Twitter bird attacking a young boy – LeMasney Consulting
Hey all. This is a 365 request from my very good friend Janie. She sent me a funny and exciting picture of someone very dear to her going down a slide, and I decided to take it somewhere different in Inkscape. I was especially inspired for this image by the one below, one that I use to discuss sometimes non-ambiguous emotion in design.
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Twitter Loves Open Source: Just Not as Much as Status.net (ostatic.com)
If you’ve ever been to one of my workshops on open source graphics apps, you likely saw me use this technique there as a way to demonstrate the power of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). In the GIMP, this is a technique that involves layer masks, blurring, brushwork, image scaling, and guidelines as a way of believably merging one recognizable face onto another becognizable head. The GIMP based composite image is here. I decided that I’d try to do the same technique in Inkscape, and found this attempt to be fairly quick and fairly successful.
The illustration “Open Source and Free” by John LeMasney is a conceptual piece made with the vector graphic editor Inkscape, showcasing a comparison between the terms “open source” and “free” within the context of software and intellectual property. The image is structured around two prominent heart-shaped icons placed side by side against a split background with two shades of teal.
On the left is a heart outlined in a beige tone, segmented into two halves, with the left side appearing as a flat color and the right side shaded to give a sense of depth. Within this heart, an iconic open padlock is integrated, its top half fitting perfectly into the heart’s cleft, suggesting that open source is about openness and unlocking content for examination, modification, and sharing.
On the right side, a vivid red heart contains a keyhole, signifying something that is locked or requires a key to unlock—representing the notion of “free” as in “free access” rather than “freedom to modify.” The red color here is traditionally associated with passion or cost, which might imply the fervor of the free software movement or the hidden costs associated with “free” as in “gratis” rather than “libre.”
Below the two hearts is the text “open source and free do not mean the same thing at all” in a simple sans-serif font. The text is white, creating a stark contrast against the darker background, ensuring its readability and emphasizing the message.
This juxtaposition visually articulates the conceptual difference between “open source” and “free” in software. “Open source” refers to making the source code available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. “Free,” in this context, could refer to free of charge or to “free software,” which emphasizes the user’s freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software.
The design is minimalist yet meaningful, using visual metaphors to distinguish between two philosophies often conflated in software distribution model discussions. Using hearts conveys a sense of passion and value that the creator attributes to these concepts.
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.
I made this cutie in Inkscape by creating an ellipse, adding 3 smaller tan ellipses within it, creating ellipse based ears and eyes, and then creating a mouth out of a round capped path, which I duplicated, resized and flipped to make half a nose, then the rest of the nose. With a duplicated three node polygon, I made the shards of fur on the sides of her face, which I mirrored for the other side. I added a jungle background square, and called it done. Then, I thought better of it, added some text, and really called it done.
This one was pretty straightforward — I found a picture of a cat, and in Inkscape I began to overlay path-converted ellipses and other marks, then shaped them with the node tool in order to make them match the shapes of the photo. Added a simple foresty background. Finalized with some touches of color, along with whiskers made with the pencil tool set to shape: triangle in.
