graphical blog 2

At least since Sodipodi, ancestor of Inkscape, there was tutorials about shiny button, recently the number of redundancy grown a lot
A partial and brief history of shiny button tutorials. And only for english tutorials ;)

Shiny glandOn sodipodi (ancestor of inkscape) screenshot gallery, very long time ago :
http://www.sodipodi.com/screenshots/new/sodipodi-0.32.jpg
Already a single picture explaining the shiny effect.

The shiny effect continued to be displayed in early inkscape screenshots :
0.39 (how many years ago ???)
http://inkscape.org/screenshots/gallery/inkscape-0.39-CVS-linux-brisgeek06.png

0.41, 2 years half ago
http://inkscape.org/screenshots/gallery/inkscape-0.41-CVS-jimmac.png

0.42, 2 years ago another tutorial appear with the gradient improvement effort :
http://inkscape.org/screenshots/gallery/inkscape-0.42-CVS-gradient.png

more recently :
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/31751187/
http://guicon.110mb.com/page.php?12
http://www.out-of-order.ca/tutorial/inkscape-tutorial/
http://ryanler.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/simple-bubble-in-inkscape-orb-ball-bubble/

And in video format :
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TDJ-TbOmzUs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vtcP4TheFxE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TWbWhBKgyE8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PfMDIK4uvV8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0hKGBriM6ko
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5UWZtFcOgos

And another, at least more funny cartoon version:
http://www.wisetome.com/splat/2006/12/13/10-step-tutorial-to-create-shiny-ball-vector-art/

The trauma exists for the reflected text too, I only past one here, but you will easily find a lot about it, some even mix the both trauma:
http://inkscapetutorials.wordpress.com/2007/06/15/beveled-edge-text-effect-tutorial/

Please, placing a reflected icon behind (or before) a text is anti-ergonomic (See Tango guidelines frequent mistakes. It’s impressive, but not so beautiful when it is everywhere. Don’t spend more time in this kind of tutorials, since at least 5 years people know how to do this. Instead, make a link to a previous version, and create tutorials on unexpected effects.

Some people believe than the ‘web 2.0′ look is full of shiny logos.
First I don’t really understand the relation between technology and a related disign that is fully static.
‘Web 2.0′ that is just a generalisation of javascript integration, (called ajax by some people) as it’s done longtime (at least 7 years) ago around the web. Some syndication and social exchange integration could be the best definition ?

Nevermind, searching google for exemple for ‘web 2.0 logo’ looks like most of the logo aren’t shiny as most ergonmics and aesthetics rules advise.

Added Jully 2ndThis text is not against a specific tutorial, but instead an expression of thought about asthetics, ergonomics and need of tutorial pushing inkscape to it’s limits, or at least explore the bases of this great piece of software I love since few years. If you like shiny effects (they are useful in some cases), you should find nice methods in this tutorials to have differents kind of shiny objects. It should be interesting to have more advanced shiny effects for render several kind of texture, not only glass, but smooth plastics, alien skins or whatever…

1 Comment »

  1. Ok. Guilty as charged. I have long stopped spending time on this kind of tutorial.

    Hey! But, ‘at least’, mine was, ‘more funny cartoon version’. :)

    I have long since moved on to explore more and put complex tutorials. (http://kalaalog.com/2007/03/11/peacock-feather-vector-art-walkthrough/ )

    Comment by Vyoma — %PM %861 %Europe/Paris%q, %2007 @ %1:%Jun %p

  2. here is a fresh redundant Inkscape tutorial: http://nicubunu.blogspot.com/2007/07/inkscape-shiny-button-redundant.html

    BTW, I think we are FAR behind the number of redundant shiny button tutorials for I*strator or P*shop.

    Comment by Nicu Buculei — %AM %347 %Europe/Paris%q, %2007 @ %1:%Jul %p

  3. Thank you for you comments about this, I’m happy (and proud) at least the discussion begin on this kind of subject and than good illustrators like you two want to comment this.

    I especially like Vyoma blog for its creativity.

    Sure there are several ways to graphically represent a specific effect, and it’s interesting to see theses technics, I don’t really care about annoying thins in proprietary softwares tutorials, but I think it’s better to try to explore new effects, new technics that are unexplored to help other users to do interesting things. I don’t see the interest to be limited

    I think as example about using textures or patterns in Inkscape, like I tried to explain some times on this blog at least since 2 years and are totally unused (even by myself ;) ) or about other unexplored technics, else Inkscape will only be another tool used by lot of people to do uninteresting thousands of time seen effects, without interest for everyone.

    I’m sorry but even if doing the illustration related to this article make me funny and put me on the way to use it a little, not alone, but in more complex illustrations, I definitively think than shiny effects alone are really kitsch effects, like lens flares or other awful simple and only technical effects. I could be wrong, but I think in few years, this will be seen as some poor psychedelic effect of the 70’s few years ago, before fashion of vintage that reuse old kitsch effects.

    P.S. : Another thing I really hate is a vectorized version of portraits with flat colors and black lines ;). I feel than pictures must be more smooth, the flows must be able to walk around pictures fluently, but I like hard and distinct contrasts too like stencils or really strong stroked black on white illustration. I believe than is not enough strong for graphical feeling and not good at all for color feeling.

    Sorry for readers that done this frequently, but I want to do this to express my own opinion (or my sense ??) of the beauty, that is by definition most frequently totally different for each person. That’s in the way my personal history let me learn and meet art, not an absolutely true statement. I don’t want to

    p.s.2., Sorry again if any confusion started of my level of english that could not be high enough to explain my feelings.

    Comment by Administrator — %PM %863 %Europe/Paris%q, %2007 @ %1:%Jul %p

  4. No need for apology. If it were not for healthy dose of criticisms – none of us would grow.

    Coming back to subject – I have to say I agree to you to some extent – in terms of basic tutorials. If it is already out there, then there is not point in reproducing it. As I said, that particular tutorial was one of the first when I started to blog regularly – I kept there, because it is one of the most visited pages of my blog even to this day.

    But I have coaxed myself away from that and started focusing on advanced topics. Lately though – I am giving less time on vectors and more on digital painting.

    Comment by Vyoma — %AM %986 %Europe/Paris%q, %2007 @ %1:%Jul %p

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