Kobi LaCroix's Journal

I finally figured out how to do that smooth shading effect I've been trying to get for years. I tried getting this effect in Illustrator with things like blends and gradient meshes; it was complicated, it took forever, ate up resources, and it just didn't look right. I tried it in Photoshop by staggering layers with different levels of Gaussian Blur. Took about five minutes, and I got exactly what I wanted.

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out method has already existed for as long as Photoshop has. Still, it feels good to get that monkey off my back.

And as a bonus, here's the little how-to that you've all been not asking for:
http://www.zencavern.com/art/how/kobi-and-sixpaws.htm

Alternate DeviantART link

I don't paint in Photoshop very often. Maybe I should, though.

I'm really hoping this takes off, because personally I'd rather vote for a cartoon dog than any of the real candidates this year.

Are you tired of candidates who talk big and wuss out at the last minute?
Are you sick of government full of corporate shills and terrorist sympathizers?
Are you bored with the same old politicians, breaking promises like a Tasmanian devil in a china shop?
Did that last simile make any sense to you?

Then Sprinkles the Epileptic Shar-Pei is the candidate for you! Sprinkles will not capitulate to special interests (unless they have biscuits)! Sprinkles doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit" (or "bathe", or "bladder control")! And only Sprinkles has the balls to take on America's enemies, toe-to-toe (well, he did before he was fixed, but I think the vet still has them)! In a country where so many candidates spout the same feel-good messages, only to turn around and sell your liberties and your livelihood to the highest bidder, isn't it good to know that there's a candidate on your side? One who will never sign away your rights, because he's incapable of holding on to a pen.

Now's the time, ladies and gentledogs! Make your vote count! And if you're ever in doubt, just repeat to yourself this simple phrase: "How much harm could a little dog do?"

Paid for by the Commission to Elect Claudius P. Sprinkell

I ordered a new router from Newegg on Monday, with UPS 3-day shipping. Now, I'd always thought that with UPS, "3 days" means "3 days". If it shows up early at the distribution center, it sits there until the designated time it's supposed to go out. You couldn't even come and pick it up, because "3 days" means "3 days". End of story. Well, Tuesday morning I got an e-mail saying the router was in transit and expected to be delivered that day. Strange. I thought, "okay, it's probably gonna show up some time this afternoon. I'm gonna be at work, but Three can sign for it." I had to work at noon, and I was originally going to leave the apartment at 11 to give myself some time, but I ended up staying beind a little longer. Good thing I did, because at about 11:15, a UPS truck parked right outside the apartment.

What the hell, UPS? You're not supposed to have suspiciously good timing like this!

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post. Has anyone started digging my grave yet?

Three and I are more or less situated at the new apartment. We have the internet again, and I've been busy with all kinds of stuff. I've been riding a bike to work, I lost about 5 pounds, I'm eating healthier, getting artwork done, getting music done, got my tooth fixed (actually, I got a temporary crown; they're putting in the permanent one next Monday), I'm catching up with loan payments, got a new checking account at AFCU, recently bought a new router, thinking about upgrading the computer…

I'm making progress on my first album, "Stunt Gospel". I've finished the backing track for "Reaction", and I've done a good bit of sequencing on "It's Raining". I'm going to be posting my progress regularly on this project, beginning with this:

And then there's art:

That's it for now. You may resume eating your sandwiches.

In roughly two weeks, my brother will be shipping off to Korea, and Three and I will be moving into a smaller apartment. The satellite TV and Internet will be shut off on the 15th. We hope to have cable TV and Internet installed as soon as we move into the new place, but no guarantees.

So I just sold my soul again (damn, that thing sure gets around). This time to VH1. They're holding a contest called "Your Move with Yes". Participants send videos of themselves or their band performing an original composition, the submissions are judged by Jon anderson and some other guys at VH1, and then they select three finalists to be voted on by the general public. The grand prize is the chance to perform the song "Give Love Each Day" on stage with Jon Anderson during a Yes concert. I only found out about this contest a week from the deadline, but I thought, "Hey, why not?" Actually, my thoughts were more along the line of "Me?.....Yes?.....together?........guhhhhhhhWANT!!!11!!1" So I holed myself up in my room for a week and finished a workable demo of my song, "Beautiful Life".

You can find the video here:
http://www.addictedtonoise.com/media/85FCFFFF00F2249C0017001CBE2B

Take a look, listen, and vote maybe? (makes cute foxy begging face…and plays a little violin for added effect)

I found some of my drawings from at least seven or eight years ago, back when I was in high school. And I'm thinking, "Wow, I had such a completely different style back then. Hell, I don't even remember drawing some of these." So here are a few scans:

boarderhorse.png
drunk-dancing-eric.png
eric-door-bust.png
erics.png
logos.png
rosenberg.png
say-k-fox.png
schedule-foxes.png
soviet-eric.png
wolftaur.png

I installed the latest Ubuntu build on my old 40 GB hard drive, and the experience has been as fun as it is frightening. I feel like I've been locked in a tiny room with the command line and forced to make friends. Well, now I know how to move, copy, create, and delete files from the terminal, and the terminal knows that I like to wear black socks and only drink premium vodka for the sake of my rock star reputation.

I also bought some cheap shelving for the bedroom and got some more art and music done. I've got two complete songs, and several more in various levels of completion. I might have a new music performance video on YouTube within the next week.

Work is bearable. I'm not getting urges to run out of the place screaming like I used to. So, yay (sarcastic thumbs-up).

I'm reminding myself not to worry about being as funny or talented or interesting as the so-called "big shots" I look up to. Becoming a master of any field is like climbing a ladder. You can't just leap to the top rung. I've caused myself too much frustration by denying certain truths about myself because those truths didn't mesh with what I felt I was intrinsically or had a duty to be.

I don't know, part of me feels like these last few posts are more or less a paraphrasing of Radiohead's "fitter happier". So much paranoia about not being a well-adjusted socialite. I really wish I could spend just one day doing nothing but staring at the ceiling and not thinking about anything at all.

I shouldn't be making these posts while I'm tired, buzzed, and reading Wikipedia articles about depressing music.

Who are those people who just won Super Bowl XLII? The Ultimate Game, numerically speaking?

They might be damn well are GIANTS!!!

I'm gonna end up missing the Super Bowl this year, since I'll be working all day Sunday. Not that it bothers me. The commercials have sucked recently, I dislike the Giants, I LOATHE the Patriots, and I can't stand Tom Petty.

Enjoy the game. Go Giants! You have one more chance to ruin the Pattycakes' "perfect" season.

http://www.zencavern.com/metroburg/index.htm

Changed the interface a bit, fixed some W3C validation problems. No actual art done, though the light-up green bars do look "awful purdy". *Bats at the screen like a spastic house cat*