Author: lemsy

John LeMasney (lemsy) is an artist, graphic designer, and technology creative. He is located in beautiful Nelson County, VA, but works remotely with ease. Contact him at: lemasney@gmail.com to discuss your next creative project.

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portfolio requests

53 of 365 is Sam I am #inkscape

Sam I am - LeMasney Consulting
Sam I am - LeMasney Consulting
Sam I am - LeMasney Consulting
Sam I am – LeMasney Consulting

This is another entry in the 365 Requests sub project. Sam, a very good friend from my high school days who I’ve been lucky enough to stay in touch with, donated a robot image of his, which is the basis of the hearts with hands down the left side of the image. I saw a recent image of his on his profile that I thought captured his personality in a great way — he’s a lot of fun, witty, mischievous, a character, and all heart. He just enjoyed the birth of a son, and I am thrilled for that kid — he’s going to know what it’s like to have a great dad (and mom, brothers, aunt, etc. — the whole clan is a great one). So, I took Sam’s image, converted to botmap, removed all the nodes except what was essential to convey his expression, and gave it some color. I created a background square, and on top of that added a slightly blurred spirograph render using that extension. I added the text, an obvious nod to Dr. Suess, but also a play on Sam’s playfulness. I decided to bring out the color in his eyes, by creating two paths and shaping them into where his irises would appear, because he’s got these incredibly deep blue eyes. Finally, to make sure I honored his donation, I took his robot image, cut the path to get at the heart and arms of the robot from his image, combined them into a mechanized heart, and duped twice. Thanks to Sam for his donation, and thanks to you for checking it out.

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Rock Paper Scissors – LeMasney Consulting

paper rock scissors - LeMasney Consulting
paper rock scissors - LeMasney Consulting
paper rock scissors - LeMasney Consulting
paper rock scissors – LeMasney Consulting

This is really just a simple use of path boolean logic and a blur based shadow effect. I added some text to a page and converted to paths. I used the node tool to remove all of the inner shapes in the text to emulate what would happen in reality if these letters were cut out of paper. I then added the red rectangle. To push the effect, I did a path/difference to remove the text shapes from the rectangle. To simulate reality, I took this paper shape, duplicated it, added a blur and made it grey to create a shadow effect. I moved the shadow a bit down and to the right. I thought it was a funny kind of play on Rock Paper Scissors (rochambeau) and also clearly (hopefully) related to Valentine’s Day. I also felt like it was a little sad, like what someone who couldn’t tell his valentine how he really felt. This is for you, you sad, crushed, depressed design geeks. Go tell her (him, whoever) how you really feel.

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portfolio requests

On teaching – LeMasney Consulting

On teaching - LeMasney Consulting
On teaching - LeMasney Consulting
On teaching - LeMasney Consulting
On teaching – LeMasney Consulting

This image is of a very good friend of mine, and is part of the 365 requests subproject. As a matter of fact, it was this request (from another good and mutual friend) that inspired me to open up the offer to participate to all of my friends and acquaintances by asking them to send in ideas and photos for the purposes of inspiring sketches. In this particular case, this sketch was meant to be a birthday gift for the person in the image. She knows who she is. As far as you’re concerned, you just need to know that she’s wholly dedicated to inspiring young teachers to go out and make great changes in the world. I’m very proud to know her. The technique: I took a rather small resolution image and bitmap traced it, then I resized it up. I added some color fields to denote a shirt and face. I placed gradients to indicate hair and jacket. I duplicated the bitmap trace, sent it backwards, and blurred it for a glow effect. I added the word teach, and added a glow effect for that as well. Finally, as a background, I created a solid block, added a extension: render: polar grid and blurred it to create a sunburst effect. Happy accidents in this one.

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50 of 365 is a Misty Morning Hop #Inkscape

Misty Morning - LeMasney Consulting
Misty Morning - LeMasney Consulting
Misty Morning - LeMasney Consulting
Misty Morning – LeMasney Consulting

 

This image was meant to be a rendering of a memory of sultry summer mornings where the heat of the coming day meets the wetness in tall grass and makes for a bit of fog. I made a single leafy reed with the ellipse tool and the calligraphy tool, then set it as a brush by copying it and using the pencil tool set to shape: from clipboard. I added some tall grasses with the pencil tool set to shape: triangle in.  I applied a color jitter to all of the shapes after setting them to a solid dark leafy green. I added a blurry gradient for the background, and a blurry dark green rectangle in the foreground to add some depth. I added the text, dupliacted it and blurred the duplicate for a soft foggy effect. With snow on the way here in New Jersey, I’m looking forward to seeing the summer morning fog again.

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Portrait of Sean Piotrowski – LeMasney Consulting

Portrait of Sean Piotrowski - LeMasney Consulting
Portrait of Sean Piotrowski - LeMasney Consulting
Portrait of Sean Piotrowski - LeMasney Consulting
Portrait of Sean Piotrowski – LeMasney Consulting

This is another entry into my 365 requests sub-project, in which I’ve asked friends to submit images, ideas, and more for inclusion in 365Sketches. Sean gave me an image at my request before this project started, but it certainly worked for this purpose. I took his image, did a bitmap trace, and played with the settings to capture the most significant identifying features. I took a rectangle and put it in the background, then applied a multi-stop gradient with lots of what I think of as his skin tones. I then created a spirograph using the filter/render/spirograph tool and masked it with a duplicate of the botmap conversion to allow his face to appear clear, but the background to have a subtle, but I think interesting pattern. I thank Sean for his willingness to participate and hope he finds the image a good use of the share.

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Urban circles

Urban design - LeMasney Consulting
Urban design - LeMasney Consulting
Urban design - LeMasney Consulting
Urban circles by lemsy

The image titled “Urban Circles” by John LeMasney presents a visually striking composition that primarily features a series of concentric circles, varying in size and thickness, that create a sense of rhythm and movement across the canvas. These circles, some solid, others composed of loosely formed rings, are centered and dominate the image, suggesting a modernist take on targets or ripples in water. The color palette is relatively limited but thoughtfully chosen, featuring shades of red, from deep burgundy to brighter crimson, which stands out against a muted background of olive greens and earthy browns.

Numerous organic shapes and swirls are overlaying and intersecting these circles, reminiscent of vines or tendrils. These curvilinear forms introduce an element of nature and growth, and their lighter hues, set against the darker background, add depth and complexity to the image. The lines that define these shapes are elegant and fluid, contributing to the overall dynamism of the composition.

The image’s backdrop evokes the texture of aged parchment or a wall worn by time, imbued with subtle gradients and a speckled effect that suggests a rich patina. This textured quality gives the image an additional layer of interest, hinting at history and permanence.

“Urban Circles” could be interpreted as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of urban life, where the circles represent different communities or nodes within a city, and the intertwining organic lines symbolize the paths that connect them. The use of circles, often seen as a symbol of unity and perfection, juxtaposed with the organic, imperfect swirls might also reflect the contrast between the man-made environment and the natural world. This theme resonates with the complexity of urban ecosystems.

The composition’s balance between geometric and organic elements, along with its color scheme and textural qualities, all contribute to a piece that is simultaneously modern and timeless, orderly and wild, reflecting the multifaceted nature of urban existence.