Mr. Rich's Vector Graphics: Intro - Act. 1 - Act. 2 - Act. 3 - Act. 4 - Act. 5 - Act. 6 - Extra

Business Card (Landscape) - Activity #4

Making your own business card with landscape background!

Lots of Layers!  Awesome detail!

For this activity, you will create a business card with  a landscape background.

Please follow the videos below as you build this activity.

Activity #4

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Setup...

First, if you've never used Layers in Inkscape, then watch this video

I've added this video to show:

• layering with layers
  (move layers up or down)
• layering within layers
  (send objects back or forward)

(This video is just a demonstration of layers and is not part of assignment #4.)

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#1. Building a Border

Start with a border that will hide our imperfections.  

First, set the document up:
--> File
----> Document Properties
------> "mm" (top dropdown)
------> "US Legal"
------> "Landscape"
(then exit the popup window)

Document Properties Popup

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Then, create the border:

1. Use the rectangle tool to draw a rectangle.
2. Click the top Black Arrow tool and keep the rectangle selected.
3. In the top toolbar, change the rectangle dimensions:
   - Width = 180
   - Height = 100
4. Fill this rectangle with dark green.
5. Duplicate this rectangle and fill it with light green
6. Resize the light green rectangle to:
   - Width = 170
   - Height = 90

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Select both rectangles
Click the ALIGN tool button to open the Align window.

When the Align Options window opens, center the selection both vertically and horizontally.

Now, we want to remove the center of the rectangles (which is why we call it the "border").

• First, we need to select both rectangles.
  
• Then, in the top main menu bar, choose "Path" and select "Difference".
  

You should now have this:

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#2. Grass and Sky

Add basic shapes for grass and sky!

• Draw 2 rectangles.
  
• The edges of the rectangles should go over the border (for now, as we'll raise the border later).
  
• Set the fill for these rectangles to "grass" and "sky" colors.
• Put each rectangle on it's own layer.  ("Grass" and "Sky" layers)

Grass & Sky rectangles overlap with the border. (We will raise the border later.)

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#3. Mountains

Add mountains between the grass and sky.

Make sure your mountains have snow!

What you will draw is something like this:

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this:

Mountains on top of the border. (We will raise the border later.)

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#4. City

Add a city-scape with highlights.

Draw a dark blue city:

• Draw it as one piece
  (white highlights added later)
• Use the Bezier tool
• Hold down "Ctrl" key while clicking to create nodes.  This will give straight lines at perfect angles.
  

What you will draw is something like this:

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this:

City and other elements still on top of the border. (We will raise the border later.)

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#5. Adjustments

How do you make changes?

First, adjust your city and mountains so they aren't floating in the air.

At this point, you must change your mountain colors.

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#6. River

Add a river to the foreground.

What you will draw is something like this:

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this:

River still on top of the border. (We will raise the border later.)

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#7. Plane

Make the plane too large and then scale it smaller later.

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this
(and you can also raise your Border layer to the top now):

Plane too big still.

Next, select the plane (including highlight) and scale it smaller, like this.

Plane just right. (We can raise the border now!)

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#8. Text and Shadow

Add text (the name of the company).

When the text is selected, apply a shadow filter.

--> Filters
----> Shadows and Glows
------> Drop Shadow

(Check the "Live Preview" box and experiment!  Then click "Apply" to set the shadow.)

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this:

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#9. Gradient

Add gradient to the sky and grass.  (In Inkscape, you can add gradient to anything!)

The gradient button is below the Bezier tool and the "A" text tool and it looks like this:

Experiment with clicking-and-dragging to get the effects below (Grass & Sky):

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this:

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#10. Text On Path

In the LAYERS window, 

• Unlock the TEXT layer
  
• Then click on the TEXT layer to make your changes on this layer.
  

Now:

1. Make some text.
   (Use the "A" button below the Bezier button.)
   
   
2. Draw a path (or shape).
   
   
3. Select both text and line.
   
   
4. Click "Text" (top main menu)
   Choose -> "Put On Path"

When you add this to your drawing, it looks like this:

Finished Product!

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Save + Publish!

• Save this as "activity-4-business-card.svg"
  
• Choose "Export Bitmap" and then the "Drawing" this file as a PNG file ("activity-4-business-card.png")
• Post both files on your "Vector Graphics" page (Weebly).  (The PNG should appear as a picture.)
  

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