Nature in Theory

They made it annoyingly specific in CSP and I keep forgetting every time. So this is a note-to-self + whoever else needs it:

↓

What we don't want:

1. When a brush tip is created from black / white on a regular RBG layer, it will only paint in black / white.

It will only use the selected color if Color Mixing is checked — bad if you wanted an opaque brush, because this makes the brush tips transparent when they overlay one another, as in the orange leaf clumps ↓

Troubleshooting: If the brush paints in grey / B&W as shown in the top row of leaves, check the Blending Mode in brush settings. Here, it was set to Brightness instead of Normal.

↓

The correct way:

https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/articles/679 CTRL + F → [2] A: How to create brush tip images that allow for freely changeable colors

↓

1. MOST IMPORTANT! Draw your brush tip on (or convert to) a Gray or Monochrome layer.

(Usually doesn't matter, but if your brush has gradients etc. choose Gray. It also helps to NAME and TAG it so you can find it.)

2. Edit → Register Material (J) → Image... → Check "Use for brush tip shape" on.

3. Brush settings → Brush tip → Add brush tip shape

(Here, I'm adding it to a pre-made brush that already has some color & size settings. Note that the brush stroke is displaying in color — GOOD! If the layer wasn't properly made B&W, the brush tip will show in black & the stroke will display in black.)

4. Should look like this. Can add more tips, test the brush settings you like & Save all settings as default.

A stylized generation starship flies away from an asteroid field and into a colorful molecular cloud. The ship, named "Yggdrasil", is shaped like a maple seed and intersected by two large wheels that would generate artificial gravity along their rims.

CROP: An autumnal scene at the Institute Pond: onlookers observe a gravitational-wave-emanating event in the dark, star-filled water — two black holes orbiting around one another, sending out ripples. Art by Olena Shmahalo for The Institute Letter.

If you like science and art, these and other prints are now on sale on INPRNT!

If you like science and art, these and other prints are now on sale on INPRNT!

CROP: An autumnal scene at the Institute Pond: onlookers observe a gravitational-wave-emanating event in the dark, star-filled water — two black holes orbiting around one another, sending out ripples. Art by Olena Shmahalo for The Institute Letter.

If you like science and art, these and other prints are now on sale on INPRNT!

A stylized generation starship flies away from an asteroid field and into a colorful molecular cloud. The ship, named "Yggdrasil", is shaped like a maple seed and intersected by two large wheels that would generate artificial gravity along their rims.

They made it annoyingly specific in CSP and I keep forgetting every time. So this is a note-to-self + whoever else needs it:

↓

What we don't want:

1. When a brush tip is created from black / white on a regular RBG layer, it will only paint in black / white.

It will only use the selected color if Color Mixing is checked — bad if you wanted an opaque brush, because this makes the brush tips transparent when they overlay one another, as in the orange leaf clumps ↓

Troubleshooting: If the brush paints in grey / B&W as shown in the top row of leaves, check the Blending Mode in brush settings. Here, it was set to Brightness instead of Normal.

↓

The correct way:

https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/articles/679 CTRL + F → [2] A: How to create brush tip images that allow for freely changeable colors

↓

1. MOST IMPORTANT! Draw your brush tip on (or convert to) a Gray or Monochrome layer.

(Usually doesn't matter, but if your brush has gradients etc. choose Gray. It also helps to NAME and TAG it so you can find it.)

2. Edit → Register Material (J) → Image... → Check "Use for brush tip shape" on.

3. Brush settings → Brush tip → Add brush tip shape

(Here, I'm adding it to a pre-made brush that already has some color & size settings. Note that the brush stroke is displaying in color — GOOD! If the layer wasn't properly made B&W, the brush tip will show in black & the stroke will display in black.)

4. Should look like this. Can add more tips, test the brush settings you like & Save all settings as default.

P5 Report

On December 11, 2023 scientists met at Fermilab to discuss the next decades of high-energy particle physics — the P5 report:

https://www.usparticlephysics.org/2023-p5-report

I got to create the accompanying art: a 3-panel 3D illustration symbolizing subjects in astrophysics & particle physics. One of my favorite projects of the year!

Info, process & more:

↑ Art by me For Scientific American ↓

"A qubit made from photons lives in the polarization property of light. This is depicted here as individual glowing wavelets. Coated pieces of glass, such as the cube shown in the video, can separate out different polarization states of light. Other elements can switch the polarization from one state (vertical) to the other (horizontal). Photon qubits can also live in other properties, such as color." (Caption via The Quantum Atlas)

One of a series of videos I made for UMD's Quantum Atlas:

I'll soon be available for more work like this, kindly contact me via:

Although my work tends to be primarily physics-related — from subatomic to cosmic scales — I'm also interested in other fields e.g. Long COVID research & advocacy.