Tag: Open source

HRLC presents: Using GIMP and Inkscape

Post author By lemsy
Post date 2010-01-11
2 Comments on HRLC presents: Using GIMP and Inkscape

Date: Monday, January 11th, 2010

Venue: Highlands Regional Library Consortium at Hasbrouck Heights Library.

Abstract: In this day-long workshop, we’ll go in depth to discover how to use two fantastic Open Source Design Applications: the GNU Image Manipulation Program (AKA GIMP), and Inkscape.
The GIMP provides layers, effects, painting tools, and all of the features that you have come to expect from a fully featured imaging application like Adobe Photoshop. Inkscape is a vector-based illustration and layout application, similar to Adobe Illustrator in its ability to manipulate text, shapes, paths, vector points, and colors. Because these programs are Open Source Software, you benefit from the work of thousands of volunteer and professional developers, without having to pay anything for the use of the software. In this workshop, you will learn to use these tools by doing a few projects step-by-step. By the end of this workshop you will be able to effectively use painting and drawing tools, brushes, layers, path manipulation, photo manipulation, effects, rulers and grids to meet against your most challenging design needs.

Presentation: http://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0Ad-YsRMv5bPqZGNrZm05ZndfMTU1ZHY3cnJoZmQ&hl=en

Commentary and notes:

Tags Design, GIMP, Inkscape, Libraries, Open source

Illustration Inkscape portfolio

A face made out of lines

This image is based in creative play with the stitch sub paths tool in Inkscape. I discovered that you can create a really fun dimensional effect if you approximate the edges of an object in space as paths and then connect them using the stitch sub paths live path effect. I tried at first to make a profile without a real model to work from, which was okay, but not really believable. I decided to go and find an image of somebody’s facial profile online, the solution to which turned out to be one of the first images I came to, an image of a guy named David Zuckerman. I liked the clean-cut profile and used it, and after I was all done, I went back to get the information to credit the photo and found out that he’s “a computer scientist on Adobe Flash Builder team leading the work on language intelligence, refactoring and other IDE goodness” ( ). That’s well… awkward. I wonder if I can talk him into using Open Source software?

Tags GIMP, Inkscape, John LeMasney, Open source, Programming, WordPress

Illustration Inkscape portfolio

A girl’s face made out of lines

Post author By lemsy
Post date 2009-12-31
1 Comment on A girl’s face made out of lines

An illustration of a girl's face made with serial lines using Inkscape cc-by lemasney

A girl's face made out of lines by John LeMasney via lemasney.com — A girl’s face made out of lines

This one was a revelation for me. Perhaps not the best application of this tool, but it was a lot of fun to play with. I just started reading about Inkscape‘s Stitch Sub Paths Live Path Effect in Kirsanov’s The Book of Inkscape and found that it was great for lining long planes with manipulable parallel paths.

In my painting classes, I learned that it’s important to sculpt your subject with your brush to help your viewer see the way that a plane is going through space. This is a simplified way of doing just that. Very fun too.

I hope you can excuse the primitivism of this experiment, but I plan to develop my skills with it in the new year. Speaking of which, I hope you all have a great 2010.

Tags GIMP, Graphics, Inkscape, John LeMasney, Open source, Scalable Vector Graphics, Vector Based, Vector graphics, WordPress

professional activities teaching experience

Infolink presents: Practically Designed

Post author By lemsy
Post date 2009-12-15
No Comments on Infolink presents: Practically Designed

: Image by lemasney via Flickr

Date: Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Venue: Clark Township Public Library, Clark Township, NJ

“Class Description:

During this workshop on the basics of visual design best practices, we’ll examine examples and counter-examples of great design, the basics of layout, simplified color theory, rules for fonts and legibility, images and photographs, designing stamps vs. pages vs. slideshows vs. billboards, copyright and creative commons, and free and open source design tools (photo manipulation, illustration, layout, catalogs, and quick editors).

By the end of the program, you will:

* Find and evaluate web-based resources for great design
* Choose the best colors, layouts, fonts, and graphics for other design projects
* Respect copyrighted work by finding imagery and other materials that are freely and legally available
* Become inspired about your design projects
* Move beyond Word and Publisher to more sophisticated design tools”

Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/121kHFLhNGrP85vKdR5ti1tRFVzMbwRmboBRuzRLFg7A/edit?usp=sharing

A Successful Open Source Fundraising Campaign? (ianskerrett.wordpress.com)
Hack Your Chair (Open Design Chair) (thewavingcat.com)
In Which I Share My Texture Images via @feedly (jolieodell.wordpress.com)

Tags Creative Commons, Design, Open source, Photo manipulation

professional activities teaching experience

Highlands Regional Library Consortium presents: Practically Designed

Post author By lemsy
Post date 2009-12-15
1 Comment on Highlands Regional Library Consortium presents: Practically Designed

: Image by lemasney via Flickr

Date: Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Venue: Hasbrouck Heights Public Library

Abstract: During this workshop on the basics of visual design best practices, we’ll examine examples and counter-examples of great design, the basics of layout, simplified color theory, rules for fonts and legibility, images and photographs, designing stamps vs. pages vs. slideshows vs. billboards, copyright and creative commons, and free and open source design tools (photo manipulation, illustration, layout, catalogs, and quick editors).

By the end of the program, you will:

Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/121kHFLhNGrP85vKdR5ti1tRFVzMbwRmboBRuzRLFg7A/edit?usp=sharing

Commentary and notes: