Laser Fractal Space Wizard
@complicatedreality.com
I'm Yamen, it rhymes with ramen.
I make fractal art, write poems and stories, and create games and puzzles. See more of my work at complicatedreality.com
I make fractal art, write poems and stories, and create games and puzzles. See more of my work at complicatedreality.com
Pinned
"Beam Swarm"
Old flam3 fractal
Be the light that casts the shadow forward if you can.
Backwards-facing shadows only help them with their plan.
Tomorrow may be darker, if the bastards get their way
but that's an insufficient reason to let them have today.
Old flam3 fractal
Be the light that casts the shadow forward if you can.
Backwards-facing shadows only help them with their plan.
Tomorrow may be darker, if the bastards get their way
but that's an insufficient reason to let them have today.
In the first pic, you can see areas on the right coin that are too dense with detail, they become indistinct visually. But with the right lighting and a zoom lens, you can see that the detail remains coherent. That means the limit for visual detail density is visual, not technical!
December 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
In the first pic, you can see areas on the right coin that are too dense with detail, they become indistinct visually. But with the right lighting and a zoom lens, you can see that the detail remains coherent. That means the limit for visual detail density is visual, not technical!
Putting the Pattern Pantry to work today so I can be stocked up for Sunda's market.
December 18, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Putting the Pattern Pantry to work today so I can be stocked up for Sunda's market.
Knowledge is learning out you can almost triple the "DPI" (LPI, technically) of your laser because the dot is so tiny. Wisdom is recognizing that doing so effectively triples your engraving time.
December 16, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Knowledge is learning out you can almost triple the "DPI" (LPI, technically) of your laser because the dot is so tiny. Wisdom is recognizing that doing so effectively triples your engraving time.
This was tricky. The iridescent film is a layer on top of the leather. Too much heat causes that layer to bubble up. But once I dialed in the settings, it turned out pretty great.
December 6, 2025 at 6:19 PM
This was tricky. The iridescent film is a layer on top of the leather. Too much heat causes that layer to bubble up. But once I dialed in the settings, it turned out pretty great.
I don't know what to call them. Bead containers? Herb stash tins? Pixie pools? What would you store in a 1 inch round container with a screw on top?
December 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I don't know what to call them. Bead containers? Herb stash tins? Pixie pools? What would you store in a 1 inch round container with a screw on top?
Today was a record breaker for my art market. The booths were hot, the entertainment was wonderful, and Eugene showed up big time. Oh, and my spin coins were a huge hit!
November 30, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Today was a record breaker for my art market. The booths were hot, the entertainment was wonderful, and Eugene showed up big time. Oh, and my spin coins were a huge hit!
Market for the Strange
Creatures of the Night
Lane Event Center
11AM-6PM Today (Nov 29)
$5 admission (free admission after 5PM)
Creatures of the Night
Lane Event Center
11AM-6PM Today (Nov 29)
$5 admission (free admission after 5PM)
November 29, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Market for the Strange
Creatures of the Night
Lane Event Center
11AM-6PM Today (Nov 29)
$5 admission (free admission after 5PM)
Creatures of the Night
Lane Event Center
11AM-6PM Today (Nov 29)
$5 admission (free admission after 5PM)
Don't miss XKCD's comic today. "Fifteen Years".
xkcd.com
xkcd.com
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Don't miss XKCD's comic today. "Fifteen Years".
xkcd.com
xkcd.com
Really happy with how this pattern turned out. I designed it with the orientation on the right, making a mushroom shape. But the other orientation looks like a tongue or a pair of kissy lips. What do you see?
November 24, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Really happy with how this pattern turned out. I designed it with the orientation on the right, making a mushroom shape. But the other orientation looks like a tongue or a pair of kissy lips. What do you see?
Here's my spin coin process, from laser to shiny spinner in under 3 minutes. (Real time: ~150 min)
www.youtube.com/shorts/_qsT1...
www.youtube.com/shorts/_qsT1...
How I make fractal engraved spin coins with a fiber laser #laserengraving #fidget
YouTube video by Complicated Reality
www.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Here's my spin coin process, from laser to shiny spinner in under 3 minutes. (Real time: ~150 min)
www.youtube.com/shorts/_qsT1...
www.youtube.com/shorts/_qsT1...
It's almost harder to get a bad spin that is short enough for a social media video.
November 15, 2025 at 11:20 PM
It's almost harder to get a bad spin that is short enough for a social media video.
The collection is growing!
November 15, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The collection is growing!
Yeah, Geno. That'll do!
November 10, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Yeah, Geno. That'll do!
I haven't been this overflowing with ideas in a long time. It's great to have a tool that can keep up with me. I love the idea that these coins will still have these fractals on them a hundred years from now.
November 8, 2025 at 9:47 PM
I haven't been this overflowing with ideas in a long time. It's great to have a tool that can keep up with me. I love the idea that these coins will still have these fractals on them a hundred years from now.
A maze is made with walls or ways, and a wary wanderer.
This idea is inspired by The Stanley Parable. A game without a player is just rules. A player with no game is just a dreamer. A maze isn't a maze until someone is inside it and unsure of which way to go.
This idea is inspired by The Stanley Parable. A game without a player is just rules. A player with no game is just a dreamer. A maze isn't a maze until someone is inside it and unsure of which way to go.
November 7, 2025 at 10:37 PM
A maze is made with walls or ways, and a wary wanderer.
This idea is inspired by The Stanley Parable. A game without a player is just rules. A player with no game is just a dreamer. A maze isn't a maze until someone is inside it and unsure of which way to go.
This idea is inspired by The Stanley Parable. A game without a player is just rules. A player with no game is just a dreamer. A maze isn't a maze until someone is inside it and unsure of which way to go.
These might be my favorite. Hefty, shiny brass coins with a secret that turns them into tops that spin for minutes!
November 4, 2025 at 8:07 AM
These might be my favorite. Hefty, shiny brass coins with a secret that turns them into tops that spin for minutes!
After Geno is done carving the metal with photons, it's up to me to make it shine. Here's my process.
#laserengraving
#laserengraving
November 2, 2025 at 11:38 PM
After Geno is done carving the metal with photons, it's up to me to make it shine. Here's my process.
#laserengraving
#laserengraving
Exactly how I see it. "Look how stupid/evil this person is" posts are just part of the propaganda.
My perhaps controversial assessment is that when you share the propaganda of your enemies to call it out or to mock it… you’re still spreading their propaganda and maybe doing exactly what they hope you’ll do.
November 1, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Exactly how I see it. "Look how stupid/evil this person is" posts are just part of the propaganda.
My love for the color orange is rooted in this gnarly Japanese Maple that grows outside my window. Every year, it undergoes a stunningly vibrant transition before losing its leaves for the winter. I've enjoyed it since childhood, but this year I recorded it so you can enjoy it too.
#TreesAreCool
#TreesAreCool
October 30, 2025 at 6:23 PM
My love for the color orange is rooted in this gnarly Japanese Maple that grows outside my window. Every year, it undergoes a stunningly vibrant transition before losing its leaves for the winter. I've enjoyed it since childhood, but this year I recorded it so you can enjoy it too.
#TreesAreCool
#TreesAreCool
I discovered they have a secret use as a flow toy.
October 28, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I discovered they have a secret use as a flow toy.
Took a risk and ordered a few spot rugs with my art on them. The vibrance is fantastic, and the details came through reasonably well. We'll see if they're popular enough to do again, but if not, I think I'll be happy to have them around the house.
So will my cat. 😅
So will my cat. 😅
October 26, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Took a risk and ordered a few spot rugs with my art on them. The vibrance is fantastic, and the details came through reasonably well. We'll see if they're popular enough to do again, but if not, I think I'll be happy to have them around the house.
So will my cat. 😅
So will my cat. 😅
"Wiggy" is a word that means "I'm feeling weird, but I know it's because of the substance I've consumed", and implies "I need to change my setting, but communicating is difficult". It's an alternative to attaching those feelings to more important things, and a reminder that the discomfort will fade.
October 18, 2025 at 5:29 PM
"Wiggy" is a word that means "I'm feeling weird, but I know it's because of the substance I've consumed", and implies "I need to change my setting, but communicating is difficult". It's an alternative to attaching those feelings to more important things, and a reminder that the discomfort will fade.
This is so much fun!
October 17, 2025 at 4:38 PM
This is so much fun!
I found the feature that changes the angle of the laser's approach each pass.. Whoops, I mean Geno learned Geno Whirl!
This coin is a map of how I see emotions. Each emotional state has its counterpart on the back. We oscillate between each pair (and others), and the combined result is our "now".
This coin is a map of how I see emotions. Each emotional state has its counterpart on the back. We oscillate between each pair (and others), and the combined result is our "now".
October 16, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I found the feature that changes the angle of the laser's approach each pass.. Whoops, I mean Geno learned Geno Whirl!
This coin is a map of how I see emotions. Each emotional state has its counterpart on the back. We oscillate between each pair (and others), and the combined result is our "now".
This coin is a map of how I see emotions. Each emotional state has its counterpart on the back. We oscillate between each pair (and others), and the combined result is our "now".