UserStories047/QuicheLoraine
What is your Name?
Quiche Loraine
===Can you give us a Photo?=== How about an SVG? [[1]]
![[1]](http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs45/f/2009/119/9/b/Deviant_ID_by_QuicheLoraine.png){kind=link}
What do you think about Inkscape?
I am an Inkscape junky, and obsessed with it! Before using Inkscape, I was strictly a traditional artist, no digital, other than photo colour-correction, no prior vector experience, and have been using Inkscape for less than two years, which attests to the ease of it's learning curve. The immaculate resolution, the scalability and ability to add intricate detail is addictive. I haven't found a limit yet to what I can create with it.
Can you give us a Hot Tip for using Inkscape?
My hot tip, okay, a few of them, would be to learn the basic keyboard shortcuts, which make for less work, read the basic tutorials and experiment with those concepts first, and don't be afraid to try different tools, different approaches and styles. If you are wanting to achieve a more photo realistic style, the more layers of gradients with added blur and extra detail make the all the difference, and approach each "field of colour" as an object, much like rotoscoping. I approach an SVG as I would a painting, same colour theory rules apply, only with Inkscape's tools. Likewise, the fewer nodes you create, the smoother the object and lines, and easier to render.
[[2]]
How did you do it?
I'd rather not completely give away my secrets...that air of mystery thing, but here is an example of two different styles one can achieve in Inkscape. Both were created from photographs of myself. The one on the left was created with no gradients, no blurs, just various transparencies, and using the line tool triangle in/out, ellipse in/out. The one on the right is a more hyper-realistic style, with layers of various transparencies and gradient, blurred/non-blurred objects. I first create the objects, largest first, with simple outlines, adjusting the nodes, pulling the curves, then pull the source pic off to the side, and starting from the bottom up, raising or lowering the objects as needed, and then apply colour. The finer details I add last. To achieve a non-blurred outer edge, I often make a "cookie-cutter" stencil of the entire object, which is then placed over the image.
[[3]] My entry for the Pinkitude for Life contest hosted by DeviantART won the grand prize, and I am proud to say I created it in Inkscape.
Do you give us permission to use this to promote Inkscape?
yes