Animator vs. Animation by Alan Becker

click for video

This incredible animated video took Alan Becker 3 months to make and it shows, it is truly amazing. Very well done, what an imagination.

Artist's Comments:

"An animator faces his own animation in deadly combat. The battlefield? The Flash interface itself.
A stick figure is created by an animator with the intent to torture. The stick figure drawn by the animator will be using everything he can find - the brush tool, the eraser tool - to get back at his tormentor. It's resourcefulness versus power. Who will win? You can find out yourself.
-- This took three long months.. I think it's worth it."

I think it was worth it as well. Want to see more from Alan Becker, head on over to Alan Becker's deviantART Gallery.

Windows Live Writer, WOW!

This is my first post written with Windows Live Writer. Writer works with most major blog providers and works incredibly well. What I liked about Writer right off the bat is how it detected my blogs theme automatically, including fonts, so as I compose or edit a post it takes on my blogs look and feel as I write, very cool. Adding pictures is a breeze and the tools it gives you are amazing with advanced features and effects. I have not been blogging for that long but this is the best thing I have seen to make posting on my blog a breeze.

Here are a few things Writer can do:

• Works with your blog service
• Preview before you post
• Blog and publish on your schedule
• Rich media made easy
• Powerful editing tools
• More rich content with easy plug-ins
• Works seamlessly with Windows Live Spaces

I give it two thumbs up, three if I had a third.

Download it today!

You Suck at Photoshop #1 by Donnie Hoyle

Volume 1: Distort, Warp, & Layer Effects

Donnie Hoyle even though a little foul mouthed but funny (he needs to be chewing Orbit gum while making these videos) does a great video showing how to use Photoshop. For reference, I will outline below how to do the steps Donnie Hoyle shows in the video but for Windows, not a Mac.

Volume 1: Distort, Warp, & Layer Effects quick reference:

1. Open 1st photo
2. Open 2nd photo, Ctrl + A to select all, Ctrl + C to copy, go back to the 1st picture and Ctrl + V to paste 2nd photo creating a new layer
   
3. Now to flip the picture. Go to Edit, Transform, Flip Horizontal
4. Ctrl + T to Transform the picture down to size
5. Now to give it some perspective. Go to Edit, Transform, Distort
6. Now to warp it a little. Go to Edit, Transform, Warp
7. Now to give it a layer effect. On the Layer tab, click the drop down and chose Overlay, and you're done!

Using this Photoshop tip I added a restaurant hygiene grade C posting in the window of this McDonald's based on the lowest of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) inspections.