Physical paints can be more challenging to mix than digital paints due to complex chemical reactions leading to the combined colors.
Inspired by artistic pointillism and digital halftoning, in this experiment we stipple original acrylic paints to achieve color mixing effects.
January 13, 2023
Acrylic pointillism experiment
January 12, 2023
Last day of Adobe sabbatical
Today is the last day of my Adobe sabbatical, which, as far as I remember, is the first official time off in my entire career.
I never felt the need to take a work break, but the sabbatical will expire if not used soon, unlike other types of day offs that could be accumulated/retained for longer.
I am glad I took it though; even though the duration (20 working days after 5 years of employment) is shorter than a typical faculty sabbatical but is still long enough for me to reflect on things that I wouldn’t thought about otherwise.
Aside from a little bit of research which I considered to be fun (reading/reviewing/revising papers and collaborating with students), I have spent almost the entire sabbatical with my family whom I haven’t visited since the onset of covid, walked/hiked a lot around different places, learned more about (physical) acrylic painting, found out (and dealt with) some health issues that I was too busy to even notice, and realized that I no longer care about some stuff that others consider important (and which I used to or thought I still do).
January 13 2023 add on:
It appears that Microsoft is adopting “unlimited time off” like Adobe.
Since I didn’t take any day off with Microsoft, all my remaining time off got converted to cash on my last day.
January 10, 2023
January 9, 2023
Man above shop
I took a quick finger sketch on my moto-x4 phone of this guy (likely the proprietor) taking a smoke break above a cafe, which formed the basis of the upper half of the eventual drawing with the bottom half of the first floor based on a reference photo.
January 3, 2023
2050 is as close as 1996
When I started my PhD study around 1996 I felt that I have some basic intuition about the different fields of computer science. Nobody understands everything, but at least I felt that if I want I can dive into any particular subject when the need arises.
Now, I am overwhelmed by what is happening inside graphics and HCI, my main focus, not to mention other fields, in particular ML and vision.
With this (hyper?) exponential rate of knowledge growth, I cannot even imagine what would happen in 2050. (I have nightmares about this several times already.)
I doubt any individual human brain can handle these without some biological or computational assistance.
Below is ChatGPT’s response to the above:
It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed by the rapid pace of knowledge growth in the field of computer science. It can be difficult to keep up with all the developments and advances, especially in specific areas like graphics, HCI, ML, and vision.
One way to deal with this is to focus on staying up-to-date in your own area of expertise, while also being aware of developments in other related fields. It may not be possible or necessary to be an expert in everything, but having a broad understanding of what’s happening in the field can be valuable.
Another approach is to make use of tools and resources that can help you stay informed and keep track of new developments. This might include subscribing to relevant newsletters, following key researchers and organizations on social media, and using search engines and databases to find the latest research and information.
Finally, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to not know everything. No one person can possibly keep up with everything that’s happening in the field, and it’s important to recognize and accept the limits of your own knowledge. Instead of trying to know everything, focus on staying curious and continuing to learn and grow as a professional.
January 2, 2023
House over a hiking trail entrance
I saw this residence straddling over the top of a hiking trail and drew what is in my mind’s eye based on reference photos.
January 1, 2023
Narrow street in an old neighborhood
There is a certain charm of this old neighborhood with narrow streets in danger of being encroached by the surrounding new high-rise constructions.