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challenges

The Weekly Birdbath for August 20th - 26th

August 20th - 26th, 2011

by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

So complex, yet very easy to listen to, we would like to play AlenVan's Seeing tomorrow for you:

Beanepatch

One thing we really like about Aviary is watching artists grow. One such artist, Beanepatch is one we enjoy keeping an eye on. You never know what he will come up with. His sense of humor is contagious, his love to create unwavering and his enthusiasm touches everyone. Always up for any challenge and a really nice human beane (someone has been hanging around mizagorn for too long) we want to draw attention to Beanepatch this week because he has over 1100+ creations and each one is as unique as he is. Stop by his gallery, its a blast of color and imagination. Glad you're here BP! Some of our favorites:

Try this really cool challenge presented by Bheid that can be as complex or as simple as you like. Here is a taste to whet your creative appetite:

We are trying a new system with the Aviary mentoring program, hopefully this will speed things up a bit for anyone asking for a mentor. So if you need some help with any of Aviary's apps then head on over and bag yourself a mentor

There is a brilliant new web comic being created on Aviary by TheDoctor7777 and two (as yet mysteriously unnamed) co-creators, by the name of Young Mr. Arthur Gashlycrumb. It's about a lonely boy who is being raised by his Auntie in her spooky old mansion. It's dark, it's funny, the drawings are amazing and there is something scary in the garden. You don't want to miss this so be sure to tune in.

There is an awesome new tutorial from Alpha13wolf on how to make clouds with Peacock. This is an adaptation of the steps he posted in the forums. Definitively check it out and post your cloud creations in the forums.

Tip - Creating and Moving text

[youtube width="550" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSTmnp4_png[/youtube]

The Weekly Birdbath for July 30th - August 5th

 

July 30th - August 5th, 2011

by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

UH! clap, clap. uh huh. psheeeer! Rims and kicks, FX, shakers and blips. Here's a fascinating master mix that's house, beat box, or hip hop - take your pick. Our phenom man tashuan16 humbly presents an enjoyable groove that stirs your dance emotion. Take a listen, and be prepared to wish you, too, are on this island getaway.

TheDoctor7777

Do you like quirky, out of left field, why didn't I think of that art? Well so do we and that is why TheDoctor7777 is in the spotlight this week. Steampunk, fantasy, weapons and some wild inventions will leave you shouting for more. Pop over to his gallery, the adventure is just beginning. Some of our favorites:

While I was mentoring LunaOwl and trying to help her create a seamless tile in Phoenix, I enlisted the help of our resident Peacock wizard, mpeutz. Mike created an Offset Blackbox and a video to show us all how to use it. Looks like the mentor needed mentoring. See the tut here along with LunaOwl's amazing seamless tile image.

Peacock is a great way to create almost anything your imagination can come up with. But what if you have a challenge that limits the resources you can use? Redstar came up with this amazing hubs Minimalist challenge... use only Spirolina, Drop Shadow, and Shape Draw. Enjoy these entries, be inspired, and see what YOU can come up with!

Have you ever looked at Undiscovered Creations? (Go to Discover creations -> Undiscovered Creations from the main menu.) We're trying to decide if this area is a great place to find new talent... or is it a place for inappropriate material? Is it a boon or a bane? Weigh in here with your comments!

Tip - Getting Started with Peacock

Peacock is an awesome application - and my first love on Aviary! However, it can be a bit daunting for new users to jump into. This week's video is a quick primer on how Peacock works. If you still have questions after watching the video, you should head on over to the Aviary forums and ask for some tips from our awesome community

[youtube width="550" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G94a3SQN1zA[/youtube]

The Weekly Birdbath for July 23rd - 29th

 
July 23rd - 29th
by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

At Aviary, we like to spend a lot of time showcasing new talent. If you've seen and listened to more than one Birdbath, then you know what we're talking about. That's the way we roll at Aviary.

This week, however, to inspire and motivate you, we're going to focus on and shamelessly plug the two best music artists we have. The amount of time these guys spend mixing brain-blowing good music is phenomenal. Each of them actually deserve a special spotlight, but for now, you can get a taste of delicious audio delight right here.

First off is Jdogg247, who not only is a killer music manipulator, but is also a fantastic Raven artist. Add humor and helpfulness - you've got one of Aviary's top favorites. Let's explore "Plastic" - a totally original, tripped out journey into the unreal side of thought. Multiple effects, clip reversals, and a superb use of massive amounts of Roc instruments:

Next is our freakingly, unreally talented styromus. This artist quietly creates things you wouldn't believe possible with Roc soundbanks, imported sounds, and an unconventional ability to make engaging original music that appeals to everyone. Listen and be prepared to want to be like styromus while you delve into River Rush.

Worth1000 was all so cute this week with the Raven: Kawaii 2 contest. All of the entry's were awesome but here are the top three awesomist ! is that a word, it must be look at these....

1. StillDunno 2. Yggdraassil 3. ivanildo

There is also a new Phoenix Color this 2 contest just started (scratches head, is this weeks BB tip just a coincidence) so head on over join in and maybe even win a trophy or some credits.

Bheid

There is a new kid in the flock and if you haven't met him yet (and if not, where have you been?) let me introduce you now. His username is Bheid and he has taken to Peacock like a duck to water. Not just a Peacock artist, Bheid has also created in Phoenix, Raven, Myna and Roc. Friendly, helpful and supplying some good challenges, check out his gallery to see some amazing images from someone here only 3 months. Some of our favorites:

This week's Aviator's challenge is called It's about time and you guessed it the images or songs have to have some connection to time. It was a lot of fun and it's not over yet so hop on over, there's still time Some of our favorites:

Tip - Coloring Line Art

This week's tip shows you a quick and easy way to add color to your sketches and line art. It's really useful for comics, logo art, and anything else hand-drawn you want to spruce up professionally. Enjoy!

[youtube width="550" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7e0G93sqw0[/youtube]

The Weekly Birdbath for July 16th - 22nd

 July 16th - 22nd, 2011 by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

When not busy being all over the place helping people and running a group, uni93 works on perfecting her musical skills. You gotta check out this groovin' beat based on household sounds and scales. That's not justice scales, or fish scales... it's music scales, of course!

School will be starting soon (what?!), and those of you taking band or music classes will be sure to have this question on a test: What is a vocoder? We're not sure we completely understand (think vocal synthesizer, maybe?), but mvpalmer sure knows how to put it to good use in an awesome Roc-based Myna mix, complete with sweet percussion!

Over on our sister site Worth1000, we currently have two contests open to enter:Raven: Kawaii 2 where you can show off your cute and adorable side, and then Peacock: Blackbox + photography where you can show off your photographic skills along with your Peacock skills. All contests are free to enter and the winner gets 100 Worth credits to spend on bling to give out to your fave contest entries.

Also, don't forget to exercise your right to vote! This Peacock - Maps! contest is currently open for rating now if you would like to get in some voting practice :)

And a huge congratulations to the winners of the first 2-person Team Challenge, Aviary+Worth1000. I'm sure you all had a great time working together. We are all looking forward to the next match.

Aviary has a new couple on the scene, grabbing everyone's attention and affection. They are Sadie and Shady, created by talented Raven artist Holly-. New to Aviary and quickly learning the apps, we look forward to not only the continuing story of Sadie and Shady but of many more exciting and unique creations. Help us welcome Holly- by visiting her gallery! Some of our favorites:

This week's Aviators challenge idea came from bassp, our venerable and massively talented Peacock explorer. Peacock Challenge: Displacement proved to be a great challenge with some stunning pieces of art being turned out. It really is amazing the work you can produce with just four simple Peacock hubs. Don't forget that it's never too late to join in.

Just some of your stunners:

Did you get the Aviary newsletter for this month? No? Well... why not?! What's up with that?

What's up is little things like massively uber-cool app updates (smart layers, new stuff, layered .psd integration, more new stuff, collapsible panels, and some new stuff thrown in for good measure); education, developer and extension news; and lots of new stuff as well.

A collection of important blogs for those who want to be in the know. You can sign up by going to You > Profile & Account Settings then selecting the Notification Settings tab, or you can always just enter your email address here. Be sure to check every box - you don't want to miss out on a thing!

Let's get the egg rolling on promoting a new Group Publish feature. If you think it's a good idea, offer your input!

Become part of the elite group of Aviary app alpha testers so you can offer your valuable feedback on upcoming releases!

¿Puede ayudar con tutoriales en español?

Tip - Enhancing Eyes

This week's tip will teach you how to enhance the eyes within your portraits - something  a lot of Aviary artists have asked us for help with. We have a full written tutorial on this technique that explains some additional steps to make the eyes stand out in your images, but this video should be helpful as a quick method for achieving the look you want!

[youtube width="550" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf802aCIE4o[/youtube]

The Weekly Birdbath for July 9th - 15th

July 9th - 15th, 2011
by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz
 

Back before the days of Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation... there was Atari, Vic-20's and even Colecovision. Catfishsaysmeow shows us what we automotons busted a move to when programming in Assembly Language...

Not a mashup, not a mix or edit of clips from other artists, not a top 40 hit that will pass - we believe this is ultimately one of the best truly original creations by an Aviary music artist. By now, we all know the wonderfully gifted artist known as styromus. Featuring a stunningly cohesive and intricate mix of Roc instruments and percussion edited and effected in Myna, Sunbeam is an amazingly uplifting example of the power and wealth that Roc and Myna have to offer. If you don't feel life pouring into you while listening, you might want to check your pulse...

There is a tournament going on as I type that is a first ever for Aviary and Worth1000. Six 2 artist teams, made up of one Worth1000 Photographer and one Aviary Peacock artist, are competing to create an image for the theme Love Notes. Voting is still open so make sure you go over to the Worth1000 contests to check out the great entries, and of course vote while you're there

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It has been quite a while since we featured a musician as Artist of the Week... But what if, and how about, a Roc Artist? Is there anyone that good? We thought you'd never ask.

Uber-talented beat maker AlenVan has spent the last 3 months setting beats, adjusting velocities and selecting just the right library of ambient instruments to create some true ear candy. A wide variety of thoroughly enjoyable music styles is available right here in short loops that you will listen to over and over again. We're hoping that AlenVan will post his work in the Roc Beat Rookery for everyone to be able to share and use! Don't miss out on hearing even more.

If you haven't joined in the fun of this weeks Aviator's Challenge of the Week, do not pass go, do not collect $200.00. Go directly to the Awesome Fractal and BlackBox Challenge and show us your stuff! Posted by yours truly, watch for more Generator and Black Box challenges in the future. There is so much to explore in Peacock, so dive in if you are new, and learn as you go. Some of our favorites (but really they are all fantastic so it's hard to pick):

Having problems downloading your music creations? With different browser technologies available, it might be a bit confusing. Find out how it works!

Plus, it's always best if you have the absolute latest version of the Flash Player installed! Just like any other software, having the latest usually prevents most kinds of problems and issues you might encounter.

New to the forums? Say "Hi!", meet peeps and introduce yourself here!

A new tutorial from our very own Peacock_Feather shows us how to create amazing maps using Peacock and Phoenix. In 3 parts, its a must to see and do. You will love the results:

Part 1 Creating the mapPart 2: ColoringPart 3: Old Time Map

Tip - Quick Crop

Over the next few weeks, our weekly tips will be focusing on how to do quick, simple edits of your images with Aviary's tools!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsfCxtSf6q4[/youtube]

Aviary Chrome extension Aviary Firefox extension

The weekly Birdbath for July 2nd - 8th

July 2nd - 8th, 2011 by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

Vibe to this supremely potent mix by Beamer2327. Like the best of MC's, Beamer uses Myna to mix multiple clips from no less than 7 QuantumTracks sources into a cohesive mix. It'll make you want to get out on the dance floor after quaffing a few rootbeers!

Definitely check out this Awesome Roc beat by Kajihi. She has created a mellow but still quite melodic beat using just a few notes. We sure would love to see her mix this along with other Roc creations into a full-blown Myna mix. It's gorgeous!

Another Peacock abstract contest has produced a batch of fantastic creations. Some of the most incredible creations are born form these abstract contests, where there are no limits to creating. You can join in on contests at our sister site Worth1000. Here are some winners and faves:

Most of you peeps have heard of Aviary's incredibly gifted artist called marksromano by now. He's already been featured in multiple Birdbaths, even though he's only been with us since April. A truly up and coming Phoenix wizard, your mouth will be agape from his use of colors, textures and photographic sources to create some truly stunning visual enjoyment. If you haven't before, now is the time to slowly peruse and marvel at a really wonderful gallery.

We are going to be adding a section that will highlight mentors and proteges from the Aviary mentoring program. We will periodically showcase the growth and progress from the week long mentoring session of brilliant teams.

This week's challenge is the Natural Terrain challenge set by Alpha13Wolf. In this episode, you were asked to create a natural landscape using the terrain hub within Peacock. The stunning power of the Peacock app and the skill of the artists are apparent with these brilliant terrain generated creations:

Alpha testing - just makes you want to be in the know as to what's going on. Catch up on the latest enhancements (and maybe even a little bit of birdish bug eating) to Aviary's suite of free art and music apps (hints - path filters in Raven & multiple clip selection in Myna) right here!

Groups are fun! Plus, they keep the public forums focused on just things art and music. For games and discussions outside of Aviary-related topics, there is no better way to relax, have a Facebook and Twitter kinda chat blast, exercise your god-like powers, and just get to know each other than by creating your own group. Here are some popular examples from the group FTMI (For The Musically Inclined):

Word Association Birthdays!!! Welcome to the Group

Remember the old versions of Time Magazine and Better Homes & Gardens publications? Even if you don't, ever wish you could easily make a retro looking version of your photo art? Maybe this isn't a real tutorial per se, but you gotta take a look at the latest from our now world-famous Blackbox Collection for Peacock: Retro Magazine Effect

 

Toucan Color Palettes

This week’s tip is the last in the Smart Layer series. Though it technically isn’t a real smart layer, the Toucan palette importer will allow you to have instant access to your saved Toucan colors in other applications, just like a smart layer!

[youtube width="550" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbyxRRS4db4[/youtube]

Let us know in a comment if you would like to see more video tips, and if there is something specific you would like us to cover.

The Weekly Birdbath for June 25th - July 1st

 

June 25th - July 1st, 2011 by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

 

 

 

Here is a short but very cool clip made by Luis_Aguilar. This would be a perfect intro to an Aviary music podcast or something.

An awesome mix from mvpalmer that uses the Vacoder instrument. Great chords and a mellow beat give this mix a cool vibe, and a great base to mix more over the top.

 

Universal Studios, Disneyworld, and Jimmy Buffet are not the only artistic things in Florida. Desaturation is the process of selectively removing part or all of the color in a photograph or image. So here's the tie-in: Our guy from the Sunshine State cypher15 has become quite good at using desat techniques in Phoenix to create interesting and emotional art. (And you thought desaturation was squeezing the water out of a sponge?) Cypher also uses the new Peacock Blackboxes very well, plus likes to dabble in the music apps. Be sure to stop by and visit this wonderful gallery of color and non-color. Leave some comments and say "hi" too!

 

 

As you know, we don't have an end date to our challenges and because of that, often what is old becomes new again. Thanks to Alpha13Wolf our 2 year old Surrealist Exquisite Corpse challenges are once again seeing the light of day. In this challenge, someone starts with an image and everyone who wants to play adds one additional hub. Follow the link to a whole lot fun. Thank you A13W, here is a preview of what has been created so far:

yellowstar24 is in the process of setting up a big music collaboration of Roc and Myna artists. The mission: "It will be Roc beats made by us imported and arranged in Myna." Be sure and check it out!

What a mover and a shaker! Yellowstar has also started a new Game Group. Go there and play fun games to get to know others in the forums beyond Aviary.

 

Tip - Audio Smart Layers

[youtube width="550" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtw2YJEntsk[/youtube]