Where did the time go?

Blimey, haven’t posted on here in ages. Massive geeking has returned after an extended hiatus.

 

I stopped doing this masochistic exercise in Sep 2015.

 

Now I’ve started again.

 

 

I’d forgotten how far I went with it. Even photographing lettering, then vectoring it.

 

And don’t even get me started on this little bastard. Using old software (CS3 and CS4) is stupid. I am stupid. I use old software.

 

No idea how far this rabbit hole goes. I’ve got a shovel and a head torch. If I’m gone long, just wait longer.

Getting seriously geeky with Illustrator

The decks picture is starting to take on its own life. Hadn’t figured on that.

 

I started colouring in the mixer to see what happened. Shits and giggles really.

Now I’m wondering how far this rabbit hole goes. You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy…

At this point I don’t think its worth it spending another year+ of my life translating this across into the physical world with paint and canvas. I’ve made friends (a bit…) with Illustrator now. If I can get the look I want, and get a friendly print company to be able to reproduce an image to the quality I would expect on a box canvas, why bother?

 

 

 

Decks Picture, Massive Geeking

Its most satisfying building a thing, colouring it in, and knowing it looks right, because its built right.

 

Took bloody ages to get everything in the right order. Love it. Revelling in massive nerdery.

 

Decks Technical Drawing 4

Just the wiring and tweaking left to do

 

 

Good to go on transferring to an A1 canvas after this. Will make a nice change to start doing the physical bits while I get it flat coloured in Illustrator.

Then gradients and lighting FX. In Photoshop. Maybe.

 

 

Deck Picture Technical Drawing 3

Good progress on this thing. Managed to finish drawing up one deck… which means I’ve basically finished two decks. Bonus.

 

I’ve been driving myself half crazy trying to deconstruct the tone arm assembly. Building it flat and layered in a way that will allow me to easily fill the vector paths to make it look solid. Its a proper head mess.

 

I’m starting to learn a few bits and bobs about Illustrator now. At least it should be fairly easy to draw up the mixer. There’s still some work to do to close off the paths etc on the decks, but milestone, reached.

Decks Picture Technical Drawing

Started on the technical drawing pass in Illustrator (click for hi-res version)

 

I’ve never really got on with Illustrator, its not ‘hands on’ enough for me. Hopefully it’ll be worth persevering and getting to know it a bit better.

Decks Picture 24th June 2015

Finished mocking up what its pretty much going to look like.

I’m going to make a full-on technical line drawing in illustrator next. Then colour it flat colours with maybe a couple of gradients. Maybe I’ll do it CMYK. Part of an evolving master plan. Eventually I’ll get to the point where I can transfer the lot to an A1 canvas and start actually painting. Some time.

Start of a new big painting

I want to make a nice paint by numbers to keep me busy over the coming months.

I’ve been into hip hop and the turntablism scene for as long as I can remember so I’m nerding out and painting a big, graphic picture of my decks mid-mix.

 

I’ve started to mock up how its going to look before I start doing any actual measuring and drawing. Sorting the colours and the geeky detail that only proper trainspotting dj’s would get.

Massive nerd out.

Dogetown and Z-boys