On Sat, Oct 23, 2004 at 10:31:40PM -0700, miriam clinton (iriXx) wrote: > > I have some experience in designing pngs and graphics for GNU/Linux > music applications, as I am also a musician and a member of > linux-audio-dev and linux-audio-user - the same discussion arose on > those lists, also for another important reason - if we are to convert > people to using GNU/Linux, the GUIs need to be as attractive as those in > Winblows or Mac OS. > welcome. thank you for your contribution to the gnu/linux world. it would be nice to see some examples of your work. we have a few artists involved with TheGIMP who have been using TheGIMP and the other GNUed applications to contribute this way for years. they would more than likely help you in any transition you are making from the other software environment to this one. > I'm sorry if this message treads on many toes. But from the point of > view of a designer - GIMP is designed by programmers, and therefore > thinks in the manner of a programmer - the tools are difficult to use > for graphic designers who are visual-thinkers. The menu is obscure, and > it takes a great deal of mastery to create the same effects that we > could do quickly and simply in Photoshop (err, some of the effects are > rather dated too - but then again, some of the effects in Photoshop are > similiarly outdated). I'm well aware of the problems which we face in > regard to patents - I've also closely followed the Adobe vs. Macromedia > lawsuits. > no one will feel toes stepped on. it has been suggested for many many years that gimp tries to be photoshop or should be more like photoshop. i am not sure how long you have been using photoshop or what version you learned with. gimp-1.2 out-performed photoshop in ease of use in my experience with visual-thinkers. meaning, i watched a visual thinker try to make it work (photoshop) and couldnt. i am reminded of a child i worked with a couple of years ago. i was very sorry he was spending his time learning how AOL worked. he could have been learning how to make his computer work. you, as well, learned how to make photoshop work. learn gimp and it is easy to step into photoshop and work circles around those users. i am very sorry you spent this time learning how to use photoshop; especially if you were interested in free software. here is a secret about lawyers. they come in pairs; so if you dont get one, no one knows what to do with you. > But I would very much like to comment from an artist's point of view on > any improvements that I could suggest that might make GIMP more > attractive to designers (and preferably, more attractive than photoshop). > the developers have been working with artists since i started to watch them. perhaps you could fill in some details. which version of photoshop did you learn on? did you ever try paint shop pro or other payfor or steal software? > I'm also interested to know if there is a port of an Adobe > Illustrator-like application planned for the future. We need a good set > of graphics tools, especially vector design and web design GUI-based > tools such as the Macromedia suite to attract graphic designers - > likewise there exists already an attractive and varied set of music > applications which draw Winblows/Mac users to GNU/Linux. The desktop > environments are extremely attractive - now we need to make the > applications equally attractive, as many are frustrated by > difficult-to-use applications, simply because of the GUI. > Inkscape, i think. when asking developers a question, please do not assume they understand the software you were using. if you could describe the job that needs to be done and not the software you do not want to pay for any more it will be easier to get a response. this is something i learned from the new chix mail list. i am not sure how long you have been involved with free software, but perhaps you could join this mail list also so you can get a feel for the language and the way the developers communicate. so if you need to know what sort of software will draw textured shapes in three dimensions, or whatever (i am not at this point sure myself what illustrator does, anymore) it lets people know that 1) you do know what you are doing and 2) you respect that they were making tools not software clones. > Again, apologies if this treads on toes - you're free to tell me to go > shove it - but I'd very much like to comment and contribute as an artist > and graphic designer. > no toes treaded on, i am sure. these are fairly old suggestions. i would also not like to step on your toes, however suggest two different things. 1) that if you learn how to make graphics the way gimp does, your idea of attractive might expand and 2) richard was flirting. carol ps, i think that TheGIMP is very very attractive from the icons right down to its core and i wish i had charged my photoshop friends for teaching them how to use their expensive thing.
