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  1. #201
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    Thank you, Boy—

    It’s entirely possible that I have more talent as a teacher than an artist!

    We’ll see, and I will indeed pace myself on TalkGraphics. This month is a lot of catharsis, sort of getting my focus and methodology up front so members will know what to expect. I’m really into art “recipes”, procedures, because if you leave a great idea to grow on its own, it might comes out fine, or it might bomb, or you might get a create idea out there that’s illustrated beautifully, but then not be able to repeat your success a second time.

    And not know why.

    Art is a lot of things and one of them is a process. I had a wonderful professor of Basic Design in college, and he convinced the class that you always begin with an idea, then a system to realize the idea. And the system requires as much attention to detail as the finished piece. Then we needed to gather the right tools to create our artwork, and our professor told us that sometimes you need to make your own tools, to then go on and make your artwork.

    Most of this is lost today with digital design programs, although there are still a few left that let you design a brush, and then use the brush to realize a piece.

    I thought the Wikipedia entry was interesting; seems that at least once in everyone’s life, we are asked to define Art. Wikipedia did what it’s designed to do: to provide an unbiased, clinical definition of the subject. There are some key terms that resonate with me in its definition, such as “deliberate” and “influence”.

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    I’m going to toss out two anecdotes today, because I’m too lazy to write on a topic. But they’re really good, relevant anecdotes, and I’d like everyone to think about them:

    § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § One § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §

    I had a mid-term in Art History in college, the professor was Ludwig Stein, and he was one of I’d say the four people in my life who have influenced my approach to artwork and design. The “blue books” as they were called, were passed out to the students, and then Ludwig revealed the exam up front on a projector. The screen said only one thing, “What is Art?”…and we had forty minutes to complete the exam.

    Fortunately, there were only a few students who didn’t “get it”, who couldn’t think outside of the box. They sat there scribbling a thorough definition, really sweating their work, and when they got their exam back, they learned that they had failed.

    In an art class, if a teacher asks you a question, rarely is there a literal, precise answer, due to the nature of the subject. One fellow classmate wrote “Art who?”; he got an A minus. Someone else who was sick and had to mail the teacher his blue book rolled it up and put a frankfurter inside, with mustard and a bun. She got an A.

    I got an A-, because I waffled a little, I was scared to go through with my reply. I wrote “Art is an event.”, then walked up front, handed it to Professor Stein, and told him to read it in front of me. He did, I took it back, tore it in two, and handed it back to him.

    “What is Art?” doesn’t really command an explanation or a definition. It wants an example.


    § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § Two § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §


    The was a movement in art called Dadaism, which started in Germany just before WWI, about 1910. The Dada movement was an artistic experiment among artists, to see whether they could destroy art; whether they could produce something that totally lacked any quality of aesthetics that are at the heart of art. Look it up on Wikipedia sometime.

    It was an interesting thing for an artist to do, to explore, wasn’t it?

    Guess what? They failed. You cannot “kill Art.” It’s like trying to kill God, or kill love. You can’t apply a real world action to something that transcends the real world.



    Art is that large, it really is. Unless you’re in a sensory deprivation tank or something, avoiding art is like avoiding oxygen.

    I’m hoping this will put what you do with Xara into some perspective the next time you launch it!

    —Gary
    Last edited by Gare; 30 January 2012 at 07:48 PM. Reason: Too much punctuation, not enough thought.

  2. #202
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    StPeters, MO USA
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    I finally found the time to do a cardboard box. So here ya go, hope you like it.
    Any suggestions on how to improve it?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Larry a.k.a wizard509

    Never give up. You will never fail, but you may find a lot of ways that don't work.

  3. #203
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    It's much more important that you like it than I do, you know.

    THAT is a beautiful composition, Wizard. It would not have occured to me immediately that warm brown would contrast attractively against azure and pale magenta. But it works!

    The shadow beneath the (camera right) flap I question, though. Perhaps even if it's optically correct you want to angle where it ends a little?

    Obviously, it makes a nice advertisement for you-know-who!

    Keep up the great work and keep on thinkin' before you keep on working!

    —Gary

  4. #204
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    I found a typeface, sitting around on my hard drive, collecting dust for almost a decade, and I think it would be terrific to share. It's a whole bunch of interesting 3D wireframe views of geometry.

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    Now, I took a good look at this typeface in a font editor, and either someone vandalized the copyright information (then uploaded it to the web), or there was no copyright info to begin with. I'm calling it fair to share, but if anyone can identify the typeface and know its creator, and it's not free or shareware, I'd be only to happy to take it down.

    My Best,

    Gary
    Attached Files Attached Files

  5. #205
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    Jan 2006
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    Urmston, Manchester,England
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    A really good effort Larry, right flap shadow not to happy about but if you like it that's all that matters. Last little comment, how about some shading on the left side flap as was in the original, takes a way the blandness of all that carboard

    Stygg

  6. #206
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    I didn't notice this at first: Larry went through the pains to add a slight thickness to the cardboard itself. Look closely; nice attention to detail, Larry. Me, I used polygons with no depth whatsoever to originally model the scene!

    -g-

  7. #207
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by Gare View Post
    It's much more important that you like it than I do, you know.

    THAT is a beautiful composition, Wizard. It would not have occured to me immediately that warm brown would contrast attractively against azure and pale magenta. But it works!

    The shadow beneath the (camera right) flap I question, though. Perhaps even if it's optically correct you want to angle where it ends a little?

    Obviously, it makes a nice advertisement for you-know-who!

    Keep up the great work and keep on thinkin' before you keep on working!

    —Gary
    Thanks Gare, I knew there was something about that shadow that bothered me, just couldn't put my finger on it. So here is an update.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Larry a.k.a wizard509

    Never give up. You will never fail, but you may find a lot of ways that don't work.

  8. #208
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    Nov 2000
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    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    Great work on the update Larry. The shadow looks much better. The only thing I could recommend is maybe making the bottom edge of the shadow equally diffuse on both sides.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  9. #209
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    Hey thanks for the Great comments guys.
    @Bill, thanks, point well taken
    @stygg2003 your point well taken as well. I purposefully removed the shading on the left side flap, but I agree something needs to be there to spice it up some and that may not be the only place.
    Larry a.k.a wizard509

    Never give up. You will never fail, but you may find a lot of ways that don't work.

  10. #210
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    Default Re: The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

    A humble suggestion, Wizard?

    If you want to spice it up, put something in the box. Or a lot of things. "Everything you need in one box" is a good headline, but you leave me presuming someone bought the box, and Xara is in use now in some other room?

    How about a trail of packing peanuts on the floor?

    After Xara is in use, the box should be broken down for recycling, no more than 3' on a side according to our sanitation department, and put in the special bin on Tuesday morning, right?



    Here's a good icon for reference and inspiration. The angle is almost right for this box; it's for search engine utilities.

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    —Gary
    Last edited by Gare; 02 February 2012 at 01:46 AM. Reason: SOMEONE has to edit my writing!!

 

 

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