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Over the past couple of months, I’ve collected a really good number of resources for creative purposes. However, I’ve been having a hard time trying to frame all of this into something digestible. When I decided I was gonna start blogging more seriously in January, I knew I was going to have this sort of struggle. Finally, I’ve arrived at the decision that every post will be thematic, and list off at least five websites and/or apps per post, and have them all revolve around a particular theme. For right now, I will be rebranding these posts as “Quick Reccs”

Of course, everyone enjoys a pretty picture once and a while, but sometimes it’s good to step back and assess what parts of your website need visual aid in order to help with navigation. These are just some of many websites that will provide free visual elements.

1 - UIverse (https://uiverse.io): UIverse is a user interface builder that allows you to create a website using various elements. It's easy to use and offers a variety of customizable templates, making it a great option for beginners or anyone looking to create a simple website quickly.

2 - Pattern Monster (https://pattern.monster/): Pattern Monster is a great resource for background designs. It offers a collection of patterns and textures that can be used in your website design to add visual interest and depth.

3 - Envato Elements (https://elements.envato.com/): Envato Elements is a subscription-based website that provides access to thousands of website templates, graphics, and other design resources. Like UIverse, it contains many different templates. However, Envato provides templates for not just web design, but for videos, presentations, and more!

4 - Ertdfgcvb.xyz (https://ertdfgcvb.xyz): Currently one of my favorite pass-times is looking at live-code environments like this! Another good one is https://glslsandbox.com/

For the uninitiated -- a live-code environment provides an interactive platform for writing and executing code in real-time, eliminating the need for users to save or compile their code beforehand. This makes for an excellent resource for both novice and seasoned programmers to experiment with and learn programming languages.

5 - Text Editor (https://texteditor.com/): Unicode text editors are probably the easiest tool for website designers, as well as content creation. Unicode fonts can be shown on just about any device, on any website. They can be really good for attracting the viewer’s eye, an the method is so easy, it can be used in banter sessions with your friends as well!

Overall, these five websites offer a range of resources and tools that can help you create a great-looking and functional website. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, these websites are worth checking out.

I've added a new page where you can view all of my latest timelapse shorts! Here's the most recent one to date, more on the way of course!


I've recently announced two new musical projects to come in the following year: New Heigts EP + Torso 4 Mixtape





Just uploaded a new video today! If you haven’t watched it yet what r ya doing??? Also here are some other reccomendations that I thought was worth showing off.



Justin Wright - Hellbrunn Automatons (Official Music Video) - YouTube
Ask anybody who’s lived this reality, they’ll all tell you the same thing. Cancer is fucking brutal. The few who are able to get out of that situation alive, and unscarred, are still bound to come away from this with psychological scars. During Wrights’ chemotherapy, he got animator Max Kaplin to fit his scans onto a 3d display. This resulted in a music video that is not only stunning to look at, but sends a powerful message of encouragement in the process.
An excerpt from his Instagram: “ I was really determined to make something beautiful out of this whole ordeal, and when I played around with my scans on medical imaging software, I knew immediately that this was how. These images - detailed, thorough, and repetitive - were the perfect representation of one of strongest feelings I had throughout my treatment: the relinquishment of my body to the multitude of experts examining every inch of it, a slightly morbid ego-death where I nearly stopped seeing my body as my own.”

Full Album Here
Animator behind Music Video


Wo Fat - Orphans of the Singe
“The Singularity” by Wo Fat was by far my favorite album of last year. It’s a perfect combination of long-form epic doom metal with lyrical themes related to the age of information, and the existential dread that comes with living in post-modernity. It’s not unusual for the band to delve into the horrors of technology, but the concepts presented here are much more clear. These concepts are elevated by the structure of each track, as the ideas are presented in a much more cinematic way than their previous albums. Go check out the first song on the album!


Blank City - Documentary
The Youtube Channel “Kino Lorber” has a whole grip of good documentaries to watch for free! This one in particular is about the New York City No-Wave movement in the mid 80s. Mentions include, but not limited to Jean Michel Basquiat, Micheal Gira, and more.


I’m sure y’all have heard through the vapid uproar about AI Art/Synthography this past year. While the push-back against lazy capitalism is necessary, the problem with politicizing issues like this, is that it results in broad generalizations within our own communities. It assumes that literally anyone using AI [and not just SD, midjourney or DALLE] is just stealing copyrighted imagery without giving credit to the original. This is a problem because it completely ignores how GAN actually came about, and anyone pro-AI is just gonna see the annoying and derivative outrage posts as nothing more than a joke, despite the legitimacy of arguments they’re presented with.

Anyone that’s been paying any amount of attention to mainstream media such as TV, Movies, and Gaming for the past 20 years can see the increasingly digital direction art has taken over time. With generative AI algorithms becoming more and more prevalent over this time, it’s evolved into an industry of its own, and one that doesn’t have to revolve around silicon valley. So here are some examples of software developers using GAN/Learning Models differently. Some are smaller tools for simpler tasks, others are GAN alternatives that use royalty free/creative commons material.


Artbreeder



This was probably one of the first publicly available GAN tools. When development initially started, they first experimented with this tool using simple gradients. These gradients would then come out distorted, create new patterns, and eventually generate color. Eventually, more independent artist and programmers came in and made contributions, thus evolving the project to what it is today.
The tool is surprisingly simple to use, and costs nothing to use their basic tools. Instead of the popular text-to-image technique, Artbreeder provides you with already existing material, and a set of parameters to alter the image. The results will be unique every time, and will be added on to by other people.


Style 2 Paints


Definitely a simpler tool. Provide the software your linework, and watch it fill in the gaps!


Feels Matrix
[A Project by Jacob Broms Engblom]


By far the most experimental project out of the bunch, this is more or less a social media toy that uses thousands of GAN-generated wojaks and scatters them across a political compass. Does this have any bearing on the reality of politics? Probably not, but it's still a fun site that utilizes AI in an interesting way.


All The Music


This is a more complex tool for Rust programmers used to generate MIDI melodies. Unlike most of these links, this requires some amount of software knowledge, and cannot be run in-browser. All melodies are filed under Creative Commons Zero, which allows for the developers to waive rights to their software, and allow artists to build on top of it without having to worry about repercussions.


Namy.ai


May be a good tool for people looking to start a business/blog, but can’t find a domain for their website. Just type in a prompt, and this tool not only generates domains at random, but you can narrow down which ones have already been taken. Allowing you to get the most appealing domain possible in a relatively quick amount of time.


Hey y'all! It's been a while since I've updated the blog section of my site, and all of the previous posts I've made are pretty much out-dated now. So I figured I may as well start from scratch and let yall know what I've been up to.


FRAGMENTS Series

FRAGMENTS is going to be a series of digital/traditional paintings covering prominent artists, philosophers, and cultural leaders. These paintings will come with additional writings based on highlighting their ideas as expressed in their works/interviews. This can range from mainstream artists, to underground communities across the world. Almost like reviews, but not based on a sort of criteria. More details on this coming soon.


DrunkRobot Music Video

My most recent commission, is still available for viewing. I plan on reaching out to more potential clients who are seeking paid/trade work. If interested, plese refer to my email, jaymelvins1@gmail.com for any inquiries.


Animatic Shorts Coming Soon

My most recent animatic is availible for viewing on the Youtube Shorts app, more of those coming down the pipeline as well.


More Website Changes Coming Soon

This place is desparate for a make-over. I will be changing up some of the aesthetics, as well as making the resources pages more substantial in the coming weeks. I also want to make room to shout-out other artists, net-labels, and small businesses and provide them a platform to promote their work. While this website mainly archives my work, my work wouldn't exist without the communities that I inhabit myself in, and take inspiration from. As previously stated, best way to reach me in terms of business or anything website related will be through my e-mail.