Howdy, hobos! Last week's WTFoto challenge meandered on much like its namesake, the vagrant. We had a couple good submissions that warmed my heart with laughter. I thought my examples were pretty on point, but my confidence is pretty low right now because I failed a recent IQ test. For your amusement, here are those awesome remixes of the Hobo Image Macro! Did they measure up?
The deadline is counting down to enter the WTFoto Fan Art Challenge, so make sure you post your images to the community corkboard soon! And remember, we want the most twisted one you can find (sans nudity). You can start hunting for nutty fan art drawings over at deviantART and Fanart Central, to name a few. Entries are due Monday, March 5th at 11:59:59pm PST.
Pygame! And what you can accomplish with it. Another python article... (Blame Alex for getting me hooked on yet another coding language...)
Now, myself and Minecraft World admin Jon Hook began brainstorming for the texture pack (which I will gladly create for all of you) but then I quickly remembered, this World isn't all about me, it's about all of you guys, too. So, I would like to hear your thoughts on what time period should dominate the texture pack.
WonderHowTo is made up niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects.
These are a few examples of my latest craze. It is basically a 3d weave of cocktail sticks—just lots of them. I have made them from chopsticks and skewers as well, but have given those as presents and don't have any pictures.
Did you know that you can "write" in polyhedra? I just stumbled across a $24.99 font called Divina Proportione. Created by Brazilian graphic designer Paulo W, the typeface is constructed with beautiful geometric renderings by the famous Renaissance printmaker Albrecht Dürer.
Since Angry Birds is apparently an "indie game", here's an interesting tidbit. Changsa, China's Window of the World theme park recently added an especially zeitgeisty activity to their collection of diverse attractions: a real-life Angry Birds game, which allows participants to catapult Angry Bird "balls" at targets using an actual slingshot.
The angle in which you shoot your subject can change everything. Sometimes when you take a picture at eye level looking straight at the object, things can appear flat and not as interesting. But instead of just snapping a picture, try getting down to the subjects level. For example, if you're taking a picture of a flower, get down close to the flower, and maybe angle your lense up, looking up at the flower, instead of looking down. Or angle your lense as if you're looking at the flower sidewa...
The crochet decrease may be similar or the same as a cluster of stitches. Keep in mind that you can decrease by skipping stitches as well, but with this tip we are addressing the stitches joined at the top. The purpose of the stitch is what will make them different, while the anatomy and structure of the stitch may be identical. It is something to keep in mind and to help prevent confusion. I am providing two video examples. The first is the Double Crochet Decrease. The second is the crochet ...
I'm really glad someone finally wrote this article. Todd Miro @ Into The Abyss details the teal and orange look that's pervading mainstream and independent films. In essence, because orange is the color that is the closest to skin tone, DI colorists are forcing its complementary color - teal - into the image. It's a simple trick that, when used subtly, can create color contrast and really pop an image. Unfortunately, more often than not, actors look like Snooki's cousin and trees and shadows ...
With the advent of 3D printers, advancements in the technology allow some truly amazing possibilities. Just a handful of examples include printable architecture, Anish Kapoor's sculptures; even Boeing uses some printed parts in the manufacturing of their airplanes.
Hongkiat has compiled a collection of beautiful examples of "Bokeh" photography (1, 2):
Melbourne-based graphic designer Benjamin Hammond just launched a site called One Minute Portraits, where the artist draws quick portraits in less than a minute. It works like this: email a photo of yourself, Hammond creates the portrait, and you can choose to buy the original if you like it. (OR pick up a few drawing lessons and do-it-yourself.)
Representational painting requires great skill and practice. The best examples aptly capture light, breathing life into the work. Accurate proportion and perspective is an asset. Matching what you perceive as the correct color to what actually is the correct color requires a highly trained eye.
If you have yet to see the work of famed graffiti artist/filmmaker Blu, you're in for a real treat. Blu creates films with painted still images (graffiti style), installed in various public spaces. He photographs the paintings, and then assembles them into a stop motion animation.
What separates Metro 2033 from other FPS games? Life. There are underground towns, markets, children, music, and so much background chatter than sometimes you can't single out a particular conversation.
Here at WonderHowTo we're overflowing with top-notch origami tutorials. However, when it comes to the lesser known art of kirigami, we could always use a couple more enthusiasts. Kirigami is a form of origami that (unlike origami) involves making intricate cuts, and the results are often incredible.
Yankee ingenuity is a trait we hold in the highest regard here at Wonderhowto. So imagine our delight in sharing Afrigadget, whose tagline is: "solving everyday problems with African ingenuity".
Did you know you can use your Nike sneakers as a fishbowl? Or video game controllers? Or dueling race cars? In honor of Nike's 78th birthday, Paul Jenkins, a graphic designer in the UK, held a themed "redesign" initiative for this year's London Design Festival. The results are incredible.
Pretty convincing, but no flesh or blood necessary here. Hongkiat posts 21 stellar examples of animated 3D models, all created with programs like ZBrush, XSI, 3DMax, Maya and Photoshop. Get your 3D CG fix below.
Ah, the old transparent screen trick. Endless possibilities... Though it doesn't QUITE work like this (via Joy of Tech):
Oh, what fun you can have with a little math + a little origami. Bradford Hansen-Smith folds intricate geometric sculptures entirely from paper plates and is kind enough to offer a few HowTo's to get you started. Examples of his work below; scroll all the way down for the HowTo.
Horticulture mad-science offers a slew of marketing possibilities. How is it that our grocery stores aren't filled with Mickey Mouse shaped melons or, as in the case of Chinese farmer Hao Xianzhang, baby shaped pears? Xianzhang isn't the first to come up with the idea of young produce grown into a specifically shaped mold; the Japanese have been growing square shaped watermelons for the purpose of refrigerator space efficiency. And (as pictured below), decades ago an Ohio farmer grew a real-l...
Tim Fishlock’s piece entitled What Watt? showcases 1,243 suspended retired light bulbs, the center illuminated by one low-energy fluorescent bulb. Beautiful eco-friendly design.
In this two part lesson we'll discuss the differences between open chords and barre chords, then introduce the 4 main primary barre chords. I'll give a few tips on how you might position your hand to play the barre chords cleanly, and explain how each barre chord pattern relates to the guitar neck to produce a chord in all 12 keys. With these 4 patterns and some practice you should be able to play 48 chords. I'll suggest a couple of practice routines and give you a quick demo using "Light My ...
Aharon Rabinowitz explains the basics of nesting and pre-composing compositions in After Effects. Part one of this video gives you some good conceptual ideas and basics that you can later apply to your own compositions. Part two goes over more examples of why and how you'd want to use them. Nest and pre-composite in After Effects - Part 1 of 2.
The Recycleart Facebook group frequently posts awesome pictures of steampunk-friendly sculptures. Not all of them look steampunk, but enough do that it's worth checking out.
I came across this great article that features forgotten fashion trends from the past.
This past week's Cameratruck might be slightly difficult to do-it-yourself, so here's something a little simpler: 5 free pinhole camera downloads, courtesy of Corbis Readymech Cameras.
Easy as 1-2-3... Print, fold and start taking pictures. Free download and instructions for the Czechoslovakian designed Dirkon camera here. The Dirkon uses 35mm film and takes hazy, blurred, highly saturated pictures typical of the pinhole format. Image examples below.
Very cool 1920's papercraft toys from the LA Times "Junior Times" section. Just print, cut out and assemble (if you don't mind turning a blind eye to the dated racial association, e.g. Lee Ling...the Chinese Laundry Man).
It's once again Monday, which means it's time to highlight some of the most recent community submissions posted to the Math Craft corkboard. I also thought we'd take a look at building a model that has appeared in numerous posts. It's the simplest of the intersecting plane modular origami sculptures: The WXYZ Intersecting Planes model.
In case you haven't figured out already, our government is always on the move to figure out new ways to extend their control. The CISPA, for one, is one of the best examples, along with "re-education" programs, and racial divide (Trayvon). What I've noticed in the past few months is that their new "ideas" are coming out at an increasingly alarming rate.
Besides Wikipedia and teachers (in that order), textbooks are the go-to source of information during our school years. Today, we take a look at what happens when the people writing these voluminous tomes get attacked by a sudden bout of ennui.
Due to the recent developments in Iran and the westernized world, I would like to talk a little about sanctions. There are several kinds of sanctions:
So far, there have been some excellent entries to our WTFoto Stock Photo Challenge, but the battle is not over yet. You still have a couple days left to submit your best find to the WTFoto community corkboard for a chance to take the crown. Remember, we're looking for an absurd stock photo image that nobody's ever seen before. Entries are due Monday, February 27th, 11:59:59pm PST. One second later and, well... I'll probably just let it slide. But 2 seconds later and you're out!
Welcome to WTFoto, a community dedicated to scouring the internet for great WTF photos and encouraging you to do the same. Check out all of our upcoming weekly tutorials and competitions to learn how it's done and jump into the fray. Here's how we roll:
Cinemagraphs are those incredible video-photo-mashups that isolate movement in a moving frame. Don't know what I'm talking about? Then check out these fantastic examples on If We Don't Remember Me.
Bash (Shell) Scripting for Beginners Intro
