Week 7

Imagery:

A work in progress idea I had going on, handwritten with the wacom tablet

 

Seeing my idea in action lets me see what is wrong with some of my letters, such as the O works in-between the F and X, but doesn’t work next to the V. I only made caps for now until I get my style down. Symbols and the latter will come much later.

Week in Review: It started off with Hunters and Healers. I also bought my from guild when I got to this quest. I bought form not only because I did it last year, but we are doing commissions now so that seems really good. It would be great fun to see what I can make, and this kind of commission work can carry on through high school until I can create my own shop and start making my college funds. If there’s on thing I know, it’s that humans are a creative beast, and you can’t underestimate people. That flat-liner you suppose won’t do anything this year could make up a project that no one has thought of (I would link to the kid that made the creative process song but the MacLab is a very big site, and I cannot find it). We started a new quest in form guild (kinda the first one) and it’s called the commercial clade. It explains the commercial clade “elite” guild. I think it’s pretty cool and I’m going to try and think up ideas on what to make. I could try to make a font or some fun texture first. It might not be the best but that’s why we are in the form guild, to get better at these types of things.

Self Guided Learning: I watched this Deke tutorial t0 see how far the appearance panel goes. I never played with this that much, so apparently you can make entire constructions out of the effects.

Week 7 Effort: This week was a good one. I got to relax a little bit more at home because the tests started slowing down (finally). I finally get some free space in my head to wander in my imagination. With that, I was able to follow Skocko’s tutorials on Illustrator, and that will help me in my goal to make some dodads for the Commercial Clade. My brows were getting sore from being furrowed with all that studying I did. I also helped my boy peter put a 2-picture header on his blog. Rubric: You gave it your all: A

Week 8 Goal: I want to make the first texture of a series. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I will post my rough-drafts and works. Or I will keep working on my fonty thing

Long Term Goal: I am in form now, and want to make commissions for design cuts. I’m still thinking about the big project. I will drop some hints in this website, so take a look in my pages! Try reading the words, I sneak something in there.

Reflection: I probably could have worked on the MacLab secret project at home, but instead I picked up Skyrim. I have been finishing my homework as fast as possible (I start around 5 and finish around 7). Then I get to play Skyrim until I get tired. I love RPG’s because you get to make your own story-line. Especially because Skyrim has so many good mods, you can really make it your own story any way you want. Maybe someday I will retell my story on this blog somewhere. It’s nice to play video games because they really set my head straight. Such as last week when the multiple tests per day really worked on my nerves. Video games bring that little bit of fantasy into my life (also a good book will, the former being more interactive).

Week 6

Imagery:

Week in Review: This week is the first week we get to business. Well, I’ve been doing it since day 0 but that’s because I’m a veteran. I already know what’s going on and what’s business, so watching videos that are for newbs is… trying. I have a lot of patience but these videos are more grating because they are not about me but still accusing. I get to listen to how newbs get integrated into this class and I’m surprised I went through that in the beginning of last year. Back then I was probably just as bad as the first year MacLab’ers this year. *sigh* They should be getting it soon. It’s annoying to be one of the few who get it, and the others won’t listen. So I talked to Mr. Skocko and I think I get it. Last year was the first year I was in the MacLab, and he didn’t exactly push anybody to create anything great. This year he’s hoping to make a diamond, but that requires the right pressure and the right temperature. So I will try to think about it less and try to follow what he is saying on a different level.

Self Guided Learning: I used the Deke tutorial because I wanted to make a button design using the appearance panel in Illustrator. It’s surprising how many dynamic effects you can put on a single path outline to make a huge project. I experimented on my own with the effects and made this.

Week 6 Effort: I had a ton of very nice standardized tests this week to take. It took a lot of time out of my before-class MacLab. Cramming is… Annoying. But besides that, I still worked how I normally do (maybe a little slower from being tired, but that’s the drawback of keeping A’s). I spent most my time instructing others. I’m finding out most people don’t read the directions to the DPE quest, so I’m just restating what the quest says. Past that I am telling people how to screenshot, upload photos on blogger, and other useful tips. Rubric: You gave it your all: A

Week 7 Goal: Next week it would be fun to make buttons. I made this button, but it wasn’t exactly the look I was going for. I wanted a super-bold title that fills up the button. I got close to what I wanted, but couldn’t achieve it without ruining the font or having letters out the boundaries.

Long Term Goal: I want to start the goal at home. I will be setting it up on my desktop before I bring it into the MacLab. This requires time at home, something I don’t get often. For instance, this Thursday we get a nice Math, English, Chemistry, and history test. All on Thursday. YAY STANDARDIZED TESTING. Creating perfected robots to find a way to do your will, using the God-given gift of short term memory. I wouldn’t say I’m proud of my copy-machine like skills, but hey I’m getting A’s in all my classes and that all that matters right? (sarcasm) No seriously what are we doing. Try to teach me some skills, not the ability to name a FREAKING polyatomic ion off the top of my head. It was the best couple of hours I spent studying them, and I feel so proud of the completely useless information I stuffed my head with. Yep, I looked cool in chemistry able to name them without looking at the periodic table. Super beneficial and good use of my time. I got like 3 compliments that I’m the smartest in that class (but I think they meant I was a really good copy-machine). So if you’re wondering on the delay of my AWESOME totally WORTHWHILE plans that will HELP ME IN THE FUTURE, just remember I was busy cramming for the test. I’m serious when I say I’ve gotta go read some study guides now. English is next period (I’m in the MacLab early so I don’t have to buy a homework pass).

Week 5

Imagery:

Solve for ?

Week in Review: I started off the week with a nice spin of a math question. It’s above for those who want to solve it. Without spoiling it, I’ll tell you I got the right answer. This little victory made my week 5 special because I got to think in a different way. I applied what I learned about the photo in the little time looking at it to get the right answer. I also made some logos for my friends to practice my typography.

 

Self Guided Learning: I kept going with Deke (however slowly I do, but that’s the good thing about videos).

Week 5 Effort: This week was good because I was able to work with type in quests like Fall Concert and making Logos. I’ve always had a knack for it since the beginning. Rubric: You gave it your all: A

Week 6 Goal: I really want to finish my posters, and Fall Concert has a due date this Friday. Next week I want to use those Photoshop and Illustrator Synergy quests.

Long Term Goal: I haven’t found the time to work at home on my long term project because there is just so much homework. Probably to normal students it isn’t a lot but I work on homework paying attention to detail. I don’t really work that fast, so doing homework turns out to be a whole occasion where I come home from swimming and get out all the homework to do. Surrounded in it, I work my way through, getting ahead in some aspects (I enjoy doing it early) and sometimes putting off history until the end. Most the times, actually. I wouldn’t call it procrastination, more of working on everything else before attempting to do it. Nah, I’ll call it procrastination, because I should do it before getting 2 days ahead of the homework in math.

Reflection: It’s going great, and even though I don’t have the projects going yet, I still keep busy. I’ve been busy with homework in my other classes, and I’m pretty sure once I start the project it will go smoothly. It’s a little frustrating to put it back so much, but a little fun to keep the suspense. Skocko has no idea, and maybe I will drop some hints on my blog when it comes close to release. Better watch out! Explore my blog, I figured out how to import Blogger and I got all my pages here. I like making pages, so please do look at my work. Like, Comment, and Subscribe!

Week 4

Imagery:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week in Review: This week started late because Monday was Labor Day. A nice break and I got to make music at my house. I worked on Julius Caesar in photoshop.

Self Guided Learning: After getting excited about this adventure of the 8bit music, I read tutorials and basics that I need for my first intro song to the bone health game. When at school I still watched Deke. I work on music in my free time because I really like to do it, but I am still searching for my core message. I mean purpose. You know what I mean. I swear I’ve been looking for my purpose since Forest of the Great. If that link is dead that’s because it’s my old website which we knew would get deleted eventually. I migrated it to my blogger so just look at the beginning weeks. Oh shoot I just remembered my secret long term goal. Yea, it’s chock full of purpose so I’m sure he will be fine with it. But it’s secret so I haven’t told him about it yet. We will see how he takes it (I really can’t guess these days if it’s yay or nay).

Week 4 Effort: I did the efforting to the utmost because I always do. I don’t know how but I guess that’s just what my TryHard part of me does. It just drives me forward and makes me get up early in the morning to work at MacLab. Rubric: You gave it your all: A

Week 5 Goal: My goal is to text my buddies in crime to make the secret goal finally work. I have been hinting at this goal for so long so I want to at least get a little progress. This thought child has been cooking for some time now and I think it is ready. It’s gunna be great fun and might score me that GuildX that I’ve wanted.

Long Term Goal: My long term goal(s) hasn’t(haven’t) changed much, but I think I am going to add one. I want to use MilkyTracker to make a true 8bit song for our game. I already put some ideas down for the intro song. I create the melodies and notes in another program such as GarageBand, so then when I go to MilkyTracker I already have the whole song planned out. This way it would be much easier to make, because I would be translating my ideas faster in GarageBand. The intro is a short chiptune that is quite catchy if I do so say myself. A good place to start with 4 instruments. There is a snare (it’s gunna just be pink noise), a bass kick (a fluctuating sine wave), a lead (saw wave), and a cymbal (a gritty square wave). Sure I could add pads or something in the background, but maybe I will add on to it after I build the core melody into MilkyTracker.

@Home: I played around with MilkyTracker at home, and saw this tutorial because it was intimidating at first. This will be a perfect free program that runs on mac to use for the platformer game that the bone health team wants to make. I used this years ago (2010 maybe?) and never knew how to get farther with music. But now that I’m creating works like this and this, I’m confident I can set up an 8 bit looping song that will go perfectly with our 2d game.