AcornArtwork blog launched

<Shameless self-promotion> … Engage:
A couple of days ago I launched a new blog on my portfolio-domain, Acorn Artwork, integrated seamlessly with its design. I did this mainly to separate content and post topics, making it clearer and easier for visitors to one place or the other. This blog remains a more personal blog including gaming topics, while all artwork, design, portfolio and related topics are posted in my AcornArtwork blog. This way Acorn Artwork becomes a centralized place for showing off my work with related blog posts that may be interesting for portfolio-visitors.

Since I’ve recently completed a long education and am currently looking for a job, I finally have time to do what I love: drawing and designing. I also plan to dive back into the world of 3D modeling and texturing, but I’m currently focusing on developing my web design skills since I’m looking for a job within that field. At the moment I have several projects going to keep my brain busy, for example creating a Griddler game using PHP, JavaScript and jQuery.

And so, if some of my few readers are more interested in artwork and design related topics, stay tuned on my AcornArtwork blog. I have a strong feeling I’ll post more frequently at AcornArtwork than I do here.
</Shameless self-promotion>

Finished Master’s thesis

My thesis is about computer games, more specifically to which degree a quest game with a linear story can support meaningful choices for players, using the Xbox 360-game Fable 2 as an example and subject for analysis. (One thing’s for sure, I will never play Fable 2 ever again!) It was quite a new experience writing a long theoretical analysis when I both am more practical and have studied in a much more practical way. I feel that most of the thesis’ work was done in the last few weeks, and that I could’ve done more. But I bet everybody who has written a thesis most likely feel the same way. I was lucky to have kind people to support me, proof read and in general calm my nerves. Especially Sindre has been remarkably patient with me and endured my stressful mood.

When the thesis’ hand-in day finally had passed, I was suddenly free to do (almost) anything I wanted. I spent some weeks catching up on sleep and life. I could finally dig up my dear Wacom tablet, which has been missing me so much that it whimpers for my attention hoping I’d surrender and scratch it behind its ear with the pen. It was a great feeling to finally have time to draw and design web sites again! I redesigned my (so far) modest and limited portfolio, AcornArtwork.com, and hope to expand it and improve my drawing skills. I also plan to teach myself more in web design, especially JavaScript, Ajax and perhaps .NET in order to get more meat on my bones when applying for a job.

I’m now in the process of looking for and applying for a job. A very exciting and unknown road lies ahead!

Acorns, or oak nuts

Thus it was about time to get myself a new name to go by. I wanted a new domain for my portfolio, and needed a more professional name or label. After some doodling and thinking I arrived at “Acorn”. Acorn could simply mean the funny-looking nuts that grow of oak trees, but in my case there’s also a play on words. My first initial is A and my last name is Kern, which becomes “Akern” which is pronounced almost as “acorn”. So there it is. The domains “Acorn Design” and the like was already taken, so I decided for Acorn Artwork. I bought the domain, redesigned my portfolio, created a logo (yes, with an acorn in it) and moved it there. For now I plan to keep this blog and my CI blog at this domain, lillarosin.com.

Acorn Artwork logo (I predict it’ll be seriously
revamped in the future)

I’m also introducing web designs in my portfolio, after rediscovering website design a while ago. I have created web pages with HTML, PHP and CSS from the age of 14 or so, but lost interest a while. However in October I was asked to help design elements for Nesodden kommune (a municipality that lies south of Oslo) new web site. I gave some advice of design, and created the header image, portal buttons and digitalized the Nesodden logo. That reignited the old web design spark. With my current Photoshop skills creating web design became much more interesting. I have not done much web designs yet, especially original or noteworthy designs, but more to come when I have time.

Maybe one of you, my two blog readers, starts thinking: “hey, isn’t she supposed to finish her Master’s thesis, how come she spends time to do all this?” To answer that I do designs or draw in my breaks, inbetween writing, and little by little a little something emerges. My thesis is due February 1st 2010, but I am by no means relaxed about it or slacking. Currently I’m sitting at home with swine flu (oink oink), so spending my half-functioning brain and body on my new portfolio seemed like a good idea.

The jump was planned October 10th in the morning and we told our friends, a chauffeur was arranged, my parents calmed and my excitement built up. When the big day arrived, it rained. The jump was thus postponed to October 17th. Cue arranging, telling friends, calming down my folks and building up a greater load of excitement. To my delight that Saturday morning was a beautiful, sunny day with no visible clouds in the sky. I got up early (I hate that), did my morning routine, got dressed in warm clothes and a permanent grin started to develop on my face. Sindre made coffee to bring and packed his backpack with his camera to take pictures. About 20 minutes before our chauffeur, Kjell, was arriving we got a call. The jump was cancelled again because of too strong wind. *sigh*

Sad couple: Parachute jump cancelled again

We came to the conclusion that we had to postpone the jump to Spring next year, sometime during March or April. The winter’s coming in fast (well, it’s Norway) and it gets too cold to mess around at 10 000ft in November. But I am gonna get my jump!

People say a picture is saying more than 1 000 words. So here it is.

Skeikampen

Sindre and me

Kjell, Sindre and I spent almost a full week at a cabin at Skeikampen, July 12-17. The cabin was great, but unfortunately the weather was not. It rained every day, stopping us from taking walks outside, especially up to the Skeikampen itself. Sindre’s brother Robin visited us a few days and one evening Robin, Sindre and I visited some relatives of Robin and Sindre “close by”. But we didn’t let the bad weather ruin our spirits, we played a lot of Monopoly and cards and took trips whenever the weather was fit.

View the photo album for all 43 photos.

I’d never tried creating anything in 3D nor tried any 3D-software until about six months ago. It was just one of these days I decided to seriously look into something, and I aquired the two most used and attractive 3D softwares at that time, Autodesk’s 3Ds Max and Maya. I threw myself onto countless online tutorials, forums and even boughts some books to learn. The softwares were more complex than anything I’ve ever encountered in a computer, and they were admittely a bit scary at first. But starting with detailed tutorials with a lot of images or even videos, really helped in learning to create my first 3D models and animations.

My very first 3D model:
“The Scientist”

After a few months I created my first full character in 3Ds Max, “the Scientist”, following a long but good video tutorial. I’m still at the pure modeling stage, so no textures (other than normal materials) are applied, and I’ve not used any other software for further detailing (e.g. Zbrush or Mudbox). I haven’t learned much about lighting either. It’s coming, it’s coming! I’ve also made some short animation movies, but they are too noobish to show to anyone. Hopefully I’ll improve my modeling and animation skills, and eventually learn to create and apply textures (UVW mapping), rigging, lighting, compositing, (properly) rendering, and creating details and texture on my models using the digital sculpting softwares Autodesk Mudbox or Pixologic ZBrush.

At the moment, I’ve decided to take some official education within 3D modeling/design after I’ve completed my Master’s degree at the university. I’m considering two schools, Noroff and Idefagskolen, whereas the first one uses 3Ds Max and is mainly focused on games, and the second uses Maya and is mainly focused on film-making. I’ve still not decided which one, but at the moment I’m more comfortable using 3Ds Max. I still have a year left to decide, and much time for practice on my own.

If you’re interested in 3D forums, I’d recommend the Norwegian forums dedicated to 3D, 3Dhue and Det Store Dyret. Unfortunately they are not as active as the larger international forums, but they cover discussions about 3D stills and animations, feedback, some 2D, educational matters and job offers. In English, CG Society and game-artist’s forum are both forums covering several art-topics such as 3D, animation, rigging, 2D, painting, some scripting, film-making etc. They run excellent and serious modeling, animation, texturing and more challenges at all times, which I’m too noobish to participate (yet), but find very interesting to follow.

Hopefully I’ll update my portfolio with 3D models and perhaps blog some of my advancements in 3 dimensions.

Photo of Oslo’s Royal Castle

Photo taken at Frognerseteren

It didn’t take long for Sindre to get more interested in his new hobby, photography. In January he bought a digital SLR camera, Nikon D90. Even though I’m a little bummed that “Widey” (my Christmas present for him, a Panasonic compact camera) isn’t getting all the attention anymore, he makes it up by taking excellent photos!

Edit: I am now publishing photos inside this blog, instead of “externally” on lillarosin.com. All photo galleries can be found at the Photo gallery link at the top navigation bar. The albums are sorted after year taken. Click on a year in the dropdown-menu to see all photo galleries within that year, then click on a gallery link to see all the photos taken at your chosen event. Clicking on thumbnail photos will display the photo in a large version.

I will not publish Sindre’s photos taken with his D90 (some with Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3) here unless it is a special event – they can be found at Sindre’s blog.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

Akershus festning at night,
taken with the new camera

Sindre wanted a digital camera, so as a christmas gift combined with birthday present (his birthday’s in early January) I bought him the camera he wanted, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. After only a few days Sindre has already been into several museums and trips around Oslo (also at nights) and taken some great photos. Apparently he seems to like my gift.

View a few of his pictures in my new camera photo gallery, and more on his site.

Winter sunset, taken from
my old apartment

The november drew near and I finally moved out from more than five years in total living at Bjølsen student village. I’ve experienced a lot while living in the two apartments there, first together with my ex, Kim, and then living in a tiny tiny apartment alone. But now it’s time to move on. Into Mac’s apartment close to Bislett in Oslo.

Because I had so much work to do with exams, turning in papers and starting on my master thesis, Mac was so kind that he helped me clean almost all of my apartment by himself! View photo gallery here.

Sindre is so excited
by my gift

After my vacation early September in Spain, it was head on starting my second semester of my Master’s degree of computer science at the University of Oslo. Last semester I was on sick leave because of my Cochlea Implant-operation. It was both good to have something to do again, but it was tough to start studying again. Next to studies, I’m making graphics to computer games at Pong, a student union at the University of Oslo (Read my post here about Pong).

It’s a lake outside our home!

Weather was fine enough (as expected from living in Norway) except some days with extreme rain and thunder. The rain water flows down from Pilestredet/Bislett and fills up at the crossroad outside where Sindre lives, forming a lake. It’s fun watching people stepping in knee-deep water, the cars plowing their way and the tram having problems turning the intersection tracks under all the water.

I’m about to butcher a cake with Kim and Kristina

As October drew closer, so did my 25th birthday. Sindre made me a chocolate cake the day before, and then Kim & Kristina made me another chocolate cake at the end of the week. Thank god I love chocolate cake, we had chocolate cake remains for weeks! xD Following the “tradition” as of Kim and me the last few years, we put on silly childish party stuff while enjoying our freshly baked chocolate cake.

Because I’ve practically lived with Sindre since June, we decided to “officially” move in together. At the end of November, I’m moving my stuff out of my dear apartment over the last few years and into Sindre’s apartment.

Magda-Lill, me and Janne

Four deaf people I (partly) know all celebrated 25 years this year joined in together and rented a whole pub for a night, celebrating 100 years. At October 24th, the Roxy bar in Oslo was filled with over a hundred specifically invited people, all deaf or hard of hearing. A friend of mine, Magda-Lill, who I went to primary school with and I met among others people we knew from our old school.

It’s snowing in October!

And so, the last days of October in Oslo was covered with snow. The winter is truly coming >.< Dammit!