I created this blog to showcase my progression through Certificate III Graphic Pre-Press. I have a keen interest in website and flash animation, and would hope to extend my skills on the Adobe Platform. I receive small jobs from business cards to websites mainly using photoshop, javascript and flash. All these revolve around presentation and anything that improves my design ability is essential in a competitive marketplace. I have a website, that seems to always be under construction but I will eventually organize it to showcase my work / hobbies using modern techniques.
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Crazy Chris Video |
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| Flash Site | Bazaar Arts Ceramics | Lorem Ipsum |
As a screen printer for a short time I gained some industry experience at the printing stage. Initially I volunteered with a local firm and worked along side their Pre-Press operator. Their computer system was linked to a chemical processing lab, then plates were used on a large offset printer. I then gained employment involving a screen printing machine often linked to a UV drier. Screens were detailed with a photographic process used and washed at rates of 250 sheets per colour per hour and logged on a board. After a few months I was able to operate the machine without supervision and got ahead of the board on one day.
Jobs included Rip Curl and Billabong stickers, VideoEzy magnets, corflute election signs, VIP Macdonalds stickers, beer labels were a 9 colour process each sheet dried if not UV cured and re-registered, corflute beer pub signs, T-Shirts, and smaller machines items such as business stationary. I worked around specialists in cutting and processing but did not mix my own ink. Set numbers of runoffs were allowed for colour approval, material costs defined this number and often resulted in 5 prints for approval. Screens wear, bolts loosen, inks dry in, change consistency over time, don't cure due to belt speed or mixture, and paper jams can result in fires. It was run, grab can, jump, throw on ink, sprint back and continue printing while listening to your assistant for the first sign of error.
Other graphic design experience included working for Eastman Heffernan Walch and Button, drafting in my school holidays the Old Woolstore extensions, government elevator systems and other smaller projects. Then Ian Johnson Interior Designers, where I drew sketches of high level bathrooms, Salamanca Arts Center hand rails, Moonah signage, and lots of small house extensions. Following this I spent a few years part time with Chris Potter Civil Engineer manually drafting Old Beach, Brighton, and Lowestoft subdivisions, as well as difficult street developments. I created Pascal software for new council regulations and had a system for soil classification, one design per 15 minutes at $250.00 in 1991. I worked for Honeywells during uni and modelled the Launceston hospital cooling interface, more recently ShutterRUS setup a Hobart branch, where I estimated, modelled and built powder coated glass enclosed balustrades, Grandvewe Cheeses of Cygnet featuring on The Great Outdoors below.
Recently I completed a Cert IV and Diploma in websites and a Cert IV in Programming. I found the java course interesting making a Skype application, battleships game, and simulations of a teaching environment, pet store, and farm. This led to a number of flash utility classes and an attempt at a slot machine using a new approach. I made a website for a local dancer Crazy Chris Video resulting in 100 pages of JavaScript, and developed a utils method that emulates the anim functions of jquery using Penners equations, an eventCache and a few browser based functions. During the website course I learnt project management and used gannt software, creating an ecommerce site from first principles. On Blogger the script gives the page a menu, a mouse trailer, tool tips and drop down navigation. I have a projects page containing various samples of image presentation using 3D techniques, the image to the left created from a set of scaled masks.
I enjoy watching sci-fi, or anything sci-fi related, and have previously submitted flash work at Newgrounds. I love to play first person shooters and have followed games like Call of Duty, Far Cry, Mass Effect, Star Wars, and Crysis, each successive release, a new sandbox of artwork. I enjoy making music on Soundcloud and often spend far too much time on fruity loops. I also have a YouTube account when it’s time to attempt lip syncing again. I have previously attended a few tai chi courses, specifically in I Chi Gung, and view it as a calming practice. I tend not to use social media, but have a twitter account Twitter account where i follow musicians, actors and celebrities.
The Rodney Matthers website features a gallery of science fiction art.
