Gary Bouton's Xara Stuff

[gray]

That's an excellent eggample of a maze. Gary you're so damn creative, you're like a graphics machine on steroids.

[Ron Duke]

That's an excellent eggample of a maze. Gary you're so damn creative, you're like a graphics machine on steroids.

Here, here!

[Gare]

That's an excellent eggample of a maze. Gary you're so damn creative, you're like a graphics machine on steroids.

Thanks, Graham. I'll take credit for ingenuity, but for raw power, you, and Ron, and Rik, and Paul, and the Usual Suspects have it all over me with the Shape tool.

I hatch good ideas, I dabble in teaching, but execution...? drawing is a neverending journey for me. That's why folks like me are called 'journeymen.'

My Best,

Gary

[wizard509]

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.

Attachment 109176

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:

Attachment 109178

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

Sorry Gare I have some real problems with this. Especially the lighting and shadows. I am going to post what I think should be at least in my opinion more correct view but so far haven't had time. Is that OK with you if I do that? I looked at your xar file and can get close but for some reason the top of the maze walls are dark and not light like you show, how did you get it that way? At the very least I could email you a diagram point out the problem areas should you desire I not post it here.

[Gare]

Larry: certainly, do send me your version or post it here. I'm not proud, and would love to see the errors of my ways!

Perhaps I didn't mention (?) that I drew over the extrude and the extruded shape isn't in this illustration. I went from my instincts on how the maze should be lit to make both it and the balls interesting. I suggest one main light (like sunlight) to get the shadows going to the right, and then a contrary key light overhead, sort of a fluorescent tube as reflected in the spheres. I thought I did a good job with the lighting—

Fire away, friend. I'm wearing my Insensitivity Armor today.

My Best,

Gary

[Psaumure]

What a great image Gary. I downloaded the file you provided and have a great time with it. Thank you for the file and the idea Gary. You are bringing the extrude tool to life for me. lots of thing you can do with it. Great work on the layout Gary. It looks very good. I like your shadows throughout the maze.

Paul

[wizard509]

It may be the two light sources that are giving me some of my problem ( but not all.) Anyway I'll try and get something to you that will not embarrass either of us.

[Gare]

Larry, I wouldn't be in a hard-earned position of teaching if I were embarrassed easily.

I know you work in physical media in addition to the computer, as I do, I value your opinion, and would really like to see how you'd light the scene. Actually, this is indeed hard because I suggest but do not implicitly depict the light sources.

When you have the time, pal. You mentioned your hand is hurting you in an earlier thread. You taking some sort of anti-inflammatory if this is true and I'm not imagining you mentioned this? As in, "Not aspirin".

My Best,

Gary

[Gare]

Hi Paul,

Listen, this second maze sucks as far as its construction goes, because I auto-traced a design I was working on in a maze creation program, when I should have manually traced it. I figured if you like the concept, you can do some neat stuff with the design itself.



I'm anxious, as you should be, to see what Larry the Wizard (he is an actual magician, so watch out!) comes up with as suggestions for revisions. We might get a whole new angle on the maze-making stuff, and up everyone's game!

My Best,

Gary

[wizard509]

I wouldn't be in a hard-earned position of teaching.
My Best,

Gary

I imagine it is a hard-earned position.

You mentioned your hand is hurting you in an earlier thread.

My Best,

Gary

Yes it does but what bothers me most is the shaking. I don't have Parkinsons it's something else, and so far the doctors have not been able to help at least with medication, the last time I saw my neurologist she said something about having to do something with my brain, I'm not keen on that though. What with that and the Glaucoma I had to give up painting although I paint in my dreams. Cannot use the freehand tool either and typing is has become a nuisance. Mostly I just give you guys a hard time and try at least to give helpful hints.

I used to have pretty handwriting but not any more because of my hand hurting.