I submitted my 1000th fractal to the wallpaper gallery this week, which means it is a good a time as any to reflect upon how far I have come in the last 7 years. Isn't that crazy? I've been on DA for a long freaking time. Long enough that a lot of my idols have disappeared, new folks have shot up out of nowhere, and frankly I have improved immensely.

How do I know I have improved? It's pretty simple. I set my wallpaper to change every 20 minutes, and the wallpapers are all mine. When I see some of my work from several years ago it reminds me that I have learned quite a bit about good renders. I would have pulled myself aside and offered to re-render things. I don't think I will re-render things. It certainly makes me wonder why I rendered some flames in the first place though.

There are small things, like newer versions of apophysis allow you to set the lower limit for gamma in addition to the upper limit. I know how to use filter radius to prevent pixelated lines. I have a better eye for framing, color, and brightness. I know how to put colors where I want them, and balance weights so one part of the flame dominates and the other parts support it. Now that I am not struggling to produce results, I can focus on how to make art, to map looking cool to a vision, a meaning, or just fun.

If there was any time to pinpoint the change, I would say there is the stuff I made before I took on the 100 theme challenge, the work I did for the 100 theme challenge, and the work I am doing now. I have not made as many fractals since taking on the challenge, but even beyond that, doing the challenge really changed my perspective on fractal art. I think that marks the point when I finally mastered apophysis, and I stopped trying to learn the program, and started using the program as a medium for art. Mind you, I am making fractals, since that is the only medium I am fluent in, but I suspect if I learned a new medium I could transfer my sensibilities there.

So if you ever feel bored, go through my gallery, and see how a child has become an adult, and an amateur has become an artist.

It is still taking me by surprise.