Wednesday, June 30, 2010

#26 Catbot Is Watching

So you think that adorable catbot you got as a gift is just over in the sun recharging? You'd be half-right, it also is watching. Everything.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

#25 Eclipse Astromech

No, not that movie. Eclipse is the brand of gum this container came from. It had a certain shape to it that suggested an Astromech Droid. R2 it isn't.



Gum container, craft sticks, computer parts and sharpie.

Monday, June 28, 2010

#24 Watercolors

Trying out watercolor pencils for the first time. Shows me I need to do the outline in ink and the non-dark colors in the watercolor pencil.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

#23 I'm seeing bots everywhere

Yes, I've started seeing robots everywhere! And I am apparently affecting my dear spouse as well. She pointed this one out to me, an ice cream from the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The placement of the spoons look like nice antennae so I just shopped in photo receptors and a vocabulator (eyes and a mouth). And then we destroyed the evidence. Cookie dough and mint chocolate chip, perfect snack on our little trip to the coast today.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

#22 Mug Shots

I'm thinking I'll do a series of Robot Mug Shots over the course of the year.

This first one appears to be a wanted military robot gone rogue.



Pen and colored pencil, added background in photo software.

Also I'd like to say a special thanks to Miles at The Daily Robot. I ordered an awesome Ray-Gun Schematic print and another print from him. He also added another print as a daily robot to daily robot goodwill gesture - and I totally appreciate it! Go on over and take a look at his awesome work.

Friday, June 25, 2010

#21 Luddite Bot

Took a Luddite route with this bot. 2 1/2" craft stick and toothpick with some pen.

Parts Run?

I need to go by a home improvement store today to look for window tint (static cling variety, can't paste up rental windows) and figure while I'm there it'll be a good chance to peruse possible robot parts.

It would be good to make a couple more robots with some real functionality, I'm not talking Grant Imahara level of skill or serious RC control but at least having some real LEDs or something. Maybe order up an Audrino kit from Make Magazine and play with it.

So far in the short life of this project I am really digging my desire to play with the craft supplies we've had at home for years and mess with some new stuff. Picked up a new sketch book yesterday that should be more oil pastel compliant, so expect try #2 of a pastel bot soon.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

#20 Iron Bot

With a little nod to Iron Man today's bot has a beating heart, or at least an infrared heart.

Made this guy with some hard drive guts and a USB mouse who's buttons quit working.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

#19 Pastel Killer

First time playing with oil pastels, tried blending a bit but the pastels I am using are probably anywhere from 20-25 years old so maybe I need to pick up some new ones and better paper than watercolor paper. I'll do another with some fresh pastels to see how that does.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

#18 Diagramed Symbols

The REAL #18 here. Playing around a little with some templates that I have. My dad had a ton of templates from working on electronics over the years and I used some of them to try an assemblage. I will use them again on a larger bot this year, or at least some of the neater templates in a future drawing.

Amortizing Post Numbers

I have never claimed to be a mathamagician, and at how quickly I seemed to have jumped a number proves that. #12 disappeared in the numbering schema so I've restored the real post count numbers.

For a guy who works in computers and IT I really am horrible at math, maybe that's why I'm a hardware kinda guy and don't dabble with software design.

Monday, June 21, 2010

#17 Green Nuts!

Green nuts? Yes, made from an Emerald Nuts container. Probably will use one in a different way later.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

#16 Interfacerociter

Need to interface? Intefacerociter is there to help!



Quickie robot done today with some computer parts and hot glue.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

#15 Fathers Day Bot

Although it's tomorrow I needed to get a card done today, so if you're looking Happy Fathers Day to the best Father in-law there is!



Paper pieced card with some pen thrown in.

Friday, June 18, 2010

#14 Inkscape Bot

Downloaded Inkscape and I am playing with it a bit, so here is a quickie bot. I also have Blender and will eventually try a 3D bot.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

#13 Egg-O-Tron

OH THE HORROR! When an Egg-O-Tron has its hover unit go out the results can be horrifying. Looks like all the kings hackers and all the kings techs won't be able to put Egg-O-Tron back together again.

Site Design Fiddlin'

Since Blogger has some new templates I'll be fiddlin' with the design here, trying to find a good balance and make it a little easier to read for mobile devices (like my spouses iPhone).

Hope nobody gets tired of repurposed computer parts either, I have buckets of them thanks to years in the IT mines. In fact I have several keyboards I need to harvest parts from.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

#12 Starbots

Since I heard the news Starbucks was going with free wireless soon I figured I would work a Starbucks cup into something, thus - STARBOT! WARNING: CONTENTS MAY HAVE OBTAINED MALICIOUS SENTIENCE!



And a side view:

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

#11 Mustard Berzerk!

First a special thanks to Skull A Day for the shout out today. Welcome to any new visitors, I hope to keep this entertaining for everyone!

Today I wanted to try something temporary, like an arrangement or using something else. I started with hot sauce but it proved too watery, so I gave Dijon mustard a try and got my Mustard Berzerk Robot:


Reminded me of one of the early video games I enjoyed at the arcade Berzerk and the similar robots:


OK, so maybe not exactly but it does look like something out of an Atari 2600 game, blurry, blocky, not so fun after about 10 minutes.....

Monday, June 14, 2010

#10 Vuvuzela!

Is that a swarm of bees? No it's Vuvuzela Bot celebrating the Robo World Cup!



Penned over pencil sketch, I need a new scanner so this is a photo of the sketch with eraser crumbs still on it.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

#9 Little Bot Blue

Little Bot Blue come blow your horn, the dish ran away with the spoon...

Why is Little Bot blue? Its vacation ends today and it's back to work tomorrow, much like me.



Pen and Pentel marker in my sketch book

Saturday, June 12, 2010

#8 Wide Robot Is Wide

Wide Robot isn't fat, it was just created with a sturdier frame than others.



Plastic thingee from an antenna, dowels, computer parts, spray paint and sequins.

Friday, June 11, 2010

#7 Lil' Orphan AN-E

Won't someone adopt Lil' Orphan AN-E? Or at least upgrade its RAM?



TP tube covered in foil (yes, I'm going to use a lot of foil I foresee), RAM chip, googly eyes, wire and ribbon cable

Thursday, June 10, 2010

#6 Dangerous Hobbies

Looks like bot 30-601 is practicing the dangerous art of auto-erotic self-resetting. Let's hope that its operating system doesn't get corrupted, any more than it already is.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

#5 Analog Bot

Analog Bot is shocked to find that Digital Bot has made it obsolete.

"But I can process VGA"

"Yes, but that BNC of yours won't interface well with the HDMI bots out there."



Peanut butter jar, spray paint, old rabbit ears and computer parts.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

#4 Robot High is tough for Nerdbots

Poor Nerdbot, always being chased down by the larger industrial bots and made to do their calculations lest it be placed in a recycling bin. It's enough to make it lose control of its emission system.



Colored pencil and ink done from a prototype sketch in my little sketch book.

Monday, June 7, 2010

#3 Fan-a-maton

Summer is coming (or here depending on where you live) and the Fan-A-Maton wishes to make your day a breeze



My work desk fan adorned with some computer parts.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

#2 Ark Bot

Thanks to what seems to be non-stop rain here in the Pacific Northwest it almost seems like we should have an ark.

So here's Ark Bot, trying to save the humans, not just two of each species, but it doesn't look like its motives are appreciated.



Cardstock, paint pen and printout of some terrified people.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

#1 Skull Bot!

And so it begins.....

In a tribute to my inspiration Skull-A-Day I dedicate my first Robot-A-Day robot.

Skull Bot, aluminum foil over shaped paper.



Thanks to Noah Scalin for the original inspiration and to Tatman, Citizen Agent and Abby for the continued inspiration!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Coming Soon! Robot-A-Day

Inspired by Noah Scalin and his Skull-A-Day project, I am going to try and make a robot each day for the next year. This may involve any media I find handy and can include drawn or painted robots, but I hope to be as skillful as Noah and mix styles up.

This will be a good exercise in time discipline which I am traditionally terrible at. I hope to gather some followers and provide enjoyable content!

I will post my first Robot soon, just wanted to get all the pieces in place before I kick things off.

Chris Z.