Archive for the ‘Web’ Category

Painting Exercise: Blade Runner (30min vs 1 hr), and the lack of fruit.

May 10th, 2011 at 1:05 am No Comments

I said there’d be fruit exercises about 3 weeks ago.

There is no fruit.

I did buy the fruit and it’s been sitting on my desk for 3 weeks (note: plastic), but no painting of the fruit. Felt quite rusty when I picked up the pen yesterday so I did a few more screen cap replications. The other 45 minute one I did featuring Harrison Ford is going to stay hidden on my hard drive because there’s an embarrassing lack of resemblance. Luckily, I don’t know who the actress who plays Rachel is or what exactly she’s supposed to look like.

An example of the difference 30 minutes can make (…or the difference focused detail can make). Also an example of why I need to focus on maximum capture at minimal duration. Reaalllly need to get better with that. Also would like to repeat excuse of how long it’s been since I last tackled one of these. It’s tempting to work past the 30 minute mark because I don’t want all of my exercises to be hideous ._. Must remind self that they’re for learning.

Reasons for neglecting the tablet (aka “Plugs for awesome things”)

1) The CreeD series, which Trent began publishing when he was 16 (!!), is being released by IDW (probably best known for their Transformers and maybe Zombies vs. Robots comics) this summer. I designed a mini-site to promote that fact.

2) Boey was prepping to launch a Kickstarter campaign so I helped with some updates to his site.

3) Trent received invitations to both Long Beach and Anaheim Comic Con which kept us busy for two straight weekends.

4) The computer building (previous post).

Categories: Art, General, Web No Comments

Blizzard Job Directory Redesign

June 22nd, 2010 at 8:28 pm No Comments

My first heavy jQuery + Javascript project :) There are a couple quirks that I want to fix at some point…but hopefully nothing noticeable :X

The listings are all pulled directly from the job database into an object that the back end engineer created, and the dude next to me had to show me how to loop that from Freemarker into a JSON object so that I could dynamically display everything using Javascript. Never have I done so much string manipulation. It may look like a simple enough piece, but (1) it kind of isn’t (okay this is debatable), and (2) for someone whose most complicated script before joining the team was nothing (and on up to that point on the team a little clicky slider)…I swear to God.

I also thought I started out pretty well in terms of organizing my functions, but the script looks a bit nightmareish now, which is what I guess happens when you’re inexperienced (lack of foresight) and try to stuff more and more features in as the project continues.

So, some hindsight cringing, but I’m much, much more comfortable with Javascript using the jQuery framework after doing this ‘redesign.’

And portfolio design is growing legs!

Categories: Share, Web No Comments

I don’t want it, but I want it to want me.

May 18th, 2010 at 9:34 pm No Comments

I’ve been debating the value of keeping an updated portfolio somewhere. Deterring factors are (1) time + creative investment for creating a portfolio layout (this one is too dark and blue and personal to be likable as a portfolio. And I want to make a site with a footer because they look neat), and (2) appearing as though I’m looking for work when I’m not.

About a month before the end of my temporary assignment for web, I was approached with an offer for an associate web design position. All of the projects I’d been assigned up till then had had their challenges which consequently forced me to learn a lot quickly, and verily I appreciated that. I’d learned how to use their water cooler, half of their break room is a bar, and their logo is a sprite of Raynor punching Murky…so of course I accepted.

Aside: A page I coded (the awesome designer on the mobile app was responsible for photoshop magic) for the new WoW Auction House which was just launched tonight: World of Warcraft Remote Auction House marketing page! (It may or may not be going through maintenance right now…) While the majority of the page was cake to put together, my javascript was super green at that time so I was very pleased with the pithy little jQuery sliding gallery dongle at the bottom. Don’t laugh. I’ve since written much more complex things using the jQuery :(

Anyway, the question of whether or not to maintain a portfolio for personal projects and work I’ve done for public Blizzard sites… I’ve yet to meet someone in the department who does keep one, so I have to wonder if it’s taboo in web. The exercise of it seems like a good idea – a way to feel as though I’m keeping in touch with the web outside of web team. I may not be able to take on freelance work, but I still want people to look at me!

Categories: General, Web No Comments

Dropbox

February 1st, 2010 at 2:38 pm No Comments

I’d heard about Dropbox a few years back, from I forget whom now, but never got around to actually downloading and using it. When Trent picked up his Macbook Pro last month, the sales representative advertised a service (iDisk) that would allow you to access storage on the internets from any computer with iDisk installed… for $100 (!). I was reminded then of Dropbox which does the same thing, works on Mac, PC, and Linux (for my Jolicloudified netbook), and gives you 2GB of space for free. iDisk starts you out at 20GB for $100/year, but Dropbox lets you upgrade to 50GB for the same rate.

Up till then I had always either emailed files to myself or uploaded them to my webspace. Finally tried it out at home last night and I love it. You just pick up whatever files you want to upload and throw them into the Dropbox directory on your computer. It’s quite a bit faster than emailing (which doesn’t allow me to share/view the files through a browser) or loading up my FTP client (which is more tedious).

I’d signed up through a referrer and was pleasantly surprised to find that accepting a referral gave me 250MB more space :) It’s a mutually beneficial setup, so here’s a referral link:
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTQyMDE3NTQ5

Categories: Web No Comments

If the zombie apocalpyse came to my neighborhood I would…

October 26th, 2009 at 9:15 pm No Comments

…Try to stay in my apartment. Movies seem to show survivors always on the move, but I think it’s just for the sake of changing the scenery. Our apartment is on the top floor, has a balcony that no one could jump to, and our hallway has these huge metal firedoors that would close only 2 other units in with us. Both middle-aged couples, so we’d be able to take’em out if they were infected. Stock my room with a few hockey sticks and I’d be good to go for a few months just living off rice.

Few things I’ve been distracted by lately.

Borderlands
Trent picked this up for the PS3 and we’ve been playing it split screened offline. I have to use his account, so I don’t really have a character which sort of sucks. I used to scoff at the girls who’d only have characters for games on their boyfriends’ accounts, but goddamnit I’m on a budget right now. As it stands, I still hate playing an FPS using a controller. Any gun I pick up has to have high accuracy relative to its type because I’m so bad at aiming with the stupid nubby sticks.

Major complaint so far is respawn rate. Holy god. I don’t know if I’m just bad (I average at best at first person shooters) or it’s actually harder to play through with only two people in the game, but respawns eat our asses. Fighting through the same area several times because a quest sends you back and forth really bites for the ammo stock.

Minor complaint is lack of introduction. You get thrown into the world with very little instruction as to how the game…works. I don’t know how to use a med pack without going into my inventory yet. Granted, I haven’t tried very hard, but that kind of stuff should be made a little more transparent. I’d be blown away if it wasn’t possible at all.

Other than those things, fun game to co-op. Going to play more once I finish writing this.

Another layout
I’m planning to separate my “portfolio” out of this site and into a separate page. Something cleaner, more focused, and less personal. After reading about the grid approach I wanted to play around with it, so I’m also using the separate layout as an excuse for that.

Shopping
How is this possible after I made a huge entry about the evils of clothing purchases? We have to make exceptions sometimes. In this case, I went out to Melrose in L.A. with some Blizzard-affiliated womens that I’ve hung out with in larger gatherings a lot, but close to never in small groups. It was good bonding time, and I got a sweet jacket. Pretty impressed by a few of the stores on that street that matched my taste, had sizes that fit well, and were very affordable. I really want to go back again when I have money.

Purchased a Clarisonic of the less expensive kind because Sephora is having it’s F&F sale. 20% off! (FF2009). Got it today, and hope it works some kind of magic for me like it has for my friends.

NaNoWriMo
This isn’t so much of a distraction as it is just being heavily considered. I’ve never attempted to write a story before out of my own interest. In fact, I hated creative writing classes. HATED. But, I like the idea of the challenge, and being able to say that I’ve written a novel-length book of sorts before however crap it may be. It could be an enlightening endeavor. For self discovery or something equally corny! The key will be finding subject matter that I can blather on about.

Categories: Food & Shopping, Gaming, General, Makeup & Skin, Web No Comments