Artist Hideout » Freebies

How to get custom graphics for your blog or website. Free.

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:45:48 +0000

I have run across a free tool by Google called Google Sketch-Up (well, I did awhile ago and even used it in a recent post ) but I’ve recently realized that this is a great tool for us bloggers too. Here’s why?

Now not all of us are 3d graphical experts. Apparently Google knows that too. Intended for use primarily with Google Earth, Sketch-Up has some functionality that bloggers can use too. Hey, why not?

In addition to being able to create your own 3d model, there is a repository of models available via the 3d Warehouse.

For instance, I am doing an article on painting. Practical use for me. Here’s an example to the left of a model of an easel I downloaded last night.

As long as you are not getting the server error that always seems to pop up in the 3d warehouse, you can download your model directly into your work area.

So because I can’t get one of the models at this particular time, I just made one myself. This is a little wooden tissue box…. lol. I went simple here.

Now say, I just want a different angle of the same thing for later on in my post about runny noses and colds…lol

While on one hand it’s the same object, It does make a difference to just have more images of different angles rather than the same image multiple times. It livens up your blog, give you tons of graphics to choose from and makes 3d graphics possible for the average person.

The advantages multiply when you realize that many sites have 3d models that can be imported into Google’s Sketch-Up program. For instance the fish tank to the left which I got here.

So with all that said, there is absolutely no reason in the world that your blog has to go down the toilet because of crap graphics.

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What’s on your screen?

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:08:04 +0000

I hate to admit it, but I am one of those people who get bored easily. I like random things. Which means, I want something I can look at for hours on end and it always does something different. Lava lamps are just one of those inventions that captivates me. I can stare at one for days if I let myself. I used to turn one on right before bed and then stay up all night watching it. Eventually I realized that I needed more sleep so I moved it away from the bed.

I have found a really cool selection of screensavers that play to my random side. It’s the number one question I get when I take my laptop to a coffee shop. “What’s that on your screen?”

“It’s my screensaver.”

“whoa”

“yeah, I get that a lot”

“where did you get that?”

“I tortured a developer till he made me something cool”

…silence.

Not really, but I do like this little selection of savers and do get quite a few people asking about them. Here’s a screen shot of my personal favorite, Flocks. I have mine set with 2000 of these things flying around variating colors. Helios is my next favorite.

And, Here’s where you can download the whole selection.

For the phone guy who was mesmerized by my screensaver as they talked about why I can’t get the broadband speeds I was promised by the phone company.

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Beginning Blender: More than a kitchen appliance.

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 07:13:05 +0000

I think I wrote this on my all things new post but I’ve decided to start learning to do digital animation using the freely available (open source) tool, Blender.

Now looking at Blender for someone like me is daunting to say the least. I can usually download a tool, play with it a little and have a general clue as to what I am doing. I never took a formal computer class in my life but somehow ended up being the guy that everyone comes to for computer questions. So I figured, hey why not? Let’s give this Blender thing a shot.

I download, install it, and run the program…. immediately I am transported to another world. One that doesn’t make a lick of sense. Numbers swim before my eyes and I feel that “downloading complete” confidence shrinking back into the corner.

So, I quickly come to the conclusion that I have gotten myself into something more than I can do in one night. This may take some time.

Initial conclusion: this blender has achieved it’s namesake. My mind has been liquefied. I still won’t give up that easily though.

Post from: Artist Hideout

Playing with Fire and Fractals

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:51:33 +0000

This evening I was reading through some of the feeds in my feedreader and came across Cyndi’s post about fractals. Prompted by the need to try out a new art program, I downloaded Apophysis and set out to try my hand at creating something, anything, whatever…

In about 15 minutes I had a fractal art image… not the greatest, but I liked it. I still don’t know much about the program as I just hit random buttons which is how I work most of the time.

Here is my fractal that I came up with. I did a little post processing to smooth out the image too in Paint Shop.

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Artist Hideout Screensaver

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 21:18:53 +0000

Here’s the screensaver installation file. The screensaver is built using flash.

the last submission was from Ed Maskevich entitled Strong Sunlight. I think I may keep this open for awhile still (I can always add more images) and it’s nice to be able to feature your work in such a tangible way. Thanks to everyone who participated. If I missed you by accident, let me know. Having 8 windows open while I was working was a little distracting.

Tags: painting, paints, drawing, free, screensaver, art, artist

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Submission for the Screensaver Project: Lesly Finn

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 22:07:59 +0000

Lesly Finn just submitted her entry for the screensaver project.

Title: On reflection – Series 1
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 12 x 12 x 1.5 ins

Artist: Lesly Finn
Website: Pastel & Paint: Lesly Finn’s Art

If you would like to submit your art for the screensaver project, you can still do so here.

Tags: pastel, paint, acrylic, reflection, Lesly Finn, screensaver

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Destiny Wallpaper Image

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:00:00 +0000

I created this wallpaper over the Holiday break. I really like it and actually have it as my wallpaper currently. This one is called “Destiny”.

Actual Image size is 1680×1050, click image or here to download it.

This also serves as an example for those of you who want to take part in the screensaver project for how to include your name and web address in one of your images. You can include one of your project images in the screensaver I am putting together.

Tags: wallpaper, screensaver, digital, free, art, artist

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Submit your Art for a free screensaver. My Christmas gift to you!

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 02:44:01 +0000

Okay, Here goes nothing! I have been thinking about how to celebrate Christmas here on Artist Hideout. I couldn’t think of anything I could give so I figured out an idea on something I could make for everyone. The typical artists response for the week of Christmas.

Maybe this will be a continual type of thing that I’ll do every now and then. I am not too sure on the specifics yet on how this will work. It is up to you, the readers, to help out.

Here is the way it will work. I need you to submit a peice of your art for a screensaver I am going to make and distribute from Artist Hideout. One submission per person only. Here’s how to submit your art. (Note: your image must be attached to your email, otherwise I just don’t get your email at this address).

When I have all of your submissions, I will put them together in a screensaver and distribute it from Artist Hideout. On your image itself, please include a web address (if you have one) so that people can see where to go to see more of your art. Hopefully this will expose more people to your art as well. Art is supposed to enjoyed isn’t it?

Deadline for getting your image included is January 1st.

This will not be a for sale thing. It will be a gift… free. (without all that tape that you have to get out a butcher knife to get through). If you have an art that is non-traditional such as sewing different colored moths to a peice of paper and calling it mixed moth media, we’d love to see it and include it. (As long as no actual moths were harmed in the making of.)

Okay and just for some incentive that I can make the screensaver actually work and all, I created a free Artist Hideout one for you in the meantime.

Download it here (right click and choose “save target as…”)

Submit Your Art Now

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Mood Wallpaper: Pensive

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:51:00 +0000

warning: full image size is 1536 x 1024 at 202 kb

This is the first of my mood wallpapers. I guess this is how I feel today. Slightly pensive that the storm of my recent health problems has subsided. It could rain or the sun could come shining through at any moment. Hopefully, the latter is true.

Tags: art, artist, wallpaper, fractal, landscape, bryce 3d, digital art

Post from: Artist Hideout

A mission to Improve my handwriting….

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 11:00:00 +0000

I wrote awhile ago that Penmanship is a lost art. I also commented that my own handwriting sucks. Well, I have decided to do something about it. So in order to document the improvement, I decided to make a font out of my crappy handwriting.

I was pretty confident that this was something I wanted to do, but I was unsure of how to go about it. Most font creator programs that I know are fairly expensive and it’s not like I have that money laying around. A quick search on Google revealed the site www.fontifier.com

I had to try it out. So in the time period of 5 minutes, I had my own font in my own handwriting. I printed the template, wrote all the letters out quickly, scanned it and uploaded it. Then paid $9 for my font. I have to say that Fontifier is an awesome little service and very easy to use as well. They allow you to preview your font before you actually buy it. The image above is actually my preview of the one I did.

I then named it “Artist Hideout” of course and decided to offer it here for free. This way, when I finally achieve the penmanship that I want, well, you can see the difference too.

You can download the “Artist Hideout” font Here of my crappy handwriting.

Tags: free, font, fontifier, penmanship, art, artist, handwriting, writing, write, letters, lettering, print, printing, fonts

Post from: Artist Hideout