Gary Bouton's Xara Stuff

[Ron Duke]

Continued experimentation will eventually lead to the knowledge of how different tools in the program can be used to accomplish an effect that you might not normally think of using that tool. You're certainly demonstrating that in your wonderful work.

[Gare]

Thank you, Ron. Yes, experimentation is important, more so than "Purism" which is an artist's hindrance, no more or no less. Input/Output, of which Xara is wonderful, shouldn't be overlooked. Bring in fodder, export inspiration!

There is definitely a Ying/Yang to Xara and other world-Class tools. The features can influence a Work in Progress and lead the artist in an unexpected and marvelous "back street", and you can also influence the program, urge it to do more than you want, like a surgeon using robotic prosthesis to "get in there" when other means cannot be used.

Does this make any sense or is it the Tramadol?

-g

[Ron Duke]

Thank you, Ron. Yes, experimentation is important, more so than "Purism" which is an artist's hindrance, no more or no less. Input/Output, of which Xara is wonderful, shouldn't be overlooked. Bring in fodder, export inspiration!

There is definitely a Ying/Yang to Xara and other world-Class tools. The features can influence a Work in Progress and lead the artist in an unexpected and marvelous "back street", and you can also influence the program, urge it to do more than you want, like a surgeon using robotic prosthesis to "get in there" when other means cannot be used.

Does this make any sense or is it the Tramadol?

-g

Makes perfect sense.

[Gare]

Makes perfect sense.

Wow, I'll have to tell the Admin that finally I did something perfect!




-g

[Ron Duke]

I think they've known for some time now. (Nuts! I meant to leave the apostrophe out.)

[Gare]

I think they've known for some time now. (Nuts! I meant to leave the apostrophe out.)

Hah! I meant "The Admin, Mrs. Bouton", Ron! But the two Dans are okay, too.

My Best,

Gary

[Gare]

This composition began when I saw, and lusted after, a circular maze game that Amazon was brokering. One thing lead to another, and I was able to trace off the maze itself. From there, I extruded the shape (attached, if you'd like to try your hand at it), and eventually did a little tracing to clean up the lighting on the extruded maze.



I added shadows (because Xara's 3D engine doesn't create self-shadows), and made the viewing angle very low and a wide perspective. I faked the perspective on the two back spheres, but used an oval on the front one to make the wide perspective illusion a more complete one.

Lots of blends, for shading, usually about 24 steps:



This took perhaps an hour's worth of time last night. Thanks to Sivam Krish for Genopal, the color engine I used to cull the warm, hopefully interesting composition colors.

My Best,

Gary

[Ron Duke]

Nice idea well crafted. Do you think the egg will roll well enough to mske it through that tight maze? What a challenge! What a creator!

[Gare]

Nice idea well crafted. Do you think the egg will roll well enough to make it through that tight maze? What a challenge! What a creator!

Hah! Ron, the "egg" is a sphere that's distorted by the camera length. See; the maze itself is wildly distorted. BTW, before I began, I created the spheres as circles, top view of the maze, and yes, they fit and are proportional.

Thanks for liking it and asking these questions!

My Best,

Gary

[Ron Duke]

What if you got a shorter camera?
(just being a wise guy today. You're the best!)