The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

[Gare]

I think you and everyone else is doing great with the "variations on a theme" regarding this month's tutorial, Frances.

Now, just to mix it up a little: I've attached a vector trace of the green glass icosahedron, as it seems visually interesting, at least to me. I used Vector Magic, probably the most advanced bitmap tracing program out there today.

The reason I did this, is I'd like to offer a view to members of what the thing looks like when a computer program sort of posterizes the continuous tone image. I know I can learn from it, and perhaps others can, too. Look at how the green light accumulation, the Fresnel effect, is drawn at the lower right of the object.

Use the color sampler (eyedropper) tool to sample some of the colors. I discovered that the colors are a lot duller than I thought, and this is because our eye/brain perception is inaccurate when it comes to evaluating the saturation, the purity, of color we see. It's part education, part biological.

But I digress. I think the auto-trace is an interesting way to look at an emotionless dissection of a photorealistic image. By looking at the steps Vector Magic used to create the shadow, I can learn how falloff in light can be recreated.



Have fun with this thing. Because if you don't, it's pointless work! Yuck!



My Best,
—Gary

[Soquili]

Gary thanks for the extra lessons you are providing in this thread. Really makes me think about seeing rather than looking.

I was not going to post the attachment because it did not turn out as I had planned. However sometimes it may be that what evolved may be better in some ways than our plans would have produced.

[Gare]

Hi Bill—

I think you're in the middle or an experiment, not at the final frame, so to speak, with regards to the image you attached. Philosophically, I'm totally with you on the evolution of a piece. But I think you're SO close to achieving something "World Class", if you're up for it, do continue.

Suggestion? Blur a copy of the background, and then let it gradate from the diffuse original at the bottom of your drawinjg, to the blurry copy at top.

This would be my own experiment based on an idea your piece gave me—to encourage depth of field in it by blurring the most optically distant point in your piece.

Or...

it's Friday and we could go out bar-hopping.

You call,

Gary

[Soquili]

Thanks very much for the advice Gary. I will continue with the drawing.

Bar hopping would be good too. Although my 'day time job' may not like it. I work from 4 pm to 11 pm today then need to be back at work by 7 am tomorrow morning.

[wizard509]

I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to take part is these discussions only follow them. @Bill, that is cool. @Gare, thanks for all the tips and additional challenges. I hope I can contribute something soon.