Inkscape Exploration

I have done a lot of design work previously in Photoshop and in Pages, so I was very excited to try out this lab and learn more about graphic design. The first thing I learned was the difference between raster and vector graphics. Raster graphics, like those found in Photoshop, rely on a compilation of small dots that, when you zoom out, form a completed image. I like to think of raster graphics as similar to pointillism, which creates images out of small dots. Like if you were to go up to the piece below in a museum, when you zoom in too far on a raster image, you will find it to be very blurry and hard to discern. This is one of the downsides of raster graphics.

Vector graphics, however, use math and reasoning to fill in the blanks and create objects. While less detailed, raster images are more versatile in that they can be enlarged easily. They also have smaller files and can be edited later.

After I was armed with this knowledge, it was time to give it a try! Like many of us in this class, I consider myself a do-er, so I first checked out Inkscape without looking at the tutorials - just to get a feel for the program. I found very early on that I liked the 3D box tool.

After exploring on my own, I decided to try the tutorials. My favorite one was the one about Bezier curves, which I had used before, but had not thought about much beyond the fact that they allowed me to make curves.

I liked how Inkscape, like Photoshop, lets you work on multiple layers. This makes graphic design work a lot easier and solves a lot of problems that I have had designing in Powerpoint or Pages. I am so glad I learned about Inkscape because it came in handy when I was making my spirograph. I was able to use a built in function to create interlocking gears, which I then laser cut to make my final drawing machine.

It was great to apply my newly-gained knowledge to a new area. I now feel more comfortable working in vector based software (although I still prefer Photoshop).