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What creative projects have you been working on?
This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.
Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.
If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.
Well I've got a few creative/technical projects I'm in the midst of in various capacities. I'm REALLY trying to get some dopamine hits from creative/tech projects again, it's been a while.
I've been having issues with executive function, and just recently got on Adderall so hoping to dive into some projects I've had on the back burner for a while.
First thing's first, I'm currently trying to crack a Xiaomi Qin F21 Pro phone to work with US Bands so I can use it as my main "dumb" phone. I cracked it a few years ago before there was guides to get it working with US Bands, so I'm trying to figure out what I did to it back then and if I can even get the new Bands to work.
The F21 Pro is so damned tiny and thin, that if I can get it to work reliably with T-Mobile, I thought it'd be a neat project to design a Star Trek SNW/TOS Communicator phone case for it with the gold flip top, and install an animated "moire disc" wallpaper on the phone. So basically imagine this, but with this(the phone on the left) inside instead of the typical Communicator guts, except if I can get an animated moire disc wallpaper on it. Then I can change my ringtone to the communicator noise and add a bunch of Star Trek sounds to texts and alarms and stuff.
Then I'm currently researching and creating a shopping list to 3D print a working voice activated Lawgiver from 2012's Dredd.
I'm also prepping files and supplies to print a Cyberpunk 2077 Relic USB disk as I have recently found the need for a traveling troubleshooting/linux toolkit/IT swiss army knife/bootable workstation disk. In addition to some IT tasks I have at work, I also have a few development projects and portable tools I run on my beefy work computer, but I want to take them to and from work. I figured what better way than a Relic Chip?
And looking into 3D Printing this Replicator model from Stargate because why not?
Outside of 3D Printing, an ongoing side project I have is designing quirky/novelty shooting range target posters. Recently decided to purchase a firearm due to the state of the world, I'd rather have one and not need it than need it and not have it, and have been diving into the logistics and everything that goes into firearm ownership, training and purchasing. Realized there was, at least to my knowledge, a huge void of novelty shooting range targets outside of just typical zombies. My nerdiness can't accept that.
Already have one for Terminator including a custom scoring system that gamifies shooting by needing a certain amount of points per weak spot to disable the Terminator. The rest of the ideas aren't as in depth, but I have like Facehugger silhouettes, Xenomorphs, Predators(however I kind of want to do a heat vision one, I'm still brainstorming something unique), and I have a set of Cryptid silhouettes, and some Last of Us infected ones. Hoping to find a place to print them, or justify the $400+ to replace the print head on a HP DesignJet T520 I have collecting dust at home. Eventually looking to sell novelty packs to local shooters.
Status on the Cyberpunk Relic USB disk, it printed out PERFECT.
Now just to print out the red parts and start painting. It'll be my first time printing with translucent resin.
I've put down vocals on 2 demo tracks for a death metal project. Guitar and bass is done, drums are midi for now. Idea is for us to get to a 3 or 4 track demo, woo a drummer to join us, then gig locally, then become rock gods.
You know how it goes tho.
Been messing around with creating digital graphics, continuing work on making music, tried my hand at making and editing a video of myself brewing coffee, tried some simple illustrations.
Just kinda trying all sorts of things, from things I have no experience with, to things I have done as a hobby for years, to things i did years ago and never picked back up
It's been fun to pursue a variety of creative work again and see what sticks
What software do you use for your visual work? I recently moved to Linux and carried over the only two pieces of software that are compatible - Krita and OpenToonz/Tahoma2D. I’m curious to see what other software people use on Linux. Also, is there any work you are willing to share?
Here's what I use, different apps depending on purpose (pixel, standard, video, etc)
Linux/web:
Mac:
Some examples of recent stuff:
Pixel Art
Digital collage work
Illustration/Doodle
I really like the collage! Why would you use Gnu IMP instead of Krita? Krita & Photoshop served me well for any visual work, so I never felt the need to try it out as an alternative.
Thanks! Honestly, mostly just familiarity with some of the existing tools inside of it. I haven't explored Krita enough to know if it contains all of the filters/adjustments that G-IMP has and always thought it was more illustration-focused (that could be a flawed perception though)
It's always been my Linux "photoshop alternative" and I just haven't gotten out of that box yet. The Affinity apps are my favorite PS/Illustrator alt but they're on my Mac which is mostly used for music stuff and so I don't always want to switch machines from my linux daily driver PC.
I should dive deeper into Krita.
Krita has a plugin called G’MIC Qt, you can find it under the Filters menu. That’s an interesting place to look at. Otherwise, it contains most of the longstanding tools you would normally find in Photoshop (perhaps with different names) and also others that are exclusive to Krita.
I'll have to find the exact GitHub pages that I used so I can vouch for the processes, but I was able to install and use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
They are slightly older versions, so 2021/2022, but I learned the software without the AI/automated bells and whistles, so I can manage without the latest features. Works great, outside of a warning message that Illustrator gets when you open it that you can just ignore.
Finally getting back into gamedev after about a year away. To brush up on coding, I'm working on a youtube tutorial for how to make a small gardening game using Godot. Learning something well enough to explain it to others is a very effective learning technique for me :)
Currently working on some cyano prints for school. It has to be sadly a very rushed project since I am currently not winning at this whole life stuff.
The process is very satisfying and am currently struggling with even applying the solution to the paper. After that the paper needs to dry in an environment without UV light.
Then after that I print on foil paper my negative and put it on my paper that I applied my solution. Depending on the density of the foil it usually takes 5-7 mins in the UV light box.
After these 5 minutes are over you need to deactivate or fix the image on the paper. Due to simplicity reasons I've just been using water. You submerge the whole paper and "swish" it around and then you let the paper dry.
Yay