Gary Bouton's Xara Stuff

[Gare]

Yes, I worked from a photo. What I was trying to accomplish, and this to me is an exercise drawing, is to try to convey all the little air pockets in a slice of bread and how diffuse lighting and odd angles make unpredictable areas of light and shadow.

So I settled on drawing a bunch of abstract blobs of different colors to see if they'd resolve properly when viewed from a distance.

50/50, huh?

[Gare]

I think this piece is the one I'm happiest with in 2014. And it doesn't even have any flying saucers or anything in it.



My Best,

Gary

[Big Frank]

I think this piece is the one I'm happiest with in 2014. And it doesn't even have any flying saucers or anything in it.

well if nothing else it has one hell of an interesting filename

[wizard509]

Nice piece Gare. However I do not understand those two vertical light areas on the front of the shoe. Maybe they make sense but not to me sorry.

[Gare]

@ Big Frank—

Thanks! It took me quite a while to think up that file name!

Fool Disclosure: I used Evernote to take a quick screen snag of the drawing in Xara instead of exporting it to JPEG. The ponderously long file names is just something Evernote does to reduce the possibility of exported files the same name.

If I were naming it, I'd have called it e34Q7afD9ii6EU.jpeg, which is the same as my bank account number.


oops.

@Larry: the vertical stripes are from an imaginary softbox in the "camera scene" used to add highlights to images that are hard to light to suggest a dimensional look. You see it all the time in jewelry and cutlery print ads.

See how there's almost a complete studio reflection in this silverware? It's overdone, but I think it demonstrates why I put strips of white reflector cards or whatever in my drawing.



BF, like this image's filename?

-g

[Gare]

This is sort of the fifth anniversary of Xara Xtreme 5 The Official Guide, the book that got wonderful reviews on Amazon thanks to my friends (!), and a bittersweet understanding of how the book business works (Hint: it's all based on sales), and I'm 99% sure I won't be offered the chance to write another book on Xara.

This image is my favorite from the book, and I thought I'd share the Xar file, because there's a fun thing in it beyond the drawing itself. Both colors I used on the toy train are named color, so you can make the train any color combination you want.




It was a giveaway five years ago, and it still is now. Thanks to all for the opportunity to write about the program we all love.

My Best,

Gary

[Gare]

I'm actively trying to wean myself off the "white on white" motif.



I guess for now I've failed. :)

-g

[wizard509]

Not failed exactly, you just stopped before you added some color.

[Gare]

I'll spell it out for you, Larry:

"Laughing Out Loud!"

You're going to hurt someone with that sharp wit someday. :)

-g

[wizard509]

Oh no, please, please don't get Mr. Whathisname after me.