-
4 Attachment(s)
Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
We started to go OT on stygg's Art Gallery thread, and hopefully, this thread can be a new home to Q, A, and advice concerning the art of illustrating jigsaw puzzles.
Gary Priester wrote about the creation of pieces in The November 2000 Xara Xone Tutorial, and Xcellent, who evidently closed his tg account, posted A Puzzle Piece Mini-Tutorial in 2006.
But the interest in jigsaw puzzle illustration is either not completely satisfied, or it needs revisiting from a decade ago.
I'll go first: Attached is a six shape puzzle starter kit. Now, you'll see when you open it that the pieces could use a little work, just a little and that's why we have the Shape tool. :) Seriously, six different pieces that all can link is a lot better artistic and hobbyist solution to a puzzle than identical pieces. I'd like to thank Wayne Schmidt for posting the design pieces I traced off on his blog.
Attachment 111799
As Arnie loves to say, "I'll be back." :)
Feel free to populate this thread with jigsaw idea of your own in the meantime.
My Best,
Attachment 111796
Attachment 111800
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
MalwareBytes doesn't like that site, Gary...
Attachment 111797
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Are you looking for things that would be good to turn into a Jigsaw?
Or have I read it completely wrong?
If you're looking for things to turn into a Jigsaw, then here's one!
EDIT: Ah! I see. The year 2000 tutorial about how to make a Jigsaw Puzzle.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Funny, Mike; I use the same online A/V Ware and it didn't flag me.
Small edit above then, to bring all the resources locally. I traced off some pieces Wayne Schmidt (a jigsaw puzzle aficionado) recommended as a starter.
My Best,
Gary
Attachment 111802
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
@Rik,
That would make a lovely jigsaw puzzle, but actually, you might need a little background on this new thread. Can you go check out the links I have in my first post, and see it there's a technique or something you could offer for illustrating a finished jigsaw puzzle or a similar composition?
I did this one a long time ago. It's pretty non-functional as a puzzle, but I ,thought the composition is interesting:
Attachment 111805
If anyone cares to examine it, improve upon it, or solve it, it's attached.
My Best,
Gary
Attachment 111806
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
I did another one here under my pseudonym Gerald Phister http://www.xaraxone.com/guest/guest74/
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Back around 2006, when Xcellent posted his tutorial, I thought that a different way to approach making pieces would be to use the Freehand and Brush tool to make the nubs and voids. If you convert a rectangle to editable shapes (Ctrl+_Shift+S), and you draw a nub, for example—you start on the line of the rectangle and then loop outside of that shape and close the loop by releasing the mouse button when the tool is over a different area of the rectangle. A void is created the same way, except you loop to inside the shape.
Attachment 111808
The steps are in this Xara file, attached, along with a couple of extruded, rotated artsy results of the steps.
Enjoy!
Gare
(I'll try to post something from the 21st century soon! :) )
Attachment 111809
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
or you can cheat like this.
I Created original bitmap in a jigsaw program.
Enhanced in photoshop.
Created vector in Vector magic as PDF.
Bevelled in Xara.
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
That looks excellent, Christine. =D>
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
I just had to have a go at this! :D All done in DP11 all vector. I created a single side and a grid then placed the grid on the guides layer and locked the guides layer. Then I used the grid to align four sides flipping them as needed then joined them up to create my puzzle piece.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Frances, I just amended your post to put an exclamation mark beside the subject line, I hope you don't mind.
Post #10.
Folks, Frances has written a complete tutorial for us on how she approached making her jigsaw pattern. I hope you'll download and read it.
And benefit from it!
Yet another way to design this guy! Thanks, Frances.
My Best,
Attachment 111816
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Christine Farrelly
or you can cheat like this.
I Created original bitmap in a jigsaw program.
Enhanced in photoshop.
Created vector in Vector magic as PDF.
Bevelled in Xara.
I hope you're speaking in jest about cheating, Christine.
I thought you were quite inventive and resourceful. I was wondering how you got the "gloss" along the edges as well as the shading on the pieces. Bevels, eh? Might I recommend the Rounded Bevel type? It 'feels" a little more like and actual puzzle piece.
Great work! And there is no cheating in Art. There is only stealing.
My Best,
Attachment 111817
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
There's no reason why puzzle pieces look like the traditional ones as long as they interlock, right?
Maurits Cornelis Escher (M.C. Escher) was responsible for a lot of optical illusions in the 20th century, and one of them was lizard characters that interlock. This is a homage to this illusion, and also a Valentine's Day gift, attached. :)
Attachment 111818
By the way, by the design's nature, it seamlessly tiles. The version I've created will indeed seamlessly tile, so you can expand it, and naturally make the pieces the same colour so it becomes a challenge :)
My Best,
Gary
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Some great posts here so I tried something a little more qwerky than the traditional jigsaw shapes.
Stygg
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stygg2003
Some great posts here so I tried something a little more qwerky than the traditional jigsaw shapes.
Stygg
Stygg, I LOVE it!
And twisted minds think alike! I started a concentric jigsaw puzzle, but then stopped when I realized this is not something I myself would want to play...
Attachment 111822
-g
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Used the qwerky jigsaw on the cat, he's a bit twisted too :D
Stygg
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
stygg—
May I ask how you are setting up the wavy jigsaw pieces?
Are you Moulding a grid of rectangles and then adding the nubs and voids?
-g
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
By all means Gary, I just hope I have made it understandable, it may appear a long method but it works well and once you get into the swing of it, it does not take to long and also you can put the nubs and voids where you choose. I forgot to mention for the voids, slice shapes. :o
Stygg
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stygg2003
By all means Gary, I just hope I have made it understandable, it may appear a long method but it works well and once you get into the swing of it, it does not take to long and also you can put the nubs and voids where you choose. I forgot to mention for the voids, slice shapes. :o
Stygg
Stygg, thank you for what you did, the time it took, your technique, and for sharing. Those are the thing most important to tg.
Someone probably got to this idea first, but here goes: a puzzle of a blank puzzle:
Attachment 111831
It's my turn to share a technique I think. I noticed by looking at actual jigsaw pieces that they "bulge" across the top surface, where the printing varnish causes the image stuck over the cardboard to rise most at the center and then tapering off. Therefore, an emboss is okay, but it might be more photorealistic to have highlights within and not outside of the piece like this:
Attachment 111832
I think I've got a bizarre but worthwhile technique to map out by tomorrow.
My Best,
Gary
-
5 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Attachment 111833
This is my jigsaw base. It's created from a single line that was created with the shape editor tool - set to curve and smooth join - and a square grid. Length to suit.
Attachment 111834
Then the lines are rotated and copied to suit - Not exactly so the pieces are slightly different. Put it over any picture and slice - bevel the resulting pieces to suit.
Attachment 111835
Attachment 111837
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Look forward to your new technique Gary, it sounds really interesting.
@ss-kalm love your jigsaw and the picture you put it on, cost a few £'s a puzzle that size :D
Stygg
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
That is totally amazing, Keith.
Seriously!
-g
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
This might not be the best way to shade a jigsaw puzzle piece, but it's definitely a different way, and the technique can be used on different objects.
Attachment 111848
Tutorial is attached.
My Best,
Gary
Attachment 111849
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Thanks for the shade a puzzle piece file Gary, will have a go at that.
@Keith- thanks again for your puzzle file as now I have the picture you used, XP&GD11 does not come with such images as it did a while go. Tried your jigsaw method on a reduced image of the pic.
Stygg
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Hey, stygg-
That looks like a number of puzzle pieces I could solve within my lifetime!
Again, the tutorial shows a way, but not necessarily "the" way, or even "your way", to shade the pieces. It's just a graphical observation, and my contribution to the thread after starting it.
My Best,
Gary
P.S. You might be interested in the photo I tool that's embedded in the tutorial document. The worst I can say about it, is that it's free.
Attachment 111860
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Thanks stygg and Gary. praise from either of you is more than welcome.
@stygg - if you still have earlier versions on your computer, the old clipart can still be used ... You can find it at C:\Program Files (x86)\Xara\Xara_Designer_Pro_6\Clipart or some similar path, depending on your Xara version and OS.
You get better results at the edges, if you delete the last line on either side, and adjust the puzzle location/size to suit.
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ss-kalm
Thanks stygg and Gary. praise from either of you is more than welcome.
@stygg - if you still have earlier versions on your computer, the old clipart can still be used ... You can find it at C:\Program Files (x86)\Xara\Xara_Designer_Pro_6\Clipart or some similar path, depending on your Xara version and OS.
Hi Keith,
That said, can we not agree that clipart and clip photos are more or less a commodity?
All you do is set up good A/VWare and then do a search on clip photos + free.
Yes, it would be nice to find art pre-installed in Xara, however I think it's more than enough drawing program as is, and the extras can be found jst about anywhere.
But then again, that's me. :)
My Best,
Gary
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Oh agreed, absolutely, and some clipart ages very quickly. However, I was more pointing out that stygg may still have that particular landscape photo clipart piece on his computer. It's the one I seem to use in all my testing of filters etc.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
I'm not sure if I got this right Gary but even so it looks good if only because of the free hat :D
Stygg
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stygg2003
I'm not sure if I got this right Gary but even so it looks good if only because of the free hat :D
Stygg
I have news for you, stygg...that hat cost me $5.00 U.S. more than it did you!
I think your work here is absolutely lovely, and better than I did as an example.
Most importantly, are YOU happy with it and what you've discovered?
Do you see future artistic possibilities for this "edge lighting + Feathering" technique?
And to recap from more than a year ago, a sharp highlight would indicate (check one only):
[ ] None of the above.
[ ] You did it wrong.
[ ] A plastic surface.
[ ] A woolen surface, with a hint of polyester.
[ ]All of the below.
If you chose #2, you're way ahead of the game!
If you chose #1, you are mwenz.
My Best,
Gary
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
I am happy with it Gary and what I've discovered although I think now I've done it, I perhaps could do better :rolleyes: and certainly see possibilities for this technique in future work. With regard to your last sentance, I'm no where near the same league as mwenz for whom I have the utmost respect.
Stygg
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stygg2003
I am happy with it Gary and what I've discovered although I think now I've done it, I perhaps could do better :rolleyes: and certainly see possibilities for this technique in future work. With regard to your last sentance, I'm no where near the same league as mwenz for whom I have the utmost respect.
Stygg
Oh, make no mistake: Mike is unparalleled in his generous sharing and knowledge of All Things Digital.
I just have no respect for his taste in record turntables.
[grin, duck, and run],
Gary
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
I put the jigsaw high light piece on a photograph image and found the highlights looked to bold, to white with a background so tried altering the feathering to tone it down, anyway it did not work but what did was the feather profile for each line, it's not much but does make a difference. I gave the background a little blur for depth. I don't know about anyone else but I always forget about the profile and attribute tools in Xara. I've posted both images so you can see the difference.
Stygg
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Indeed; thanks for pointing this out, stygg. Now, until you enter a positive value, or twiddle the slider, the arrow indicating the feature is unavailable, but once you're feathering, you can add contrast, and make the falloff gentle or pronounced.
Attachment 111889
Now, I'm going to go beyond technique (creating puzzle pieces) to something I can talk about with some sense of authority (!), and the Bigger Picture. See what's going on with the left and right illustration? The artist at left didn't have the confidence (or the imagination) to take a boring subject (chess is over-used, but I draw 'em, too :) ) and make it a lot more interesting without really changing the subjects all that much. By the way, one of the easier shapes to recast is a cylinder, sort of like the chess pieces, because there is no clearly defined side and front side. The two blend at the edge.
Attachment 111890
What can we learn from this illustration, and apply it to a jigsaw puzzle composition?
Not a drawing, but a whole composition. One of the mandates of a good artist is to visually help the audience as much as possible. A jigsaw puzzle piece cannot have as much visual information as the same piece with lighting, an interesting angle, lens length if this drawing was a photo, an interesting subject inside of it, shadows, and so on.
First, why not list the different properties you can add to a jigsaw puzzle, and then have a go at refining a drawing into a complete, "well-spoken" illustration?
My Best,
Gary
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
That's a tall order Gary, have to put my thinking head on, the trouble is as soon as you posted the chess images I jumped immediatley to this chess piece I had already traced from an earlier project in the Xone so I have a pre-conceived idea already and I don't think that's what I should have in this instance, so not to sure where to start, please forgive my slow on the uptake :rolleyes:
Stygg
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Well not a traditional puzzle, but inspirated for a Xara Cat in polaroids :)
Attachment 111895
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stygg2003
That's a tall order Gary, have to put my thinking head on, the trouble is as soon as you posted the chess images I jumped immediatley to this chess piece I had already traced from an earlier project in the Xone so I have a pre-conceived idea already and I don't think that's what I should have in this instance, so not to sure where to start, please forgive my slow on the uptake :rolleyes:
Stygg
Thinking about a graphics challenge is the first step, and to do nothing but think about it is probably the hardest part: discipline. I used a chess piece example deliberately so I didn't give anyone any pre-concieved notions about the jigsaw puzzle, eh?
Then you gather your tools based on what you've decided after pure thinking, then you go at it, stygg. Procedure is All, especially when beginning a career or even a hobby with this Art Jazz.
Time for me is at more of a premium than it used to be, but I'll try to be my classic coach and smart-ass as much as time allows me here, okay?
My Best,
Gary
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
csehz
Well not a traditional puzzle, but inspirated for a Xara Cat in polaroids :)
Attachment 111895
csehz,
I LOVE it! You've done your thinking, gotten resourceful, and your idea is fresh and fascinating.
Everyone: learn from scehz. He can teach you through his art; he doesn't have to say a word.
stygg, you show stuff ALL THE TIME that's wonderfully inspired. Slow down a little, please, and let the inspiration flow through your left ear and out your fingers.
:)
-g
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Thanks Gare, you always reach with your comments that I already start to think about some next composition :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gare
let the inspiration flow through your left ear and out your fingers.
But the most interesting is why it starts from the left ear? Maybe so the left-handed people like me should wait the inspiration from the right one :D
-
Re: Revisiting Jigsaw Puzzles!
Love it csehz, now that is inspiration from both ears :D
Stygg