libregraphics

Exploring the idea of scale.

Using my own imagery of a flamingo bird, the idea is that birds produce an object, feathers, something we use or collect, this makes them so different from other creatures.

So, with the exploration of scale, I am exploring this idea that these animals create feathers, such intricate and delicate things.

Scaled image to bee zoomed on the feathers. Black and white applied; "colours - desaturate", then; "filters - artistic - cartoon" to create the poster effect, and finally; "filters - distorts - blinds" which creates the lines horizontally across the image.

Scaling in to the neck of the flamingo to get a 'wave' texture from the feathers. The idea is to make the texture appear like it is something other than feathers, the art of deception.

Using "colour balance" to enhance the pink in the flamingo. Then "edge detection" to give the definitive black edging on the feathers.

Using blue, trying to use scaling in a way to portray an alternative image, to make a viewer question the image. Using "colour balance" i made the image blue by adjusting the levels on all shadows/ midtones/ highlights.

By using "colour balance" i made the shadows, midtones and highlights slightly different levels of cyan, this gave this tonal appearance, taking this scaled image from flamingo feathers to this textured image which i think now reflects the appearance of the ocean.

Taking the flamingo and using the "fuzzy selection" tool and the "scissor selesction" tool to remove the main subject - the flamingo - from the rest of the image background. This then allowed me to layer it on top of another image, the image a royalty free stock photo of San Francisco city.

By making the flamingo scale increase in comparison to the city it plays with the concept of size, and what we know and assume as correlative scale and size through the ideologies around us.

Using the same imagery but in an opposite direction, although the flamingo is still large in size, this time, it is much larger than the entire city, making the city scaled small in comparison to the scale of the flamingo. Then the placing of the city image on the back gives the appearance of the flamingo carrying the city.

Although the flamingo isn't larger in scale than the city image, it is larger in scale than certain aspects of the entire image like buildings which our schema's tell us are larger than a flamingo, and this is toying with our schema's.

The "levels" selection in Gimp meant the background could be made even brighter so it seems non-existent which makes it look more like an entire cityscape on the flamingo's back rather than just an image on the back.

Using Inkscape to explore scale.

Using the pen tool "Draw bezier curves and straight lines" i created these layers of curves and lines to convey this idea of a landscape.

By creating each layer separately i was able to apply a colour selection individually to each one, the colour palette offers similar colours in different tones which made the colour selection very simple and helped me create this gradient that reflects this concept of scale by making this landscape have an idea of depth and distance.

The darker layers seem closer to the viewer than the lighter tone layers which seem like they are far away in the distance.

ABOVE: see Inkscape colour selection palette, makes selecting these colour tones simple and accurate.

Green tones; more luscious appearance of a greener landscape reflective of a countryside environment.

Grey tones;
mysterious landscape feel, looks like a fogy mountain range, a cold and dry barren image.

DISTORTION OF SCALE - INKSCAPE

Exploring the scale of one image using layering, scaling, opacity and colours to create a depth and challenge the perception of scale.

What is Libre Graphics?

It is a community and annual convention (LGM) of artists and designers of sorts using free open source softwares to create their works.

Researching Libre Graphics and what designers have created by using this open source software was an insight into the abilities of these softwares. Below are some examples of what have been created on 'GIMP' from various artists.

Made in GIMP using a Wacom tablet with custom brushes.

Artist: Ludwig Antensteiner
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Landscape illustration made in GIMP.

Artist: 'RSA91'

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Imaginary land illustration created in GIMP.

Artist: 'wojtryb'

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Landscape illustration using silhouette shapes, similar to my own landscape experiments in Inkscape, this was created in GIMP.

Artist: ZZDas

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Inkscape creation, explores the theme of scale in an interesting way, the same image reproduced countless times increasing in size to create a 'staircase' style image, it makes you question what the original image was before this manipulation- similar to what i wanted to achieve in the flamingo image where i scaled into the feathers.

Artist: Lazur

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The Inkscape community run 'contests' where community members can upload a submission they create using this open software programme. It's a great way to get more people involved in using this open source software and encouraging more people to explore new techniques in a competitive sense.

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A series of images created on Inkscape that i found on the 'Inkscape Community' webpage, geometric patterns with a three dimensional appearance.

Layering squares in different sizes and colours and adding 'marbled ink' filter to a select few (filters/image paint & draw/marbled ink) which adds a depth to the layering style

Layering squares to try and give depth perception.

'Create 3D boxes' tool and 'fill bounded areas' paintbucket tool, trying to create depth with some boxes protruding more than others.

'Calligraphic brush stroke' and 'paintbucket' tool.

Adding more layers and scaling to further extremeties.

Opacity changes and colour, layered image and use of rotation and angles, more layers added, building the image up even more.

Scaling out from the original example with more duplications of the picture and a defined shape area.

The detailed level achieved here is impressive, clearly the author's of the work are incredible artist's, however i wouldn't have thought these open source softwares could have offered such a platform to produce works like this.

This image is my personal favourite. The paint effect looks like acrylic paint and the textures look so realistic it doesn't look like it was created in computer software. There's also a great element of depth where the background looks more 'blurred' that the foreground which looks crisper, for example the rocks at the bottom of the frame and the 'stack' in the centre have a crisper look to them than the background cliffs.

More of a cartoon style approach, looks like a comic book illustration or something from a platform game.

I like the fact that between the silhouette layers theres this added 'white cloud' effect! This works really well in emphasising depth between the layers and is something that could have been applied to my own landscape experiment to possibly enhance this idea of distance and scale.

There's such a great perception of depth in these images, they all sit together as a series also as they all use a very similar approach to illustration. It is a complete contrast to the other images produced in GIMP, and this shows how both programmes have benefits for different areas and aspects of illustration.