Art by MeddygonThere is a fine line \ Between genius and madness. \ It is called timing.

For some time, I’ve been creating art of people’s pets from their photos for use online as emojis, stickers, and shirts. Via my etsy store I’m now offering more products, such as fridge magnets, vinyl stickers, coasters, keychains, and anything else that can be laser cut or engraved. Below I’ll show the examples of products available and the process of making Charlie, my standard-issue-cat, into digital art and then placed on products.

Many “customized pet art” offerings online use a selection of pre-created designs where customers will select a generic appearance and pose and try to match as close as possible to what their pet looks like. I’ve bought such things in the past, but I always end up feeling like my pet’s unique appearance is lost. Sure, many tabby cats look so much alike, but what if your cat has an unusual facial coloring? That is why I offer custom art based directly on the client’s pets and photos.

So if you are looking to get some custom products based on your pets, head over to my etsy store and send me a message or make an order.

Digital Drawing

The first part of this process requires that clients send me one or more photos to generate an image set that will be used in the current or any future orders. Clients will also receive these digital files in case they want to take them to another place, such as an on-demand shirt printer, to get their pets on products I do not yet offer.

Because these drawings are done by hand (digitally) and involve no automation, the image quality doesn’t really matter. It can be a blurry image or a small resolution and I will draw the image, making adjustments as needed to represent the pet’s personality. The background will be excluded. There will be two variations of the image – a color version showing the subject and a black-and-white sticker version.

If clients prefer, I also offer an option for a new drawing based on several images of the pet rather than just a single photo. Using several reference photos of Noodles, I created a fancy Noodles.

If the client is looking for something even more stylized, I also offer additional styles. Here we have Meaty Pete the Shoe Thief, drawn in a style that emphasizes her shagginess, cuteness, and propensity to steal footwear.

Photo Engraving

For those who just want a photo directly on a product, below are some examples of what I can offer, and if I do or do not think they’ll work out for you. In some cases, it’s just that the material I have available does not work with the method of application.

Photo engraving requires an excellent quality photo to look good when applied to materials. The output also looks much better when the background is removed. Without the added color contrast from the background, the laser engraving software is able to better gauge the transitions and gradients necessary to copy the photo onto the materials.

Wooden Coaster

The wooden 8mm/1/4″ thickness coaster stock I use, unfortunately, does not work well with photo engraving. The rings in the wood are of much different densities, causing the grayscale transitions to be interrupted and making the image almost unrecognizable. Until I’m able to find a material or method that makes this work on wooden coasters, I will not be offering direct photo-to-coaster. The results from the cutout photos look much better, though.

Rock Coaster

Rock coaster engraving requires some extra attention to make sure the settings in the software can produce a desirable outcome, but they aren’t always great. Check out the examples of the other rock coasters later in this post to see how much better they can look when not direct photo to coaster.

Vinyl Sticker

Vinyl stickers require a vector image to work from, so photo engraving is not possible without converting to a drawing.

Wood Keychain

Like most things photo-engraved small, finding the right combination of settings can be tricky.

Faux Leather Keychain

Both types of keychains could take a photo or could not, depending on the photo.

Wooden Magnet

Engraving photos on to the wood material I have for the magnets works much better than on the coasters. The material is only 3mm thick, and is untreated and porous. It would not work great as a coaster though it does receive the image much better than the coaster material I have. Cutting out fridge magnets is easy on wood – each comes with several 3mm magnets glued on back for placement on metal.

Acrylic Magnet

Acrylic doesn’t take well to gradients and grayscale engraving. You can see the transitions, but at this size you can’t see details.

Metal Card

Metal business cards really do not take to gradients well unless it is a painted metal card.

Digital Drawing (png)

When I create the digital drawings for the products, I start first as a raster image. This is the way I’m used to drawing and gives the image a truly hand-drawn design look. If I worked strictly in vector based art, it may end up looking too exact or too formulaic, similar to the existing customizable art sites.

This image can then be used either as-is (“Portable Network Graphic” or PNG) with the laser engraver, similar to the photo engraving. Because the drawing reduces the color information and heavily simplifies the gradients for grayscale, it comes out much clearer. Clients can also use this color PNG elsewhere to create shirts, etc.

Wooden Coaster

Though the ring lines are still visible on the coaster with the PNG, the image still turns out pretty well. This is due to the reduced complexity of the image losing less visually when it is interrupted.

Rock Coaster

When putting an image on a rock coaster, I would use the vector image (examples later in this post) rather than the PNG. This is due to the material having little variation in light/dark when engraved. It can be seen in the above image, but not well.

Vinyl Sticker

Vinyl stickers require a vector image to work from, so photo engraving is not possible without converting to vector.

Wooden Keychain

Faux Leather Keychain

Wooden Magnet

Acrylic Magnet

Metal Card

Digital Drawing (Vector)

The laser engraver I use (xTool s1) works best with vector graphics (or SVG, “Scalable Vector Graphic”). When cutting or scoring, the laser can trace the exact line from the image information instead of engraving one micro-line from a raster graphic. It’s like drawing a wavy line by hand versus printing a wavy line with a dot-matrix printer. Granted the resolution on an xTool is far finer than dot matrix or even laser printers, it still has a visible back-and-forth appearance in the burns.

Wooden Coaster

Can you tell the direction of the exhaust fan on the engraver?

Where we saw improvements from photo to raster drawing on the wood coaster, we see similar improvements in quality when going to vector graphics. With raster, there is one setting for the image burn, and the machine determines the rest. With vector graphics, I can control the settings for each shade of the image as it will be engraved.

Similar results are shown below with the keychains, magnets, and metal cards.

Rock Coaster

The finer controls of the individual colors and their burn levels lets me create rock coasters with far more detail than if I had just engraved a photo or other raster image. This control also allows me to create depth in the coasters, leaving an opportunity for adding color via other materials if available.

Vinyl Sticker

The full color vector file CAN be used to cut out a vinyl sticker, but is is not recommended because the details will be completely lost. For this reason “sticker” versions of the vector file are provided when the custom pet art is ordered.

Wooden Keychain

Faux Leather Keychain

Wooden Magnet

Acrylic Magnet

Metal Card

Digital Drawing (Sticker Outline)

Some materials, such as wood and faux leather, can easily take gradients and multiple shades of gray to engrave. Others are really only binary – there is engraving or there is not. Fort his reason, I create a “sticker” version of the vector, so named because its primary use is for cutting out the vinyl stickers. This outline is also thicker than the full color vector due to the details potentially being lost when the sticker cut is small.

Wooden Coaster

Fortunately the sticker version still works just fine on all materials.

Rock Coaster

Vinyl Sticker

After a vinyl sticker is cut on the engraver, I then have to “weed” it, or remove all the vinyl that is not meant to be part of the sticker. The above image shows post-weeding. The details from the non-sticker vector art make it almost impossible to weed and very difficult to determine what to keep or remove since it has multiple shades.

Vinyl stickers require transfer tape, which I include with each order. Before applying the vinyl sticker, know where you want to put it and clean the surface to remove any dust. Do not apply to a surface that is likely to peel or come up with the transfer tape.

• To apply a vinyl sticker, first peel the transfer tape and vinyl from the white backing.
• Then position the sticker and transfer tape where you would like to place it – you will not be able to move it from where you place it at this point without causing issues.
• Use something (most sites recommend a card or something, but I’ve used just my fingers and sometimes coins) to press the vinyl to the surface. Focus on the small or thin bits to make sure that they will stick.
• Lift a corner of the transfer tape and slowly peel it back, making sure the vinyl stays on the surface. If it does not, lower the tape and press it more. You can do this repeatedly as you peel back to make sure the vinyl sticks. Larger areas do not usually have this problem due to the larger area of adhesive, but as the stickers I make tend to have a lot of thin and small details, I usually end up doing this a lot.

Wooden Keychain

Faux Leather Keychain

Wooden Magnet

Acrylic Magnet

Metal Card

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4327553153/cheese-tax-tray

Pay the cheese tax in style to your pets by delivering it on an appropriately-sized charcuterie tray. Engraved with an image of a wheel of Manchego, unless you would like a custom image.
For new art to be created, select the option for “Custom Image – New”. You will need to send photos of your furry friend, which will then be converted into a digital drawing. Once the drawing is completed, you will receive a copy of the digital file for your own use or for future orders!
If you would like to use an image already created by me from another project, please select “Custom Image – Old” and contact me via direct message to confirm I have the art.
Smaller sizes are made with 3 mm wood sheets and larger sizes are made with 5.25 mm wood sheets. When ordering, please select the range for the size you want and specify the size in a message. Video shows a 10 cm (smallest) Tax Tray being delivered to Lil and Phyl.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4325657201/custom-cat-keychain

Unique and made to order! Get your adorable pet on a keychain. The image of the product here is an example of my cat Lilith – you will not receive this exact product!
You will need to send photos of your furry friend, which will then be converted into a digital drawing. Once drawing(s) are completed, you will receive a copy of the digital file for your own use or for future orders!
For this product, if ordering multiples with a new drawing, please select “Yes” for the first one and “No” for the remainder of the order.
If you’ve already purchased a digital drawing of your pet(s) from me, please select the option “No, have one already” and confirm via direct message that I have your files.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4325596378/cat-coaster-placard

Unique and made to order! Get your adorable pet as a coaster or placard. Each piece is coated with protective finish and can be used either as a coaster or display piece. The image of the product here is an example of my cat Lilith – you will not receive this exact product!
You will need to send photos of your furry friend, which will then be converted into a digital drawing. Once drawing(s) are completed, you will receive a copy of the digital file for your own use or for future orders!
For this product, if ordering multiples with a new drawing, please select “Yes” for the first one and “No” for the remainder of the order.
If you’ve already purchased a digital drawing of your pet(s) from me, please select the option “No, have one already” and confirm via direct message that I have your files.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4325397223/commemorative-desk-plaque-you-tried

Commemorate this desk’s failed attempt at being furniture by purchasing a plaque crafted from a piece of the desk itself. No two pieces are the same size as they are each a section of the computer desk that collapsed under its own weight from its poor support design. All are engraved with the “you tried” star and border on the front with a signature on the back. Personalization available.

New artwork starring our three cats(Lil, Chuckie, Phyl) and dog (Toby). The motto translates to “We pay the cheese tax” and the shield is accented with raspberries, which grow in our yard. Please reach out to me if you’d like to commission your own Cheese Tax Crest with your own pets! Please include your name and contact info (if other than the email address you are sending from), information and images of your pets to include (maximum 4), and any other information you’d like to include regarding the shield & accents.

Aprons, shirts, hats, etc, available on Redbubble. They will soon be available engraved on charcuterie boards.

I recently started a rebubble store for the cat drawings I’ve been doing. I am also raising funds for opening a cat cafe in the town I live in. Here’s a link to the main shop: http://meddygon.redbubble.com

And here’s a few of the designs!

Cool Pete’s Kitty Lounge https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/163336114

That’s a Stretch https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/162987265

no thoughts head empty https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/164350200

big no https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/164435985?ref=studio-promote

I felt naked in that room. No one was looking at me like I was naked, but I was certain felt like I physically had no clothes on. It was an art class, and I feared that people would take my nakedness to be an art statement; a “bold” but insignificant comment on the nature of showing art. If was the end of the semester, and everyone was meant to show their body of work. I felt like I had none.

I left. If they weren’t seeing my nudity, then no one else would. As I walked down the city street, no one noticed the flaws I saw in myself. I glanced at my reflection as I passed shop windows and saw that I was dressed. I don’t remember putting on clothes, but I was clothed all along.

I felt pressured in that room. Everyone was looking at me. The instructor said, “If you’re so fast and skilled, draw [description of two things to draw]”. I looked for paper, but none of it was large enough.
“Mr. Ross, can you give me some paper?” I continued to look for paper in my bag, around the room, something.

I looked for tools, but none were the right ones. When I would find one suitable I would start to draw, but then something would break. Or it would go missing as someone else took it.

I’d find black paper, but then be unable to find white pens or pastels. I’d find light paper, and not be able to find pencils or charcoal.

Those around me also were producing art faster, but not at the quality I would want coming from my fingers. They didn’t meet the requirements of the description, but they were happy to just do the work. They were making the art they wanted, not the art that was required.

The deadline approached and the instructor asked why I hadn’t started. “I usually work larger, sir.” He produced a sheet of paper around 8’x5′ and I started to draw. I sketched one figure, and my charcoal was gone. I looked for more but could find none.

I wanted materials. The room was full of scrap paper, cut at odd angles and of a color not suitable for art. I flipped through some stacks of rectangular sheets and found the color paper showed signs of weathering and aging. These materials haven’t even been looked at in years. Who even owned them? I didn’t think I could take any of it anyway.

I walked to the next room, and called in, “Hello?”

Someone responded, “Hello, come in, how can I help you?” I walked in and saw art hanging above the desk where the man was getting up. It was cut from different sheets of paper and displayed in deep square frames to give a three-dimensional look.

“Yes, hello, I’m just looking around and was hoping to find someone who would like to tell me about their art.”

He introduced himself and took me to the art on the wall with the door. He said he spent time living in Japan but he returned because it was too expensive and everyone was too “clean”. His art resembled manga but bore some unfinished qualities like Degas’s ballerina sketches.

“How do you reconcile that the art is unfinished?” I asked.
“The art is finished as soon as your intention is met.”

The text of the thread.

…should Twitter explode in the blaze of ignorance reserved for a spaceX 4/20 rocket launch.

Being queer and commenting on something related to Pride draws people out of the woodwork to prop up children as a shield like they’re just another Anita Bryant. To put it simply, she “didn’t hate gays” but needed to “protect the children from the homosexual lifestyle.”

What’s there to protect from? Ah, yes, the “Gay Agenda” – the great strawman of little definition that anyone can apply whatever evils they want to in order to justify their bigotry. Ignore the people actively ruining your life, there’s a queer over yonder!

It’s extremely disheartening to find those of my generation (or any, really) are still espousing the recessive ideals of the past and trying to hide behind a “hate the sin, love the sinner” mentality or “won’t somebody please think of the children!!!” …

… like queer people don’t also have children (or gasp the queer children of non-queers) they’re trying to protect from hateful comments and actions. Call out those hateful comments, and you’re putting the “Gay Agenda” before children’s safety.

Ban this, all because I don’t agree with it, but say it’s for the children. Ban that because I think it’s icky, but say it’s protecting women. Don’t actually protect the children or women, though, because then we’d actually have to do something.

BTW the gay agenda is to exist without being made political or targets of violence, so we’re obviously failing at that every day.

People existing, who have existed for years, decades, and centuries, are “political” because it’s been brought back as another thing to point fingers at for problems. We’re easy targets when we look different from others. We look different when we stop lying about ourselves.

We look happy when we are not lying about ourselves. Yet not lying about who I am is seen as political. I’m existing in my own life with my own goals and not forcing my life on anyone, but I’m told that I’m pushing the “Agenda.” By existing.

I’m “political” for just existing because my existence means that someone out there has to not treat everyone as if everyone thinks the same. And this offends some people to the point that they want to attack the “agenda” I’m pushing by existing.

This has gone on for centuries, through all of human history, with any number of groups being othered for existing. Ignore the man picking your pocket, there are two men kissing IN PUBLIC! There are people of color who are DOCTORS! PRONOUNS! All because they want to blind.

People who can otherwise be intelligent can fall to bias. They want an explanation as to why things are not going their way and someone comes along and says, “That group over there is why.”

Why are women assaulted? They say it’s transwomen and drag shows, though there’s plenty of documentation and studies showing that it’s more likely an AFAB person will be assaulted by someone they know.

Why are children and young adults groomed? They say it’s the “gay agenda”, but it’s always lecherous people who are enabled by those around them or their status, regardless of sexual or romantic orientation.

These crazy people think that anything LGBTQIA+ is sexual because they cannot fathom that deviation from a cishet relationship is anything but sexual. Why do groomers groom? Sexual reason. Why do trans people transition? Must be sexual, too.

My transition is the opposite of sexual. I grew up being told what is masculine and what is feminine and that as AFAB I need to do the feminine things. I never fit the media representation of girl or feminine, so I assumed, for decades, that I was a failure at life.

Exposure to LGBTQIA+ media, literature, communities, etc, introduced me, at 30+ years old, to the vocabulary and understanding needed to find out how to put into thoughts, words, and actions what I truly feel like. I’m neither masc nor femme. I don’t want to be either.

Pride events bring that kind of awareness to everyone, regardless of their identity. Maybe you feel like, after seeing that there’s support out there, you identify with something other than what you’ve been told to be all your life. Maybe you don’t.

Maybe you see it all and just think, “I’m glad they’re happy, but I’m fine how I am,” and that’s great! LGBTQIA+ isn’t a faction that you have to join or fight against. It isn’t even a cohesive group that shares all ideals. There are racist gay people, and anti-trans lesbians.

There are assholes in any group. Identifying as something doesn’t mean you have to adhere to all things related to that. That’s why there’s not actually a “gay agenda” and why it’s so easy for bigots to cherry-pick what they want to attack about LGBTQIA+ people and events.

“Won’t somebody please think of the children” my stawman cries as they plead for everyone else to attack their strawman.

Meddygon (they/them) 🏳️‍⚧️
@meddygon

Smashing’s kitty Moe had to make an emergency trip to the vet so I drew the little guy

too lazy to do actual shading but I still like it

A website has come about called Level Impostor that allows non-coders like me make mods using a GUI. Of course, I had to show my age and make one of the first dungeons I ever delved, The (original) Legend of Zelda – Dungeon 1.

Here are some screenshots!!

And now the download link! – Updated 5/29/2021

You should have a legal copy of the PC version of the game in order to use this mod. This will NEVER be available for Mobile or Switch because Level Impostor cannot export for those platforms. The file is compressed in a .rar file – you need WinRAR to open it. Copy the files to your Among Us folder and launch! All users playing must have the mod in order to play the map correctly.

I’ve been asking people in discord what I should draw the Meddygon doing and someone suggested today the spongebob chicken pose.

just a reminder that I do commissions and I should probably put up a commissions pages at some point

HYPE HYPE HYPE HAIRY ARMPIT HYPE

someone typoed my name

If you are looking for options where to lease a car check this crew cab lease sites.

took suggestions / poll again in the discord, this time I was forced to dab.

Choosing the best blinds for your home may seem like a difficult task. It need not be if you seek a professional consultant in home décor and design,but you can fin all that in this site.

after an impromptu poll the discord/twitch emote I had to draw next was poggers

I am a fan of The Boys and both Eddie and Juicy have played Little Nightmares and had their own names for the Nomes. Tree trimming & tree removal helps remove dead or broken limbs and helps keep your tree healthy.