Australian Blue Tongue in a 60s Hot Rod Monster tshirt

Blue Tongue Lizard Quality

Now available, the Australian Blue Tongue Lizard Quality Hot Rod Monster Tshirt.

Featuring the native Australian Blue Tongue in a 60s Hot Rod Monster (dear we say fink?) Format.

Blue Tongue Lizard Quality Logo

Wear it with pride. Available in white to show all the grease and spilt beer  stains clearly.

For other and custom design contact us at Art & Technology.

NAMM 2013 Impact - Korg MS-20 mini and Analog Revival?

Korg MS-20 Mini + Original

NAMM 2013 has closed, the orders for product have been taken and so now all the manufacturers will be reviewing what they found and be planning their next moves.

From where I sit, the KORG MS-20 mini was the show hit.  It is the thing I would like. Analog, patchable mono synth, with a MIDI in at a reasonable price of $599. An original MS-20 goes for around $2000 at the moment.

The Moog Sub PHATTY also had an impact at a higher price with that MOOG sound. Amazing how Moog has rebounded. Will anyone who actually wants a Moog next year actually be actually able to buy one?

Apparently the Arturia MiniBrute would have sold a lot more if they could actually get them into the hands of the people that ordered them. So manufacture and distribution is not easy for new players.  And you cannot actually buy a  Arturia MiniBrute online from the Arturia website. BIG mistake guys, don't you realize the brick and mortar stores are closing!

I expect staff of Roland and Yamaha will being buying both of these for themselves.

The DSI Prophet 12, while not being all analog, may get some interest too.  The Prophet 12 didn't really do anything for me though. Doesn't do anything a Jupiter-80 cannot do...  or all the VSTs we have already.

So what will Roland, Yamaha and the rest be planning ?

Now I was in Roland and know what was discussed when the TB-303 became a big part of the new dance music of the time. Acid House and the Detroit Sound. There had been lots of talk by people outside the company to do just an analog TB303. At that time Roland believed the MC-303 was the answer, but it took a really long time to have the confidence to do it.

Now they will all be seriously considering bringing back something from their analog traditions.  For Roland, would that be a TB-303, TR-808, System 100, System 100M, SH-2, SH-5, SH-101 or something else? It would have to be something that currently has a high price second hand and is still in demand.

Roland System 100

I'm sure there will be much discussion in all these companies. I know the management of Roland didn't believe in going back to anything analog, but many of them have since retired.

We can be contacted at our website Art & Technology.

Adrian Bruce vs George Trosley - Dueling 1955 Ford Pickup Car Cartoons

Adrian Bruce v George Trosley Pickup Cartoons

George Trosley is an American car cartoonist who I now know to have become a regular cartoonist for the USA based Car-toons comic.  I never saw the original books here in Australia. Don't know if it was ever available in Australia. I have only seen them from Internet scans.

I was influenced by the earlier Dave Deal and Ed Roth cartoons, as I expect George was, as he is about 10 years my senior, and George doesn't look like he made the move to the computer, like I know Dave Deal did.

In the last day or so Trosley posted a Ford pickup cartoon to his facebook page. Interestingly, I did a similar pickup about 2 months ago.  In this case mine is rendered in CorelDraw, and George's looks like pen, marker and probably watercolor.  He does his stuff as 11" x 17" ( close enough to be A3), and my computer based stuff has no size limit for printing, but A3 costs all of $2.50 on heavy card here.

So I can do a side by side comparison of a similar subject. Not a lot to choose between them, I must say. In this case, mine is more realistic for a cartoon. I also do ink and markers & airbrush, but computer rendering is like using a computer instead of a type writer for writing.

We both charge between $200 & $250 for stuff like this.

Bruce - Art & Technology

And here is a different look from us. Here are Dueling 4WDs. The top by me was for a large flag, done for $160 for a one day event. It has in big letters along the top" Oh, what a feeling!" to make a very large flag printed by a sign maker.  It shows a Toyota having to help a Nissan that got stuck in the mud the Touyota just got through, without any sticking! It is scanned ink on paper that has been colored in the computer.  It doesn't have the detail I would normally put, and is more a graphic.

Below is a more realistic Trosley rendering of a similar car with background for $250 or there abouts.

These have been done for different purposes, with different cost, detail and realism requirements.

4WDs

Some other samples and styles:

Other styles & Custom Cartoons by Bruce

I can be contacted at Art & Technology , and he at George Trosley.

V8 Supercar Cartoons and Caricatures

We have done a few V8 Supercar cartoons and caricatures. This has been the main GM V FORD motor sport till now in Australia. A bit like NASCAR...

But from this year, there is new competition. Nissan and AMG are joining the field.  This is the way things used to be.

More details at our website Art & Technology

Drawing Chrome in a Drawing Package

Chrome components and variations 

We do a lot of Chrome.  Mostly on cars and bikes, but have been asked to put it in  signage too.

This is a short article on manually making chrome lettering in a drawing package such as CorelDraw or Illustrator.

The illustration above shows the components for one chrome look. Others are possible.

The lower blue and brown horizon variations are done as 3 or 4 components.
1) Blue to white rectangle.
2) Brown to pale brown rectangle.
3) Darker brown graduated horizon line. This may be straight or curved. Another lower layer can also be added for a different look.

The words themselves are cut into rectangle. with the words and the grouped ground and sky positioned correctly, the use of trim and intersection of objects can produce chromed stand alone letters or other effects.  Making the horizon thicker and thinner also changes the look.

The upper two also show a reflection. This is produced by producing just chromed letters and inverting and sizing under the original letters.

The top most also has a graduated transparency over the reflection letters for a more realistic look.

We do design and development, and a few other things.  For more info and contact see Art & Technology.