Gothic Universe of Shapes Sessionography

Prologue
The earliest "genuine" concept drafts began in February 2014. Most of the concept designs that are mentioned below (but not described) were done in September - November 2014.

Concept shape designs are created for what would become the Gothic Universe of Shapes Series. Rough picture designs for the "Yin Yang", "Spiky Land Mine", "Gothic Gem", "Black Diamond", "Dark Crystal", "Doom Glass", "Circular Table", "Flat Top", "Saddle Top", "Sphere Tech", "Guest Chair", "Plaque", "Cross", "Power Triangle", "Flowchart-Off Page Connector", "Pentagon", "Medical Cherry", "Dark Bolt", and "Tombstone" (now re-named "Statue") are made.

Rough picture designs for the "Eight Ball", "Cracker of Doom", "Shot-Put" and "Lollipop" are made. New concept designs for the "Yin Yang", "Black Diamond", "Gothic Gem", "Doom Glass" (now re-named "Final Hour of Doom Glass"), "Spiky Land Mine", "Dark Crystal", "Flat Top" (now re-named "Flat Top Tech"), and "Saddle Top" (now re-named "Saddle Top Tech") are drawn. The original concept designs for the "Yin Yang", "Spiky Land Mine", "Gothic Gem", "Black Diamond", "Dark Crystal", "Final Hour of Doom Glass", "Flat Top Tech", and "Saddle Top Tech" were then scrapped.

Rough picture designs for the "Relic", "Floor Lamp", "Desk Chair" and the "Pyramid" are drawn. The "Whistle", "Padlock", "Weight" (or "Anvil"), and "Butter Churn" were added to the list, but no designs for these shapes were made. A rough design for the "Star" (or "Navigation Control") was made.

Pilot Era
17th December 2014 - The master design of the "Yin Yang" is made in Microsoft Word.

19th December 2014 - The master design of the "Eight Ball" is made in Microsoft Word. The "Eight Ball" and the "Yin Yang" were moved to Microsoft Excel for 3-D/shadow effects. The two shapes were paired up as a 2-Item Set. Both shapes were given enthusiastic response upon creation which led to their selections as two of the best shapes of the series.

21st December 2014 - The master designs of the "Final Hour of Doom Glass", "Black Diamond", "Gothic Gem" and "Dark Crystal" were made in Microsoft Excel. The "F.H.O.D Glass" and the "Black Diamond" were paired together for the 2nd 2-Item set, while the "Dark Crystal" and "Gothic Gem" were paired together to make the 3rd 2-Item set. Unlike the "Yin Yang" and it's 2-Item Set companion "Eight Ball", the "F.H.O.D Glass", "Dark Crystal" and their 2-Item Set pairs, failed to gain a very enthusiastic response, and as a result, they failed to gain selection as some of the best shapes of the series.

24th December 2014 - I forgot to add the cylindrical reservoir to the initial master design of the "Eight Ball". The cylindrical reservoir was added to the master on this day. The concept for the "Pie Chart" was started a day or two in Microsoft Excel, before the cylindrical reservoir was added to the "Eight Ball".

26th January 2015 - An alternate version of the "Yin Yang" with the colours reversed was made. Apparently this is what the "Yin Yang" would originally have looked like, had I not used an image of a "Yin Yang" on the internet for inspiration.

31st January 2015 - Alternate versions of the "Black Diamond", "Gothic Gem", and "Dark Crystal" were made in Microsoft Excel. Additional line work was added to the initial designs. Apparently these new designs of the "Black Diamond", "Gothic Gem", and "Dark Crystal" were closer to the original ball point concept designs which I'd drawn earlier in 2014. Had I made these designs back in December 2014, the three shapes would have gained a more enthusiastic response, and thus would have had a better chance at being inducted into the Gothic Hall of Fame.

1st February 2015 - An alternate version of the "Final Hour of Doom Glass" was made in Microsoft Excel. The shape underwent a significant improvement, giving it a more realistic shape, and even had a more realistic flow of sand. Had this been the version of the "Final Hour of Doom Glass" that dated from December 2014, it would have gained a much more enthusiastic response, and would almost certainly have been inducted into the Gothic Hall of Fame. Too bad the "Final Hour of Doom Glass" already had it's chance by the time the re-worked version was made a month later.

17th April 2015 - The alternate versions of the "Eight Ball" (with the cylindrical reservoir), "Yin Yang" (with colours reversed), "Black Diamond", "Gothic Gem", and "Dark Crystal" were compiled to make the first full house compilation set of the Gothic Universe of Shapes Series. The "Spiky Land Mine", "Circular Table", and the re-worked version of the "Final Hour of Doom Glass" were also featured. All eight of these shapes were collected to form this compilation, because none of them were previously featured on regular full house sets. Interestingly, all the shapes (with the exception of the "Spiky Land Mine" and it's 2-Item Set companion "Circular Table") on this compilation were presented in their previously un-featured re-worked forms, although the version of the "Eight Ball" with the cylindrical reservoir was previously added to Gothic Hall of Fame in recognition for being one of the best shapes of the series.

26th April 2015 - The "Gothic Universe of Shapes, Volume One" compilation set was re-issued on this day, with six added bonus shapes - "Eight Ball", "Yin Yang", "Black Diamond", "Gothic Gem", "Dark Crystal", and the "Final Hour of Doom Glass".

Techie Era
26th December 2014 - Work begins on the "Spiky Land Mine" in Microsoft Excel.

27th December 2014 - The "Spiky Land Mine" was completed on this day, along with a new one, the "Circular Table". Both shapes were paired together for the 4th 2-Item Set. The "Spiky Land Mine" received enthusiastic response by it's creator, upon creation which led to it's selection as one of the best shapes of the series.

28th December 2014 - Work begins on the "Power Triangle" (re-named the "Power Triad") in Microsoft Excel.

29th December 2014 - The "Yin Yang", the version of the "Eight Ball" with the cylindrical reservoir, and the "Spiky Land Mine" earned a spot on the Gothic Hall of Fame on this day. The "Power Triad" was completed, and a new shape, the "Pyramid" was created. Another new shape, the "Floor Lamp" was started on this day.

30th December 2014 - After a complicated session, the previous day, the "Floor Lamp" was finally completed after today's session.

31st December 2014 - Work starts on the "Desk Chair #1", and the "Desk Chair #2" in Microsoft Excel.

1st January 2015 - The "Desk Chair #1" and "Desk Chair #2" were completed on this day, along with three more shapes, "Guest Chair", "Flat Top Tech" and "Saddle Top Tech". The "Flat Top Tech" was paired with the "Power Triad" as the fifth 2-Item Set, where the former of the two gained enthusiastic response from it's creator and was added to the Gothic Hall of Fame. The "Saddle Top Tech" was paired with the "Pyramid" as the sixth 2-Item Set. I got into a bit of an argument with my mind as to which of the two shapes was better, I won, much to my conscience's dismay. However, my conscience ultimately got it's wish, when both the "Saddle Top Tech", and the "Pyramid" were added to the Gothic Hall of Fame.

2nd January 2015 - The "Sphere Tech" and the "Shot Put (re-named the "Bowling Ball") were created in Microsoft Excel on this day. The two shapes were paired together for the seventh 2-Item Set, where the former of the two gained enthusiastic response from it's creator and was added to the Gothic Hall of Fame.

3rd and 4th January 2015 - The "Pentagon (re-named "Pentagon Tech"), "Cross (re-named "Cross Tech"), "Plaque" (re-named "Plaque Tech"), and the "Flowchart-Off Page Connector" were started in Microsoft Excel on the 3rd January 2015 and completed on the 4th.

5th January 2015 - The "Flat Top Tech", and the "Saddle Top Tech" were given a slight re-design for their inclusion on the "Techie Treasure" Full House Set. The other eight shapes that were included were the "Floor Lamp", "Desk Chair #1", "Desk Chair #2", "Guest Chair", "Pentagon Tech", "Cross Tech", "Plaque Tech" and "Flowchart-Off Page Connector".

18th April 2015 - The "Techie Treasure" Full House Set was re-issued on this day, with four added bonus shapes from the same era, which were previously not included in the set - "Sphere Tech", "Pyramid", "Power Triad", and "Bowling Ball". Interestingly the "Flat Top Tech" and "Saddle Top Tech" are presented in their original 2-Item forms, instead of their re-designed forms that were on the original version of the set.

26th May 2015 - The "Techie Treasure" Full House Set was re-issued on this day, with the four added bonus shapes from the same era, which were previously not included in the original issue of the set - "Sphere Tech", "Pyramid", "Power Triad", and "Bowling Ball". The "Flat Top Tech" and "Saddle Top Tech" are presented in their full house set versions like the original issue, but the original versions of both shapes are featured as bonus shapes.

Swirls Era
11th January 2015 - The "Medical Cherry" and the "Dark Bolt" were created on this day. Interestingly they, along with the "Cracker of Doom", "Lollipop", "Relic" and "Whistle" were originally intended for the Techie era.

12th January 2015 - The "Cracker of Doom" and "Lollipop" were created on this day in Microsoft Excel.

13th January 2015 - The "Relic" and "Whistle" were created in Microsoft Excel on this day. The "Whistle" would require another session.

14th January 2015 - The "Whistle" was completed. The series would then be put on hold until the beginning of February, when the series' creator would gain access to Adobe Photoshop so he could introduce it's techniques to the series.

23rd January 2015 - The "Pie Chart" was re-coloured and re-sized on this day. The "Deathly Hallows Symbol" was also started. Both shapes would have to wait until they could be edited and completed with Adobe Photoshop.

24th January 2015 - The "Pie Chart" was re-coloured on this day. It would have to wait until it could be colour corrected with Adobe Photoshop, changing it from purple to a dull indigo. The "Padlock", and the "Weight" (now re-named the "Anvil") were also started.

25th January 2015 – Work continues on the "Deathly Hallows Symbol" and the "Padlock". The "Poison Apple" and the "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" ("кишені джинсів" - Ukrainian for "Jeans Pocket") were started on this day.

26th January 2015 – Work continues on the "Deathly Hallows Symbol", the "Padlock", the "Anvil", the "Poison Apple", and the "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" in Microsoft Excel. Work starts on the "Navigation Control" and the "Golden Locket". While the techie era full house set only yielded two shapes that would make the Gothic Hall of Fame. The evidence points out that the swirls era full house set will yield six! More work on the "Poison Apple" would be necessary for it to make the hall of fame.

27th January 2015 - Some rough edges are polished on the "Golden Locket" in Microsoft Excel on this day.

3rd February 2015 - The "Pie Chart" was colour corrected, re-textured, and completed with Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches with Microsoft Excel 2007 on this day. The "Pie Chart" was paired with the "Lollipop" as the seventh 2-Item Set, where the former of the two gained enthusiastic response from it's creator and was added to the Gothic Hall of Fame. This was the first 2-Item Set in over a month!

4th February 2015 - The "Deathly Hallows Symbol" and "Poison Apple" were edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 on this day. Apparently the former had to be cut in half, with one of the halves being scrapped for good. The better half was duplicated, and merged with the first identical half, to make the shape symmetrical. The "Deathly Hallows Symbol" was paired with the "Relic" as a 2-Item Set, later the same day.

5th February 2015 - The "Poison Apple" was completed with Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches with Microsoft Excel on this day. The "Poison Apple" was paired with the "Medical Cherry" as a 2-Item Set, later the same day.

6th February 2015 - The "Deathly Hallows Symbol" and "Poison Apple" gained enthusiastic response from their creator and were added to the Gothic Hall of Fame on this day.

9th February 2015 - The "Padlock" and "Anvil" were edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 on this day. One more Photoshop session for the "Anvil" would be required before it could receive the finishing touches with Microsoft Excel. Because I'd been experiencing difficulty with retaining quality of shapes during the Photoshop editing process, any further editing with Photoshop was to be made transparent, so that the high quality resolution of the original Microsoft Excel 2007 shapes could still shine beneath the editing from Photoshop.

10th February 2015 - Further work on the "Anvil" in Adobe Photoshop CS4, and work on the "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" in Photoshop.

11th February 2015 - The "Padlock", "Anvil" and "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" were completed with Microsoft Excel 2007 on this day. The "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" was paired with the "Cracker of Doom" as a 2-Item Set, later the same day. The "Navigation Control" and "Golden Locket" were also edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 on this day. One more session was necessary to complete the two shapes.

12th February 2015 - The "Navigation Control" and "Golden Locket" were completed with Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches with Microsoft Excel on this day. The "Navigation Control" was paired with the "Dark Bolt" as a 2-Item Set, later the same day, making the "Dark Bolt" the first shape of the series to have to wait at least a month before it was paired with a featured shape as a 2-Item Set. The "Golden Locket" was also paired with the "Whistle" as a 2-Item Set on this day. The "Kysheni Dzhynsiv", "Navigation Control" and "Golden Locket" were added to the Gothic Hall of Fame on this day. The three shapes along with the "Pie Chart", "Deathly Hallows", "Padlock", "Anvil" and "Poison Apple" were included on the "Swirls of Darkness" Full House Set.

17th and 18th February 2015 - A re-worked version of the "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" with the pocket pattern corrected was made. Apparently this is what the "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" would originally have looked like, had I gained access to a picture of the pocket patterns for inspiration.

20th April 2015 - An alternate version of the "Golden Locket" (with genuine chain holes) was introduced on this day.

1st May 2015 - The "Swirls of Darkness" Full House Set was re-issued on this day, with six added bonus shapes from the same era, which were previously not included in the set - "Relic", "Medical Cherry", "Lollipop", "Whistle", "Cracker of Doom", and "Dark Bolt". The "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" and "Golden Locket" were presented in their re-worked forms, with the correct pocket patterns, and chain holes respectively.

1st June 2015 - The "Swirls of Darkness" Full House Set was re-issued on this day, with the six added bonus shapes from the same era, which were previously not included in the original issue of the set - "Relic", "Medical Cherry", "Lollipop", "Whistle", "Cracker of Doom", and "Dark Bolt". The "Kysheni Dzhynsiv" and "Golden Locket" are presented in their full house set versions like the original issue, but the re-worked versions of both shapes are featured as bonus shapes.

Sketch Era
24th February 2015 - The sketching for the "Lava Lamp", "Cold Steel Boomerang" and "Death Stick" were drawn on this day using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for these shapes were not created using auto-shapes.

26th and 27th February 2015 - The sketching for the "Frozen Heart" was drawn, and the "Butter Churn" was started using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for these shapes were not created using auto-shapes.

3rd March 2015 - The sketching for the "Butter Churn" was continued on this day, using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils.

4th March 2015 - The "Lava Lamp" and "Death Stick" were completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel on this day. The "Cold Steel Boomerang" was also edited in Adobe Photoshop. One more Photoshop session would be required before the "Cold Steel Boomerang" could receive the finishing touches in Microsoft Excel. The sketching for the "Butter Churn" was completed on this day, using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils.

5th March 2015 - The "Cold Steel Boomerang" was completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel on this day. The sketching for the "Frozen Heart" was completed, with the sketching for the "Glass Ring" which was drawn on this day, using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for the "Glass Ring" was not created using auto-shapes. An early session for the "Glass Ring" had been attempted using auto-shapes earlier in February, but due to complexity issues and the problems caused by the limitations of the auto-shape shapes, this session was scrapped.

6th March 2015 - The sketching for the "Two-Face Shape" was started on this day using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for this shape was not created using auto-shapes.

9th March 2015 - The "Frozen Heart", "Butter Churn" and "Glass Ring" were edited, but not completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 on this day. The sketching for the "Two-Face Shape" was completed, with the sketching for the "Traffic Light Cube", and the "Mosquito Blanket" which was started on this day, using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for the "Traffic Light Cube" and "Mosquito Blanket" were not created using auto-shapes.

10th March 2015 - The "Frozen Heart", "Butter Churn" and "Glass Ring" were completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel on this day. The sketching for the "Mosquito Blanket" was also completed.

18th March 2015 - The "Two-Face Shape" was completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel on this day.

20th March 2015 - The "Traffic Light Cube" and "Mosquito Blanket" were completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel on this day. The sketching for the "Death Flower" was also started using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for this shape was not created using auto-shapes.

25th March 2015 - The sketching for the "Death Flower" was completed on this day, with the sketching for the "Amber Lamp" which was drawn, using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for the "Amber Lamp" was not created using auto-shapes.

26th and 27th March 2015 - The sketching for the "Torch of Darkness" was drawn on this day using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the sketch era, the basis for this shape was not created using auto-shapes.

30th March 2015 - The "Death Flower" was edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 on this day. One more Photoshop session for the "Death Flower" would be required before it could receive the finishing touches with Microsoft Excel.

31st March 2015 - The "Death Flower" and "Amber Lamp" were completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel on this day.

1st April 2015 - The "Torch of Darkness" was completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches in Microsoft Excel 2007 on this day. A text sparkle effect (without the text itself) was extracted from Microsoft Word 2000, and mixed into the light - or rather dark - shining from the torch, before the shape's creation was finalised in Microsoft Excel 2007. The sparkle effect was altered, so it can't be distinguished easily.

4th April 2015 - Four 2-Item Sets were formed on this day. Unlike the previous two eras, all the 2-Item Sets of the Sketch era, including the full house set, were compiled on the same day. This was done to ensure that I made the right choices as to what shapes would be featured on 2-Item Sets, which shapes would be part of the full house set etc. The "Lava Lamp" was paired with the "Death Stick" as a 2-Item Set, the "Cold Steel Boomerang" with the "Glass Ring", the "Frozen Heart" with the "Two-Face Shape", and the "Death Flower" with the "Traffic Light Cube". The "Lava Lamp", "Death Stick", "Frozen Heart", and "Death Flower" were also included on the "Free Hand Sketching" Full House Set, along with the "Butter Churn", "Mosquito Blanket", "Amber Lamp" and "Torch of Darkness".

8th April 2015 - The "Lava Lamp", "Cold Steel Boomerang", "Death Stick", "Frozen Heart", "Death Flower" and "Torch of Darkness" gained enthusiastic response from their creator and were added to the Gothic Hall of Fame on this day. It is interesting to note that the "Torch of Darkness" is the only shape to have been added to the Gothic Hall of Fame, that wasn't included as a 2-Item Set.

20th April 2015 - An alternate version of the "Cold Steel Boomerang" (without the transparent bubble, which was accidentally left in the original shape) was introduced on this day.

4th May 2015 - The "Free Hand Sketching" Full House Set was re-issued on this day, with four added bonus shapes from the same era, which were previously not included in the set - "Cold Steel Boomerang", "Traffic Light Cube", "Two-Face Shape", and "Glass Ring". The Cold Steel Boomerang is presented in it's alternate form without the transparent bubble.

2nd June 2015 - The "Free Hand Sketching" Full House Set was re-issued on this day, with the four added bonus shapes from the same era, which were previously not included in the set - the alternate version of the "Cold Steel Boomerang" without the transparent bubble, "Traffic Light Cube", "Two-Face Shape", and "Glass Ring". The June re-issue also includes the original version of the "Cold Steel Boomerang" with the transparent bubble, that was left as part of the shape by mistake.

Final Era
13th May 2015 - The "Alternate Process: Purple" and "Alternate Process: Olive Green" were created on this day. The two shapes were paired up as a 2-Item Set later the same day. They were the first shapes created since the "Whistle" that were created solely inside Microsoft Excel 2007. I had originally considered using Adobe Photoshop CS4, but I subsequently decided to briefly return to the basics and just create them with auto-shapes using Microsoft Excel 2007.

14th May 2015 - The "Statue" - a previously forgotten shape drafted during the Gothic Universe of Shapes prologue - was created on this day. It would need to wait upon the creation of another shape to be paired with for a 2-Item Set. The Statue was created using auto-shapes in Microsoft Excel 2007 without any editing in Adobe Photoshop CS4, or use of Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils.

25th May 2015 - Work starts on a new shape, the "Halloween Pumpkin" using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils. Like all the shapes created during the previous era, the basis for the "Halloween Pumpkin" was not created using auto-shapes. A version of the "Halloween Pumpkin" had been attempted in Adobe Photoshop CS4 several days earlier, but this version was scrapped, upon deciding that the basis of the "Halloween Pumpkin" was too complex to be done without using Faber Castell Watercolour Pencils.

8th June 2015 - The "Halloween Pumpkin" was completed on this day in Adobe Photoshop CS4 with some finishing touches using Microsoft Excel 2007. The "Halloween Pumpkin" and "Statue" were paired up together for a 2-Item Set. The "Halloween Pumpkin" was also added to the Gothic Hall of Fame on this day, in recognition for being one of the best shapes of the series.