By yours truly.

Fractal flame abstract animation.

Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://ift.tt/2auGGHw

Rendered with autobrood scripts http://ift.tt/28LwUSO

Derived from and license CC BY-SA 4 Scott Draves and the Electric Sheep generation 242, http://ift.tt/QOTUdU

A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://ift.tt/28Lx6RI

Fractal flame abstract animation. Rendered with autobrood scripts http://ift.tt/28LwUSO A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://ift.tt/28Lx6RI ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://ift.tt/2auGGHw

Richard Alexander Hall, derived from and license CC BY-SA 4 Scott Draves and the Electric Sheep generation 242, http://ift.tt/QOTUdU

Animation created and rendered by Richard Alexander Hall, with genomes from project in copyright.
By yours truly. Uploaded at: http://youtu.be/UY-mx0mrGPA

See http://s.earthbound.io/4h for original, print and usage. ~ Software used: 3DS Max (to render Work 00059 perpendicular to the normal of 3D noise terrain), Dynamic Auto-Painter Klimt3 preset, Photoshop, FilterForge. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib

See http://s.earthbound.io/4i for original, print and usage. ~ Software used: 3DS Max (to render Work 00059 perpendicular to the normal of 3D noise terrain), Dynamic Auto-Painter Klimt3 preset, Photoshop, FilterForge. This variant was hue-shifted and further worked up from the base work. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib

See http://s.earthbound.io/4j for original, print and usage. ~ Software used: 3DS Max (to render Work 00059 perpendicular to the normal of 3D noise terrain), Dynamic Auto-Painter Klimt3 preset, Photoshop, FilterForge. This variant is a black and white workup of the base work. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib

Created by mapping art to the Z axis of a 3D noise map (terrain heightmap), viewed top down, then working up the result in Dynamic AutoPainter Klimt preset, then hue shifting in Lab colorspace in photoshop, and maybe other tricks (my notes say FilterForge?). Former title: 00061 abstraction, and maybe other things. I gave up on numbering works–keeping it straight in my many source files is a technical feat beyond me.

I release the following script into the Public Domain. I'd be happy to see anyone produce it. Here it is in .pdf format.

[fountain]
INT. SCIENCE POWER POWERFUL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL ROOM–DAY

This large, mostly silver and gray mission control center has brightly, multicolored cyberpunk flair on so many gee-wow panels, dials, touch-screen button grids, keyboards and various controls, and large TV displays. The TVs all display space tactical warfare, aerospace or space simulation video game sessions, etc. in progress. Large windows overlook beautiful, well-kept lawns and gardens.

On both sides of a long conference table are TWELVE OFFICIALS, all 45, all male and white, all of them blonde, tweedy and twitchy, all biologically identical. At the head of the table sits OARACK BOBAMA, 53, black, with a dignified if a bit ostentatious demeanor, HON JOLDREN, 71 yet rather youthful for his age, male, white, plucky, optimistic and fairly tweedy, and BARLES CHOLDEN, 68, black, male, bright-eyed and affable. He has a pen in hand and a notepad, which he hastily scribbles notes and doodles on, almost nonstop.

All of them are dressed in dark suits, dress shirts and ties.

BOBAMA is deeply immersed in a space combat simulation on an electronic tablet.

Officials one through twelve simultaneously and gently clear their throats, in a slow, perfectly synchronized rhythmic stutter. Cholden looks at them with unease.

BOBAMA
What? Oh, my apologies gentleman. Ever played this?

The Officials all reply in exactly the same tone, in exactly the same way, with perfect synchronization.

OFFICIALS
We created it.

Cholden becomes a bit panicked, and breaths in sharp, shallow breaths.

BOBAMA
Oh yes, I forget. I didn't create it.

CHOLDEN
Welcome all to the twenty-eighth–

OFFICIALS
Twenty-ninth.

CHOLDEN
Forgive me, but it creeps me out a little bit when you all do that. Do you all really think exactly the same things at the same time?

Bobama resumes his immersion in the video game.

OFFICIAL ONE
No. My apologies. Uh, our apologies.

CHOLDEN
Thank you for the correction, though. Welcome to the twenty-eighth assembly of the SCIENCE POWER POWERFUL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL. I will take notes for the proceedings for all of us assembled–

He gestures to each person/group he mentions.

CHOLDEN
Mr. President–

BOBAMA
His Guy–

CHOLDEN
(snaps)
Whatever!

He ignores Bobama's stare of scornful indignation. The Officials all smile the exact same pleased smile, and in perfect synchronization, they all lean back and fold their hands behind their heads. Joldren stifles a laugh. Cholden gestures to each attendee as he mentions them.

CHOLDEN
Hohn Joldren, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, myself, Barles Choldren, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and our twelve, uh, trusted Officials. I turn the time over to Mr. President.

Bobama speaks with a slightly menacing tone, slow and insistent.

BOBAMA
His Guy the Super Chief Science Guy.

Cholden rolls his eyes and sighs with weariness. Bobama levels him a mildly punishing stare. Cholden takes a deep breath, resigned.

CHOLDEN
I turn the time over to His Guy the Super Chief Science Guy.

Cholden shows indignant surprise to see that Bobama has apparently not heard him, as Bobama is again immersed in a video game on the tablet. After a long silence punctuated only by sounds from the video game he plays, Bobama is startled by the realization that everyone looks at him expectantly. Bobama assumes a light, chipper tone.

BOBAMA
Right. Uh, sorry. Awesome game, that.

Official Two extends a hand toward the tablet, which zips through the air from Bobama's hands into the Official's hand and vanishes up the Official's sleeve.

BOBAMA
Hey!

OFFICIAL THREE
Your game is saved. Please, Your Guy His Super Chief Science Guy, our business at hand.

BOBAMA
Ah, yes.

There is a long silence.

BOBAMA
And, uh, what was–

Joldren chuckles, while Cholden cuts off the President:

CHOLDEN
The uh, space thingie. Uh, sorry, the–

OFFICIAL FOUR
The New Horizons unmanned craft.

BOBAMA
What?

OFFICIAL FIVE
Our New Horizons space probe has reached Pluto, and we saw those awesome close-up images of Pluto which were beamed back to Earth.

Official Six flicks his hand, and an image of Pluto with the brighter "heart" feature appears on all the monitors.

There's a long pause as Bobama looks at the images. He looks to Cholden expectantly.

CHOLDEN
The most distant planet–

OFFICIAL SEVEN
Dwarf Planet.

CHOLDEN
Uh, yes. Mr. President–

BOBAMA
HIS GUY THE–

CHOLDREN
WHATEVER! Mr. President, that is the newest and highest resolution available image of Pluto, beamed back from–

Bobama is overcome with raptured awe, and speaks like a child.

BOBAMA
Yes, the space thingie.

Bobama stares at the image for a long time, and puzzlement grows on his face.

BOBAMA
But it doesn't even look anything like Mars. Well, sorta.

All the others glance at each other, bewildered.

BOBAMA
Does this make America great?

JOLDREN
Uh, yes, I suppose so, Mr. President.

Bobama is taken by a sudden teenage-like enthusiasm.

BOBAMA
AWESOME!

Everyone looks at each other through a long moment of awkward silence.

BOBAMA
So how do we make sure that the whole world knows that this means we are awesome?

JOLDREN
Well, Mr. President, we could, uh, write some stuff. And publish it somewhere.

Bobama stares at him with expectant enthusiasm.

BOBAMA
Where?

JOLDREN
Uh, maybe a newspaper.

BOBAMA
A newspaper that's also a web site, so that it's interactively awesome?

JOLDREN
Uh, yes, Mr. President.

BOBAMA
AWESOME!

Joldren hides his face and chuckles. Cholden and the Officals look at each other, bewildered.

BOBAMA
Well, what will we say?

JOLDREN
That we have now visited all of the planets and dwarf planets in our solar system, and–

The Officals all gently clear their throats, and Joldren breaks off.

OFFICIALS
Actually–

They all break off as Cholden emits a terrified squeal.

BOBAMA
Okay, so who is going to write it?

OFFICIALS
Certainly not–

Cholden emits another terrified squeal, covers his ears, stands up, and walks toward an exit.

OFFICIAL EIGHT
Stop it, all of you! I think what they were going to say, Mr. President–

Bobama levels a stare of scorn at him–

OFFICIAL NINE
Begging your pardon, Your Guy His Super Chief Science Guy–no please stay, Mr. Cholden–

Cholden walks through an exit and slams the door behind him.

OFFICIAL TEN
What we all mean to say is that we are certainly not going to write this. We will leave that to Joldren and Cholden. And we were also going to correct you–we have not yet sent spacecraft to all dwarf planets in the solor system…

He trails off, as he notices that Bobama has another computer tablet in hand, and plays "Flappy Bird" on it. Moreover, Joldren plays a game on a tablet of his own. An explosion sound effect comes from both tablets, and Bobama and Joldren both exclaim "Ohh!" in disappointment.

The twelve officials look at each other in dismay.

OFFICIAL ELEVEN
Please, Your Guy His Super–

JOLDREN
What? Oh.

He watches his tablet. He and Bobama both shout "Yes!"

The Officials wait.

JOLDREN
Oh, uh…forget it. Meeting adjourned.

OFFICIAL TWELVE
Quite.

THE END
[/fountain]

Why this? Because Prominent U.S. science leadership (here parodied mercilessly) breathlessly wrote, in a major newspaper, that we ". . . have visited every planet and dwarf planet in our solar system . . ." which statement errs on facts. At this writing, we have sent no spacecraft to Haumea, Makemake, and Eris (all of which are dwarf planets, and the latter substantially larger than, and about three times as distant, as Pluto), and there are at least several other Trans-Neptunian/Kuiper belt objects whose status as Dwarf Planets is proposed/debated. It would be even more extremely incredible to send a probe and get images of Eris than it was to accomplish that for Pluto.

Incorporates a photograph in the Public Domain at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54563451@N08/7164054781 --I in turn release this work into the Public Domain. A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://s.earthbound.io/u
Work 00410 from USGS bee survey Pseudospinolia neglecta and 2015-04-27 10 22 34-milkdrop2 png Filter Forge library 12078-1 preset 1
A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://s.earthbound.io/t
Variant 1 Background of Pseudospinolia-neglecta work 00409 from 2015-04-27 10 22 34-milkdrop2 png Filter Forge library 12078-1 preset 1
A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://s.earthbound.io/r
Variant 2 from Background of Pseudospinolia-neglecta work 00409 from 2015-04-27 10 22 34-milkdrop2 png Filter Forge library 12078-1 preset 1
A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://s.earthbound.io/s
variant 3 from Background of Pseudospinolia-neglecta work 00409 from 2015-04-27 10 22 34-milkdrop2 png Filter Forge library 12078-1 preset 1

This work with a photograph of a wasp incorporates a photograph in the Public Domain at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54563451@N08/7164054781 –I in turn release this work into the Public Domain.

Click the medium-sized images to open huge resolution originals. Software used: winamp milkdrop music visualization, filter forge, photoshop. Filter Forge filter used: Pen on Watercolor

A hoity-toity robot talks about these art works at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib

These were completed long ago, so this is a back-post.

See http://s.earthbound.io/26 for archive, original, print and usage options. ~ Software used: Solidworks, 3ds Max, Filter Forge, Photoshop. The horizontal and vertical painterly streaks and stripes are a side effect of the Sketchy Painting Filter Forge filter extending the effect from where an opaque area borders a transparent (alpha) area in an image. I deliberately used that side effect here. It may only work with a previous version of Filter Forge and/or the mentioned filter :/ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib
Forest Spirit I (Work 00034)
See http://s.earthbound.io/27 for archive, original, print and usage options. ~ Software used: Solidworks, 3ds Max, Filter Forge, Photoshop. The horizontal and vertical painterly streaks and stripes are a side effect of the Sketchy Painting Filter Forge filter extending the effect from where an opaque area borders a transparent (alpha) area in an image. I deliberately used that side effect here. It may only work with a previous version of Filter Forge and/or the mentioned filter :/ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib
Forest Spirit II (work 00035)
See http://s.earthbound.io/28 for archive, original, print and usage options. ~ Software used: Solidworks, 3ds Max, Filter Forge, Photoshop. The horizontal and vertical painterly streaks and stripes are a side effect of the Sketchy Painting Filter Forge filter extending the effect from where an opaque area borders a transparent (alpha) area in an image. I deliberately used that side effect here. It may only work with a previous version of Filter Forge and/or the mentioned filter :/ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib
Forest Spirit III (work 00036)

The first thumbnail here links to a 9000px wide image. The other two link to 2400px wide images.

Software used: Solidworks, 3ds Max, Filter Forge, Photoshop. The horizontal and vertical painterly streaks and stripes are a side effect of the Sketchy Painting Filter Forge filter extending the effect from where an opaque area borders a transparent (alpha) area in an image. I deliberately used that side effect here. It may only work with a previous version of Filter Forge and/or the mentioned filter :/ A hoity-toity robot talks about these at:

http://s.earthbound.io/artgib

Pending: A variant composite of all three of these.

If you want a print, leave a comment and I'll make one available.

I wholly created all of the following images, and I release them into the Public Domain.

This first was a test of custom brushes for Krita.

See http://s.earthbound.io/4d for original, print and usage. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib
Work 00059 abstraction Krita splatter test

The second shown here, which explores how different kinds of color blindness may be in the perception of those who suffer that, evolved from an attempt to make all of the hues appear as the same shade of gray when desaturated (wondering just how much saturation and desaturation can hide and reveal), which led to wondering about color blindness.

See http://s.earthbound.io/4f for original, print and usage. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib
Work 00059 abstraction variant color blindness chart experiment

I also used it in a flat-mapped texture across a 3D noise terrain in 3ds Max, of which the following are examples.

I've made hundreds of these, and not yet posted them. [Edit 2015-06-28 naming them, and all of my art, is a computer science project. I've written the naming scripts, and I may soon upload so much art.] I think this could be a procedurally painted cave wall, an alien terrain height map generator, or whatever. You can shift the hues in them all by an equal amount and get wildly different color results. Desaturate them, and you have a relatively uniform black/white/gray mountain height/whatever map that you can use e.g. as random opacity maps in abstract art. You can mix them up in abstract art, smear the colors around, and get freaky cool stuff.

See http://s.earthbound.io/2r for original, print and usage. ~ Created via: SolidWorks, 3dsMax, Corel Painter X, Photoshop. Full details of production at that link. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib

[I don't know. I'm still reworking this piece. Something that makes a varied/interesting hybrid of the old and new version may be preferable. 01/18/2017 09:18:15 PM]

See http://s.earthbound.io/2r for original, print and usage. ~ Created via: SolidWorks, 3dsMax, Corel Painter X, Photoshop. Full details of production at that link. ~ A hoity-toity robot talks about this at http://s.earthbound.io/artgib
Abstract mechanical colorful mess (Work 00019).

Image links to larger image, free for personal use. This work was previously titled Abstraction [twenty-two.] The brackets and spelled instead of numeric why? It's technical.

Software used: SolidWorks, 3ds Max, Photoshop, Painter, pixeur, irfanview, LibreOffice calc. How this was produced:

  • Targeted a desired print size @ 300dpi using my target resolution calculator spreadsheet
  • Made a few abstract shapes in SolidWorks
  • Imported them into 3ds Max (you have to use the 32-bit version of at least max 2013 with the import file open in SolidWorks to do this)
  • Collapsed them to editable polys, and with SoulBurn scripts, painted them over a terrain with random scale and orientation, and applied random material IDs between 1-100
  • Applyied a custom multi-sub material with a hundred different fractal flame/winamp milkdrop textures that apply by randomized material id (embedded yet further in a composite material with an alpha/edge blend mask)
  • Rendered a gray under-painting and several layers of randomized material color over-paintings
  • Mucked around with those in so many different layers with color cloning palette knives and oil paint in Painter, and auto-cloning, erasing, blending in various layer modes, etc.
  • Mucked around with all those so many times in Photoshop
  • Mucked around with those in turn so many times in Painter

I wasn't pleased to revisit this work, and reworked it. The previous version:

I like the colors, texture, smears and general forms of this original better than my revised version, but I prefer clarity of form (even for something semi-abstract) over that. The original was so indistinctly formed as to be a pretty blur, which would better be incorporated as part of some other work.

I think I'd like even better something that harmonizes or interestingly combines the two. I may yet make a third revision.

See http://s.earthbound.io/2p for original, print and usage.

You, Janus Thaddeus, appear to be the only human gifted with the ability to merge into an alternate time-stream.

Here is the book cover art (front half, with titles) for my short Science Fiction story ebook, "TREACHERY."

See http://s.earthbound.io/4z for original, print and usage. ~ SLUG: You, Janus Thaddeus, appear to be the only human gifted with the ability to merge into an alternate time-stream. ~ SCENE DESCRIPTION: Through the red and violet of a nebula, three suns shine faint white, white and blue, and behind them is a larger, circular, lightless void. Stars are scattered through the nebula like very large jewels along a galactic shore. Tangled in the cloud of the nebula in front of the suns hangs planet Hebe, her great green and brown rings, clouds, continents, and vast blue oceans drenched in the scattered, colored light of the nebula. Borealis slowly dance all over her. ~ PUBLISH/JACKET INFORMATION: Title: TREACHERY, Author: Richard Alexander Hall, Publishers: Smashwords, Inc. / Amazon, Smashwords-assigned ISBN: 9781310539671, VERY SHORT DESCRIPTION OF STORY: Janus Thaddeus, Squadron leader in humanity's final battle of survival, is offered a chance by his enemies to save his race, by way of his unique gift. SHORT CONTENTS DESCRIPTION: An original science fiction short story with a new and unique take on time travel. VERY SHORT BARELY SPOILER-EY SUMMARIES: TREACHERY: Janus learns from his enemies how he may save humanity with his unique gift. Features a unique take on time travel. SHORT SORTA MORE SPOILER-EY SUMMARIES: In TREACHERY, Janus Thaddeus, Squadron leader in humanity's final battle of survival, falls planetside when his fleet is wiped out by orbiting atomic blasts. He is rescued by the intelligent Salamander aliens who wiped out his fleet. Salamander Commander Xenon advises him: '...you appear to be the only human gifted with the ability to merge into an alternate timestream.' Salamander Assistant Commander Idan claims that Janus' human family remains alive, despite everything Janus' eyes told him. Janus is offered by these, his enemies, a chance to save his race, by way of his unique gift.
TREACHERY short story cover (with titles, front half)

It is available at smashwords, syndicated several places from there, and at Amazon.]

 

 

A version of this with the back cover also and without titles is published in a previous post; here is the link.

 

PUBLISH/JACKET INFORMATION:
===============
Title: TREACHERY
Author: Richard Alexander Hall
Publishers: Smashwords, Inc. / Amazon
Smashwords-assigned ISBN: 9781310539671

 

VERY SHORT DESCRIPTION
Janus Thaddeus, Squadron leader in humanity's final battle of survival, is offered a chance by his enemies to save his race, by way of his unique gift.

SHORT CONTENTS DESCRIPTION
An original science fiction short story with a new and unique take on time travel.

VERY SHORT BARELY SPOILER-EY SUMMARIES
TREACHERY: Janus learns from his enemies how he may save humanity with his unique gift. Features a unique take on time travel.

SHORT SORTA MORE SPOILER-EY SUMMARIES
In TREACHERY, Janus Thaddeus, Squadron leader in humanity's final battle of survival, falls planetside when his fleet is wiped out by orbiting atomic blasts. He is rescued by the intelligent Salamander aliens who wiped out his fleet. Salamander Commander Xenon advises him: "…you appear to be the only human gifted with the ability to merge into an alternate timestream." Salamander Assistant Commander Idan claims that Janus' human family remains alive, despite everything Janus' eyes told him. Janus is offered by these, his enemies, a chance to save his race, by way of his unique gift.

See http://s.earthbound.io/2p for original, print and usage.
TREACHERY short story cover
See http://s.earthbound.io/2p for original, print and usage.
TREACHERY short story cover

The image linked from this thumbnail is free for personal use.

I'm very pleased with this. It incorporates maps created with the LunarCell, SolarCell, and Glitterati photoshop plugins (the latter in a "starbrite" mode to save the alpha channel of stars, kindly custom coded by the plugin author at my request!–and I think he hasn't yet released a public version with that mode), and other adapted work I've done with a ringed planet, and a 3D render of the planet derived from said textures/maps.

The cyan "shadows" on the rings were an accident–I lit the planet with red (the nebula) from one side and white from the other, and through the translucent green rings, it seems that white light canceled out red and left the rest cyan. No, that may not happen with real physics (or "real life"), so it may not be realistic. This is, um, stylized? And it's, um, a story involving antrhopomorphic extraterrestrial frogs? Yep. K thx. And yes, men, you're going to have a pink and purple book. Get over it.

I'd like to make the borealis more obvious/prominent/realistic, and strictly the planet doesn't have the moons mentioned in the story. Maybe I'll get around to updating it thus.