To Infinity!

I’ve had several people ask me how I made the sliding effect on my portfolio. It’s done using a Javascript library called jQuery, a framework that generally has made life web development a whole lot easier. It’s a lot easier to learn than Javascript is, and also lets you get away with much fewer lines of code than you otherwise would.

Thorough documentation for jQuery can be found at the website, jquery.com. However, I’m going to be covering some of the basics here. :) You should have an elementary understanding of HTML and CSS, though, and possibly also of general programming language structure. If not, you’re probably going to be really confused. Read the rest of this entry »

10 comments Tags: code, javascript, jquery, tutorial

Lately, I’ve become increasingly interested in designing for no particular purpose - you know, art for art’s sake. The last year and a half, I don’t think I’ve ever actually made anything that wasn’t a) a school project, b) a work project, c) something else that had some kind of use, whether being a portfolio for myself or posters promoting our student’s revue.

I’m thinking I should probably do something about that - if I want any hope of coming into my universities of choice, my portfolio should probably contain some creative pieces, right? The only issue here though, is getting the inspiration and ideas! However, that’s what I have this fancy little list for - 5 quick tips for finding design inspiration. ;)

• Listen to your favorite music, and try to visualize the song.
• Take a scene or quote from a movie, and describe it with graphics.
• Ask a good friend for good ideas.
• Think of a clear message you’d like to broadcast - how can you illustrate it?
• And last, but not least - find inspiration in other people’s work.

Since this was all going on during Math, #3 really was the easiest option. Asking a friend returned the prompt “the Americanized global society” - which quickly resulted in ideas for several concepts. End result? It’s over here, at DeviantArt. I’m really pleased with it, to be honest.

10 comments Tags: design, personal, portfolio

There are a couple of techniques in Photoshop that I use regularly, to achieve certain effects. For now, I’m walking you through smooth grain texture, sharper brush tool and simple grunge effect. All tips require basic Photoshop knowledge. Read the rest of this entry »

0 comments Tags: photoshop, tutorial

This is fascinating. It appears that Wordpress has changed tremendously since I last used it, what, 3-4 years ago? Time flies. People change. Software bloats. Software actually bloats to the degree that it makes me want to write my own CMS instead, but I seriously don’t have the time.

This is also temporary. I’m just playing with blogging because I kind of feel like designing a blog. But in the meantime, here’s a little about me:

I’m Christine. I’m 17. I’ve been developing websites for 7 years now, but my main interests are in designing, not programming. That’s why I’ve never ventured beyond PHP and MySQL. I want to have a career in either advertising or graphic/web design when I grow up.

People fascinates me. If I didn’t already have my occupation planned, I’d want to be a psychiatrist, or a profiler.

I have a lot of different  dreams that all overlap, clashes. I hope we have several lives, so that I eventually can try them all. Because I’d also like to be a FBI agent, a surgeon, a drug addict, a model, a millionaire.

I’m a huge geek, but I don’t define myself by it.You wouldn’t be able to tell that I’m anything but “normal” if you walked past me on the street. Perhaps not even if you’d known me for a month, because few people in real life know the true capabilities of my nerdiness.

I read both Digg, and ONTD. I both overuse abbreviations, and obsess about grammar. I’m an Apple fangirl with a Windows machine. I care as much about Britney’s latest hookup as I do the iPhone’s latest firmware.

IDK why I’m even writing this. I know I give fuck-all about other people’s introductions. I’m not particularly unique either. Just like everyone else. ;)

1 comment Tags: personal