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Today’s Fun Friday theme at iostudio was “Bow Ties & Tiaras.” For those that had neither or that didn’t get the memo, I created a Virtual Bow Tie machine and set it up at the gathering. It was built with Processing and the OpenCV Library. The app detects frontal faces and adds a bow tie to the image in real-time. The photos below were taken with an IR remote using a combo of Sofa Control and custom Applescript. There’s no video of the VBT machine in action, but you can download the VBT app and see it for yourself.
Requirements:
A decent machine equipped with a web cam and some good lighting. Make sure your entire face is in the frame.
Download the Virtual Bow Tie for Mac, Windows, or Linux.
Recently most of my projects have involved redesigning web sites. I actually enjoy the process of diving into an existing site, identifying issues and important info, and improving the look, structure, and functionality. One interesting part is that most of the redesigns featured in this post were done within four years of the previous versions. Blame it on the fact that the technology used in this field evolves so rapidly, but it is not that uncommon that a site becomes antiquated even after being built only a few years before. I could go on and on about why these sites needed to be redesigned, but the before and after shots below will do. Read the rest of this entry »
Sweet music video directed by Gerson Aguerri and done in After Effects by Gloria Gil.
Rad pixel art of everyday life by Jack Cunningham.
Music video for Breakbot (Ed Banger Records) made of 2,000 watercolors.
And this looks like an interesting doc.
I’m a big fan of this new medium. Its always impressive to see what can be done with a unique idea and clever use of code. I have put together a few links to my favorite online pieces.
Mike Calway-Fagen is a great friend and a brilliant artist. He sent me a few photos from his first year review in the MFA program at UCSD and I must say that I really like the direction he is taking his work. Read the rest of this entry »

Elias Schewel is currently exploring the dirty south region of the country and keeping a blog along the way. So far his stops have included places like Memphis, Nashville, Jackson, New Orleans, and Asheville. He has come across some interesting, awesome, and yummy things. Here’s a shot of me and my grandfather and his Ford.