Posts archive

Browse posts organized by the year that they were published.

2024

And just like that, I was done with Netlify

As someone who uses Netlify’s Starter plan to host this site, the following situation is the kind of nonsense that keeps me up late at night…

DIY record cube back spacers

Tutorial for building cheap alternatives to Turntable Revival’s wooden back spacers.

2023

Goodbye Gatsby, Hello Hugo

Hugo has ruined me. Other static site generators that rely on community plugins and copypasta to fill out their gaps don’t cut it anymore…

2021

Adding last modified timestamps with Git

Today I learned how to automatically add last modified dates to Markdown files used by static site generators like Jekyll and Gatsby.

URLs and links in Jekyll

How Jekyll uses URLs and how to link posts, pages, assets, and other resources together.

Jekyll’s site.url and baseurl

Learn what Jekyll’s site url and baseurl variables are and how to properly set them with relative_url and absolute_url filters to avoid broken links and 404 errors.

Not so quick with the Gatsby site optimizations

This is the post where I talk about neglecting the site and pledge to blog more… wait, wasn’t I suppose to do this on January 1st?

2020

Twenty Nineteen

First time doing a year in review post. The statistics contained are just for fun as there’s nothing to compare them against yet.

2019

Faster Netlify builds

Slowly but surely, I’ve been chipping away at my site’s build time on Netlify. There’s little left for me to optimize until Jekyll drops some nice updates in version 4.

2018

Autumn refresh

Using CSS Grid Layout Module to redesign a Jekyll site and further improve performance and accessibility.

2017

Optimizing and automating my Jekyll site build

Lessons learned from building, optimizing, and deploying a huge static site with everyone’s favorite SSG — Jekyll.

Styling language specific code blocks with Jekyll

Interesting styling possibilities with Kramdown syntax highlighted code blocks in Jekyll.

Accessing static files in Jekyll

Learn how to use static files with Jekyll to create a gallery of images automatically without a plugin.

2016

Improving Staticman comments on a Jekyll site

How to use Staticman to add threaded comments and reply notifications to a static-based Jekyll site.

HTML inside Kramdown table cells with Jekyll

The question of how to write a list inside of a table cell with Kramdown recently came up in a thread on Jekyll Talk — prompting me to look for a solution.

Configuring publishing sources for GitHub Pages

You know what sucks? Maintaining two separate branches of an open source project, just to host its source code and documentation together with GitHub Pages.

Oil pastels are not pencils

Not to overstate the obvious here, but oil pastels do not behave like colored pencils…

CSS blur effect

Playing with the new Depth Effect (aka fauxkeh) on my iPhone 7 Plus got me thinking about Gaussian blurs, and how to improve their use on this site.

Using SSI to detect cookies

In my never ending quest to micro-optimize the hell out of my site, I ran into a snag when trying to use SSI directives to improve the loading of critical CSS and cached stylesheets.

Inktober failure

Like previous years, I started out with the best of intentions for Inktober and then quickly lost steam…

What tablet do you use?

If it wasn’t obvious from the artwork on this site, I draw, paint, and create on Apple’s iPad.

Learning to draw on iPad

How did I git gud at drawing and painting on an iPad? The answer that no one likes to hear is “practice, practice, practice.

iPad stylus recommendations

Long story short, if you have an iPad Pro do yourself a favor and get an Apple Pencil.

How to make time-lapse videos on iPad

Methods used to capture time-lapse videos of drawing and painting on an iPad, to show an artwork’s progression.

How to glitch images

To create profile images that look like they’ve been run through a television set with poor reception, I use DECIM8.

How to export high resolution Paper sketches

With Paper by WeTransfer you can only export as large as your iPad’s native resolution. If you care about getting more pixels out of your Paper art than the largest iPad Pro1 is the way to go.

How to draw straight lines

To draw straight lines on the iPad in apps that don’t have a ruler tool, I use whatever straight edge I have laying around: plastic ruler, book cover, piece of cardboard, notepad, etc.

Adding comments to a Jekyll site with Staticman

Uninstall Disqus and learn how to add a static-based commenting system to Jekyll with Staticman.

Switching tools with Paper

How to switch tools in the app Paper for iPad and iPhone.

How to paint smoothly with the brush tool

A smooth gradient can be achieved layering washes of watercolor on top of each other. Speed and pressure play an important role in how clean of a tone you end up with.

How I'm using Jekyll in 2016

Documenting my approach to using Jekyll, how that’s evolved over the years, and web development learnings I’ve picked up along the way.

2015

The path to iPad Pro

Convincing myself that I need an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to fulfill all my digital illustration needs.

Paper v3.0 features

Paper comes to the iPhone with productivity boosting features like photo import, text notes, grid view, rotate, and more.

Mastering Pencil by FiftyThree

Learn how to create impressive effects with 53’s Pencil stylus and Paper app, using exclusive features like Blend and Surface Pressure.

Faux layer technique for Paper

Learn Paper’s faux layer technique and how it can aid in sketching and tracing on iPad.

Drawing experience

I’ve been drawing with traditional tools and materials — on and off for the last 20 years.

Building a living style guide with Jekyll

How I used Jekyll to build a living style guide and pattern library for Made Mistakes.

Drawing outer space with Paper

Learn how to draw stars, galaxies, planets, black holes and more with Paper on iPad and 53’s Pencil stylus.

2014

How to use Paper's color picker

Tutorial explaining how to use Paper’s new color picker tool to sample, mix, and share colors.

Pencil by FiftyThree stylus review

An avid Paper creator’s impressions of FiftyThree’s new iPad stylus, Pencil.

Mastering Mix by FiftyThree

Download these templates for Paper and discover how to use Mix to Learn, Sketch, Play, Write, Design, and Think.

How to undo and erase in Paper

Learn how to use Paper’s eraser tool to undo and cover-up mistakes on iPad.

Paper v2.0.0 bugs

Documented bugs and other strange behaviors found in Paper for iOS version 2.0.0 when using Pencil.

Watercolor brush improvements

Discover the secrets of Paper’s newly updated watercolor brush in this short tutorial and video.

Mix by FiftyThree initial thoughts

Mix by FiftyThree makes finding, sharing, and learning from inspiring Paper creators easy and fun.

PaperFaces retrospective

A look back at two years of drawing over 800 portraits using an iPad and Paper for iOS.

Paperfaces digital drawing giveaway

Enter to win a portrait of your choice drawn by Michael Rose in his signature PaperFaces style.

Grid method of drawing

How to use the grid method of drawing to improve your accuracy when drawing with the app Paper on iPad.

How to zoom while painting

Learn how to reposition Paper’s zoom loupe mid-stroke to help add detail to your drawings.

Drawing realistic portraits with Paper

Advanced Paper tutorials and techniques for drawing and painting faces with an iPad.

Starting young

It was only natural the two little rosebuds would become early adopters of technology.

Drawing and painting basics

Beginner friendly Paper app tutorials covering basic drawing and painting techniques, inking, and color theory principles.

Contour line drawing on iPad

How to use blind contour line drawing and the iPad app Paper, to improve hand eye coordination and observation skills.

2013

Pogo Connect stylus sensitivity fix

How to adjust the Pogo Connect’s pressure sensitivity setting with firmware v1.1.0.

Drawing textures with Paper

Tutorials for drawing bricks, wood, and rock textures with the Paper app on iPad.

Blending with Pencil by 53, first look!

53’s Pencil stylus and new Blend feature is full of promise. Here’s a taste of what is possible when using both.

Printing Moleskine books on iPad

Impressions of a handmade Moleskine book designed and printed on iPad with the app Paper.

Drawing water with Paper

Techniques for drawing water and waves using the app Paper on iPad.

Drawing clouds and skies with Paper

iPad tutorials and techniques for drawing blue skies, clouds, and sunsets with the app Paper.

Drawing trees and grass with Paper

Techniques on how to draw trees, grass, and other foliage using the Paper app on iPad.

365 days of drawing faces

Year one of my 365 day portrait project may be over, but I’m just getting started.

Getting started with Paper

An introduction to Paper’s tools and how best to exploit them for drawing realistically.

Pogo Connect iPad stylus review

The Pogo Connect is an iPad stylus that brings pressure sensitivity and enhanced functionality to devices and apps that support it.

Drawing faceless portraits with Paper

Quick tutorial for drawing faceless (e.g., PaperFaces) portraits on iPad with the Paper app.

Drawing hair with Paper

Learn how I draw hair quickly with the Paper app for iPad.

Quick tips for iPad sketching

How to sketch faceless (e.g., PaperFaces) portraits and landscapes on an iPad, with the app Paper.

2012

Sketching PaperFaces portraits

An experiment in humanizing the web — drawing a portrait everyday on iPad with the app Paper.

Easter egg marriage proposal

Two years ago on this day, I proposed to my wife Wendy by leading her on an Easter egg scavenger hunt.

Going static: Using Jekyll without a CMS

Migrating Made Mistakes from a Wordpress powered website back to its static file roots using Jekyll without a CMS.

2011

Corn On Macabre record art ⁠— vellum and metallic ink bliss

My favorite thing about this Corn On Macabre 7-inch record is the use of vellum and metallic inks in the sleeve.

My About.me profile

How 5 minutes spent creating an About.me profile nabbed me free Moo business cards of my own design.

Urban Outfitters, ya typography dun goofed again

Glad to see improvements in the May 2011 Urban Outfitters catalog. Especially since I took a few issues with their typography last month.

Agna Moraine's Autobiography, handwritten record art

I couldn’t begin to tell you what the artwork in this emo record means. But silk screening lyrics on fabric scrapes is kind of cool.

Collecting records for the artwork

How the hand crafted aesthetics found in DIY released emo and hardcore records started my collecting addiction.

Typography no nos with Urban Outfitters

The typography in Urban Outfitters latest catalog has some serious readability issues.

Knowing grids means breaking grids

Exploring what it means to develop a grid system that helps facilitate strong design with purpose.

Makings of a mistake, designing this site

As a designer we’ve all been there. When was the last time you got bored with a design and decided to just burn it and start anew?

2010

Impressions of iPhone 4 from a long time Palm user

The following are some of my experiences and observations transitioning from Palm to iOS after nearly 10 years of baggage.

Getting the sold out iPhone 4 at launch

Looks like I might actually get two iPhone 4s on launch day.

2008

2007

2006

iPod battery settlement program status

A short update on the status of my iPod 3G battery settlement claim.

Feeling kinda stuck in a Half Nelson

My impressions of the film Half Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling.