Gary Bouton's Xara Stuff

[Gare]

I began with the Polygon tool, and after converting it to editable curves, then I got to messing with one stellation of the shape; it looked interesting, so I put the whole thing on the Guides layer, and rotated a copy of it to reproduce the distortion I'd created on the end of one "petal".

Mostly, I was looking for something to which I could coordinate three colors. It's hard getting two colors that are unique and interesting in an illustration, but I'd read over on a PANTONE forum a long time ago that you can have a primary color, a complementary color, and then an accent color when making a "theme" in art, other than a web page.

I thought the result was just attractive and simple, and might make a good tile in a larger composition some day.



—Gary

[Boy]

That is a nice and interesting color combination.

[Gare]

Thank you, boy. I'd love to see a thread started on true color schemes, bit just color opposites and that jazz that's mathematical, not perceptual.

My Best,

Gary

[mwenz]

Do I smell an XaraXone feature on color theory and its application to design?

When I design assets for a web site, I cheat and often use Jim Krause's Color Index books. And sometimes I use the ColorSchemer software...

[Gare]

If I did a tutorial on color theory, it definitely would smell, Mike.

Most of us in the, let's say, "looking back at 40", or actually can name the Beatles, were taught very empirical color relationships that do not take into account human perception, our number of rods and cones in our eyes, "chromatic persistence"—which influences our perception of what we're looking at from data that is minutes old, and just plain how an individual feels about color and color relationships.

I had a few telephone talks and became long-distance friends with Sivam Krish quite a few years back who'd created Genopal, a palette generator that does not use traditional or even common mathematical color relationships when you tell it to build you a palette based on one color.

There's too much background to get into it here, but he has a desktop version as well as an online version and anyone who has moire than a casual interest in color would be doing the fellow a favor to continue his work if you bought the desktop edition, and I'm sorry if this sounds like an advertisement, because it really isn't...it's Good Karma. Microsoft didn't see the importance of it when he brought it to them, it uses a color engine he rightfully doesn't want to talk about, but he did share with me that it uses the uber-space of CIELAB to cull palettes, and that his algorithms are designed to offer interesting, provoking, "potential customer, look at this packaging a little longer" sort of schemes.



Naturally, it takes an artist's "sifting" process to refine the selection to what is useful to you, but look at this palette, you tell me it's boring or not useful, and then check out his web version: right here

My bad. it is now free to download. If you do, write a nice comment, eh?]

I guess Sivam is moving on or at least sideways. Pity, but this is truly a generous gesture to a product he put his heart into and couldn't make it work as a commercial success.

-g

[laser1]

You always amaze me, you are nothing less than a master.

[gray]

An elegant and simple design, Gare.

[Gare]

You always amaze me, you are nothing less than a master.

I hope your comment was directed at Mike or Sivam. because my wife is sick of me buying larger hats every three months due to swelling from complements such as yours.

You know what it's about? It's not about the application and it's not about following your heart, your head, or your soul when you want to express yourself.

You just do it, and it makes no difference where it came from—the piece probably was inspired by a collection of things, but every artist I've ever met who was truly happy doing what they're doing is immersed in the process, and doesn't quantify stuff or make notes in a book for duplicating the "recipe".

I think a truly outstanding personality on tg, or in any forum, is one who isn't afraid to publish stuff they're not very proud of, along side stuff they are extremely pleased with. Because then you get to know the whole story.

And then you learn about both Art and another person!

My Best,

-g

[csehz]

.. is one who isn't afraid to publish stuff they're not very proud of, along side stuff they are extremely pleased with. Because then you get to know the whole story.

Thanks for writing how you see that, because it is often a question by me to myself when posting something that 'oops I did it again', posted it 'too early' In the first ten minutes used to perceive the first error, later just more mistakes And not even speaking about the viewers, who are much more qualified and sure they can just see more things which could had done better.

But as you say and I will remember to that, this is the true story as whole, so at least sincere

[Gare]

I forget the exact quote, but it goes something like this:

A man who makes no mistakes learns nothing.

My own comment you interpreted perfectly, csehz: we are a community, we can help one another, but not if everything one posts is "perfect".

One of the neat things about digital media is that your work can be a Work in Progress (WIP) for as long as you like. I have pieces that are several years old, and I'll eventually come back to them and finish them.

And other times, I consider the idea is as developed as much as I ever can make it, so I post it and then have some closure on the work, you know?

-g