Thank you, Lazur. I trust it is okay to present the bulk of those questions below.
I do struggle from time to time with each one of them, in applying them towards my intended outcomes, and "thinking through" just how to use them in certain situations.
So, I ask my fellow Inkscapers here to help me. Please feel free to share your ideas, shortcuts, work-a-rounds, etc. on any of these questions below.
I welcome learning from you. Thank you very much.
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
Tracing bitmap(s)? Eyeballing as you create? Other means?
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
Do you use the Filter Editor (at all, or often) to tweak your filter results?
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Such as Bezier Envelope, Perspective? And Live Path Effects - such as Envelope Deformation, Perspective/Envelope, Lattice Deformation 2, Bend, Slice, BSpline, Corners (Fillet/Chamfer)?
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
Are there certain web sites you visit to broaden your horizons?
Certain videos you review (even from other software) that you use to mimic/adapt within Inkscape or "learn a better way"?
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
Tracing bitmap(s)? Eyeballing as you create? Other means?
Usually looking up reference images in the public domain department. Then find them useless and go by the "it looks convincing enough" idea.
There isn't just a high-res sundae image with the right angle, right lighting and right flavor when you need one.
With the baubles it was easier because just looked for the most generic one to find the right cap and, again simplified the appearance to the output scale.
That alone would be a real challenge drawing "right".
Generally speaking it's much faster approach for realism to model everything in blender and render with the desiredlighting and textures.
Drawing in 2D just cannot match shading with a hdri texture and some Fresnel.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Such as Bezier Envelope, Perspective? And Live Path Effects - such as Envelope Deformation, Perspective/Envelope, Lattice Deformation 2, Bend, Slice, BSpline, Corners (Fillet/Chamfer)?
Not much at the moment. B-spline, Spiro-spline, pattern along path is a must though.
If Dillerkind drops by, he will tell you again he is just using the pen/Bézier tool alone.
It's not the path effect you use, it's what the effect you want to achieve.
For example I rather not use the fillet tool because find cadmore precise and fitting for drafting.
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
Not easy to answer. I tend to use gradients more when mimicking 3D shapes, such as the Christmas bauble. Less so with flat designs. I think I am a bit of a purist.... I am a purist. :)
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
I usually go by eye and I use my emotions to guide me. If the colour feels right, it is right. To me colour needs to be harmonized, but also contrasted --- not just in tone but in value... Say, for example, the text on a banner/poster needs to be contrasted sufficiently with the imagery so it does not have to compete for attention.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
I used Lattice Deformation 2 to map a graphic to the Christmas bauble. I don't use it frequently. I mainly draw everything manually. I do however use pattern along path to make brushes. I don't use many of Inkscape's features, mainly due to the purist in me. I like the effect to come from me, not a tool. Most of my work is using the pen tool, I most frequently draw with the touchpad on my laptop. but for more complex illustrations (such as the lion), I use a graphics tablet and I make some brushes to be used with pattern along path.
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
I can use most of them reasonably well, but I tend not to unless I have to. I guess I would rather use a mortar and pestle than an electric grinder and a felling axe over a chainsaw, if you know what I mean...
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
Are there certain web sites you visit to broaden your horizons?
Things just jump into my head. I don't know where they come from. I don't like to follow tutorials, in my view it weakens the imagination and dulls the skills, but I do look for reference photos for accuracy.
Certain videos you review (even from other software) that you use to mimic/adapt within Inkscape or "learn a better way"?
I occasionally look at Inkscape tutorials, but most, in my opinion, are not very good. If the finished product does look good, I will attempt creating it without the tutorial. I would only follow a tutorial if I didn't understand a given tool, so I could learn how it worked. I have no personal interest in copying someone else's artwork.
I watch traditional painting and drawing as it relaxes me, and I do try to appropriate traditional techniques, keeping them in mind when I am drawing in Inkscape.
-----
My general process is, think of a concept, visualize the concept, draw it on paper, draw it again to clarify. draw it in Inkscape.
I only draw first in Inkscape if I have a clear picture of what I want to draw.
I may or may not scan my image and use it as a guide.
I mostly use the pen tool, but if the task is 'heavy' I will use the graphics tablet.
I sometimes edit graphics in the text editor, but it depends on the graphic.
Thanks for asking. Premises, Mac user here; my favorite works are aviation profiles. Here's my replies: 1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)? Very often. Reflexions on fuselages or in the airline livery needs an extensive use of gradients. Unluckily, recent versions of inkscape have lost the capability to drag and drop a color on the gradient bar to add a step, I've to add a step manually first, then assign a color.
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
By heart, in free works. Using golden ratio in logos.
Tracing bitmap(s)? Eyeballing as you create? Other means?
I'd like to not use the tracing option.
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
Rarely; clipping is useful to cut blurred images to a sharp edge. Otherwise, I'd like to use it less as possible.
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
Never. Filters are bulky, often not giving the results I'm looking for. I prefer to create the effect (i.e. embossing) from scratch, rather than trim a filter using the editor. Exceptions, some filter I can use to represent rust (felt) or to pixelate something.
Do you use the Filter Editor (at all, or often) to tweak your filter results?
I find it useful in the case above mentioned, and to adjust the blurring area.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Such as Bezier Envelope, Perspective? And Live Path Effects - such as Envelope Deformation, Perspective/Envelope, Lattice Deformation 2, Bend, Slice, BSpline, Corners (Fillet/Chamfer)?
Tweaking tools: Not so much because my works rarely required. I've tried them sometimes to experiment some effect, and I find them funny and well done.
Others mentioned, yes, sometimes, interesting in trying to simulate some effect Inkscape is missing, like the wrapping-around-a-sphere effect.
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
I'm average in every one.
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
I walk the dog, repair my train models, waiting for the hangover to dissolve
Are there certain web sites you visit to broaden your horizons?
I browse on pinterest to find inspiration.
Certain videos you review (even from other software) that you use to mimic/adapt within Inkscape or "learn a better way"?
Yes, I watch some tutorial, keep the principle inside them and ask myself: could be done better/faster or with a more interesting result?
Thank you, Marco, for your great answers and taking your time to share with me. I truly appreciate your doing this. Like the other folks, your art and creations are eye-opening and great.
Well, I'm not an artist, just an Inkscape enthusiast, but I guess I can answer these questions. 1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)? If I can express what I want with flat colors I do it. But I often find it unavoidable to use gradients for shadows and highlights. 2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions? Always through reference images or from created color palettes and then I modify them to my liking. 3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations? I need to use images for the proportions, otherwise it is almost impossible for me. 4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups? I use masking mainly to add textures, scratches and other such things.I use clipping mostly for text effects on an image, for example. 5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals? I try to use filters as little as possible because I usually don't get results I like. But if I do apply one I always use the filter editor because the default results are usually not to my taste. 6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape? Yes, I really like Live path effects. Not being an artist, it helps me in the creative part after getting the basic shapes. It helps me when it comes to breaking symmetries and giving some character to objects and that sort of thing. 7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at? None, really. What I'm interested in is learning a little bit about all of them and especially how to use them properly and effectively. 8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity? I can spend a lot of time listening to music while browsing sites like Pinterest, Pexels, Pixabay, etc. If I'm doing something in Inkscape and I can't make any progress, I just close the program and move on to something else. I love music, movies, reading, so I move on to a different activity. Then or the next day I reopen the file and usually see it differently. I almost always end up deleting things that I thought were correct the day before. So outside impulses are important to me. Yes, of course, I watch a lot of videos to learn from who knows much more than I do. It doesn't matter if they are with other software, I always get ideas on how to transfer it to Inkscape.
Sorry for the mistakes, it is a long text and I use a translator.
Marcos, thank you for joining in and sharing your details and ideas. I like to learn from others, see what fits in for me, and be inspired, by fellow Inkscapers ... like you. Much appreciater.
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
Almost never. When I do it is usually is a very subtle gradient in the background to "break up" the monotony of the background color
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
In general I use reference images that I drop in my work area and sample colors from (and then tweak to my liking). Sometimes I will use a search for a specific color palette on Google: "color palette fun" or "color palette medical" etc. Using online color wheels is great for a starting set of colors with fixed relations (color.adobe. com has a good one for instance)
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
Usually I use my "carpenter's eye" for that. In other words I usually just eyeball it. It all depends on what you're aiming for. If you go for a cartoony look you might make the head superbig compared to the body. If you want cute you go for big eyes etc.
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
Almost never. I got taught back in the day (early 2000's) that when using clipping and masks there's always a change that the printing equipment don't get the correct information and it doesn't use the clipping path. So from then on I basically always cut things into shape (with the booleans, or the shapebuildertool in Illustrator).
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
No. I think "never" is too strong a word in the literal sense, in the figurative sense it is correct though.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Occasionaly, but I do work a lot with "flat" stuff so I don't need it often
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
Color harmonies and clipping/masking
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
Tricky question. If I have a project I need to do but don't have any good ideas for: make a list of words you associate with the subjcet (on paper, in your head whatever) and image search that and more importantly image search synonyms. If that doesn't trigger anything and/or I'm (still) stuck: step away from the computer and go do something that keeps you physically busy but doesn't require attention like going on a walk, having a bike ride and BRING A NOTEBOOK/SKETCHBOOK WITH YOU If even that doesn't help, sleep on it for a night.
It seems I am learning from you artists and creators that the focus is on just expressing yourselves with a small, set of tools, a core knoweledge of the tools, path operations, and applying color as it suits your eye. Like a craftsman who has many tools, I sometimes get immersed in the "tools" themselves and lose sight of the desired project at hand.
Community Café Ask the experienced and learn by answering.
Inkscape.org
In 2022 june we are having an inkscape challenge based on the theme ice-cream.
Delicious!
https://inkscape.org/forums/competitions/inkscape-challenge-1-june-2022-31-june-2022/
Now, the conversation got a bit off topic, so starting this to avoid some interference in the air.
Basically the topic was shifted towards future challenges and
if there are any personal struggles using inkscape,
or in general, how to achieve certain stylistic outcomes in a drawing?
Ken Wilson @ken10001000 come up with a list I think is a good starting point for this topic.
https://inkscape.org/forums/competitions/inkscape-challenge-1-june-2022-31-june-2022/#c43626
So, let this topic be a general "ask about the drawing process".
Wether it's the using of the tools or general aesthetics, composition or using of colours, feel free to ask.
Disclaimer:
If you want to learn about a specific technicality or tool notworking,
check the live chat for instant feedback.
https://chat.inkscape.org/channel/inkscape_user
Let's keep them coming!
Thank you, Lazur. I trust it is okay to present the bulk of those questions below.
I do struggle from time to time with each one of them, in applying them towards my intended outcomes, and "thinking through" just how to use them in certain situations.
So, I ask my fellow Inkscapers here to help me. Please feel free to share your ideas, shortcuts, work-a-rounds, etc. on any of these questions below.
I welcome learning from you. Thank you very much.
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
Tracing bitmap(s)? Eyeballing as you create? Other means?
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
Do you use the Filter Editor (at all, or often) to tweak your filter results?
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Such as Bezier Envelope, Perspective? And Live Path Effects - such as Envelope Deformation, Perspective/Envelope,
Lattice Deformation 2, Bend, Slice, BSpline, Corners (Fillet/Chamfer)?
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
Are there certain web sites you visit to broaden your horizons?
Certain videos you review (even from other software) that you use to mimic/adapt within Inkscape or "learn a better
way"?
Thank you for asking!
It's a long list so probably will break down my reply into multiple posts.
Whenever possible or appropriate.
Vectorgraphics are best suited with graphic design and good graphic design is mostly flat.
But I'm not particularly into that kind of stuff. Logodesign, icons and interface design I find as an elitist a field as typography.
Instead, I'd like to think gradients can make a huge difference from an abstract design to something more appealing or natural looking.
But they need to be used in the right context. Using random gradients in a logo is a huge no.
Most of my uploads in the gallery uses gradients.
https://inkscape.org/~Lazur/resources/?page=1&
I find using them extensively is tedious, even if they are just linear ones.
With radial gradients, I usually try to follow a certain shape -like interpolating shape&fill between two ellipses.
Unfortunately that's rather tricky, because you need to "offset" the suposed gradient starting-ending steps from the actual ones.
Feel the svg standard is lacking in the gradient department.
Adding dithering to the rendering is a huge relief.
On the other hand, you still cannot edit the transition between two steps, unlike in illustrator.
Because of that, I tend to add in extra steps for a smoother flow.
Mesh gradients?
Only for specific uses. Haven't dived into it yet deep enough.
I see two ways to go about that.
First is laying down the lightness levels correctly as a greyscale image, then colorizing it.
The human eye can determine more levels in the lightness spectrum than different hue values.
Usually go the other way around: laying flat fills first with the "close enough" colours,
then editing them into gradients.
Colour study is a well documented field in design. If you look around in the household items and packaging, logo design,
you will find they are designed to appeal to a certain type of customers.
A triad scheme is usually considered harmonic, where the hue between the colours is about 120° on the hue wheel.
Can make very loong posts on that one alone, collecting "general knowledge" discussed on the net unrelated to inkscape.
If there is a specific drawing it's easier to discuss.
For example here is the first result on colour harmonies:
https://www.sensationalcolor.com/creating-color-harmony/
Usually looking up reference images in the public domain department. Then find them useless and go by the "it looks convincing enough" idea.
There isn't just a high-res sundae image with the right angle, right lighting and right flavor when you need one.
With the baubles it was easier because just looked for the most generic one to find the right cap and, again simplified the appearance to the output scale.
That alone would be a real challenge drawing "right".
Generally speaking it's much faster approach for realism to model everything in blender and render with the desiredlighting and textures.
Drawing in 2D just cannot match shading with a hdri texture and some Fresnel.
Yes, where necessary or convenient.
Haven't used clipping groups yet though and try to avoid masking. Latter doesn't transfer well to pdf-s, last time I checked.
Using clipping for a "clean cut". I'm picky with the gap issue/anti-aliasing in the rendering, so rather fill those gaps up with overlaps.
Sometimes it's the more straightforward way to simply just use clipping to create an "object with multiple fills", so to speak.
Can pull off many textures with filtering but it seems to me it's not worth the effort.
The necessary rendering resources rise exponentially with the expected result.
For proper realism, use blender.
If you want to learn using filters effectively in inkscape, be prepared to have more patience.
Not much at the moment. B-spline, Spiro-spline, pattern along path is a must though.
If Dillerkind drops by, he will tell you again he is just using the pen/Bézier tool alone.
It's not the path effect you use, it's what the effect you want to achieve.
For example I rather not use the fillet tool because find cadmore precise and fitting for drafting.
Honestly speaking I'd like to learn processing/touch designer and/or ai generating svg-s for creating similar images in the future:
https://inkscape.org/~Lazur/%E2%98%85lighthouse-2021
Having so many postponed projects for more inner focus I should probably browse less on the net.
Looking for inspiration outside/on the internet can be a disadvantage because
you get the result as an instant gratification and you stop chasing.
"Some could do it, and do it better than I'll ever do it" can be demotivating.
I hardly browse for svg images or tutorial videos as an inspiration.
Although time to time check openclipart if there is a fresh upload I might consider remixing.
Lazur, thank you for your kindness in sharing all these ideas and materials. This is quite helpful to me and gives me rich food for thought.
(And your images (links shared) are stunning and very creative.)
If any one else would care to share their processes, ideas, short-cuts, etc., I truly appreciate your doing this.
And, of course, others are welcome to share their questions regarding the design and creation process.
Not easy to answer. I tend to use gradients more when mimicking 3D shapes, such as the Christmas bauble. Less so with flat designs. I think I am a bit of a purist.... I am a purist. :)
I usually go by eye and I use my emotions to guide me. If the colour feels right, it is right. To me colour needs to be harmonized, but also contrasted --- not just in tone but in value... Say, for example, the text on a banner/poster needs to be contrasted sufficiently with the imagery so it does not have to compete for attention.
Again, I generally go by eye. I don't measure... I just feel.
I do and I have used clipping groups a fair bit recently. Although, I wouldn't use them for print, web graphics, or certain animations.
With that said, I did use clipping liberally in this animation: https://media.inkscape.org/media/resources/file/pen-animation-2020-12-06.gif
I very rarely use filters in my artwork. Filters make me feel like I have not fully created the graphic. I also am not skilled with them.
I have but as I don't tend to use filters, not really.
I used Lattice Deformation 2 to map a graphic to the Christmas bauble. I don't use it frequently. I mainly draw everything manually. I do however use pattern along path to make brushes. I don't use many of Inkscape's features, mainly due to the purist in me. I like the effect to come from me, not a tool. Most of my work is using the pen tool, I most frequently draw with the touchpad on my laptop. but for more complex illustrations (such as the lion), I use a graphics tablet and I make some brushes to be used with pattern along path.
I can use most of them reasonably well, but I tend not to unless I have to. I guess I would rather use a mortar and pestle than an electric grinder and a felling axe over a chainsaw, if you know what I mean...
Things just jump into my head. I don't know where they come from. I don't like to follow tutorials, in my view it weakens the imagination and dulls the skills, but I do look for reference photos for accuracy.
I occasionally look at Inkscape tutorials, but most, in my opinion, are not very good. If the finished product does look good, I will attempt creating it without the tutorial. I would only follow a tutorial if I didn't understand a given tool, so I could learn how it worked. I have no personal interest in copying someone else's artwork.
I watch traditional painting and drawing as it relaxes me, and I do try to appropriate traditional techniques, keeping them in mind when I am drawing in Inkscape.
-----
My general process is, think of a concept, visualize the concept, draw it on paper, draw it again to clarify. draw it in Inkscape.
I only draw first in Inkscape if I have a clear picture of what I want to draw.
I may or may not scan my image and use it as a guide.
I mostly use the pen tool, but if the task is 'heavy' I will use the graphics tablet.
I sometimes edit graphics in the text editor, but it depends on the graphic.
-----
I hope that is useful.
Pacer, thank you for sharing all this with me. Yes, it is helpful.
I think you and Lazur are talented, creative, versatile in your art and designs.
It is good to learn more about your approaches and thinking and use of tools within Inkscape.
You both expressive yourselves well, verbally and in your drawings and art.
And you both are kind to help me and others.
@ken10001000 No problem. Let me know if you would like to know how a particular graphic was made and I will attempt to go over the process with you.
Thanks for asking. Premises, Mac user here; my favorite works are aviation profiles. Here's my replies:
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
Very often. Reflexions on fuselages or in the airline livery needs an extensive use of gradients. Unluckily, recent versions of inkscape have lost the capability to drag and drop a color on the gradient bar to add a step, I've to add a step manually first, then assign a color.
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
If I can choose the color schemes, I like to browse the web to find these "color companion" palettes: https://www.colorepuro.it/tabelle-abbinamento-colori
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
By heart, in free works. Using golden ratio in logos.
Tracing bitmap(s)? Eyeballing as you create? Other means?
I'd like to not use the tracing option.
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
Rarely; clipping is useful to cut blurred images to a sharp edge. Otherwise, I'd like to use it less as possible.
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
Never. Filters are bulky, often not giving the results I'm looking for. I prefer to create the effect (i.e. embossing) from scratch, rather than trim a filter using the editor. Exceptions, some filter I can use to represent rust (felt) or to pixelate something.
Do you use the Filter Editor (at all, or often) to tweak your filter results?
I find it useful in the case above mentioned, and to adjust the blurring area.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Such as Bezier Envelope, Perspective? And Live Path Effects - such as Envelope Deformation, Perspective/Envelope,
Lattice Deformation 2, Bend, Slice, BSpline, Corners (Fillet/Chamfer)?
Tweaking tools: Not so much because my works rarely required. I've tried them sometimes to experiment some effect, and I find them funny and well done.
Others mentioned, yes, sometimes, interesting in trying to simulate some effect Inkscape is missing, like the wrapping-around-a-sphere effect.
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
I'm average in every one.
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
I walk the dog, repair my train models, waiting for the hangover to dissolve
Are there certain web sites you visit to broaden your horizons?
I browse on pinterest to find inspiration.
Certain videos you review (even from other software) that you use to mimic/adapt within Inkscape or "learn a better
way"?
Yes, I watch some tutorial, keep the principle inside them and ask myself: could be done better/faster or with a more interesting result?
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Marco.
Thank you, Marco, for your great answers and taking your time to share with me. I truly appreciate your doing this. Like the other folks, your art and creations are eye-opening and great.
Well, I'm not an artist, just an Inkscape enthusiast, but I guess I can answer these questions.
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
If I can express what I want with flat colors I do it. But I often find it unavoidable to use gradients for shadows and highlights.
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
Always through reference images or from created color palettes and then I modify them to my liking.
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
I need to use images for the proportions, otherwise it is almost impossible for me.
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
I use masking mainly to add textures, scratches and other such things.I use clipping mostly for text effects on an image, for example.
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
I try to use filters as little as possible because I usually don't get results I like. But if I do apply one I always use the filter editor because the default results are usually not to my taste.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Yes, I really like Live path effects. Not being an artist, it helps me in the creative part after getting the basic shapes. It helps me when it comes to breaking symmetries and giving some character to objects and that sort of thing.
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
None, really. What I'm interested in is learning a little bit about all of them and especially how to use them properly and effectively.
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
I can spend a lot of time listening to music while browsing sites like Pinterest, Pexels, Pixabay, etc.
If I'm doing something in Inkscape and I can't make any progress, I just close the program and move on to something else. I love music, movies, reading, so I move on to a different activity. Then or the next day I reopen the file and usually see it differently. I almost always end up deleting things that I thought were correct the day before. So outside impulses are important to me.
Yes, of course, I watch a lot of videos to learn from who knows much more than I do. It doesn't matter if they are with other software, I always get ideas on how to transfer it to Inkscape.
Sorry for the mistakes, it is a long text and I use a translator.
Marcos, thank you for joining in and sharing your details and ideas. I like to learn from others, see what fits in for me, and be inspired, by fellow Inkscapers ... like you. Much appreciater.
1 - How often do you use gradients (linear, radial/circular, and mesh)?
Almost never. When I do it is usually is a very subtle gradient in the background to "break up" the monotony of the background color
2 - How do you determine your color harmonies and transitions?
In general I use reference images that I drop in my work area and sample colors from (and then tweak to my liking). Sometimes I will use a search for a specific color palette on Google: "color palette fun" or "color palette medical" etc. Using online color wheels is great for a starting set of colors with fixed relations (color.adobe. com has a good one for instance)
3 - How do you achieve your needed "proportions" in your creations?
Usually I use my "carpenter's eye" for that. In other words I usually just eyeball it.
It all depends on what you're aiming for. If you go for a cartoony look you might make the head superbig compared to the body. If you want cute you go for big eyes etc.
4 - Do you use clipping, masking, and clipping groups?
Almost never. I got taught back in the day (early 2000's) that when using clipping and masks there's always a change that the printing equipment don't get the correct information and it doesn't use the clipping path. So from then on I basically always cut things into shape (with the booleans, or the shapebuildertool in Illustrator).
5 - Do you use filters commonly? Are there certain filters you use (and in what order) to get to your art goals?
No. I think "never" is too strong a word in the literal sense, in the figurative sense it is correct though.
6 - Do you use deformation and/or warping tools within Inkscape?
Occasionaly, but I do work a lot with "flat" stuff so I don't need it often
7 - Which of the above tools would you like to be more adept at?
Color harmonies and clipping/masking
8 - When you feel "uninspired", are there certain thought processes you take to stir your creativity?
Tricky question. If I have a project I need to do but don't have any good ideas for: make a list of words you associate with the subjcet (on paper, in your head whatever) and image search that and more importantly image search synonyms.
If that doesn't trigger anything and/or I'm (still) stuck: step away from the computer and go do something that keeps you physically busy but doesn't require attention like going on a walk, having a bike ride and BRING A NOTEBOOK/SKETCHBOOK WITH YOU
If even that doesn't help, sleep on it for a night.
Freerk, thank you for your golden set of answers.
It seems I am learning from you artists and creators that the focus is on just expressing yourselves with a small, set of tools, a core knoweledge of the tools, path operations, and applying color as it suits your eye. Like a craftsman who has many tools, I sometimes get immersed in the "tools" themselves and lose sight of the desired project at hand.
Thank you very much, all of you.
Ok, so here is an example file where masking is inevitable.
Overall a bit sloppy, because didn't have the patience to deal with all the 0,006 px inaccuracies.
https://openclipart.org/image/800px/337444
Why masking, you may ask? Well it's necessary for having a gradient fade between two fancy fills.
It can be pushed further, adding some textures by filtering and/or drawing a waving stripe weaving through the composition.
Might start a new topic in the artworks category for more variants.
The svg is available here:
https://openclipart.org/detail/337444/impossible-musical-triplet
Incredibly skillful, creative, beautiful. Thank you, Lazur.
I am going to look at your svg file and hope to learn more and grow.