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:

Seeing Tomorrow.egg on Aviary.

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 August 13th - 19th

  August 13th - 19th, 2011by Cobra405/Mizagorn/Redstar/Mpeutz

Editor's note: This is a special edition of the Birdbath. We Aviators decided to make this one a tribute to all the wonderful female artists and musicians within our flock. You'll find that equal opportunity and talent indeed apply.

Girls rule!!

A great example of Roc and Myna integration! Drummergirl777 created four original Roc beats of her own, then used Myna to upload a few external sources and add sweet reverb and sweep effects to give kick and punch to a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Synth and percussion make this a perfect match for her name. If you listen closely, you can hear the "Roc... Roc.." in the mix. How cool is that?!

Roc, Roc....egg on Aviary.

Need some exquisite vocals to go with the new mix you're working on? Have you heard what Roxy (mwah ha ha ha ha!) can do? Some of the best Myna creations we've heard at Aviary are based on these simple, yet beautiful, soul-stirring and sometimes quite spine-tingling "ah's" and "mmm's". Check it out, or wish you weren't so far back in line.

Calling on Aviary.

There is a cool Aviary contest going on at Worth1000,one everyone will enjoy. It is All apps black and white. Check it our and join in the fun.

Sometimes, in the great walk of life, we run across a truly profound figure. One who is eclectic and astonishingly, refreshingly different. Someone you can learn a lot from, as well as laugh with. A true artiste, experienced in an amazing variety of art forms.

Entre nous, et tous les autres - bassp is a veritable fountain of cultural experience. Her art "studies" at Aviary are worth more fave adds than the common folks' finest creations. She has a professed and perfectly practiced proficiency in Peacock - Nobody can say "hubs" and interact with them quite as well. And wow! - you won't know whether to stand, sit, or fall out when you browse her gallery. Can she create a beat? Well... duh! Any Girl Scout will tell you - be prepared!

HandClapSnap 2 4 bpm.egg on Aviary.

Having a lot of challenges has both advantages and disadvantages. We love the variety but sometimes, some are overlooked. Such is the case of Yellowstar24's great challenge named The wrong habitat. Funny and original, we challenge you to join us in making this another Aviary favorite.

As the end of summer hurtles toward those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we begin to see some friends dropping off as the new school year approaches. Whether teaching or learning, we wish everyone a prosperous school year ahead. In that spirit, let us also remember to welcome our new members and remember to point them here so we can all say hello as they introduce themselves.

We can't let the guys go without any representation this week. When Alpha13Wolf posed his amazing Clearing skies I thought it was amazing but when I opened it in Peacock, I was inspired to learn this technique. Little did I know that you can make much more than clouds. Alpha13Wolf has written a wonderful Tutorial that shows us every thing we need to create clouds, smoke, nebulas, trees and anything else you can imagine. Many thanks to you Alpha13Wolf!

 

Tip - Layer Merge Trick

Select the layers you want to resize and merge them. Then, with the merged layer selected, go to Select > Select all. Next use the Edit > Copy function to copy this layer to the clipboard. Now here comes the clever bit :) Hit undo twice. This will recover all of your layers as they were before you started! Finally, just use Edit>Paste and hey presto, you now have a new layer with the merged layers you copied. You can resize all you like, and you also still have all of your original layers!

Tip Repository

Blackbox Collection: Box 1

This week's Blackbox will warp your images into the shape of a box. Well, technically it's more of a package, which makes this a perfect way to visualize how your design will look on a package! You can use it with a texture to get an idea of how it could look applied to a 3D object... or you could just have fun inventing a new breakfast cereal box! Experiment and have fun.  As always, feel free to post your awesome creations in the forums.

Just search for "Box 1" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and start making awesome creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!

Tip Tuesday: 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]

Blackbox Collection: Blue Print

This week's Blackbox will give your images a blueprint type of effect. You image will be converted to a textured hatch fill with defined edges. It's great for giving your images a technical look. Also, like many other Blackboxes, you can adjust it to give you lots of different looks. The only limit is your creativity!

Just search for "Blue print" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and start making awesome creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!

Blackbox Collection: Color Blind Filter

This week's Blackbox is not designed to add an effect, border, or odd distortion (although you can certainly use it as an effect if you want to!). Instead, it's meant to be used as a tool to show your images as someone with color blindness would see them. This simple filter will convert the colors in any image to show the four major types of color blindness (Trianopia, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, & Monochromacy). It's a great way to test how your image, web page, or graphics will look for these viewers - and especially helpful if you want to make your creation or website 100% user friendly.

Just search for "color blindness" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and you'll have a secret weapon for knowing how everyone will see your creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!

Blackbox Collection: Velvia

This week's blackbox is based off of Fujifilm's Velvia camera film. It produces a subtle boost in color saturation, contrast, and sharpness. It's a great "enhancer" for pictures taken with lower quality mobile phone cameras. Use this blackbox to give your photos a lovely, subtle pick me up.

Just search for "velvia" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and start making awesome creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!

Blackbox Collection: Retro Magazine

This week's blackbox will produce a grungy, over contrasted effect for your image. It is reminiscent of the super saturated, low image quality that was prevalent in older magazines. It can also be used as a faux HDR effect. There are no adjustment controls to this blackbox so you will need to make any adjustments before or after applying the effect.

Just search for "magazine" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and start making awesome creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!

Blackbox Collection: Drops

This week's fun Blackbox will overlay your image with drops. These drops can be tinted any color and their size and density can be adjusted. You can make this effect simulate condensation, water droplets, underwater bubbles and more.

Just search for "drops" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and start making awesome creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!

Blackbox collection: Vintage color

This week's Blackbox is another vintage color filter. This version has a strong tinting effect with darkening and a blurring vignette. Have fun aging your photos with this filter!

Just search for "vintage" in the Blackbox browser (Go to File -> Import Blackbox) and start making awesome creations!

If you're not sure what to do, check out this beginner tutorial on how to use Blackboxes!!