Z Blog

The only activity I ever enjoyed more than drawing…

…was reading, back when library cards were blue cardboard squares. It took me on quite a long detour in life, as instead of continuing fine art after LaGuardia HS, I ended up majoring in English.

The third page of my newest pad of paper was devoted to words, and the word “word”. Literally, kotoba, in Japanese, and in shining fuchsia, purple, and red. UPDATE: Customizable prints are here via Zazzle. Add your name, a greeting, etc.

UPDATE 7 June 2019: I’ve closed my Zazzle store due to their April 2019 change of policy. My Redbubble store is still open here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/studiozandra/portfolio/recent

A trip to Sam Flax on Third Avenue in Manhattan turned up yet another silky surface for pens — Borden and Riley #234 Bleedproof Paris Paper For Pens 11X14. It’s 108 lb weight, rich and heavy and the pens just dance across its surface. I highly recommend spending some time with this paper. Use caution when erasing pencil guidelines after inking, though; you will pick up some color if not thoroughly dry, and if you favor kneaded erasers, use a fresh one to avoid smudging.

Prints, reproductions, and things left unsaid

Prints and other reproductions are now live! I only receive a 10% commission on each item, but it’s nice to be able to finally offer prints.

UPDATE 7 June 2019: I’ve closed my Zazzle store due to their April 2019 change of policy. My Redbubble store is still open here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/studiozandra/portfolio/recent

Drawing — Pen on Claybord

Last week I finished my drawing called “Futari”. I drew on two 5 x 7 inch Clayboards, using pencil and Sakura fine point pens.

As it will soon be two years since I got hitched, I wanted to play with the concept of marriage. Trying to capture the strangeness of being married; there is some whimsy, constant movement, implied forms, negative space…puns intended.

September 25, 2014 UPDATE: Postcard AND greeting card prints of this work are here!

UPDATE 7 June 2019: I’ve closed my Zazzle store due to their April 2019 change of policy. My Redbubble store is still open here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/studiozandra/portfolio/recent

Blender newbie

I spent many recent evenings reading about 3D design and software. Then I decided to download some free software; first I tried Design Spark, then Sculptris, then Blender. Blender 2.69 seems to be the most powerful of the three, and unlike the other two, it hasn’t crashed on me yet.

A great thing about Blender seems to be tons of helpful tips contributed by its deep user base. I found this coffee cup tutorial from LittleWebHut.com’s YouTube channel. The speaker is very clear and precise, yet avoids being condescending. With much pausing and rewinding, I was able to complete both the cup…

screencap cup render
My attempt is on the left.

…and the alarm clock tutorial in one evening:

Captureclock
Mine is on the left, a bit grainy compared to the professional version. I think it has something to do with the “Clamp” settings.

Can’t wait to learn more!

 

If you want to feel pure wonderfulness…

As my office job quit date nears, I am re-developing my artistic muscles, which DO indeed atrophy!

In order to get back into art making, I thought I’d enjoy some basic drawing, and my mom gave me an old Koh-I-Noor rapidograph which had lain in a drawer for years. The worn sticker on the plastic box still reads, “Made in USA, Bloomsbury, NJ.” Good times.

Rapidographs are great, but they are pricey and fragile. After much cleaning, soaking in Speedball Pen Cleaner, and threading with fine wire from an old pair of headphones, I was only able to get about 30 minutes of continuous operation from the old pen. So I picked up a set of Sakura fine pens. (There may be some other factors affecting the Koh-I-Noor’s operation, but darned if I can figure them out right now.)

The Sakura pens flow beautifully, especially on the 5″x7″ Claybord I’m using. If you want to feel pure wonderfulness, take a mechanical pencil to some Claybord! Doodle away!

Week 7 – BETA/FINAL PROTOTYPE

1. The name you will give your artifact. — I would call it the “Bri-Den” (because it brightens my den,) but that is just too cheesy…

2. One or more nice images of your prototype. — Well, I used the wrong type of material for waterproofing. The thick coats of paint were adequate, but the construction adhesive turned our NOT to be waterproof. So when it rained the other day, the edging sloughed off and doesn’t look very pretty! I have to scrape it off and re-seal with caulk.

3. Some background on the gap — I live in a basement apartment, so there’s not much natural light. I wanted to devise a way to increase the amount of light entering the room. (Mirrors inside the room only bounce the existing light around. A mirror placed outside the room can direct more light into the room.)

4. next steps to further refine and develop your artifact — re-seal the edges with caulk for better waterproofing.

5. Any other information —  For grading purposes, please keep in mind that this application is for personal use. This was not designed for mass production.

The Coursera class is now finished — phew! No more homework and midnight deadlines for a while. While this course was bent a bit towards commercial product development, I did learn quite a bit and revitalized my interest in 3D printing and fabrication. More on that later…

Week 5 — 5.1 Concept Testing

Refined problem statement: “In what way might I utilize a reflective mirror outside of my window to increase the levels of natural light in my room?”

list of needs.

Must be sturdy
Must be waterproof!
simple
Easy to remove!
Adaptable to surroundings
 Must not consume electricity!
 Must be reasonably priced
 Must not block outside view
 Must not create blinding glare inside room
 Safety -- Must not get hot due to sunlight
   No parts should degrade /fail due to exposure to sunshine
   No any sharp edges

:

  1. The concept I’m pursuing is my original concept here, except for the holes:
    windowmirror
  2. I showed my concepts to my husband, who shares the space in question with me. He agreed that the current iteration works the best.

Week 4 — 4.1 CONCEPT SELECTION – 3 CONCEPTS

Selection Matrix:

After I built my prototype, I remembered that the gap was for ME, not commercial production! Somehow I got distracted thinking about Professor Karl’s scooter and injection molds and all kinds of huge ideas for a consumer product. So I don’t think I’ll actually USE the selection matrix I made!  🙂

selectionmatrix

 

Prototype photos:

I was excited about my periscope idea (concept H,) but I after actually trying to build it, I saw that there was less light below my window and more above. So I couldn’t attach it with hooks. I made some “rope” from plastic shopping bags and tried to hang it. It did increase the interior light level, but only very slightly.

designcoursePrototype

I found that my periscope concept would require a much taller, larger box in order to produce enough light to make a difference in my room.

 

 

For concept F, I abandoned the tension rod since I could not craft hinges strong enough. I ended up playing around with the mirrors and eventually returned to my original concept from Week 1. It worked very well and really brightened the room noticeably.

designcoursePrototype3