Zombie Pandemic First Response Kit

As the post title indicates, this is a First Response kit...

not to be mistaken with the gun-behind-glass survival kits, or lame made-in-china novelty throw-away packs, which one can acquire at any old comic store for an insanely overpriced amount...

This kit is a collection of the basic tools necessary to make the first few weeks of chaos, ensuing the initial news of a zombie pandemic, a little more survivable (assuming there's enough sustenance around the home to ensure sufficient energy to use these tools properly)...prior to venturing out for better weapons, more food and stronger fortifications.

So...fill the sinks and tubs with water, gather up all your food, secure all exits and hunker down until the sirens and screams stop...

CONTENTS

• 18 inch steel machete (US Army)
  silent and needs no reloading, great to keep the dead and/or nosy delinquents at bay.
• Bic lighter (x2)
  power is the first to fail - Bics are light and never fail to start a fire
• Compass
  best way to find ones bearings when technology and power are history
• Permanent markers (x2)
  great for emergency communications and warnings
• Mag-lite (mini)
  energy efficient and damn tough
• Basic first aid kit
  NOTE: will not help when infected! However, great to treat small surface wounds from become an easy point of entry for a variety of germs and bacteria.
• Pocket AM/FM radio
  to stay up-to-date with the news, evacuation sites, and survivor pockets.

The contents are neatly packaged in an easily accessible hand-crafted wooden crate (featuring a hinged side door) with a glass front-facing display window. the kit is lined with a bright green felt (for visibility) and all items are contained with strong Velcro straps.

I have built several at $200 a piece...and even if there is no pandemic of the living-dead in our immediate future, these kits make for a unique addition to any office, game room or man-cave!

Technical Difficulties

Dear Readers,

as a direct result of the past months' pack-in-as-much-as-possible work challenge, and the ensuing sensory overload, my laptop as well as myself are experiencing severe technical difficulties...

luckily, there is a cure for the mind and body...

look for new material coming in August!

Photoshop Tutorial #4: Bokeh - light-painting

I was not able to be very creative this week due to a crazy work schedule...just incase you may find this post somewhat blah...

Bokeh, from the Japanese term for haze, is an image (usually in photography) composed of the aesthetic quality of out-of-focus or blurred points of light - i know this is kinda two years ago, but it still creates a simple and pleasant wallpaper...

 ...i used the colors from my logo, troublefish, for the base colors (and the image is part of my hero graphic from my portfolio site)...

...here we go!

1.       Create a new transparent document.
This becomes the bokeh brush.

a.   Using the ellipse tool, create a perfect circle
in black in the center of the document.

b.   Select the layer and open up the blending options
window (click the icon – fx – at the bottom of the
layers window – choose blending options…, or
select: Layer>Layer Styles>Blending Options…).

c.   The blending options window opens; find the
Advanced Blending section and move the
opacity slider to 50%.

                        i.      In the blending options window,
 select Stroke – set size to 12,
 position to Inside.

                       ii.      Click OK.

 

 

d.   Convert the layer into a smart object
(Layer>Smart Objects>Convert to Smart Object).

e.   Make it into a brush stroke (Edit>Define Brush
Preset…)– now name it.  NOTE: Remember the
number that appears directly below the brush picture
(here it’s 222).

f.    Select the brush tool (Ctrl B) from the tools menu.

g.   Open the brushes window (Window>Brush).

 

                       i.     Select the brush created in the steps above
(either use its number or mouse over for the saved name).

                      ii.     Set spacing to around200%.

                     iii.     Select Shape Dynamics and set minimum diameter to 50%.

                     iv.     Select Scattering and set scatter to Both Axes
at 1000%, and count to 4.

                      v.     Select Transfer and set Opacity Jitter and
Flow Jitter to 50%.

 h.    Save and close.

2.   Create a new document; fill the backdrop with a dark grey
(i.e. hex# 303030). This is the canvas.

3.   Return to the canvas document and create a new layer.
Result: Layer1: grey background | Layer2: color gradient

4.   Create a diagonal color gradient across the new layer.

5.   Select the color gradient layer and change its blend mode
to overlay.



 

6.   Create a new layer group between the 2 layers and set
its blending mode to Color Dodge.

Result: Layer1: grey background |Layer Group 1 |
Layer2: color gradient

 

7.   In the group create a new layer.

 a.    Select the brush tool (Ctrl B) from the tools menu.

 b.    Select the created bokeh brush.

 c.    Set the brush size around 300.

 d.    Set the foreground color to white.

 e.    Paint first layer of bokeh.

  f.    Apply a Gaussian Blur filter of 10px to the layer.

 g.    Set the layer opacity to 60%.

8.   In the same group create a second new layer.

 a.    Select the brush tool (Ctrl B) from the tools menu.

 b.    Select the created bokeh brush.

 c.    Set the brush size around 200.

 d.    Set the foreground color to white.

 e.    Paint second layer of bokeh.

  f.    Apply a Gaussian Blur filter of 4px to the layer.

 g.    Set the layer opacity to 80%. 

9.   In the same group create a third new layer.

 a.    Select the brush tool (Ctrl B) from the tools menu.

 b.    Select the created bokeh brush.

 c.    Set the brush size around 100.

 d.    Set the foreground color to white.

 e.    Paint second layer of bokeh.

  f.    Apply a Gaussian Blur filter of 2px to the layer.

 g.    Set the layer opacity to 100%.

10. To enhance the backdrop, add an image or logo.

11. Save and close.

Recycled Mason Jar and Palette Planters

I caught this idea in passing on pinterest...looked easy in theory, then again practice makes perfect.

1. add a drainage hole: with a glass/tile bit, drill a hole into the bottom of the jar - careful - the bit and jar get HOT, and may shatter under too much pressure (this takes about 30 minutes)
2. take apart the wooden loading palette. 
3. attach large enough hose clamps to a length of the separated palette wood with 2 screws.
4. wrap 2 to 3 layers of electrical tape around the area of the jar to be clamped - this protects the glass from shattering as the metal flexes with the changing outside weather conditions.
5. place jar into the clamp and tighten it.
6. wrap a wire around the top of the jar and attach it to a screw on the back of the plank.
7. replace the lid ring  (if your jar has one).
8. mount wood plank in a sunny area.
   
9. add river rock to the bottom of the jar to allow for water drainage - fill with potting soil.
10. plant something... 

I made 6 thus far - 3 jars per wood plank - each growing a different herb...

Melted Crayon Zombie Painting - Part 1

Finally i managed to get things into perspective again and find the time to create a new painting...and not just a digital one but a one-of-a-kind canvas painting!

Well, to the left is the black and white outline of the zombie which i drew on a 4 foot tall canvas...the idea is to line up a row of "zombie"hue crayola crayons below his waist and melt them vertically  down the canvas with a hair dryer...it'll look like his color is oozing out of his body...

...stay tuned!

Photoshop Tutorial #3: Distressed Graphic on a Rough Surface

The easy way out when it comes to having the background show through a cover image is to use one of the layer blend modes, apply it, and walk away...this works if you want to achieve the clearly "Photoshopped" look.

...for more realism, try this (see final image below)...

...i used the graphic i created for my name site (Thomas Troisch.com) and superimposed it on a weathered wood palette backdrop - then distressed it for that aged look...

...here's how...

1.   Select a base texture – wood, paper, concrete, cardboard, etc. – make sure that it is a flat texture (see image to the right)

2.   Select a rasterized image – photo, text, graphic, logo, etc. – to weather; make sure that it has a transparent background (a PNG or PSD works best, for my image i used Thomas Troisch.com)

3.    Shift drag the image onto the base texture (this action allows the image to be centered).

  

      Result:  

      layer1: base texture, layer2: image

4.   Select the image layer (L2) and change its blend mode to multiply.
(see image to the right)

5.   Select the base texture layer (L1) and duplicate it (Ctrl J), move it above the image layer (L2).

Result: 

layer1: base texture, layer2: image, 

layer3: duplicate base texture

6.   Select the duplicate layer (L3) and desaturate it (Image>Adjustment >Desaturate – Shift Ctrl U).

7.   Select the duplicate layer (L3) and apply a levels adjustment (Image>Adjustment >Levels –Ctrl L) as follows (once done, OK):

Move the black pointer around the left base of the peak and the white around the right.

Rule: all dark texture will mask the image and all light texture will reveal it.

Result: 

the more dark and/or black areas in the texture results in a grungier final image.

8.   Perform a select all (Ctrl A) on the duplicate layer (L3), then copy (Ctrl C) the selection, then deselect it (Ctrl D).

9.   Hide the duplicate layer (L3) (click on the eye icon to the left of the layer name).

10. Select the image layer (L2) and create a layer mask (click the icon – white circle in a grey rectangle – at the bottom of the layers window, or select: Layer>Layer Mask>Form Transparency).

11. Alt + Click into the layer mask in the image layer (L2) and paste (Ctrl V) the black & white texture into it.

12. Click on the eye icon next to the layer name on the image layer (L2) to view the final result.

Titled Window Ledge/Sill Plate

The originals (those that came with the house), wood composite all wrapped-up in their fading 70s glitter pergo-laminant glamor, didn't quite cut it for me...

...these glass tiles (0.75 inch squares available by the square foot) applied themselves very well to the dimensions of the underlying structure with mortar and grout.

The colors tie in with the overall room themes (kitchen, living-room, office, bed-room), either as complimentary or analogous hues...

...a fairly inexpensive and simple way to create some dramatically unique balance in any room...

FYI: for those suffering from Chromatophobia (fear of colors)...this could look pretty cool with pearl or silver tiles in a snow white room...