Enter the RepRap - a user made, self-replicating, desktop 3D printer. The website for the printer explains the ideas, and plans for the newer versions, and I suggest you all take a good look at the future of the American Middle Class garage.
Imagine this scenario: You are looking on the Internet for new frames for your glasses, find a design you like, download the specs and print it out from your RepRap. Just pop in your lenses and you've got a new pair of glasses, professionally styled and cheaper than anything you could possibly buy.
Or how about your car; What if you could print out a new plastic part to replace the worn out dials on the radio? What if you could print out new circuit boards for your computer? What if you could start printing out new tools for your tool box, or toys for your kids?
Actually, you can do that already - there's nothing but the cost of a 3D printer to stop you. And while the commercially available 3D printers are definitely amazing at what they do, they don't offer the ability to reproduce themselves; RepRap does.
The idea of the RepRap is world altering in the same way that Napster was to music, or digital photography is to film. RepRap, being open sourced and easily built, allows the masses to cheaply take on 3D printing, and only promises to get better at it. As this technology improves and becomes more mainstream, it's easy to imagine it doing things like printing your silverware and plates, hammers and screwdrivers, and maybe even your kitchen sink. Who knows what the future holds? The only limits are the materials it can print with (which is planned to expand) and the ideas and 3d models that people share on the Internet!
There's no doubt about the fact that I love checking out Uncrate.com regularly for all the non-essential must haves I don't have the money for. Today they're touting a $1700 high powered hand held green laser pointer, and if that doesn't sound awesome and useless at the same time I don't know what does. What makes it even better this time is that Uncrate has begun showing videos of the products they feature, the first one ever being for this ridiculously cool laser.
Seeing pictures of the laser on the website just doesn't have the same effect that pointing the thing miles away and touching buildings with it does on video. I mean, did you see the video? Look up and press play for Pete's sake.
Holy Jeebus this thing is borderline evil! And yes, I want one. I have no idea why, but in times like these perhaps it's better that I procure a bad-ass laser first and then figure out what to do with it later.
It's great to know that some people are actually making it their mission to do good in their neighborhood and not just rely on others to do it. All too often we hear about the everyday Joes and Janes out there, who witness crime and tolerate it because they know getting involved is more involved than they wish to accept. Perhaps we might be edging closer to a world of more responsibility and accountability?
Any of my fellow geeks out there could probably be equally excited because of the parallels this draws with books like Watchmen. What I loved about the Watchmen premise was that it started out with ordinary people putting on masks to become superheroes. A majority of the heroes in that book are in fact, ordinary people who pushed themselves to be extraordinary, and I think that's something anyone can endorse. If something as depressing as our current economic condition has led average Joes to doing something more fulfilling than padding their stock portfolio, I say more power to them!
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"Now, we must all fear evil men. But, there is another kind of evil which we must all fear most... and that is the indifference of good men!" • Monsignor - The Boondock Saints
It's been a long time coming, but yes, I have more content to share and no, I'm not about to give up on this blog anytime soon. What I've been spending my past few weeks doing (aside from a lot of handyman work around this house) is crafting a plan of attack to put myself out there in the real illustrating world, and I figured that enBlog is just the stage for me to not only share my views and trials, but also put the spotlight on my efforts. You see, I find that when I'm trying to do anything on my own, I can easily put it aside - but when I'm working for others I take the job seriously and I take it to completion. As part of this reasoning, I've decided that I'm now working for you, my readers.
While I'll not deny that I'd love to get an income from this blog, I've consulted far too many about the prospect to have high hopes about it. Still, if I can do things like make this blog interesting enough to read and pursue a career in illustration as a result of chronicling my attempts, I think we'll have a win win situation. Well, I hope we have a win win situation! But take note, this blog, as you'll read below, is one of the few things that will come without a price tag in the near future.
To start things off I have for you a great YouTube video that shows just what kind of dark forces yours truly is up against.
When I said before that I work hard and diligently for my clients, I should say that I only do so for my paying clients... who are, thus far, difficult to find. Don't ask me why, but a lot of people out there think that art isn't something you really need to take seriously. What the video above shows so well is the inconceivable way these people approach us when it comes time to pony up the dough.
Working for Anything But Money I'm just as guilty as any other rookie when it comes to this stuff, so here you go; I'm laying out my confessions. As I write this, I can look up and to the right and see a printed email I have tacked to my desk. It was sent to an art editor in late 2005, discussing my rates for magazine illustrations.
"... I'm definitely up for hearing what you think is fair, especially since most of the value to me is building a portfolio (although money helps!)."
I actually thought I was being polite, but looking back I think I was just saying,
"Please take advantage of my eagerness to work by not paying me what I'm worth."
It's a tough thing to start out as a rookie artist, but I'm going to put it out there that it shouldn't be tough to get paid for a job; especially when the artwork is on time and up to par with the editor's expectations. So why short change yourself when you think (or maybe believe) you're worth more in the marketplace?
Favors in the form of reduced rates and speculative pay for your talent are something that any and every artist should no longer be willing to do lightly. Yes, you'll have friends asking for t-shirt/tattoo/cartoon designs and coming up to you with the latest and greatest idea for a children's book, but I'm telling you now that you need to politely decline everything that doesn't come with money attached.
"But Ian!" you cry, "How can I ignore the possibility for income when they manage to sell the shirts/children's book/comic book?"
There is such a thing as a good investment, and I'm going to say right now that the best investment out there is yourself. Take care of yourself first, and then put your hard work and effort out for prospective royalties and whatever else that might add to your bank account...but only after you've taken care of yourself.
A quick way to do this is to simply give yourself an hourly rate. I personally go with $20/hour for anything I do, and if I can't get that much for my work, then I don't do the work. This way, I know what I need is getting paid for, and it isn't just rent, groceries and student loan payments; it's also new equipment, supplies, and educational material to make sure I stay on top of the game and remain competitive. These things are amongst the most basic needs of any working artist, and as such should be always on the forefront of your pricing.
And when I say $20/hour, that means EVERY hour worked. From the sketches to the final product, you need to get paid. Don't get crazy with this though; we don't need to become lawyers and psychologists who charge clients for merely being in their presence. Work is work though, so don't do it for free! There is a fine line between polite but firm relations with your clients, and having them walk over you while you thank them for the opportunity to be walked on; never compromise for what's important to you.
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"Money isn't everything but neither is it nothing." • Leonid S. Sukhorukov, All About Everything (2005)
Man I almost let the entire month go by without a single post! This marks a new low in the history of enblog - but perhaps it marks a new beginning as well?
...Nah.
Just to wash away the dryness of the past postless month, here's some refreshment for all my readers with high blood pressure. More posts on the way. Ian promises.
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Deep from the depths of his manga lined cave, the Mix tirelessly sends nuggets of entertainment my way.
There's something about the packaging for the tarp I just bought that wouldn't leave me alone. The boy and his father (I'm guessing) are just so damn happy about the friggin' thing. I ask you, when have you ever been that pleased unfolding a tarpaulin?
I can only assume that the conversation that goes along with such photos are as follows. Scenario number One: creepy, brainwashed love that makes Leave it to Beaver look like Married with Children.
Scenario number Two: the father is clearly making the best of the situation.
Scenario number Three: this family knows no depths of sarcasm and comedic insulting, in which case this is actually a very likely picture. Especially if you've met my family.
Scenario number Four: creepy, brainwashed hate.
While I'm on the subject, I should say that I do not the support hobocide, and find my unfortunate appreciation of the humor very disquieting. I see that hasn't stopped me from doing the gag, but I couldn't really think of anything else creepy and funny involving tarps. So...yeah.
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