So here is another monogram study for a very good friend and regular contributor to this project, Shannon. Shannon is bright, kind, inventive, cool, smart, technologically proficient, creative, and a lot of fun to be around. In short, she’s amazing. I wanted to capture some of her qualities in these monograms. Hope you liked it, and thanks to Shannon for asking for it!
So this is a pretty common effect, but it’s easy to master, and works beautifully in Inkscape. Thanks again to the crew on Monday night at Princeton Public Library who came for the fourth installment in the Inkscape Workshop series. To make this image above, do the following:
Using the ellipse tool, create a circle and make it red.
Select and duplicate (ctrl-d) the red circle, make it gray, and send it beneath the first circle using “lower selection to bottom” button in the selection tool’s options bar.
select and duplicate the red circle again, and make it white, then send it above the red circle using “raise selection to top” button in the selection tool’s options bar.
Using the same method, duplicate the white circle and make it orange. Then, move the orange circle so that it’s bottom is at the white circle’s center.
At this point, make all of the circles into paths by selecting all objects (ctrl-a) then making selected objects into paths (ctrl-shift-c).
Select the white and orange circles, using shift-click.
With those two circles selected, use the path/intersection operation. You will have a football shape in white remaining.
With the football shape selected, perform three path/inset operations.
Move the football shape over the red shape. move the gray shape a bit below the red shape.
Using the fill and stroke dialog, apply a blur of 1 or 2 to the gray shape.
Select the white football shape. Using the gradient tool, apply a full white to fully translucent white gradient to the white football shape by clicking and dragging the gradient tool from the middle top of the football shape to just below the football shape. You can play with the gradient to make it just right.
For fun, create a yellow start with the star tool. Place it between the white football shape and the red circle using the raise/lower tools.
That’s it. You can apply the effect to almost any shape as long as you use the instructions set out here.
Just ask (Just Task) by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Just Ask (Just Task)
So this came out of a recent discussion with one of my oldest friends, Roch. He’s a great artist, and one of my lifelong inspirations. This sketch celebrates just one example of why I love him as a friend and mentor. He told me a few years back about an art project in which the focus was on a single phrase that could be taken in more then one way, but could also potentially be seen as a way of life.
As I understand it, Roch’s idea, “Just (t)ask”, is a play on words that indicates that as long as the thing you’re asking for is just (reasonable, not hurtful, helpful, etc.) I’m more than willing to consider helping you to do it. Just ask, just say the words, help me to understand that you want to do this thing, and let’s do it. Together.
Much love, Roch, and thanks for the inspiration for all the time I’ve known you.
A simple enough piece to create, this is really about poetry and color. I loved summers in Ocean City as a kid. I really loved Gillian’s Wonderland, and take my boys there now. My favorite thing in all of summer was the bumper cars. The very particular aromas of electrocuted copper and steel, the quick and dirty socialization where strangers were able to laugh like old friends, the absurd tragedy of the pile of out of service cars, and the sadness when the electricity stopped flowing through the little curved wires. I loved those things.
So this is a little note to myself, and to a lot of my friends right now, to keep it up. Keep going. Keep trying to do what you’re doing. I hear you. I know it’s been hard. There’s a lot against you in your effort, but you can do it. Things will be different in the future, if you keep going. Please do.
This is a response to a Flickr group contest called Illustration Friday, and this week’s challenge just happens to be ‘giant’. Here’s my take on the idea, and I hope you liked it!