tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14307052272416448322024-03-13T17:59:26.904-04:00Oddments & CuriositiesOdd creatures on odd daysCurious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-33173245311032539402013-08-07T13:04:00.000-04:002013-08-07T13:04:31.061-04:00Voyage to a New Blog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDITQJxa852wnilIzZogtvNcRgA2prLvEUHkxER_LNwarI1T37LBQa641LD2h8Ak7hU0rJAHB9nFx7jYVw6k1hQi1s4ZVSdsvLLg36B_idTRnug-pNZsZZiPRWny4SYptayS36Er39tao/s1600/Dreaming-LeahPalmerPreiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDITQJxa852wnilIzZogtvNcRgA2prLvEUHkxER_LNwarI1T37LBQa641LD2h8Ak7hU0rJAHB9nFx7jYVw6k1hQi1s4ZVSdsvLLg36B_idTRnug-pNZsZZiPRWny4SYptayS36Er39tao/s400/Dreaming-LeahPalmerPreiss.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
I'd like to invite you all to travel with me to my new "official" blog! Actually, it isn't new at all-- over six months old-- but I wanted to work out a few bugs before I made the formal move.<br />
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I think things are in order now, & with the end of the AlphaBots project, this seems like a good time to travel onward. I won't take this blog down, but probably won't be updating it, so I do hope you'll join me over there. You'll see a lot of duplicate content from the last few months at the moment, but I promise there will be new stuff coming soon!<br />
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<a href="http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/blog/">http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/blog/</a>Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-35120508136576108372013-07-29T10:35:00.000-04:002013-07-29T10:35:40.693-04:00ZealBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow-- the end of another Alphabet Project! Of course I still have a few stragglers to fill in, but I must say I'm happy to be (nearly) done with this one. Over the past six months I've certainly learned a lot about Adobe Illustrator,* but frankly I've lost much of my zeal for vector & robots, & I'm itching to get back to more organic artwork, both in subject matter & technique. I have a completely different & fun new series in my head & can't wait to get started! I'm hoping to have my first piece up in the next week or two-- stay tuned!<br />
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In the meantime, check out <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/archive">everybody's AlphaBots from A to Z here!</a><br />
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*I just learned about the Distort/Roughen effect, which I used (twice) on a zig-zag path, to make the zap of electricity on this guy's head look more convincingly random.Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-58179688145952718342013-07-24T15:23:00.002-04:002013-07-24T15:24:12.801-04:00Cartozia Tales Sneak Peek<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnWB2kCfsLT_dY207dui9f-auIXWnnmiWS9ACQ6-FJpJ-WL-U1VsfWf3JNKV9rCq5Rt-gdw4Hhb5S7Y0bm7PnF2eTKt5_-ct26mN89hpdo7OLIONksNWHJOxQlhqZTTKdN79fa_7Qgwg/s1600/Cartozia-LeahPalmerPreiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnWB2kCfsLT_dY207dui9f-auIXWnnmiWS9ACQ6-FJpJ-WL-U1VsfWf3JNKV9rCq5Rt-gdw4Hhb5S7Y0bm7PnF2eTKt5_-ct26mN89hpdo7OLIONksNWHJOxQlhqZTTKdN79fa_7Qgwg/s400/Cartozia-LeahPalmerPreiss.jpg" width="400" /></a>
I'm excited to be a part of this inventive new comic! Conceived by Isaac Cates, it is co-created by a team of writers and artists who take turns telling fantastic stories about various sectors of an imaginary world, Cartozia. It's really a fascinating system-- read more about it <a data-mce-href="http://cartozia.com/method/" href="http://cartozia.com/method/" title="Method: Cartozia Tales">here.</a>
The first issue should be coming out in August, & <a data-mce-href="http://cartozia.bigcartel.com/" href="http://cartozia.bigcartel.com/" title="Cartozia Press Order Form">can be pre-ordered now.</a>
Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-2116510608421681642013-07-22T17:27:00.001-04:002013-07-22T17:27:37.110-04:00YearningBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoY_RXorhd0fkUzFVlI-iBNg9dlOkgQjhJAIq3PKx9UAjazAUVQc4yQr7WSbiKGFMadddmwZuDjKWPwl8PcOkJTf9K5Mhg5cmuKtydMy4HCiLswvhpuVlsGwfH72LKrQlikIzO0KlhJc/s1600/YearningBot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoY_RXorhd0fkUzFVlI-iBNg9dlOkgQjhJAIq3PKx9UAjazAUVQc4yQr7WSbiKGFMadddmwZuDjKWPwl8PcOkJTf9K5Mhg5cmuKtydMy4HCiLswvhpuVlsGwfH72LKrQlikIzO0KlhJc/s400/YearningBot.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
I’m not sure what this bot is yearning for, but I’m yearning for more time to do all the things I need/want to do (including catching up on the missing <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBots</a>)!Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-78213347340585779742013-07-08T16:10:00.000-04:002013-07-08T16:11:57.045-04:00WistfulnessBot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEffaZXpDrxREg519bqEi2U9NL2ix4_y7xT-uuIfOnUKo9O3n9EvnJS6i8UBLnijIlCHRgRbPS5Si3pk0U8jv50oDr5hyGkQfDOZ5BQkHD9mfQwfpIkGgfO0kZ5Zm8Ic2D1vVJrbe4ENk/s1600/WistfullnessBot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEffaZXpDrxREg519bqEi2U9NL2ix4_y7xT-uuIfOnUKo9O3n9EvnJS6i8UBLnijIlCHRgRbPS5Si3pk0U8jv50oDr5hyGkQfDOZ5BQkHD9mfQwfpIkGgfO0kZ5Zm8Ic2D1vVJrbe4ENk/s400/WistfullnessBot.jpg" width="285" /></a>
You may have noticed a glaring lack of UV in this alphabet-- no, it's not due to excessive sunscreen use! The last couple of weeks have been a brain-frazzling swirl, but I do intend to fill in the gaps at some point. (I've done the sketches, just didn't have time for AI.)<br />
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This is not the time of year when I'm prone to wistful reveries-- they usually hit me when the days are short-- but <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQv8gfJjAVI">this song</a> can sometimes bring them on, especially when I'm chained to the computer!
Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-41270392356601361102013-06-17T14:45:00.000-04:002013-06-18T15:40:44.053-04:00TantrumBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not sure if a tantrum is an emotion, precisely, but it's definitely an emotional outburst.<br />
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I'm happy to say that my life has been pretty much tantrum-free lately, but I certainly remember them vividly from the days when my twins were toddlers. I was pretty lucky even then, really. The boys weren't excessively frequent fit-throwers, and usually they were kind enough to take turns, but once in a while they'd gang up on me with a tandem tantrum, & that was pretty miserable!<br />
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But you know, I always felt their fits were at least as hard on them. After all, kids have it rough-- they're always being told what to do, with very little say in the matter, & that would make me cranky too! Besides, their outbursts were mainly triggered by exhaustion, hunger or over-stimulation, so I tried to minimize all as much as possible, & it helped. Still, those days were wearying, & my heart goes out to those of you who are still living in the tantrum era!Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-62375669303439053222013-06-13T15:14:00.000-04:002013-06-13T15:14:44.566-04:00SurpriseBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Surprise! I did an <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBot</a> this week after all!<br />
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We had a surprise flood situation this weekend that put me behind in everything– only the basement was affected, but with both sons home there was a lot of stuff stored down there. Luckily nothing truly precious was destroyed, but it still took many, many hours of clean-up. And it happened on my birthday, too, hmph!! The nerve!! This bot pretty much captures my mien upon discovering the situation.Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-32141405540983603982013-06-03T16:20:00.000-04:002013-06-03T16:34:31.215-04:00RestlessnessBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh how I identify with this wiggly bot! It's strange that someone with a severe case of the fidgets would choose a career that requires hours on end of near-immobility, but making art is just as irresistible as movement, so my two obsessions fight it out every day. Usually I start with the art & when I can't sit still another minute, I get up & hoop-dance madly for a while. Then back to the desk or drawing table until the wiggles take over again.<br />
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I'm very tempted to animate this little guy, but that would mean sitting here a lot longer, & I really need to go hoop!Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-85802257368448671352013-05-27T15:54:00.000-04:002013-05-27T15:54:02.695-04:00QuerulousnessBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A supposedly useful thing I may never try again: Adobe Illustrator's perspective tool. I thought it would save time, but there were many things it didn't seem able to handle-- although I must admit the problem probably exists "between chair & computer" as my brother the electrical engineer likes to say. :-\<br />
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I had to fake the y-axis eyebrow curve, for instance, & the eyes came out looking excessively flat. If anyone knows any tips on how to make AI render curves in perspective, I'd appreciate hearing them! (I have tried the 3D tool, by the way but I don't like its color-deadening nastiness.)<br />
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After all that fussing, I remembered that I've never actually felt satisfied with mechanically accurate perspective in a drawing anyway. It usually makes it look a little stiff & dead to my eyes.<br />
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All in all, the experience has left me quite querulous! Should've seen that coming, I guess.<br />
Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-83533045102514473122013-05-20T12:27:00.000-04:002013-05-20T12:27:45.404-04:00PuzzlementBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been trying to learn to code lately, so I've been experiencing plenty of puzzlement! However, I thoroughly enjoy the Lynda.com tutorials, in part because it tickles me to hear serious-sounding British dudes saying "curly braces" repeatedly.<br />
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Still, I do sometimes wish I could remove my head & give it a good tune-up from time to time. For one thing there is loads of useless information in there that I wish I could dump out to make room for more!<br />
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<br />Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-21653816028446524072013-05-18T11:00:00.001-04:002013-05-20T13:17:23.634-04:00Marginaliens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been far too long since I posted an actual painting! The Illustrator experiments have been good training, but my hand was itching to hold a brush. So here's the result:<br />
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I imagined a medieval monk patiently illuminating a manuscript, when suddenly an alien spaceship lands in the monastery courtyard. Surely his new acquaintances would make their way into the margins.<br />
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Acrylic on text on canvas, 12" x 6"Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-58529158314009000072013-05-13T12:51:00.000-04:002013-05-13T13:01:36.205-04:00OverwhelmednesstBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes it's all too much!!!<br />
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And before you say anything about the undeniably awkward title, there is NO really good noun form for "overwhelm"! I had a choice between a rarely-heard & semi-archaic word ("overwhelmedness") & a cleaner, more current, but non-standard one ("overwhelm" as noun). I rather liked someone's suggestion of "overwhelmment" but that wasn't in the OED either. So I went with the superannuated version, because that's how I roll! I mean, I use a dip pen every day. What did you expect? ;-) It would have been easier if I'd chosen adjectives to begin with, but too late now!<br />
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Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-76746020111468586742013-05-07T15:46:00.000-04:002013-05-07T15:46:10.904-04:00NostalgiaBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes these bots come along at just the right time. It happens that my parents are selling the home where my siblings & I grew up. It’s the right thing to do, but still a bittersweet moment. We had a family “house-cooling” last weekend where we all indulged in a good bit of nostalgia, along with some champagne, a few tears & plenty of laughter.<br />
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Do you think the electronic beings of today look back at vacuum tubes with fond nostalgia?<br />
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I must say crafting this one in Illustrator was quite the maddening experience. Although I felt it was the perfect program for all the mechanical precision, it kept selecting the wrong paths of the zillion & three I had to create for the circuitry. I was locking everything else down, so I don’t quite understand why. Any wisdom from the AI wizards out there?<br />
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On the bright side, I discovered Envelope Mesh. Man that was handy for tweaking the perspective!<br />
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p.s. Please forgive my electronic ignorance, all you folks out there who know how circuits really work. (You know who you are!) I’m sure this configuration is ridiculous & impossible. I claim artistic license!<br />
Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-63214319482199873002013-05-02T10:42:00.001-04:002013-05-02T10:42:37.893-04:00MiseryBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Apologies for the miserably late post! I thought robot’s tears would be hard & sharp– tears do sometimes feel that way. And misery can accumulate like a bed of nails, making it hard to find one’s way out without pain.Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-76526944952173683372013-04-22T15:59:00.000-04:002013-04-22T15:59:42.195-04:00LoveBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a quotation by <a href="http://deenametzger.net/">Deena Metzger</a> painted on my studio wall: “There is time only to work slowly. There is no time not to love.” It helps me keep my focus when I’m freaking out about a deadline or something. Whenever I get frantic & try to rush things, I end up making mistakes that set me back even more. And when my children were small & constantly interrupting, seeing that quotation helped me remember what was really important.<br />
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My patience was tested today (with gradient mesh, what a surprise!) & I’m still not happy with the results, but I’m trying to remember that this project is all about exploring a new program, & the only way to make progress is to keep learning from my mistakes!<br />
Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-27163384710113119642013-04-16T17:46:00.000-04:002013-04-16T17:46:15.335-04:00KindnessBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was late starting this week’s <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBot</a> due to some last-minute tax snafus. Just as I was about to begin I found out about the Boston Marathon explosions. So the whole time I was doing this I was thinking of those who ran into the disaster area to help the wounded. I’m sure most of you have heard or read this quote from Fred Rogers:<br />
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<i>“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster’, I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”</i><br />
- Mr. Rogers<br />
Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-87103679600743672052013-04-08T12:23:00.000-04:002013-04-08T12:25:27.583-04:00JealousyBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have greenish eyes so I've always felt a little insulted by the phrase "green-eyed monster." How did jealousy acquire that moniker, I wonder? Ah well, I gave into the cliché for this week's <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBot</a> anyway! Now I'm part of the problem, I guess.<br />
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I'm not very happy with the results either, but I ran out of time to tweak. I'm jealous (or more precisely, envious) of people who have plenty of time for everything they want to do. Luckily I don't know a single one of them!Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-39630141272294974962013-04-01T15:19:00.000-04:002013-04-01T15:19:22.677-04:00IreBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m actually in a pretty great mood these days– even running late with my <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBot</a> didn’t bring out the ire– maybe because this one didn’t need gradient mesh!Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-46376227014432628842013-03-25T17:29:00.000-04:002013-03-25T17:32:26.002-04:00HappinessBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yippee! It’s nice to have a positive emotion to illustrate again. I think this <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBot</a> is happy for me because I have a much-needed new computer, all speedy & uncrashy & made-to-order & everything! Thank you, James!!Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-50668190765880110912013-03-20T16:19:00.000-04:002013-03-20T16:19:37.181-04:00Guilt Bot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a scientific point of contention <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/2012/05/31/do-dogs-feel-guilty/">whether dogs can feel guilt.</a><br />
What do you think?<br />
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I'm sure there would be similar questions raised about this AlphaBot.<br />
But <i>looking</i> guilty is another matter. That's definitely in its programming, & I suspect dogs' & humans' too.<br />
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Speaking of which, I'm feeling a bit guilty for taking extra shortcuts this week (I cadged a bunch of gradients & blends-- and even an eye-- from CuriosityBot for this one) but I'd feel even more guilty if I missed my work deadlines, so something had to give!<br />
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<br />Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-4977892960514327522013-03-10T13:52:00.000-04:002013-03-10T13:52:41.614-04:00FrightBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week's <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBot</a> is a bit of a Fraidy-bot. I have a hyperactive alarm system myself, so I can relate.<br />
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I was working on a bunch of projects this week so I didn't have a whole lot of time to experiment with new AI techniques, but I did figure out that I could use the inner glow effect to make a nifty inner shadow in the eyeballs & head-bulb.Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-37044750460152415212013-03-03T21:28:00.001-05:002013-03-10T13:53:27.859-04:00EmbarrassmentBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I blush very easily & whenever I'm the least bit embarrassed, or emotionally stirred in any way really, I begin to resemble this AlphaBot, glowing ears & all. Unfortunately I can feel it happening & that just makes me more embarrassed.<br />
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I had fun doing all the radiant gradients though! I'm starting to hate gradient mesh just a tiny bit less, though it's still weirdly unpredictable. It does allow for a lot of subtle mixing!<br />
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I also experimented with multiple strokes on a path here, to create a fake gradient for the fingers. It sorta works!<br />
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<br />Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-79622572516638187782013-02-28T18:10:00.000-05:002013-02-28T18:10:09.182-05:00Earling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been forever since I did a painting for Illustration Friday, & I almost didn't make it this week. The prompt was "whisper." I started thinking about the kind of creature that would be adept at hearing whispers... hence this little fellow. Can you see the hidden message? It's kind of a giveaway. ;-)<br />
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Acrylic on text scanned from <i>The Reason Why</i>, a natural history book of questions & answers from 1860. It features a quote from Shakespeare: "Give every man thine ears, but few thy voice." Also an engraved diagram of the human ear that turned into a form of vegetation.Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-38195021103024650412013-02-23T17:39:00.000-05:002013-03-10T13:54:55.804-04:00DisgustBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's the latest in my <a href="http://oddments.blogspot.com/search/label/Artificial%20Emotional%20Intelligence">Artificial Emotional Intelligence</a> series for <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBots</a>. I'm learning quite a bit about emotions in researching this project. Except that I'm ending up with more questions than answers.<br />
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For instance, disgust to me seems absolutely fundamental & visceral, more physical than mental at least in its roots, yet <a href="http://brainsciencepodcast.com/bsp/disgust-with-rachel-herz-bsp-86.html">some think it's an emotion that must be learned.</a> I suppose that's true in some cases, but if you've ever seen a baby eat something bitter, this robot's expression will look quite familiar.<br />
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I recently read <a href="http://www.popsci.com/trypophobia">an article about people with trypophobia</a>-- extreme revulsion at the sight of clustered holes. I found most of those images appealing actually, but I love all sorts of patterns in nature. On the other hand, hair in a bathroom drain gives me the major creeps, beyond all reason.<br />
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There does seem to be a fair degree of variability & irrationality involved in disgust. What disgusts you that others don't mind? What do you find tolerable that grosses others out? Do you think these reactions were "hard-wired" or did you acquire them over time? Do you find context important? Do you think disgust is always related to fear?<br />
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I tried to make this robot look something like a bitter pill, or perhaps a bacterium of some sort... luckily a shape that Illustrator's gradient mesh seems to comprehend a little bit more easily. That gave me time to get a little carried away with a rivet effect using the dotted line stroke.<br />
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My Illustrator interest may have crossed the line into obsession. The other night I dreamed I was trying to control my husband's snore volume using Bézier curve handles, & getting very frustrated with Illustrator when it didn't work! Perhaps that's my subconscious telling me that I'm asking too much of this program? In this case an old-school poke in the shoulder was much more effective. ;-) At least I woke up laughing, which isn't always the case when the snore volume goes to 11!<br />
<br />Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1430705227241644832.post-90055440069697781232013-02-18T10:21:00.000-05:002013-03-10T13:55:44.559-04:00CuriosityBot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently I was listening to the Brain Science Podcast, & the subject just happened to be <a href="http://www.brainsciencepodcast.com/bsp/the-origin-of-emotions-with-jaak-panksepp-bsp-91.html">The Origin of Emotions.</a><br />
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Jaak Panksepp was talking about the evolution of emotions, & to my surprise, he proposed that the very most fundamental emotion was the "seeking instinct"-- he didn't use the word "curiosity" but of course that's what jumped into my head. I hadn't even thought of this as an emotion per se, but it makes perfect sense! The same essential impulse that sends any animal out into the world in search of food extends to send me in search of interesting podcasts & new program skills,* for instance, or the Curiosity Rover to Mars, or this robot in search of odd little green thingies! <br />
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It was a fascinating podcast in general, & if you're not the podcast type there's a <a href="http://www.brainsciencepodcast.com/storage/transcripts/year-6/91-brainscience-Panksepp.pdf">pdf transcript of the interview available here.</a><br />
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*For this Bot I learned how to use the star tool (for the pattern in the irises-- super-easy) & the object blend tool (for the goose-neck & arms-- quite a bit more complex but fun & amazing)!<br />
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And don't forget to check out all the other C robots over at <a href="http://alphabots.tumblr.com/">AlphaBots!</a><br />
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<br />Curious Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180271950246123614noreply@blogger.com4