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April, 2007

  1. They Work Rapidly – Yesterday’s Tradgedy is Today’s Spam Email…

    April 26, 2007 by Derek Knight

    From: Barrister Morgan John Perhaps you have your fake names switched up a bit there, eh, Morgan?
    To: me!
    Subject: Read carefully….

    Dear Mr /Mrs Knight, Hey! Make up your mind! What if I were a Miss or a Ms.? Huh? I mean, God Forbid you don’t have ALL your bases covered, dirty spammer!

    Re: Next of kin to my late client Eng. Adams Knight. And the “Eng” stands for…what? “England?” “Engineer?” “ENGRISH?”

    With due respect, trust and humility, I write to you you don’t say irrespective of the fact that you do not know me you don’t say, but please do consider this letter as a request from a person in dare need go ahead, need something. I DARE you… of assistance from a trust worthy person barkin’ up the wrong tree, pal. I’m way more likely to steal your monies as look at you. And I don’t really feel like looking at you. You may be surprised to receive this letter from me since you don’t know me personally again, you don’t say. I do like how you’re trying so damn hard to reenforce that fact. YOU DON’T KNOW ME. For the REALS.

    I am Barrister Morgan John (The man of two first names, as I am known in my country), a solicitor ohhh, NOW I get why you’re called Morgan JOHN…Solicitaion!at law; I am was the personal attorney to late Eng.Adams Knight (known in our country as ‘he of two last names’), who used to work with shell – Development Company in Nigeria no shit, really? Nigeria sounds like such a magical place. So full of lost monies just looking for a home. I must visit someday.. Hereinafter shall be referred to as my client. On April 25th 2005 note: that was YESTERDAY, my client, his wife and three children were involved in a train accident should’ve taken the plane in Japan during their visit to Japan you don’t say. Often times, i find my Japanese accidents happening while visiting Korea. Japan is sneaky sneaky like that which all the families were dead lucky day to be a single guy on the train. Here is some news about the train accident:

    there was a link about this train accident which happened YESTERDAY in Japan. Lots of folks dead. All official and such.

    Since then since YESTER-FUCKING-DAY you mean? I have made several at least two enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my client’s extended relatives the ones with pryopism, I mean, but this has also proved unsuccessful 5 minutes of work trying to find some relatives sounds like hard work! You must be bushed. Take a break, have some lemonade. After several two, maybe three AT LEAST attempts to locate a member of his family, hence I contacted you since you gots that name thing in common and, Hell, you smell trustworthy. I am contacting you to assist me repatriating ’cause damn that fucking money…It’s become so unpatriotic in the past year, dissing the states, burning flags, doing kamikaze shooters…Dirty treasonous bastard monies. the money and properties left behind by my client you know, YESTERDAY before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable to the bank here this huge deposit were lodge um…what? I have a prediction…You keep sending out the spam, you’ll soon find a ‘huge deposit’ ‘lodge’ somewhere quite uncomfortable. Got it, Sparky?. Particularly, the bank where the diseased he had a disease? OH! You mean the ‘deceased.’ Damn you and your flimsy grasp on my language. Eff off, spammer had an account valued at [12.5million dollars] oh shit, 12.5 million in BRACKETS? shit, that’s a lot of cash without the brackets but…SHIT! IN BRACKETS!? You have my attention now has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next fourteen official working days which may really be 15 to 17 UNOFFICIAL working days, there’s a weekend coming up and LORD KNOWS what kind of weird national holidays we have here in Nigeria.

    Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relative for the past years or the PAST FUCKING DAY! It’s been ONE GODDAMN DAY! You lazy sumbitch, now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my late client gorsh, why not? After all, how many next-of-kins am I now…Damn, I think I’ve run out of fingers with which to COUNT the occurences!. Since you both have the same surname you don’t say and you are capable of doing this transaction. So that the proceeds of this account valued at bracketed [12.5miilion dollars] can be paid to you, then you and I can share the money 60% for me and 30% for you Huh? 30/60? that…That doesn’t even add up! I mean, 30% of 12.5 (bracketed) meeeelion ain’t bad, but why does YOUR dumb ass get 60!? I’m offended, sir, and I don’t mind saying so!, while 5% will be used to offset all the expenses incurred in the course of this transaction oh…um…ok… including tax and 5% for the poor in your country oh, what…so now I’ve got to be the bad guy for not wanting the ‘poor in my country’ to get 5%? Eff those bums, tell ‘em to get a job. I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up our claims oh, I’m sure you do. All i require is your honest co-operation heh to enable us seeing this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement of course, I expect nothing less that will protect you from any breach of the law except for the obvious theft of 12.5 (bracketed) MEELION U.S. dollars from some dead fella’ whom I’ve never heard of. Outside of that, the whole thing sounds clean as a whistle!.

    Please get in touch with me by my email and send the following information to me.
    Your full name of course, so you can efficiently look me up
    Residential address so that, when paired with my name, you can swiftly find me and kill me
    Phone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction. so you can blow smoke up my ass prior to killing me

    Looking forward to your prompt response. And here it is! ‘blow it out your ass, Mr. John!’
    Best regards to you and your family.

    Thank you. You’re quite welcome.
    Barrister Morgan ‘honest’ John


  2. Odds are…

    April 26, 2007 by Collin

    … if you’ve been around the internet much for the last month or so, and have any interest in art, you’ve heard about Todd Goldman and how he’s apparently been making oodles of money by ripping off art from online sources and selling it as “his creations” both on merchandise and as “original” paintings. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can read about it here and here for starters, or just do a Google search.

    One of the things mentioned much later in the SA Forum post is from ruth323. She said:

    “Apparently it’s not uncommon for commerical artists to trace photographs. I think it’s a bit strange (don’t artists go to art school to learn how to draw?) but I can imagine that when there’s a tight deadline it would be necessary. Also, there are some artists who really have great ideas and wonderful execution, but they just can’t get that leg to look right, so they trace it. Oh well. Okay. …”

    That reminded me of an instructor that I had somewhat late in my “art education”, when I was attending Pikes Peak Community College. I can’t remember his name, even though I had him for a couple of classes during my time there. He used to work at Hallmark, and had done illustrations for the Hallmark Movies posters as well as some other poster work and some greeting card work. All very impressive, to be sure. Far more than I’ve been able to accomplish. Apparently that all came to an end, I’m betting due to bad judgement of some sort. He would talk about the glory days at the drop of a hat. So there he was teaching at a community college, and there I was to learn. This was ’94 or ’95.

    I’ve probably posted about this guy some time in the past. I have vague recollections of doing so. Still, it applies now even more than then.

    We had been given an assignment to take a black & white photo of a woman that he provided to us, blow it up to three times its size and add color to it. We weren’t allowed to use a photocopier, and there was only one wall projector, so rather than wait in line I gridded and drew the image by hand and eye. During the critique phase I was asked why I drew it instead of copying it. Compared to the others that had been traced on the wall, it was pretty obvious that I didn’t trace it, grid or no grid. I answered, “Because I can.” knowing that, for whatever reason, most of my fellow students hadn’t taken a drawing class and weren’t planning on it.

    That was the wrong answer.

    I was informed that in the professional world you HAVE to copy to succeed. It takes too long to draw. In fact – according to him – nine out of ten people working as professional illustrators don’t even know how to draw. They have large photo morgues to pull from and they know all kinds of tricks to make it work. He didn’t know how to draw, and look at what he accomplished!

    I said, “I guess I’ll be the one in ten.” As it turns out I’m not a paid illustrator at all. Instead I’m immeshed in advertising graphic design.

    By the end of the semester I had virtually no respect for the guy and a ‘C’.

    As I see it, Todd Goldman is one hell of a businessman and a perfect example of what my instructor was talking about, but until I actually see him draw something from his mind freehand I refuse to call him an artist. I’ll bet that’ll lose him all kinds of sleep.


  3. IF: "Polar"

    April 25, 2007 by Collin

    Illustration Friday - "Polar"

    Illustration Friday - "Polar" sketch


  4. It’s a zombie kinda Tuesday

    April 24, 2007 by Collin

    The last zombie sketch had a few problems. It turns out the tentacles were supposed to be more ‘octopus’ like and they were supposed to emerge exclusively from the head of the zombie: “sides and crown.” Also, the extra head looked far too happy (“HI MOM!” he’s saying while waving his wee fingers), which I knew but had no time to change. I wanted to get it sent off so I could gauge if I was close or not. It was practice sketching if nothing else. This next sketch was done in about a third the time, but is much closer to what the author wants:

    On seeing it he said, “That is freaking awesome! Keep up the good work!”

    I have a few more versions of heads in mind that I need to sketch out later when I have time, then I will set about refining them into full bodies and then finished pieces. I’m still not sure what style I’m going to do them in. Possibly a mix between graphic and line.

    Have a great week all. I’ll try to have an illustration done for this weeks IF word “polar” either tomorrow or at the last minute on Thursday.


  5. Well aren’t I the hoity-toity elitist snob?

    April 20, 2007 by Collin

    I’ve been trying to figure out why I’m getting so many visitors lately. I don’t think anything I’ve said or done is terribly newsworthy, and I’m not getting more comments than usual. I’m betting it’s a fluke. A ghost in the machine playing with me. However, during my time spent seeking where this influx of traffic is from, I came across my “Kinja card”, something I didn’t even know existed. It has some interesting breakdowns, including the news that I have one star of popularity and I’m not in the top 100,000 blogs. Whew! I was getting worried.

    Another thing I saw was under “language tools”… ‘Analyze readability.’ I decided to give it a go. It turns out my readability is a bit above The Wall Street Journal’s:

    And yet the Bible is as easy to read as the TV Guide. And easier than Reader’s Digest. If you think about that with a cynical, jaded mind it explains a LOT.

    Derek’s site is much more readable than mine. He’s between the Bible and the Reader’s Digest.

    I’m afraid I have to blame my dad for this. “Build your vocabulary! Nobody will respect you and you won’t be successful unless you have a large vocabulary!” This was reinforced though weekly quizzes when I was a teenager. Thanks dad. Now I’m difficult to read. Also, that ‘respect’ and ‘success’ you mentioned… when is that supposed to kick in?

    Still, to all of you visitors that keep coming by for whatever reason, thanks!

    This week’s Illustration Friday topic is “Polar” as suggested by Jared von Hindman of Head Injury Theater. So I give you “Polar Bear and Eskimo in a Blizzard”:

    oo
    ..

    My real submission will be some time next week. Have a great weekend.


  6. Finally added something "new"…

    April 19, 2007 by Collin

    … to my Visual Breakdown site.

    That is all.

    EDIT: Okay, I lie. That’s not all. Anyone dropping by to see if I did an Illustration Friday drawing today will need to scroll down to Tuesday’s post since I was all kinds of ‘on the ball’ this week.

    Also here’s a zombie sketch, ’cause you look like you could use one:


    Click to make bigger. You know you wanna.

    I’ll explain what the latest zombie stuff is all about at some point. Although the quick-and-dirty explanation is I’m trying to assemble something to submit to a book publisher at the suggestion of one of that publisher’s authors and the zombies are based on the type found in his upcoming book. Not so much this one though. It was a first draft that needs major revisions.

  7. Another old one.

    April 19, 2007 by Collin

    Very basic instructions and very little explanation, but still similar to how I do a lot of my illustrations in Photoshop even now.


  8. IF: “Superhero” Breakdown

    April 19, 2007 by Collin

    I know it’s been ages since I posted at this site. I also know that some of the earlier breakdowns that I posted are now missing their art files. That was due to my attempt to make my flickr site searchable again. They had flagged me as NIPSA (Not in public search area). Anyhow, any future breakdowns images that I will post will be hosted at SmugMug because they aren’t elitist photography snobs. Or they will be videos, like today’s offering.

    This is a bit old, but I also took forever getting the videos processed and uploaded. The good news for the future is I now have a director account at YouTube, so I shouldn’t be limited to 10 minutes anymore. I’ll test that in a week or so.

    So, without further rambling, I give you the visual breakdown of the drawing that I did for the Illustration Friday topic “Superhero”.

    Initial sketch:

    Part 1:

    Part 2:

    Part 3:


  9. An oldie.

    April 19, 2007 by Collin

    “Tea” illustration for Illustration Friday done in February, 2006.

    Program: Photoshop
    Time to complete: No idea. It was over a year ago. Maybe 2.5 hours.

    First I started with a test drawing of the Hatter’s head, getting an idea of how I wanted it to look:

    Then I did a sketch and started adding in vector layers:

    Almost all of the vector layers are in, shown with the bulk of them at 30% opacity:

    All of the layers are now in and they have their own color and I’ve started laying in lines on new layers, grouping the lines to the layer that they are above. I’ll show why that’s handy in a future video:

    And here’s the final illustration:

    Here’s the same image with all of the shapes turned off:

    …and with all of the lines turned off; shapes turned on:


  10. It’s Wennnnsday!

    April 18, 2007 by Collin

    I forgot to mention it last week, and possibly the week before, but here it is Wednesday again. Although it wasn’t the ‘being Wednesday’ that I forgot to mention, so much as the reminder that a new episode of Derek’s and my podcast is up for the listening.

    As Derek says: Clicky to listen!

    Justin Interviews the Game Jew

    It’s also quickly coming time for me to get my act together. Literally. Freak Train is on the 30th and I’m expected to “do” something. What? I have no idea. I have at best 30 seconds of something I could do, and that’s if I talk slowly.

    Derek feels I should assemble an act around that Weenie spam that I mentioned awhile ago, but I don’t think it would work so well. You may not realize it but I blush pretty easily. And deeply. A fact that used to be somewhat hidden by my mass of facial hair. I can write about Weenie spam with no problem, but talking about it is something else. And the blush just gets worse when I know it’s there.

    Then again, that could be quite an act. Get up there and totally embarrass the hell out of myself to the point where my face is purple with shame and yet still be funny enough that people laugh – I hope – and they feel bad doing it because, damn! Look at me! How can you sit there and laugh at me?! My face is freakin’ purple!

    Okay, while typing this I developed some “ideas”. Not about blushing. I’m still going to avoid that as much as possible. I think the act is going to revolve around pet names that people give to each other and their various “parts”. Okay. There may be some blushing. But it still might be good. I’ll work on it.