STILL TWO DAYS

STILL TWO DAYS 

TO PLEDGE FOR

DECEMBER

PATREON REWARDS

and there's also some free stuff up on my patreon ! 

So visit www.patreon.com/JVartndesign

Christmas Peace with Inkscape

#peace #xmas #inkscape #demo #rainbow There are still 12 days of Christmas.

Show this demo to kids and crafters and download Inkscape if you don't already have it installed.

Or right click on the image and download and edit it and let it create soothing thoughts of peace for yourself?

Oh that is the same color and hue of GREEN under  each line of lettering and filters.

Another Christmas E-card

Christmas E-cards this week!

#christmas #xmas #freebie #card #inkscape

Just a "simple" combo of font color and bevel for this one done in #Inkscape

I will also be putting some of these ecards up on #patreon so you can download there if you don't want to right click here !

Please support this blog and my upcoming plumbing repair bill

paypal.me/JulieVaux

You can add the numbers ! Xmas Card

This e-card png file has a transparent background and plenty of "white space" so you'll have no trouble adding the numbers for this week's countdown to Christmas Day.

More E-cards to follow !

I have  a massive plumbing bill coming up

Tokens of appreciation would be both useful and helpful

paypal.me/JulieVaux

Xmas Update and Feedback Request

Well I'm thoroughly exhausted after prepping for the market day but followers

1) there will be xmas ecards soons

2) I'm now on Instagram as Yohornsby

3) I'm thinking of doing a PDF format compilation of the most popular posts and favs from Blogger and Red bubble and putting it on Patreon as a reward so

4) please send feedback as to which you would like to see?

5) please consider tipping me via Paypal.me/JulieVaux

Finally for no particular reason at all here's the gang of vegan raptors who haunt my balcony!

HAS XMAS Exhibition

#HAS #Hornsby #sydney #xmas #exhibition #wallarobba

#Hornsby#Art#society is haivng a Christmas show at the Wallarobba building on EdgeworthDavid
Its only a block from the mall so walk down and visit.
I f you have ever driven along that yes the big Victorian building set back up a driveway / parking area next to the park and the Guide hall with another hall behind it!

Copyright Julie Vaux 2016 

Here's one of the 8 works on paper I submitted !

Its open from Teusday for two weeks!

More info later this week!

Customers where were you?

Sheesh people and followers can I get at least one #Patreon pledge or #Paypal donation?

BEFORE XMAS ? 

I have bills too and apparently none of you bothered to take advantage of the Thanksgiving weekend discounts?


Art supplies and show entry fees do not appear out of thin air.

paypal.me/JulieVaux

Its the right thing to do if you have enjoyed or made use of anything I've posted this year.

Don't like Paypal?

A simple ONE DOLLAR A MONTH PLEDGE gets you stuff on

www.patreon.com/JVartndesign

Or you could consider buying cards or stickers something cheap but good from

www.redbubble.com/people/scholara

RED BUBBLE THANKSGIVING DISCOUNTS

People do not miss out on the amazing discounts #redbubble has this weekend

20 - 30 % off various items to day and tomorrow  and Cyber Monday still to come!

Please visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/scholara to get some great bargains!

Thank You

Your last Patreon Reward for November

This is the last  Novemeber #patreon #reward I am just about to upload called Wisteria Web

If you want a larger high resolution version you will have to pledge to my patreon !

I have also posted several freebies there !

Available as a low tier reward at 

http://www.patreon.com/JVartartndesign

November is purple month! INSPIRATION MEDLEY

##inspiration #inkscape #purple #ceramics #filters #flowers  - a medley

This first example is the #japanese #kanji for #violet the flower

I find the chun glaze very inspiring 

Jiang is a lesser known word for purple

When purple does work with green. 

Bouginevillea

November Patreons Rewards are up

#patreon 

The November PATREON rewards are up with a few more coming today or tomorrow 

Usual mix of freebies and low tier !

Come and visit http://www.patreon.com/JulieVaux

PURPLE and Watercolor

Mixing the color purple with Water color.
#purple #windsor&newton #watercolorpaint

Mixing purple is just red plus blue ?
Well do you want a cool or warm purple ?
Dark or Light.

If you're only mixing a small amount I would take a mid cobalt blue or a bit or ultramarine and mix with a crimson or cadmium but start with the blue first and then mix in the blue?

However if you have a big project say a series of pictures using a lot of purple you could start with this?

This also applies if you are using acrylic !
Maybe you run out of a cool red but have blue.
You can mix a bit of watercolor paint into the acrylic !

#Dioxazine is a synthetic #pigment used in many paint brands.

Here's a useful illo though I would add white not gray.

Working with a digital palette? Use this as reference to plan and create a gradient or pick colors.

Don't forget you can work around the limited warm cool contrasts by placing layers of gradients over each other. 

I would suggest even when using Inkscape or Gimp you start with a strong mid blue and then move towards a darker or lighter tint or hue.

Working digitally has one advantage over water based media.

If the color looks wrong on the page you can use UNDO.

Also you don't have to spend as much time color mixing.

However some days color mixing can be soothing so its good to have both options: 

traditional and digital media.

P.S. with a strong pigment like dioxazine there's not much difference between Cotman and Artist Quality though do try to have if you can afford it Artist Quality French Ultramarine.

Personally I have Cotmans and Artists Quality Ultramarine plus both Cobalt and Cerulean Blue and Indigo but I use them a lot! For Reds I have Rose and Alizarin Crimson and Windsor Red.

Paint costs money! Yes! But good watercolor paint goes a long way.

Look for end of year specials and discounts when companies rebrand and redo packaging!

Play with Purple

Something Purple for you to play with!

Here's a #fractal starter for you to practice your editing skills on.

You could tile or texture it or combine it with other layers.

Have fun! 

EDITING WITH BLOGGER DUH

Yes I still have NOT replaced my home laptop due to the power n gas bills being due

So lets occupy my time and yours with a little demo of what you can do to type and Font with the Blogger interface.
I am currently on a library terminal.

There  are only 5 fonts and 5 sizes available due a box for changing heading types 4 avail
also   Bold Italic and Underlined    strike through  and text color

IF 500 people 

paypal me ONE dollar

I can buy an ASUS Vivobook

and get back to using Inkscape 

for typography 

Pretty crude isn't it so please consider a donation to 

paypal.me/JulieVaux

MY laptop died !!! HERE's What I need and HOW you can HELP ASAP

MY laptop died and I had some lovely new work to share with you!

People NO good news to report while the shop managed to have my HD data the library security protocols block me from downloading on their terminals

I have a limited budget - under 500 dollars don't laugh ....the savings in my bank account are allocated to upcoming power and utility bills.

My minium needs for laptop or tablet

12 - 15 screen 

40 8 gb RAM 128 prefer higher memory will take lower
 if device compat capable of running Portable Apps suite 
via connection to HDD or USB 

USB port 

working chargeable battery 

Personal inspection and test of item before purchase

If you live near #Hornsby #nsw #australia or know someone who lives near there and has a near new computer please let them and me know ASAP

Also be aware I have checked what the current prices are for NEW versions of low cost or older models !!!

You can also help by pledging me (AND getting ART rewards) on #PATREON

https://www.patreon.com/JVartndesign


or if 500 people gave me ONE dollar each via paypal.me/JulieVaux that would help too!

HIATUS alert

My laptop battery died so no blogs until I get

a) new battery delivered for instalment

b) install new app on mobile to post blogs

Sorry Folks

Please browse through older posts !

Or visit  my Patreon or Red bubbles sites ?

October Wreath - work in progress

#autumn #colours #wreath #workinprogress

Not quite finished but I'm sharing it in case it gives you an 

"I can do this better" moment and to give you a look at the editing process.

I started with a very large letter O from the Penhurst font and added the Scatter leaves filter over a tonal gradient and then added the Lettering in a different font.

Ways I may change or redo this image.

A) different font for October ?

B) a few green leaves or a tinge of green at one edge 

C) maybe some Gimp drop shadow to the png to darken tones and edges?

D) should the wreath be wider? 

E) could I get greens into this by making a smaller green wreath inside the larger one?

F) change gradient to greens and reds?

So Shape Layout Color all need one extra edit.

And I still have to resize it for stickers or a tee?

Or change my mind discard the whole thing and do something completely different! Ah the joys of design! yes I was being ironic ...

Something For Spring

#redbubble #fashion #spring

Its Spring in Sydney so this has been uploaded to Red Bubble.

Copyright Julie Vaux 2016

To view the full range of clothing and other products this design is available  on please visit

 http://www.redbubble.com/people/scholara/works/23415500-something-for-spring

15% discount on cups today

15% #discount on #cups and #mugs on #redbubble today if you buy TWO

visit https://www.redbubble.com/people/scholara 
and collect a pair ASAP

Scattered Leaves

#autumn #gradient #bg #inkscape

I made this last year but want to share it again while Autumn is still a theme.

How do you do this?

Make a Square Add a Gradient fill with several stops 

Move the handles so the gradients cross the square at a diagonal

Apply the Scatter Leaves Filter.

I may redo this and change the texture!

Watch for that!

Spring Green

#spring #green #inkscape #demo 

Its spring in my hemisphere so here's a demo showing what you can do with GREENS using various INKSCAPE filters. Remember to experiment with combinations and oh some of the "painterly" effects are in the TEXTURE sub-menu!  Enjoy

Another Autumn BG

#autumn #frost #julievaux

with this one I'm trying to express the idea that it's VERY late autumn and frost is here and the sky is chill and icy and the  final fading and fall of leaves before winter has started.

Use it as a background for poems or lettering?

I may also put this up as a giveaway on my #Patreon page

www.patreon.com/JVartndesign

Color Drops

#colordrops #watercolor #redbubble Clothing

I've been working my way thru old scans looking for designs and photos that can be cropped and edited for the new #redbubble clothing products

Here's my latest upload! The link should lead you to a display on how it appears on an #ipad #case

http://www.redbubble.com/people/scholara/works/23189251-color-drops-a?p=ipad-case&rel=carousel


Enjoy

XYZ NOT XXX

REAL ART IS XYZ NOT XXX

These are words I recently added to #stickers and other items on #redbubble

Copyright Julie Vaux 2016

So what motivated this? Well checking out the Patreon Twitter feed sometime I see items described as "adult art" that are adult in the sense of being XXX and the posters claiming its was okay to post them cos they are erotic fantasy or erotic cosplay or whatever or its my private feed being another excuse when they tagged their art to appear in the twitter and patreon PUBLIC feed.

Just tagging NSFW is NOT sufficient when your idea of adult art features the following whether a photograph video or drawing  

the focus of an image is 

a) cleavage b) oversized unnaturally large boobs gentilia or buttocks and I do mean UNNATURAL 

 if wearing clothes your model or character has an expression that suggests your target audience is clearly someone who doesnt date and sends too much time on in front of a screen and other stuff I can't say in public ...

other details make it quite clear you have interesting "issues" and fetishes TOO CLEAR and then there's the borderline rape fantasies ... though patreon seems to have finally blocked those ... 

People I have no objections to nudity! I've worked as a life drawing model and see some wierd stuff over the years so please listen and don't label me a prude if I advise you to learn STYLE and DISCRETION and NOT showing everything all at once .... some of you clearly need to learn the difference between erotica and porn ... urgently ASAP ... and those of you "modelling" for webcams ... wear more makeup or use a soft focus on your face ... you're giving potential stalkers far too much information that could be used to track you in real life offline!

REAL ADULT ART is often mastering the XYZ co-ordinates if you're using a computer whatever your context or content.

Okay I've said my piece. 

LATE Autumn Gradient

First I was sick then I was offered a VERY short but FT contract for one week so I'm behind on posting!

Here's a gradient Background texture file for you to play with.

It was created in Inkscape and then exported as a png.

I've tried to suggest LATE AUTUMN with a hint of frosty gray and very dark leaves mixed with fading leaves of red and brown and orange.

The fires of summer are fading to winter!

How did I do this? First make a square in red or brown 

Add the leaves filter. Before or after the leaves filter create a gradient with multiple stops using the wheel or coding the colors whichever you prefer.

Its probably a good look to also use a filter that makes the edges of the square more rougher and assymmetrical like Torn Edges or Watercolor or both or not. 

Your choice!

Awesome Autumn

Every #autumn (southern and northern) I get tempted to make yet another attempt to craft the perfect gradient of colors and tones that reflects the transition of leaves from dark green to fading to brown. I managed to get 4 tones on this one. I hope they're visible on your browser. Once again I have uploaded and noticed another change I could have made ...more reds???

This was made with a Uncial font in #inkscape then a gradient added with 4 color stops then exported as a #png to be shared here.

Next time I'm trying for 6 color stops.

The other problem is size how to get the color stops in the gradient showing on a large and small scale. I'm sure I could get 6 colors on a tee print size logo but the PR web version might only show 2 or 3!

Enjoy and try the technique for your self.

Spring is here!

Hello and I'm back from a medical break !

I'll try to can double or triple posts this week to make up for the hiatus!

I suspect as the Segoe family comes with MS Windows pre installed ( well it was on my laptop) it may be at risk on becoming the new Comic Sans a perfectly fine font family that ends up becoming unpopular because people have either seen it too often or used it without giving it a few tweaks.

Personally I find for titles a few merged layers of drop shadow can be a great help. Yes thats all I did. Change the font color to red and add some drop shadow to one edge in #GIMP . Now its in a different browser I can see I could have moved over the start of September but the letter forms are crisp and clear and not too flat and should work for web or print page title letterheads or banners.

Not every act of typographic crafting has to be a museum quality collectible. 

If I've made you think about Segoe Script and September it has performed its function: communication about clarity.

And I'm pleased to only see one error I missed given the meds n my new inhaler seem to be effecting my eyes. First I'ld not read for long and now briefly I can manage without glasses ...though I shouldnt! Hence the break!

Greek Mosaic In Situ

I so fond see close up images of smaller details of #Greek #mosaics that it was a delight to find this image to share.

So why am I sharing it here rather than over on my #metousia blog?

Happily the photo angle and distance shows how greek mosaic artists were not just skilled craftsmen copying paintings but also designers who thought about layout detail composition and inserting lettering! So Glyphika is the place!

Who ever created this thought about color tone layout and the relationship of the mosaic to the rest of the room. Art Design Creativity. And the "classic" element that marks it as Greek /Hellenistic BALANCE.

ONLY 100 and ONE Demo

Copyright Julie Vaux 2016

This PR image (more about that further down) was created using the #gimp #alienglow #filter over black letters. I selected yellow and black for the colors and the result ... no I didnt use Bevel or similar. Its mainly a tonal effect though I did do some cropping too.!

Hopefully it's striking and eyecatching as I need to remind people that if they shop on my #redbubble site AFTER 100 sales of EACH design I remove the image to increase its value for you by making it a limited edition.

Thats 100 sales regardless of whether the item is a sticker a print a duvet or a dress!

Do consider a visit to https://www.redbubble.com/people/scholara

A Vaughan Quote

#vaughan #quote #typography

Have you ever seen a closeup of pages of old 17th century books and noticed the slight bleed at the edge of letters. That's what I was aiming at .... a result that at least reminds you of 17th typefaces and its an interesting quote too.

!7th century English poetry is also something you should look at if you have access to editions that copy the original line layout  to see how they altered the indent of lines to emphasize the text and the line breaks and metre of a verse.

Copyright Julie Vaux work in progress 

I may redo this one more time and make the letters a little less rough or a different font?

Also remove my note about Vaughan and tweak the kerning?

Do read the whole poem if you can find it!

NIGHT TO DAY

NIGHT TO DAY 
is my NEW #redbubble design #fashion #sydney #international

This link will take you to a page showing #clothing styles and other items

Julie Vaux on Red Bubble

Scroll down past the tee-shirt there should be other stuff below on show!

AUGUST PATREON SPECIAL

ALL OF AUGUST 

ALL PATREON REWARDS

JUST ONE DOLLAR

http://www.patreon.com/JVartndesign

and I'll putting up multiple and mixed rewards every week so visit!!!

GIMP and Mosaic

#mosaic #gimp #filter

Gimp has a Mosaic filter I have experimented with now and then.

Here's two of my earliest attempts.

copyright Julie vaux 2016

For this one I added the lettering in a font I modified with more shadow to thicken the letters to look like a Roman uncial over a mosaic background.
Its just a bit too smooth ... another attempt

copyright julie vaux 2016

I wanted a mosaic background that emphasized the text so it stood out since this design was used on my Facebook page and the WEB.

This year however I decided to try to get both the background and lettering to work with the Mosaic filter. One tip: Add the mosaic filter LAST.

I wnated a background tonal range more like actual greek and roman mosaics ... so more matte and less shiny ...

copyright julie vaux 2016
unfinished work in progress 

still not quite right so color edits and border added 

another version  closer 

copyright julie vaux 2016
unfinished work in progress 

now the lettering looks much more like the irregular edges you see on ancient mosaics ... so theres about half a dozen merged layers in this 

I'll show you the finished final versions that will become stickers on Red Bubble next week! I may also put one up on Patreon as an reward or Deviant as an example.

A note on color edits - UP the both the yellows and reds but a touch more blue and cyan in the shadows. 

Resizing oddly with the mosaic filter to get it to work on a largely scale for a book cover I give found you have to work small and enlarge at the final edits otherwise the Mosaic effect just becomes a vague bumpy BG texture.

Now for a final comparison  a image of an actual mosaic  Roman Imperial era but Greek lettering!

 MMM next experiment I probably should try to see if Ripple might make the tile edges more irregular?  I have used ochre backgrounds rather than gray since I think it works better in a browser ....after all unlike the greeks I do not have a supply of marble chips and scraps or actual peebles! It needs to work for print and web so I can share it with you !

You can copy and share these images for educational purposes but not for resale !

An Color Edit Example

Color Editing Mosaics.

I'll like you to help with a comparision.

The first image just had one simple crop and tidy up of edges.

The Second I did color and tone edits on to try to be back to how I suspect the original mosaic looked before weathering and erosion etc .


Is there a difference or not?

Here's the first version.

and now the second with more edits!

What do you think?

Next time I'll be discussing the use of mosaic filters in Gimp and how I edited letter shapes to get forms that would work the best with that filter.

Oh and yes I did tweak both the reds and blues for this using the Color Tool to deepen shadows and strengthen highlights and mid tones I HOPE ???

#question #questionsymbols #fonts 

For your Inspiration and Reference 

a collection of Examples of how various fonts represent question marks.

Sphinxes are NOT just from Egypt

#Sphinxes are not just from #Egypt

Craftsmen in the near East were also creating Sphinxes.

Yes they were influenced by Egyptian models but here's a couple of examples to help you with your own comparisons.

Please consider giving this blogger a little extra support via

PAYPAL

Adsense isn't paying me much.

P.S. what major difference from Egyptian art did you spot on two of the images?

Some Egyptian Sphinxes

I was doing a sequence over on www.metousia.blogspot.com which involved in the first posts comparing Egyptian Syrian and Early Greek art and I thought some of you might find my collection of interest and use.

New Reward on Patreon

New Reward Up On #PATREON

Whether you pledge on Patreon already or are considering it come and visit and view other rewards here !

www.patreon.com/JVartndesign

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON

Want to tell people to follow #sdcc ? or #sdcc2016

Here's your choice of 2 pngs and a jpg to use and the story and how I made them and why I think the Gimp JPG works best!

This png was made in #inkscape 

I used Char font and added two layers of Flame and a Black Outline then exported to Gimp for a final crop. Its okay for twitter but ... lacks. I think its loud but not quite strong or bold enough despite the red?

So I tired again in #gimp with the same font but stronger reds and the Comics filter ... nope still not the best and for some reason  the letters are clearer at a smaller size though they seem clearer in the Chrome / Blogger browser then they did as icons in my Pictures folder? And now its too dark!

So lucky last a Gimp jpg with a different font

This is Verdana Bold with the same colors and filter

The lesson ? Resist the temptation to combine an ornament / fancy font with filters. Start with something plain and bold !

It may be I'm misjudging these and you prefer the 2 pngs?

The Beauty of Vector Handles

Let us consider for a moment the simple elegant and mathematical beauty of that useful tool the vector handle! It allows us to manipulate nodes and paths and change a gradient or corner or curve. Its inspiration is basic geometry yet its applications are diverse and manifold.

So I'ld like to take a moment to praise and thank everyone who works on code for SVG tools! THANK YOU ALL!

Mosaic lettering

#mosiac #greco-roman 

Lettering on a Greco-Roman Mosaic Floor 

I normally share this type of image over on Metousia but this was such a lovely example of lettering I wanted my Glyphika readers to see it too!

The words are Health Life Grace Peace Euthumia = good will Hope 

I'm going to need either a new mobile or a laptop battery replacement soon 

so please consider boosting my limited Adsense earnings by using paypal.me/JulieVaux

Thank You 

Painterly Six

A demo of Six #inkscape filters useful for #digital #painting .

I started with a plain square in the closest color wheel setting to ultramarine blue. All fill No Stroke. Remember not to select Stroke.

Gouache gives an effect that to me suggests a heavy soak on pigment and water onto paper.

Watercolor looks like wet into wet technique but with more water and less pigment.

Inkblot similar to Gouache but a bit softer looser ? on edges?
and would blend well with canvas and other rougher texture filters.

Silk Carpet try this one with gradients!

Felt despite its name also looks like wet into wet using the brush to move pigment and lift some off whether you're using paper or canvas or board!

Don't forget to experiment with blending these with say the Blotting Paper or Rough Paper or Torn Edges filters! Enjoy!

Inkscapes capacity to use 2 or 3 or more filters over a bottom layer that you can redo or remove allows you to use pixels like paint! For some kinds of illustration and prints this is an advantage and a timesaver. For just do it for fun!

3 recent works and a patreon update

Here's a close photo of three of my recent paintings.

That's not lens blur. the use of gloss medium to bind the gold glitter to the canvas and other layers of acrylic effects the photo. I had to shoot in shadow to stop the shot being one shiny reflection. If anyone has any ideas on how to prevent that? Please Share !

Meanwhile over on #Patreon http://www.patreon.com/JVartndesign I've added two new rewards in the 1 and 5 dollar pledge categories.

I may add a 10 reward tomorrow. Got my choices down to 3!

Examples of Aramaic and Syriac writing

#aramaic #syriac #scripts #dialects

Script is mutable. Writing and language changes.

Sanskrit in Other Indian Scripts.

Sanskrit is usually written using Devanagari however while searching for something completely different I found this.

Its a quite intriguing and useful variety of Indian scripts used for Indo-European and Dravidian languages. Also a useful reference point for typographers and others as you can see related yet variant letter shapes.