Unknown creature found in Antarctica by Swedes

According to a small article today, in the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter, an unknown creature, size of several square meters and very heavy, might have been found and cought, but fell back down to the Antarctic ocean. It was found on 250 meters depth. Read more here>> and use Google translate to read it, if you dont read Swedish. Pieces of it was still stuck to the CTD-sond they used for measuring salt level, pressure and temperature. Tissue samples says it couldnt be an octopus.

Stefan Lindblad

Using Calculations in Corel Photo-Paint

Illustration copyright Stefan Lindblad 2008

Ever thought of using Calculations when either combining channels on a coloured image or photo, or just trying to get interesting effects applied to a photo or illustration? The latter is my tip this time. Interesting effects.

I wonder how many actually use Calculations in Corel Photo-Paint, the hidden gem. One of the nice things working with Calculations is to use the Merge Modes, which you find under the Method field. To try this, start by open two images.

A nice thing with calculations is that you can switch between two images or more, by using two image sources. You change image source in the Source field. Open the images, without closing the dialog, and shift between channels.

By using two image sources you can combine those two images, by clicking OK. When this is done you dont have two objects in the object docker, only one object. So this approach in image manipulation is in a way very brutal.

By either check or uncheck using all cannels or just the grey channel, you will get a coloured RGB or 8 bit image, using invert or normal effect on the image. If you are just working with a pencil drawing you scanned, you can try different ways to increase the intensity, contrast of the pencil outlines. When you finally click OK, you are combining channels and objects. And in doing this the interesting effects starts. With this tip I am not making a tutorial, more giving a tip in manipulating your images, creating an interesting effect. But look out, this tip will combine your images, channels, not separating them into two objects in the object docker.

The more useal reason to use calculations is not necessarily to get the interesting effect as I show in my sample image, but this is one way of using it. In my sample image I used one coloured photograph I took of a street in Stockholm, Sweden and a pencil drawing I made in London , England. A drawing I scanned into my computer and the photo I took with my mobile phone.

Have Fun!

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Corel Photo-Paint Custom made Colour Palettes

When I work with an acrylic or oil painting on canvas in the studio, I have my set of colours and brushes I use on a table next to me. And my sketches for a painting, drafts, are useally on single paper or in my sketchbook. But sometimes digitally sketches I´ve done using Corel Photo-Paint and my Wacom Intuos3 tablet.

In the same way I work with colours in real life, I use palettes of colours in Corel Photo-Paint X4. I use both the standard colour palettes as well as custom made palettes I put together myself, with colours I will use for a certain image. And what is especially good, when working with digital art work such as digital painting, drawings and finally maybe an illustration of some sort, is to be able to make my own custom made colour palettes. The way to make a Custome made colour palette is very easy. One way is to simply choose a set of colours you are familiar with and like to use. A set of colours you now the exact name and RGB/CMYK number of. But one other way to do it is to use an image you bring into the computer. Wether its via your digital camera or digital scanner. It can be photos that you "googled", graphics, drawings, water colours paintings on paper you scann into your computer. It can be just about everything you can bring into Corel Photo-Paint as an image, and then use it as a reference of colours you like to use.

What I do is that I open the reference image. Then go via Window, Colour Palette and finally "Create Palette from visable". Next step is a Palette dialog that opens. In this dialog I select all colour swatches (squares) that I see, or just like to use, by choosing Ctrl+A. And then choose a name for the new Palette and then hit the OK button. The palette dialog closes down.

After this I close down my reference image, and again go via Window, Colour Palette and Colour Palette Browser. This opens a set of Palettes, in which one is the new one given a new name. Now use the palette the same way you do with the Default palettes set up by Corel Photo-Paint itself.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Swedish Design according to Stephen Bailey at the Guardian

Swedish Design according to Stephen Bailey at the Guardian, the Brittish newspaper, a good one for that matter, wrote an article that was fun to read. Not only because he mentioned Sweden, but that´s a fun kind of reading over a cup of coffee at the local café.

According to him it sounds like all of Sweden have minus -30 celsius degrees. And he mention the detective novel series "Wallander" by Mankell. Me who havent read the novels myself still beleives its placed in the south of Sweden. And I cant remember when - 30 celsius hit the south of Sweden. This country is a very Loooooong or Taaaallll country, depending how you prefer to look at it. And in the nothern part, yes it can be -30, but then we talk about way up north. Last time it was -20 celsius in Stockholm, was during winter time many years ago. Maybe 5 - 7 years ago. At least. But that said, -10 and -15 is a possibility in Stockholm, in february, which is slightly south of the middle of the country. And when this is said, when these temperatures do hit Stockholm, then with the humidity, stockholm which is built on islands, it really does get cold. And can easily feel more cold. Its goes in to your bones. Because of the humidity. But hey just relax, and dont shiver and tighten your muscles and you will be fine. And dont dress with to tight clothes. ;-)

And Wallanders area is even "hotter" than Stockholm.

Oh, and we rarely have snow during Christmas this south of Sweden. To have snow all winter, october to march, you really have to go more north than Stockholm. We get some snow in October/November shift useally for a week, sometimes two. But February is the real month for Snow and cold in Stockholm. November is the rainy dark month that makes no man happy. A britt would feel at home ;-) Oh, no we dont have polar bears on the streets.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Learning to Drive a Car in Sweden

All countries have their own ways to teach people to drive a car. I wonder how it is in other countries. In Sweden its both easy and difficult, depending on how you look at it. Sweden is a country with four seasons Which means we have Snowy winters with a lot of ice. Summers with sunny hot and humid days, with sun that never seem to go down. Winter and autmun with a mix of cold & hotter days and nights. Winters with a lot of dark days and nights. And springs with quickly shifting caracter on the weather, from one day to the other. Meaning, we have a lot of different weather conditions to take in consideration when driving a car. One thing we dont have, and probably never will have, are 15-16 year old´s allowed to have any kind of driving license´s for driving a car, like in the USA and probably other countries I dont know of. 15-16 year old´s are on the other hand allowed to drive a moped, vespa. But not faster and heavier than a EU-moped as its called here in the EU. In Sweden you are allowed to take driving lessons when you are 17, but can only get a driving license by age 18.

When you finally get the Driving licens in Sweden you only have your driving license for a year test period, to start with. During that first year you are not allowed to make any misstakes while driving. Like speeding for example. If getting caught doing that, you will instantly loose your driving license and have to start all over again. Tuff yes.

In Sweden you have to take a days lessons on learning, get to understand, how it is to drive on slippery ice and wet streets in contrast to dry and better gripp road & street surfaces. Panic breaks in higher speed, and push the breaks on different street surfaces. And you will also get to know how it might feel in different speed, to know the crashs peed in different situations.

When you finally get your driving license, you must have succed in the theory test exams, driving test, and taking the slippery, crash, speed test.

If you like to know more in detail, go to these website´s.
Gillinge (use Google translate) >>
Vägverket >>

People go to driving class, and pay evrything from 500 euros up to 2000 euros to get a driving license. Depending on if you only go to driving lessons at the drving instructor schools, or make a mix of Intrsuctor driving school AND driving privatly at home so to speak. Having a private instructor like your dad, mom, friend and so on. And since a year back, these people now have to take a small class to pass as private instructors. And it can take everything from 6 months to a year or even longer, depending how often people take classes. But probaly at least 6 months to get a driving license with a lot of practise and theory lessons with exam

I wonder how it is in other countries :-)

New design on my blog & news

As you might notice, those of you who have visited my blog & news before, I have made a change of the design on my blog & news. I felt it was about time. Its still blogger/blogspot that I use. Its the template I made some changes to. I will make a change later on to my header image. But this one will have to do for now. I have also added some new widgets to it. Such as the search filed. A search for looking searching on this blog & news solely. A new widget for blogger. For the moment I have issues with howe the images and text goes together. Because of the new width. But it will hopefully start looking okey again soon. Hope you like the new look.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Bettie Page icon pin up dies at 85

Some iconic figures are just there. You cant escape from them weather you like it or not. Bettie Page who is EVERYWHERE dies at 85 by a heart attack.

How many artists and illustrators, tatoo artists and you name it, havent in some way been, in one way or the other, effected by the image of Bettie Page. She will for ever be a icon larger than her own self. With merchandise of her. Just look at the Dark Horse comics website. Read more about it in LA Times and the Swedish Dagens Nyheter.

Bettie Mae Page was born April 22, 1923, in Nashville.


Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Simple camera won Metro Photo Challenge

The Swedish daily free newspaper Metro (choose language), yes it actually is a Swedish paper, which comes out in approximatly 22 countries world wide, had a Photo comptetion they call Metro Photo Challenge. The person who won the competition is from Cananda. His name is Joel Charlebois lives in Toronto, Canada. He won against 55.000 entries from all those countries theoretically. He used a Canon Powershot SD500 and a plastic tripod. Well done Joel!

Apparantly Joel Charlebois, amateur photographer, had noticed a strange fog. And with his simple pod, he wondered around town to get "the Photo".

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

I bought pure joy - Daler Rowney pencil set

This summer I whent with my girlfriend Mia to London again.
While there, during the last days, we whent in and bought a few things at an art supplie store. I think it was close to Holland Walk & Kensington High Street. It was a Sale, which is always fun when on a vacation :-) But I would have bought this pencil set from Daler Rowney anyway. I mean, how could I not. Just look at it. Its beutiful and inspiring to look at. And the pencils are great.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Larrys Corner - Store, Café and webshop

Sometimes you pass around a corner and bump into a great place. It happened to me the other day. Its Larrys Corner in the corner of Blekingegatan & Grindsgatan (Gatan meaning street in Swedish) in Stockholm, Sweden. When I was 16 years old I lived for a while in the opposite house of Larrys Corner. When moving in, in a 2-3 minutes time, someone stold all my large size ink drawings. Size 100 x 70 centimeters. I told "someone" to stay put while I ran down, the "someone" didnt, and during the 2-3 minutes time they where stolen. On the street. Okey, back to Larrys Corner, a Store, Café and webshop. And plans to make it more than that according to Larry himself. Larry an american from Detroit, USA who moved ages ago to Sweden, now speaks fluent Swedish. Today is the second visit for me. Larry is a nice guy, owner of the place. If you have your ways around this corner make a visit. Have a coffee, tea. Buy a book, CD or t-shirt. Comic & Graphic novel lovers as well as writers will like the place. Great things to buy. Oh, and Larry told me that many from other countries buy books and things via his website, webshop. So if you find anything you like, dont hesitate. Here is one new item Larry just showed me. His logo, face drawn buy a swedish cartoonist Simon Gärdenfors, made like a small pillow. Size of a larger hand.

And do I have to say that Greta Garbo lived on this small street, Blekingegatan, before she moved to Hollywood.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist