Nike+ iPod Watch Remote

I want.

For the Next Ten Weeks

This is my customary scare-myself-shitless post. There's currently a lot of lying around, doing nothing and watching Boston Legal online streaming while breaking Bejeweled score/ up-level in Pirates Ahoy.

What the toooooooot am I doing?

1. Advertising 15 ads. I have chosen two integrated campaigns, two series campaign, and one stand alone.

2. GD indusity crap. Maybeline NY bag design and one global warming poster.

3. Miscellaneous randoms from Design Culture and Marketing. Should be just a lot of writing. *faint*

Yet to come:

4. Portfolio book.

5. Self promo yada-yada.

6. Additional art pieces of self-initiation.

It's week 4. I've got ten more weeks. That's just slightly more than two months. I figured there's really no sense saying time's not enough unless you really utilise all your waking 24-hours. Otherwise, there IS time. Depending very much how you're using it.

Which I'd like to add, I'm not using time very wisely now. Hah.

Restlessness

A day will pass then another and another and another... until it's the end of the year and the end of my life as a carefree student. Now's not a good time to get cold feet. I don't know what I am not ready for. All I know is I am dulled by the present.

I need a bigger world.

Header - A Moony Night

Yo! It's high time for a new header. The prev one was done beginning of the year. Since it's already eight months later, I'd like to freshen up the look of this blog a little. I didn't really have the time to go scout for a new blog template. I kinda like the present one as it is, wide content area and white background, all the easier on the eyes. I managed to find the background colour code though, so I tweaked the white into black. Cheap trick, but at least it's different!

I like how the header looks overwhelmingly large. It's takes up about 2/3 of the space above the fold. This image-centric approach points out that this is a designer's blog, so expect to see pretty images smack in your face.

I started off this illustration with a scan of my sketch.

First I trace the banner. For creating quality of lines like these, I actually prefer the knock-out technique rather than tinkering with art brushes. By tracing out the overall shape then slowly cutting out the white areas give me a better control of my execution.

Typing in the title using the font "Juice ITC". This is also when I add in details to the banner.


I like working the initial stage in Illustrator. It's easier here compared to Photoshop to trace over all the parts and filling them with flat colours, a fundamental base where the layers will be built on.

I then import the file into PSD. With the file opened in Photoshop, all layers intact, I start to fill in the gradients.

Initially I planned to do this moon effect in Illustrator, but masking and opacity there are too much of a hassle. It's a breeze in Photoshop though. Just a lot of hard round brushes, erasing, and changing opacities.

This is not exactly the northern lights effect I have in mind but it worked well with the overall image. This is filter > render > fiber. Then motion and gaussian blur it. Set it to screen. Put a layer of gradient over it, overlay, then merge both layers. Overlay again. I think. I suck in writing tutorials.

Ta-da~!

I get lazy so easily throughout the execution. As I proceed, I sort of lose grasp over the details I have in mind, never mind being confused over the colour template. I realised I like using yellow and pink a lot. Will try doing another piece with a different colour mood.

Header's not great, composition can be very much improved on, but I likey~

BPD8

Check out my timetable this semester highlighted in yellow! Whoa~ I've finally gotten the elusive dream schedule after six semesters! Only three working days in a seven day week. It's gonna be one hell of a long weekend.

I've been to all my classes and had a pretty good idea of what's in store. One thing that I looked forward to is the final exhibition. However, details are so vague I'm not even sure how involved we will be.

One good thing about this semester is there will only be one group work, unlike the last, when we had like almost all group works for all things major. This is going to be one really busy semester. It might not be such a bad idea for us to work on projects individually and only have ourselves to worry about. It's speedier and cuts down on distractions.

My core and major are gonna be killer modules. Graphic design will have two indusity projects, one self-promo and portfolio book. In addition, I hope to be able to find the time to create more pieces to put into my portfolio book. So far, I have very little that's good enough for show.

There's no more Ken Goh this semester. All of a sudden I felt as if we were little birds that left our cozy nests, forced to either fly or drop dead. And no, Ken Goh's not gonna be down there with his hands open trying to save us.

I didn't know we have such things as advertising exhibition. Worse than GD, I have even less to show for in advertising if that's possible. These are the projects I did: Tune Hotel, so ugly I cringe to look at it; Yaris, immature; radio ads, mediocre; SPCA, my redeeming work but it's not really ALL mine, so, no. No wonder I got only Bs. Dank.

Anyway, we are expected to create at least three campaigns, or fifteen ads. Industry professionals will be invited to grade us too. Ooo... fun. Gahhh!!

Marketing, please be a breeze. Only one test and assignment.

Design culture, we have one group research plus presentation, major essay, project and journal. Eeek! At least we got Trina again. Oh joy!

Key words this semester: major and final. It all sounds so... decisive. As if this is the end of the road for us, where we have to give our all and show people that these four years are not all wasted.

Wait a minute, it's not as if, IT IS.

Mid Year Recap

Today is already August. A bit off the mark for this mid-year recap thing. I've never apologized for putting off posts and I will not start now. I'd like to think in this blog, I answer to no one but myself.

Damn it's August already. First week of Semester 8 aka last semester has already started. I put off going back for a week because I promised Hooi Fong that I'll play the photographer in her convocation. Apparently skipping first week is no big loss due to LUCT's infamous inefficiency. I won't complain about it now for this predictability actually played in my favour this time around.

What have I done for the first half of twenty ten? Eve once asked me what my plans are for 2011, if I will be free to travel. I answered her, "I don't know what's going to happen in 2011, but I know 2010 is going to be a blast." So far, things have been going fairly well.

Friendship

I am beginning to lose friends I keep close at heart. It seemed funny how when we all graduated from secondary school and were scattered all across the nation and world, we put so much effort in maintaining our relationships. It seemed as if we were trying to proof that friendships last long distance. And we succeed for three or four years. There were emails, msn chats, Facebook updates, blog posts and comments. When everyone's back in home town, we can't wait to get together and just spend time together.

Now we've all approached another milestone: graduation; and the real threat is only now forthcoming: work. Only this time around, we couldn't care too much/less about secondary school friends. There's a new lifestyle to adapt to. Bosses to impress. Friendships that are sustained so far, are slowly neglected.

Why?

Family

There's a new addition to the family, Caryn! Niece #4. There's nothing like seeing kids growing up which makes me feel old.

Academics

Like I said, final semester is here. For the first time in the four years in LUCT, this is the first time I am looking forward to going back. There are so many things I want to do! Plus, this is also the first time I have awesome housemates waiting for me back in #16. I want to make our silly laughs last through this last four months together.

Design wise, I have a better idea formed in my head about the direction I need to be taking. This will be the last half a year for me to prove myself. There's a healthy amount of fear to keep me humble, but also brilliant shots of giddiness to bolster my confidence.

I wanna do good. Really good.

Love

Bah, what love? Though nothing exciting has happened to me, personally, lovey-dovey wise, I have bear witness to 'situations' happening to friends and people around me. It was interesting being in on all the stories, and I look forward to more drama unfolding.

And oh yeah, on a personal level, I am keeping count and it does feels just like yesterday. I can't help but do this to myself.

Personal Achievements

I CLIMBED THE HIGHEST PEAK IN MALAYSIA!!!!!!

Right. That's all. Hah.

Cheers peeps!! This here, to an invigorating last FIVE months of the year. Before you know it, it's Chinese New Year again. Mehhh.....