So this was pretty straightforward. I took the pencil tool (set to spiro paths and shape: triangle in) and dropped some wavy lines, which I combined into single path. I duplicated the path about 4 times, adding additional levels of blur effect to each duplicate. In the lowest duplicate, I also applied several outsets, enlarging and broadening the path with the greatest amount of blur. I gave this duplicate a deep blue tint. Finally, I added a deep dark navy square as the bottom most part of the image. I wouldn’t want to run into this thing.
So this is my cat Jimmy, sleeping not on a table, actually, but a media switch. I just used the calligraphy tool to sketch his outline kind of quickly, then duplicated it and blurred the dupe just a little. Then I duplicated it again, flipped it so as to create a mirror image, and used the gradient tool to have it fade out for a mirrored effect. Under it all is a rectangle with a gradient applied to create a planar difference between the background and the table surface.
One of my best and longest standing friends has tqaken to critiquing my blog. I welcome this. Especially because he has started giving me ideas for the blog. He said that he really wanted to see an eye that could see in all directions. I decided to interpret his request figuratively, and just render a human eye, as I believe with knowledge, insight, and experience that we can foretell a lot of what is going to happen. Though I’m surprised constantly. In inkscape, I created the iris with a circle and some overlapping blue and green stars using the shape tool, with a large white circle in back of it for the eyeball. I added a black ellipse for the pupil. I used two rectangles-to-paths to shape the upper and lower face by using the node tool. For the space between the eyeball and the upper and lower face, I added a pink rectangle behind the eyeball. I added simple pencil lines with shape: ellipse for the upper and lower lids and lash line, and switched to pencil with shape: triangle out for the lashes.Thanks for the suggestion, Roch, I hope you like it, and I hope you suggest more ideas.
In honor of my official transcript showing that I graduated from Rider University in December of 2009 with a Master of Artsdegree in Organizational Leadership, I wanted to make a tree, a common symbol of knowledge and education. It also is one of the key elements of Rider’s brand. I used the pencil tool mostly, set to 50% smoothing, and shape: Triangle in to create the roots and trunk. I then used the ellipse tool in order to create many overlapping green circles, and path: unioned them for the foliage. To amplify the beauty of the branches, I set the foliage transparency down a bit. I made a background plane with a gradient with about 5 stops to create a natural, but muted, background.
This image was created by overlapping several ellipses, which I love as a technique for creating bubbly forms. I selected them all and did a Path/Union operation to make a single bubbly path. Then I duplicated the cloud and did a path/outset, and colored it yellow then added a blur. I duplicated that and outset it again, making it red, but not adding a blur. I used the text tool to add a couple of commas and a parenthetical which I manipulated with the selection tool to form a face. I added a blue sky in the background and called it done. It’s definitely a retro feeling thing.
This was a quick study. I used the shape tool to make the sun, then added eyes and mouth with the pencil tool. I put in a blue background block, and then using the ellipse tool, I made a cloud with several circles. To create a single shape, I selected the circles, and did a path union operation. Finally, I added a blur to the clouds. UPDATE: I decided to give some shimmer to the clouds. I added a gradient from blue to yellow towards the sun for the stroke on the cloud, and gave a low layered duplicate for the sun shape a slight blur for a glow effect.
