Lunchtime Xara Doodle

[webitect]

It isn't that involved, but the end result kept making me think of different themes, so I thought I would share it...enjoy... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Chris

[Steve Newport]

You know, the ones with the slivers of electricity randomly buzzing around it! I'd be interested to know how you executed this, nice job

Steve Newport

[webitect]

you would be amazed at the simplicity of it...although it was quite manual and I am sure there is a faster approach to it. (The whole thing took about 20 minutes).

I started with a black square, cloned it and rotated the square 1 degree. Repeat this step 32 times, cloning the last clone. This gives you 32 squares, all rotated 1 degree further than the last.

Then, clone all 32 together and rotate the group 30 degrees (this gives a 2 degree overlap so there are no gaps).

Then select all and clone again, and rotate 60 degrees. This should give you a complete circle with no visible gaps.

Once you have the circle made of squares, I started selecting the squares behind the front-most one (the first one made) and applying different colors. Because they are behind and only rotated 1 degree, you get a 1 degree thick line coming out of each of the four sides of the original square.

(Hard part over now)

Then I simply created overlapping layers, each one containing a scaled down (each is 20% smaller than the last) copy of the circle. Also, I horizontally reversed every other layer.

Place a black square behind the largest, original circle.

On a new layer (#8 at this point) add a feathered white circle to the middle and the lines (each line is a 2 pt line with a 4 pt line over it, the 4 point line has a flat transparency and is feathered for the glow.)

All done! I hope my description makes sense...

Chris [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[webitect]

a correction. In my explaination, I said select the squares behind the front-most one (the first one made)...

However, I just realized that the front-most square would be the last one made. I'm sure you would have figured this out, but in case anyone new is looking...(clones move to the front by default).

Sorry, Chris [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[gwpriester]

image Chris.

Xara is so adicting isn't it? And it is a wonderful outlet for our underworked right brains.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

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XaraXone

[webitect]

Gary, but I find more often than not that I have more time than inspiration! I guess it is a good thing that I have more than one artistic outlet. This doodle actually came from one of those times when I had extra time and little inspiration, but as we all know, one thing leads to another and BAM!

Chris

[webitect]

I tried applying the circular mould to the original to see if I could get more of a "vortex" as Steve put it...not sure if it worked out yet though.

[Ross Macintosh]

But I really like the second variation. My dog (Dixie - the West Highland White) has a braided knot rope toy that has the same colours as your image.

I was surprised to read how you created the first image. I had imagined a very different method. Interesting.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Crow Haven]

A great design and interesting method!!! In some ways it even resembles feathers. Thanks for your explanation of how it was done too [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] !
---As The Crow Flies!---
Maya

[webitect]

isn't it interesting how different people see the same illustration and can have very different ideas on how it was created? Kind of like algebra, I can almost always get the right answer, but almost never use the methods I learned in High School...

I like the second one better myself (after stepping away for a while) the mould(s) seem to add more motion to it. It also seems to have made the "origin" more dramatic.

Ross, if you care to share, what was the technique you were thinking?

By the way, my dog Chloe (pitbull/german shepard mix) has a similar toy, at least she used to. Things don't last too long around her.

Chris