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brand design principles Illustration Inkscape portfolio references requests

Just Ask (Just Task)

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.

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portfolio

A twitter backdrop by John LeMasney via 365sketches.org #Inkscape #background

Twitter backdrop by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Twitter backdrop by John LeMasney via lemasney.com lemasney, design, open source, creative commons, cc-by, typography, poster, Inkscape, GIMPLook at my favorite images from this project on the My Favorite Pieces page

It’s fairly easy to make a custom Twitter background in Inkscape. My advice is to find one you like, right-click on it and choose view background image, then save it as a starting point. If it’s anything like most of the ones I’ve seen, it will be in the range of 1000 pixels high by 1800 pixels wide. There are places for certain elements, such as a side banner, which are covered if it extends too far to the right from the left. With Inkscape, you can experiment with placements, or as I suggested, start with someone else’s. So in Inkscape, either start with a new 1800×1000 pixel image or import your saved exemplar twitter background then create a rectangle of the same size, and then use your imagination. Calligraphy tools, effects, masking, and the new 0.48 Spraypaint tool all work great! Hope you have fun with it.

If you like this image, please share it. If you use it, please attribute me, and thanks! (cc-by lemasney)

lemasney, twitter, background, design, open source, creative commons, cc-by, typography, poster, InkscapeGIMP

Look at my favorite images from this project on the My Favorite Pieces page

 

Categories
portfolio

214 of 365 is lightning outside the airplane [illustration] #Inkscape

Night flight storm
Night flight storm

So, those of you who are friends of mine on Facebook (lemasney) saw a status after my recent night flight home from Orlando. I said that I had seen an amazing lightning storm outside of the plane from a distance and it has haunted me in a very good way ever since. The brilliant colors, bright lights, and bulbous clouds has a real impact on my imagination. We were far enough away that we were never in any danger, as far as I could tell. We were also close enough so that I could see the enormity of the storm. It was right on eye level and it was mesmerizing. I tried desperately three times to capture it on video or in a photo, but it just escaped my lens. It would never have matched my imagination anyway, which is why I love Inkscape. I’m able to make whatever I can see in my mind in the finest detail out of whole cloth. 🙂

Categories
consulting

Clipping and Masking in #Inkscape [tutorial]

clipping and masking in Inkscape tutorial

This is a video that came out of the recent workshop series on Inkscape I’m giving. I was asked to demonstrate clipping and masking in Inkscape, and was not fully prepared to discuss the proper use of masking. I did my research and decided to put together a short overview to talk about it the way I could have in class if I had been a bit more prepared. Hope this helps!

Categories
brand design principles Illustration Inkscape portfolio professional activities professional experience publications requests

A portrait of Yoda the dog

Yoda
A portrait of Yoda the dog

So this is an answer to Erika Bredahl’s picture submission of her dog Yoda. After bitmap tracing the image a few times to get some various levels of shadow and detail, I overlapped the paths and colored them using the eyedropper tool and a vidcap of Yoda from ESB. I then used another vidcap of Yoda in the Swamp scene, took it into the GIMP and used the stamp tool to remove Yoda, then brought the resulting image into Inkscape and bitmap traced it, then gave it some blur.

‘Yoda (/ˈjoʊdə/) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force. In his first appearance in the original trilogy, Yoda is described as the Jedi master of Obi-Wan Kenobi and subsequently trains Luke Skywalker to use the Force. The character reappears in Return of the Jedi where he reveals his age to be 900. Yoda has become iconic in popular culture due to his distinct pattern of speech and role as an old, wise mentor. In the prequel trilogy, set a generation before the original trilogy, Yoda is among the most powerful members of the Jedi Order and a general of clone troopers during the Clone Wars. He also trains all Jedi children, before they are assigned a Jedi master. Yoda appears again in the sequel trilogy, advising an older Luke and empowering Rey to face a revived Emperor Palpatine, along with other past Jedi.’

from “Yoda – Wikipedia” at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoda curated by lemasney creative. Feel free to share.
Categories
portfolio requests

A monster guitarist: Samzilla by John LeMasney via lemasney.com (Sam Pinola)

A monster guitarist: Samzilla by John LeMasney via 365sketches.org #Inkscape #rockandroll #poster
A monster guitarist: Samzilla by John LeMasney via 365sketches.org #Inkscape #rockandroll #poster

So here is another collaboration with my great and longtime friend, Sam Pinola. Sam sent me a bitmap traced SVG of his band, and we discussed over email the idea of his band fighting Godzilla, and possibly a 3D movie effect. In the end, turning Sam into a city wrecking, bass playing iconic monster won out for me, and I modified his SVG to make  this image. I hope Sam likes it, and I hope you like it too!

If you like this image, please share it. If you use it, please attribute me, and thanks! (cc-by lemasney)

lemasney, design, open source, creative commons, cc-by, typography, poster, InkscapeGIMP, monster, rock and roll, guitar, guitarist, bass

Look at my favorite images from this project on the Portfolio page