Point of Mind: Art

The Art

Aperture Monthly

This was the first take, I think it looks better this way.

I was consider to run my old university's magazine for a time. This actually falls in line with my habit of getting into things I have no idea how to do.

In order to build some sort of skill and/or familiarity with a few of the facets of running/creating a publication, I decided to learn how to use PhotoShop and InDesign, both programs commonly used for the design and layout of magazines. So after my first few hours of experimenting with PS and countless hours of Portal 2, I made these:

This one suits the coloration of the Co-op Testing Initiative
from the game, so this works.

As far as covers go, I'd like to think this is reasonable. That and I really enjoyed coming up with jokes that matched the tone of the source material.

Other more recent art coming soon.

What I'm Playing:

Picross S.

Picross games -also known as Nonograms and Griddlers- are an interesting kind of experience.

The contents of each given puzzle is informed by the underlying image that serves as the solution. The position of each portion of the image on a grid of varying scale determines the information provided for every row and column, which is always complete and clear. The challenge of solving the puzzle is in interpreting this information to correctly derive the position of each portion of the image using logic and a process of elimination that can become unexpectedly complex.

A part of the beauty of these puzzles is in the consistent underlying rules and logic, which allow any image that can be filled into the chosen grid size to become a puzzle of its own.

Picross S is the first in a series of entries in the game type for the Nintendo Switch. With excellent presentation, multiplayer, a hefty number of standard puzzles, and the inclusion of a separate ruleset called Mega Picross that effectively doubles the content, it's hard to resist playing these games.

I will say, however, that quality Picross games can be found relatively easily on mobile storefronts for free, so I'd advise playing those instead unless you prefer having that kind of experience on your Nintendo Switch.

I'd definitely recommend trying out one of these if you get the chance.

Developers: Jupiter

What I'm Reading:

Console Wars.

Console Wars is a fun, informative non-fiction account of the titular console war that took place in the 1990s between Nintendo and Sega as they vied for supremacy in their market.

The book follows the journey of Tom Kalinske, a successful business man, as he takes up the CEO position for Sega of America and attempts to steer the ship towards success. Through this lens, the author explores the well recognized competition between Sega and its competitor as well as the internal turmoil brewing between Sega's American branch and its Japanese division.

While I think that the book took some acclimation due to my expectation and hope of a more conventional biographical account, the novelization of the era and events didn't distract enough from the informative representation of events and interactions to sour the experience.

If you're interested in the history of Nintendo and Sega's rivalry or history of the video games industry in general, I'd recommend giving this book a look.

Author: Blake J. Harris

Point of Mind

Pages

What I'm working on:

Art