarecrow



Chipotle (a restaurant I love) has been circulating this amazing CG animated short film called "The Scarecrow" as part of a viral marketing campaign.  When I stumbled across it, I initially thought it was a short film from some festival circuit.  When I realized it was an ad, I was a bit gobsmacked.

The mexican food company has created a wonderful  which was made to promote its mission to serve sustainably raised food. Along with the short they've released a free mobile game for Apple devices that "encourages consumers not to eat processed food and follows a scarecrow’s search for healthier options."

Video: Box



Until I see a making of, I'm going to be skeptical that this was entirely created "in camera," mostly because of the shot when the panels move away from the camera but still have projected images on them. As far as performance pieces centered around the art of projection mapping go, it's pretty damn impressive, but due to the overly perfect, nearly impossible looking synchronization of these camera angle reliant projections, I can't help but think there was some heavy post-production work involved here.
"Box explores the synthesis of real and digital space through projection-mapping onto moving surfaces. The short film documents a live performance, captured entirely in camera."

Fan Film: A Tale of Benjen Stark



In this impressive fan film, Ned's younger brother and Night's Watch ranger Benjen Stark takes center stage. While on a scouting mission north of the Wall, the ranger makes a terrifying discovery.

Short Film: Dia De Los Muertos


"Dia De Los Muertos" by Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds, and Lindsey St. Pierre
of the Ringling College of Art and Design

A beautifully animated, and heart felt film about a little girl who visits the land of the dead, where she learns the true meaning of the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos.

Short Film: The Colors of Evil


"The Colors of Evil" by Alyse Miller & Phillip Simon of the RIngling College of Art and Design

A short revenge story with an unexpected twist. You'll never look at a rainbow the same way again.
"Here is a very creative and heart warming short imagined and created by the talented team of Alyse Miller & Phillip Simon using Autodesk Maya, Pixar Renderman, Nuke, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, and 3D Paint Coat."

Short Film: A Cloudy Lesson


"A Cloudy Lesson" directed by Yezi Xue

A short, cute animation produced at Ringling College of Art and Design.
"As thing don't go according to plan, a grandfather cloud-maker and his grandson learn that good ideas come from happy accidents."

Architecture: Ecorium


Ecorium of the National Ecological Institute in Korea
Designed by Samoo Architects and Grimshaw Architects
Photographed by Young Chae Park

This ecoplex is part of a government initiative designed to preserve the immediate environment while making room for a sustainability research facility.  The original site was originally zoned for industrial facilities, but a collaboration between S.A.M.O.O and Grimshaw led to this large greenhouse complex containing spaces simulating a wide variety of different climate zones.

Architecture: Tree house


This tree tower located in the Bavarian Forest National Park in Neuschonau, Germany is the world’s longest tree top walk.  The path is 1300 meters long and 44 meters high, and it reportedly boasts a breath-taking view of the Barvarian wilderness around the foot of the Lusen and Rachel mountains.  It posted it because, personally, I just think it looks cool - like a wooden space ship.

Architecture: Bridge of Aspiration


Bridge of Aspiration in London, United Kingdom by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, 2003.

The Bridge of Aspiration links the Royal Ballet Upper School on the left with the Royal Opera House, designed by Flint & Neill, Buro Happold, and Wilkinson Eyre Architects

Architecture: Leonardo Glass Cube



This futuristic building is the new headquarters of the German glass manufacturer Glaskoch on the outskirts of the town of Bad Driburg in Germany.Isn't this pretty much what we were promised all buildings would look like in the future?

Video: Useless LEGO Machine



A useless machine is a box that performs a useless task. They usually turn themselves off, (but are completely useful for learning how to build and program them).  In this video, Jason Allemann demonstrates a very advanced version of the useless machine built with LEGO Mindstorm.

Lego Creation: K9 Mark II

Lego K9 Mark II (complete, left) (by Lego_Joe)

K9 Mark II (from Doctor Who) by Lego_Joe

Interior Design: Doctor Who Furniture

http://i.imgur.com/fQjVsWF.jpg?1

 "My girlfriend made her son some geek furniture..."
Source: Imgur

I will assume that the toilet plunger will attached to that dresser later on.


Interior Design: DNA Bookcase


DNA Bookcase by Cattelan Italia
Available for purchase from Milano Furniture. US$1,050

This six foot tall steel bookcase features two series of thirteen spiraling shelves that rotate around a central column. The iconic double helix shape evokes the structure of DNA.
"The DNA bookcase is an unconventional bookcase with spiraling shelves. It has a twisted form with the 13 shelves positioned at different angles and each can easily hold DVDs, CDs, books and other items. It is constructed completely from steel and has a white or black painted steel finish."

Installation: Gigantic Zippers


Gigantic Zipper Installations by Japanesee artist Jun Kitagawa
Created as part of the Rokko Meets Art Festival in Japan.

Installation: What Will You Leave Behind



A thought-provoking exhibit where visitors were invited to walk along the surface of 100,000 miniature porcelain skulls.  Just in time for the Halloween season.

Posters: Breaking Bad


Prints available for purchase from the Breaking Bad Store. US$49.99

Sketch: Thigh Doodles


"I really started because honestly, I didn’t have any paper around. I was drawing a lot in class, and people began to notice … I’m just really pale and my skin is almost equivalent to paper."

Sketch: The Blue Route


"The Blue Route" by French artist Jonathan Bréchignac
Blue Bic pencils and UV ink on paper. 115x73cm

Bréchignac created with carpet in ink entirely by hand, expanding the patten of the design spontaneously as he worked out from its center without a predetermined plan.  The drawing has taken him eight months to create, though an earlier piece took almost a year and a half.  Why, you ask?  He finds the long and meticulous process meditative, and the process allows him to relax and focus.   This piece will be on exhibit from September 27th - February 9th, 2014 as part of the The Blue Route: Journeys and Beauties from the Mediterranean to China Exhibition.

  

Illustration: 20 Busts


"20 Busts" by Zack Ketz

"I was able to get a pair of tickets to Comic Con this year and so I wanted to have some new concept art in my portfolio. I had never done busts before. I've always drawn full length characters. I was able to crank out 9 busts on a single page in a few hours. It was fun! A great way to crank out a bunch of characters and let those juices flow! I plan on doing 20 monsters and 20 sci-fi busts in the future. I wanted to start at the basic human character level.

Fresh Take: The Real Monsters


Prints available for purchase from Society6. US$18

Artist Toby Allen has created fantastic faces for "real" monsters which many people encounter in the course of their daily lives: Anxiety, Avoidant Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, Depression, Paranoia, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and Social Anxiety.

Link Round-Up: September 27, 2013

Zelda Still Life.by Elizabeth Sherry

Prints available for purchase from Etsy. US$40

Artist Draws 101 Fictional Characters drawn as Sloths

Breaking Bad-ize any web page

It took 1000 eggs, 10 pans, 5 burned fingers, 3 hours, and 1 bottle of oil to create this Typeface made of Eggs. It is made of high-resolution photos and contains of letters, symbols and numbers.  I don't know why.  If any of you are legit using this font, please drop a comment.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Lecture: Dave Foster speaks Typography


"Sydney-born designer Dave Foster speaks about his time in The Netherlands further his craft of typography design. Winner of the Design NSW Travelling Scholarship, Dave studied Typography at the Royal Academy of Art.

This session of Live at The Distillery was held on 14 March 2013, to an audience of around 100 guests."

Fan Film: Flight From Shadow


"Flight From Shadow (WHEEL OF TIME fan film)" directed by David A. Skousen of epicleveltv

Here's an amazing fan-made film based on the fantasy book series The Wheel of Time, written by Robert Jordan. Everything in the movie was created and made by local volunteers. The actors and staff were not paid, and all props, costumes and sets, were donated by local companies.  The team posted this comment on their YouTube channel: "There were basically no resources for this project. Nobody got paid a dime, and the executive producer went into it knowing he wasn't going to make any money. It was just a following of devoted fans graciously donating their time and money to the production. Most of us have full-time jobs, and some of us have two full time jobs, but we sacrificed sleep and time with loved ones to make the film. Back under your bridge, troll."

Fan Film: Checkmate


"Assassin's Creed: Checkmate" written and directed by Joe Miale

Check out this amazing, fan-made Assassin's Creed short film called "Checkmate." The short was inspired by the upcoming video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
"1700's Caribbean. When Assassin Edward Kenway stumbles upon a robbery in progress he has only a split second to make his killer move. Watch the action of Assassin's Creed from a whole new perspective."

Short Film: Genesis


"Genesis" Directed by CJ Johnson

"This is a passion project, set in an alternate present day, people with super abilities known as "genesis subjects" are hunted down by the government as a larger political debate is happening worldwide. When a "hunter" comes face to face with an old friend who refuses to go quietly into the night, he's faced with his toughest mission yet. Discovering that he may just be a pawn in a much larger game. This is a gritty take on a world filled with people with super abilities. No costumes. No capes. Just a simple question… if someone you knew had special powers, does that mean that they still have the same rights as everyone else?"

Short Film: A Better Tomorrow



Mitsuyo Miyazaki’s A Better Tomorrow proves that a little product placement can go a long way. This short film follows a pair of kidnapped orphans in a water-starved, not-so-distant future. In the short’s third act, our young protagonists hop into a flying Lexus LF-LC and escape their captors in an expressionist anime fantasy sequence directed by Koji Morimoto of Akira and "Memories" from the Animatrix.
"In the near future when water is scarce, Shin and Myra, two orphans following in their scientist father's footsteps, develop a technology that could turn the tides of time and heal the earth. But when dark forces kidnap them in an attempt to steal their father's invention, the device is mistakenly activated and a mysterious power unleashed. While trying to escape their captors, they are magically transported on a voyage out of this world."

Short Film: The Grandmaster



VICE produced three short animated pieces as a promotional supplement for the release of Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster, a fictionalized account of the life of Chinese martial artist Ip Man, who taught a young Bruce Lee the fundamentals of Wing Chun kung fu. The design and animation was handled by Erie, Pennsylvania-based MoreFrames.
"Inspired by Wong Kar Wai's "The Grandmaster", this animated series will take you through key martial art styles that defined China and the world of kung fu."

Posters: Adventure Time Swords

Adventure Time Swords Prints available here
Harshness

Prints available for purchase as a set from Etsy. US$65

Quick Pic: Stormtrooper Latte Art


Stormtrooper Latte Art
Source: Imgur via Reddit

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