I haven't posted in a long time. That's a fact. I have a valid reason. I could go on and tell you why. But, any sort of apology just wouldn't seem sincere. It probably isn't.
So, here's an unrelated poem.
For every path, and for its every fork,
Every trail with grass that is trod,
For seas crossed and oceans seen,
Clear crimson clouds cut through,
For bird-songs heard at the tranquil dawn,
And the day spent basking in the sun,
For every sweet scent on a gentle breeze,
Every touch of a caring hand,
And every damsel saved,
Remember that there is always a twin,
A road not taken and a choice not made,
An unseen trail that leads to a rainbow,
A clear crystal lake and a river unseen,
A storm-cloud raging and spewing its fury,
The cry of a vulture piercing the wind,
And a cold, dark winter with a blanket of snow,
There is the stench of blood from a battlefield,
A wrinkled palm soon to be dust
And a succubus drawing out your blood.*
*Alternate ending available on FB.
That's it. Too profound for my usual writing?
Art, part 2
Its been nearly a month. I'll have you know its been a tough one at that. With a surf trip to Mangalore (which, to wide surprise, I returned alive from) and the pressure of two unfinished projects, I'm drained mentally as well as physically. I thought of making a compilation of interesting things I had seen recently but the horror that is the Festember Blog put me off all writing whatsoever. So, I decided to do what I said I would. Finish my two-part post on my artwork.
The work I'd shown in my previous post is all with and primarily by software - Photoshop/Gimp/Cinema4D. In this post, I'll cover stuff that I've drawn. With my hands. On the computer. With a tablet. Another short sentence.
My inspiration for drawing was mostly from xkcd. I must confess, I did not display much awesomeness in my drawing, but people (that understood it...) did find it humourous.
Not as much a display of art as it was of what happened during our trip to Riviera. The comment was from Vaidyanathan a.k.a Void a.k.a NoName00. Thankfully, he did not get his hands on any aphrodisiacs.
Most of these drawings are depictions of incidents. Or things people say. Like this one:
Opal is our heavily guarded, fortified, barbed-wired girls hostel, by the way. I did go on to correct him that such an endeavour, although interesting would not bear fruit.
I also attempted humor based on some ideas I'd had earlier:
I also made some others that are potentially unsafe for my blog. Visit my FB album for those.
I've also started making wallpapers of random things that come to my mind (Cinema4D though):
Here's a link to it at a 1680 by 1050. Yes, that is the Android. Identify the reference for Self Satisfaction +10.
I'm also doing a few 3D wallpapers on request or with suggestions. If you've got a good (and simple) idea, send me a message.
I'll close this post with something I made for Festember X. I'm just posting a close up of the original:
That covers most of my artwork. I'm shifting closer to 3D these days since its more fun to make. If you're interested in commissioning something, don't be afraid to ask!
All that apart, I've been rather occupied of late. Will try to increase the frequency of posting :D
Mod
The work I'd shown in my previous post is all with and primarily by software - Photoshop/Gimp/Cinema4D. In this post, I'll cover stuff that I've drawn. With my hands. On the computer. With a tablet. Another short sentence.
My inspiration for drawing was mostly from xkcd. I must confess, I did not display much awesomeness in my drawing, but people (that understood it...) did find it humourous.
Most of these drawings are depictions of incidents. Or things people say. Like this one:
I also attempted humor based on some ideas I'd had earlier:
I've also started making wallpapers of random things that come to my mind (Cinema4D though):
I'm also doing a few 3D wallpapers on request or with suggestions. If you've got a good (and simple) idea, send me a message.
I'll close this post with something I made for Festember X. I'm just posting a close up of the original:
All that apart, I've been rather occupied of late. Will try to increase the frequency of posting :D
Mod
Art
Here, I present you with all my works of art. It includes bits that people have liked (like my old Photoshop experiments) and bits that people have really liked (like the tsfu-opal-ninja thing).
Going in chronological order, I'll run through (I guess it isn't as detailed as I had hoped it would be) each of my works in PS before I move on to my latest 3D ventures and the *cough* sketches *cough*. I'll be covering my sketches in another post.
If you just want a link to individual albums of all my works, pay a visit to my photobucket page.
I began with signatures, which are little banner like things you add at the bottom of your posts in forums. This is how most internet based digital artists enter the field. Given here is one of my last few siggies.
My affair with Photoshop lasted only 2-3 months but that gave me enough time to experiment with other styles of art as well as image generation and manipulation. My personal favorite when it comes to art style is pixel art:
This style of art involves creating your piece with pixels. One at a time. A typical image takes about an hour to create but the end result can prove stunning with experience and creativity. If you want an example of how far pixel art can go, visit Nitrome.
I also dipped my toes in fractals and meta-fractals (with the latter being generated using a PS plugin). These are what people (especially girls) have liked most.
I've also done some abstracts. Just head over to my abstracts folder to check them all out. If you browse around on the homepage of my photobucket account, you'll also find the stuff I made for school and college.
My latest creations did not use Photoshop. All my work in the 3d images folders are made with Cinema4D. Being new to the software, I haven't really made any breathtaking 3d masterpieces. Yet. Here's an example:
And yes, I did make that. The background is a stock image but the rest is created in C4D.
That wraps up the basic guide through my artwork. More about art, my inspirations and my sketches in the next post!
Going in chronological order, I'll run through (I guess it isn't as detailed as I had hoped it would be) each of my works in PS before I move on to my latest 3D ventures and the *cough* sketches *cough*. I'll be covering my sketches in another post.
If you just want a link to individual albums of all my works, pay a visit to my photobucket page.
I began with signatures, which are little banner like things you add at the bottom of your posts in forums. This is how most internet based digital artists enter the field. Given here is one of my last few siggies.
My affair with Photoshop lasted only 2-3 months but that gave me enough time to experiment with other styles of art as well as image generation and manipulation. My personal favorite when it comes to art style is pixel art:
I also dipped my toes in fractals and meta-fractals (with the latter being generated using a PS plugin). These are what people (especially girls) have liked most.
I've also done some abstracts. Just head over to my abstracts folder to check them all out. If you browse around on the homepage of my photobucket account, you'll also find the stuff I made for school and college.
My latest creations did not use Photoshop. All my work in the 3d images folders are made with Cinema4D. Being new to the software, I haven't really made any breathtaking 3d masterpieces. Yet. Here's an example:
That wraps up the basic guide through my artwork. More about art, my inspirations and my sketches in the next post!
A month after the ides of march
And a month before the ides of may.
I noticed that I haven't posted in a while. It isn't my fault. Since its hard to maintain a blog while your semester exams smile from around the corner, I'll stick to filler articles.
First up, I'll post a series of drawings that I've been doing since I won custody of the graphic tablet from my digital art event.
Second, I'll finally be posting a detailed description of all my art (not including aforementioned sketches).
As for the period after the exams, I have a little job. Little, and non-paying. Oh well. I would also be hanging out in Chennai and am open to all suggestions of drunken bashes and geohashing.
I noticed that I haven't posted in a while. It isn't my fault. Since its hard to maintain a blog while your semester exams smile from around the corner, I'll stick to filler articles.
First up, I'll post a series of drawings that I've been doing since I won custody of the graphic tablet from my digital art event.
Second, I'll finally be posting a detailed description of all my art (not including aforementioned sketches).
As for the period after the exams, I have a little job. Little, and non-paying. Oh well. I would also be hanging out in Chennai and am open to all suggestions of drunken bashes and geohashing.
42
Click this.
This makes it my 42nd post on this blag; and to commemorate the occasion, I've decided to share information about someone I respect a lot. He was a genius in his own right. He could turn entire radio plays into books. He envisioned a future where the quirkiness of human nature would eventually overcome the vestiges of sanity borne today. He wrote on topics far and wide and also penned five books in a trilogy of four. He also happens to be my favorite author.
Douglas Noël Adams, an English writer lived between March 1952 and May 2001. I heard of his most famous creation for the first time during an IIT-foundation class. It took me 4 years to get a copy of a book and subsequently worship him. Those of you that have read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy would notice his influences on my work (with the other major influence being Jonathan Stroud). His ability to bring humour (At least within the reaches of this article, I'll stick to British spelling :D ) to the most disconnected of circumstances is unparalleled. Sample this:
While it does not have much by way of plot, the Hitchhiker's series is one of the best pieces of science fiction that non-geeks would read. The heady mix of satire, wit and cynicism is rare (if not absent) in sci-fi, which is composed of more serious stories, with humour being the garnishing.
Adams' passing was sudden and was mourned by fans around the world. Hackers at MIT left messages on their great dome. Posts called for (and eventually established) Towel Day - a day to pay tribute to the author and his works. Fellow writers still speak fondly of the man he was.
There are some books you read. There are some you read and share. There are also the tiny few that you cherish and try to emulate.
As the MIT hackers put it; So long, and thanks for all the wit.
This makes it my 42nd post on this blag; and to commemorate the occasion, I've decided to share information about someone I respect a lot. He was a genius in his own right. He could turn entire radio plays into books. He envisioned a future where the quirkiness of human nature would eventually overcome the vestiges of sanity borne today. He wrote on topics far and wide and also penned five books in a trilogy of four. He also happens to be my favorite author.
Douglas Noël Adams, an English writer lived between March 1952 and May 2001. I heard of his most famous creation for the first time during an IIT-foundation class. It took me 4 years to get a copy of a book and subsequently worship him. Those of you that have read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy would notice his influences on my work (with the other major influence being Jonathan Stroud). His ability to bring humour (At least within the reaches of this article, I'll stick to British spelling :D ) to the most disconnected of circumstances is unparalleled. Sample this:
"You may not instantly see why I bring the subject up, but that is because my mind works so phenomenally fast, and I am at a rough estimate thirty billion times more intelligent than you. Let me give you an example. Think of a number, any number."
"Er, five," said the mattress.
"Wrong," said Marvin. "You see?"
The mattress was much impressed by this and realized that it was in the presence of a not unremarkable mind.
While it does not have much by way of plot, the Hitchhiker's series is one of the best pieces of science fiction that non-geeks would read. The heady mix of satire, wit and cynicism is rare (if not absent) in sci-fi, which is composed of more serious stories, with humour being the garnishing.
Adams' passing was sudden and was mourned by fans around the world. Hackers at MIT left messages on their great dome. Posts called for (and eventually established) Towel Day - a day to pay tribute to the author and his works. Fellow writers still speak fondly of the man he was.
There are some books you read. There are some you read and share. There are also the tiny few that you cherish and try to emulate.
As the MIT hackers put it; So long, and thanks for all the wit.
Quiz pro quo
People have heard of quizzes. Some have been to one. And then, there are some that have set one. This post is dedicated to those that attempted the third and ended a few shades short of flying colors. Or failed miserably. Even if you aren't a quizzer, you just might find this interesting.
What is it that people look for in a quiz? A good question? Some great info? A new question that wasn't ripped from wiki? Or, as quizzers like me put it, crowd rating?
To be truthful, none of these matter (Well, maybe the last one, a bit...). You could give the most convoluted funda this side of QFI but will only meet with disapproval if it makes little sense. You could also try cheap tricks like including for every two questions, one on savita bhabhi. This, although effective on the short run, will fizzle out. What is really important is that the audience is interested - and remains that way. What I'm putting down here is a list of Dos, Don'ts and Don't even think abouts for quizzes.
Do put in interesting questions. Sea urchins, no matter how many legs they have, are just not that interesting.
Do give clues. Make the questions workable. Drop hints. Be subtle. Hide your clues in a flurry of text if you have to. Just don't give half a line of obscure data and expect people to crack it (or give a damn).
Do include questions that the entire crowd is bound to crack. Maintain some class, though. Questions on Swami Nityananda are ok. Doctor Prakash is best left in the recycle bin.
Don't have too many questions on a topic. Even if its your specialty, it becomes a grind. Not everyone shares one's obsession with LOLcats.
Don't leave trails. Consecutive questions on Da Vinci, Santi and Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni aren't such a good idea.
Don't be a wikish*g. Go beyond removing the [citation needed] tags and research a bit. Don't just copy from wiki. You're only helping the chronic Googlers if you leave pieces of text untouched.
Don't even think of copying from another quiz. Even if you're from someplace remote, chances are, someone has seen the QFI quiz you're ripping.
Don't, for the love of god, set a question just because wiki has a list about it. The list of all the different breeds of sub-Saharan camels, although an interesting list, does not appeal to most audiences.
Most of these are based on my own experiences as a quiz-master and a participant. Some of these are corrections for mistakes I've made. Although this list gives the general frame, what's important is that the quiz set is interesting and fun.
Whatever you do, just make sure you don't end up with a lame quiz. If I'm there, I will boo you down.
What is it that people look for in a quiz? A good question? Some great info? A new question that wasn't ripped from wiki? Or, as quizzers like me put it, crowd rating?
To be truthful, none of these matter (Well, maybe the last one, a bit...). You could give the most convoluted funda this side of QFI but will only meet with disapproval if it makes little sense. You could also try cheap tricks like including for every two questions, one on savita bhabhi. This, although effective on the short run, will fizzle out. What is really important is that the audience is interested - and remains that way. What I'm putting down here is a list of Dos, Don'ts and Don't even think abouts for quizzes.
Do put in interesting questions. Sea urchins, no matter how many legs they have, are just not that interesting.
Do give clues. Make the questions workable. Drop hints. Be subtle. Hide your clues in a flurry of text if you have to. Just don't give half a line of obscure data and expect people to crack it (or give a damn).
Do include questions that the entire crowd is bound to crack. Maintain some class, though. Questions on Swami Nityananda are ok. Doctor Prakash is best left in the recycle bin.
Don't have too many questions on a topic. Even if its your specialty, it becomes a grind. Not everyone shares one's obsession with LOLcats.
Don't leave trails. Consecutive questions on Da Vinci, Santi and Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni aren't such a good idea.
Don't be a wikish*g. Go beyond removing the [citation needed] tags and research a bit. Don't just copy from wiki. You're only helping the chronic Googlers if you leave pieces of text untouched.
Don't even think of copying from another quiz. Even if you're from someplace remote, chances are, someone has seen the QFI quiz you're ripping.
Don't, for the love of god, set a question just because wiki has a list about it. The list of all the different breeds of sub-Saharan camels, although an interesting list, does not appeal to most audiences.
Most of these are based on my own experiences as a quiz-master and a participant. Some of these are corrections for mistakes I've made. Although this list gives the general frame, what's important is that the quiz set is interesting and fun.
Whatever you do, just make sure you don't end up with a lame quiz. If I'm there, I will boo you down.
The reality of an illusion
Here's the poem I submitted for Shaastra/Kurukshetra/Pragyan for short story. The original was at Shaastra and the other two are a modified version (which, by my own admission, is not as good as the first). I tried to keep it as close as the original but some of the changes caused excessive divergence. Leave your opinion in the comments section.
The reality of an illusion
The door swung ajar as the clock struck nine;For, not a day passed without him on time.He rolled in leaving a slight trail of slimeThat basked in the twin suns’ early morn shine.
As he moved in, the side door slid, showingHer trembling form behind the seat it hid.One tentacle motioned for her to comeAs another closed on a draught of rum.She stood at her seat, pale as a young wraithAnd walked in, clutching to her bosom, faith.A slug in a bad mood was all but rareAnd add to one, drink, it leaves but despair.
She stood before him with eyes gone red,Her courage amassing within.All the night’s crying in her lonely bedHad worn her rather thin.He drew out notes from the top of the pileAnd looked at the ones marked ‘bad’;Asked with a darkly lit smileIf it was all she ever had.She stared back holding in tears,And asked for another chance.Watching them for millions of yearsLeft her wanting more than a last glance.His face screwed up as the rum hit himIn unison with her renewed plea.His eyes became cloudy near the rimAnd dark as a storm at sea.“Of course not!”, he yelled at her face,“You’ve had enough. They doNothing but fight in a dizzy crazeAnd you know that too.”Her face softened, her tears began to slide,All she could do was pray.Even if reason was on his side,That little world could not go gray.“They are my children”, she began.“I’ve seen them grow for so long.I’ve witnessed every plan,Every right and every wrong.”“And that is why”, he replied,“exactly why you must see.For our profits to stay high,That one cannot be.
Nobody wants to buy a worldThat is covered in carnage.”“But they are harmless”, she protested,“and will learn with age.”
“Mostly”, he corrected her.“And I’ve given you your order.If you want to work here, get rid ofThat chunk of disorder.”She could do no more for this little worldBut she would be there for the rest.After all, they needed herLike younglings, their nest.
She hardened her heart and went to the backWhere the heart of the system lay.All the worlds were on neatly stacked racksAs she had left them the previous day.She told herself this had been coming,It was no surprise.With sentience came a choice of two -Peaceful existence or eventual demise.With quivering fingersShe turned on the terminalAnd searched among the worldsDying and germinal.
She found the one he wanted erasedAnd bid it a teary goodbye.And she commanded the system,Barely hiding her sigh,“Commence editing”. The terminalReplied, “Data required: Complete”With a tear rolling, she replied,“World: Earth. Delete.”
