DHAR DHAR

Today I present “the stallion” which was created using Photoshop. This actually is a very famous wallpaper which I traced and then applied the gradient effects and the metallic texture. The background is simply a noise gradient selected to contrast with the metallic body of the horse. The original image was Black over a red background which was actually too hot to handle for me.

I have observed that when the black-transparent gradient is applied over any metallic texture the effect is very realistic. The gradient should not be applied as a layer but instead it is better to apply it as a blending option. Then by adjusting the opacity the required effect can be obtained. It is also suitable for designing buttons on web pages.

Noise gradient is used as a background here. It is also a very handy tool for creating my splendid effects. If used right then along with the hue/saturation tool it can used to create simple cloth effect. By changing the various settings for the noises available many variants of the gradient can be obtained.

Here is a “Ninja Weapon” I designed along with Mayur when we were at Mumbai. We had nothing to do and decided to test whether Photoshop is the best or Paint Shop Pro. Mayur drafted the original concept and I rendered it in Photoshop. The Paint Shop Pro design is not with me now but that was also a masterpiece. Whether it is aerodynamic or not we don’t know, but I like the design. I especially like the green bulbs in between. They make the contrast between the yellow shield and the blades more clear. Moreover the hue covers the entire spectrum from the hot to cold colors. This makes the image balanced and attractive.

Coming to the question of whether Photoshop is the best or Paint Shop Pro, my verdict would be that it depends. It depends on what your skill level is, what you intend to create, what you want the design for, etc. As Photoshop is widely used and tutorials are easily available, so learniing it is easier and knowing it helps. On the other hand, Paint Shop Pro is cheaper and most the stuff in Photoshop can be done using it. The only flip side is that it is not the industry standard, so investing in it can be tricky. Ultimately for our design both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro score equally well and so both are clear winners.

CRY stands for “Child Rights and You”. It is a non-profit organization devoted towards improving the living conditions of millions of children across India. This banner has no commercial purpose at all.

This candle is stand is perhaps a decade or two old. As long as I can remember it has always been around. Earlier when we were growing up (read the mid 90′s) it used to be a tool for experimentation for us. Now a days the power scenario in India has vastly improved, but it wasn’t always the case. Earlier two hour load shedding (power-cut) was a daily feature. There used to be fixed time slots for different localities everybody used to know their timings. Almost every important work related distantly to electricity had to be completed before that time.

Coming to the experiment part, my mother was very strict about the daily homeworks, so if by chance it wasn’t complete by the power cut time, she used to light a candle in that candle stand and we used to study. The light used to attract many small insects and I used to trap them with a clip and burn in the flame. Though it sounds cruel, it was fun back then. Another thing which was of great interest to me was playing with the candle wax. I used to sculpt the wax into various shapes and be lost in my imaginary world. Sometimes the flicker of the flame used to intrigue me. I used to wonder what makes it flicker, is it the wick or the air, what…? At other times I used to fill the candle stand with wax and observe the molten wax flowing out of the heart shapes. Though I don’t remember now, but there used to be many more experiments and I can tell you they were all “awesome”.

Now a days power cut is not a problem any more. At least in the north-eastern part of the country it is in surplus and we are exporting it from here. Kids here I suppose don’t know what it is like to experiment with things as candles. Candles are now made only for the special occasions and are usually of higher quality. They don’t know the fun of watching a poor quality candle (wax+water) make the “sparking” sound. They probably will never experiment with their hands over the flame to find out who can tolerate heat and fire the most.

Sometimes at night when all the lights are out, I find myself back in those days. There is something about the dark night that is very soothing and comforting for me. I miss those days.

CRY stands for “Child Rights and You”. It is a non-profit organization devoted towards improving the living conditions of millions of children across India. This banner has no commercial purpose at all.

Today the results for the Common Entrance Examination for Design were announced. This the sole examination in India for admission into graduate level Design courses at the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology. This was my first CEED and I scored a modest 213 All India Rank. This came as a big relief as yesterday night I wasn’t able to sleep that well. Though I am classified as “Qualified”, but still I am not sure whether I will be able to get into the IITs or not. Nevertheless, I shall be applying to all the IITs. It would be foolish to let the opportunity in hand slip way.

Now the career shift which is going to result due to this situation is a drastic one. After all electrical engineering don’t exactly go hand-in-hand with design. But, if the situation is analysed a little objectively then one can clearly draw the parallels among the two. Both of them involves creative thinking for solving day to day problems. Take for example the MIT Media labs, the laboratory is striving to create futuristic products by the use of innovative design and engineering principles. Their use of electronics and superb design has resulted in some “wow” products which cannot exist without the use of both.

Being a to-be electronics graduate, going into design will give me an unique advantage few others possess. Almost everything now a days, be it the oven or the refrigerator, or the home security system, is electronics dependent. Add to that the coolness factor which a design like the iPhone brings, and you can see the equation forming.

Let’s see what happens and hope that I get admission into the Design Course.

CRY stands for “Child Rights and You”. It is a non-profit organization devoted towards improving the living conditions of millions of children across India. This banner has no commercial purpose at all.

I am posting after about a week today. Finally Shristi, the technical festival of the university is over. This perhaps was the busiest week of my life. Being the joint in-charge of the videography club, I had the responsibility for all the photography and video related stuff. That by itself is a huge task. The duty of being present at every event all throughout the day for three continuous days was really daunting. Add to that the daily press release photographs and the processing of the huge pile of raw video data and the task almost borders the impossible. Somehow, with enormous help from Kaushik, Mayur, Bikash and Mr. Saji, we managed to pull it off. These guys were life savers for me. They helped me at every stage of the preparation and all throughout the events. Thanks guyz. . .

I would like to thank all the faculty coordinators and the Director, NERIST for lending their support and efforts to make Shristi a grand success. Their support and hardwork motivated us to put in that extra iota of work that separates good from the excellent.

Finally congratulations to all the student in-charges for putting up a great event. Especially to Gambo, Rahul, Manish and Anish. You guys rock. Without your dedication and hard work, Shristi would have been impossible. Thanks guys.

CRY stands for “Child Rights and You”. It is a non-profit organization devoted towards improving the living conditions of millions of children across India. This banner has no commercial purpose at all.

Actually my situation now is completely opposite to that of the title. That probably is the primary reason for the illustration I am presenting here.
It represents freedom from oppression, repression, tyranny, communal-ism, racism, caste-ism etc. At least that is what it stood for when I made it. But now, it is a symbol of hope, a symbol of independence, a symbol of freedom. The pressure of organizing such a huge festival along with the other responsibilities are taking a toll on me. This is to remind me that freedom is nearer and in a couple of days I will be there.

The design is made without any pre-planning and whimsically in Adobe Photoshop.