would I EVER use an image that I know nothing about

Inside/Out.

Two portraits (self) in the same program (illustrator) with vastly different results. One made only out of type and one with all kinds of colorful goodness. The typography portrait was pretty straightforward and is made up completely of sections of (you guessed it!) type.

I used a section of dialogue from Les Miserables, the novel by Victor Hugo, to fill in sections/planes of the image to create dark and light. This, in turn, gives the illusion of depth and shading

The color piece is also created in Adobe Illustrator. I began by building the image with a series of shapes made with the curvature tool. I built them up piece by piece to make the basic shape of the face and neck- but with two separate pieces I was able to create a shadow under the chin. The whole piece is mostly built out of shapes created with the curvature tool. I built up varying colors of skin tone on the face for some dimension on the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. The paintbrush tool was utilized for texture in the hair, face and shirt. The flowers are made up of shapes made with the polygon (star) tool. I used the arrow up/down to make the star have more or less points. The eraser came in handy for cleaning up some edges. Transparency was created with opacity on individual layers: the halo effect is made with a solid golden ellipse which is made transparent. 

I was rather pleased with both of the portraits. The type tool project has a subtle texture. The colors in the vector portrait are vibrant and friendly. I learned a lot during both of these but would like to make another color portrait. Maybe I'll make one of someone else next time, just for a change of pace!

I'm your type.

by Nicolàs Romero aka Ever

(continued from title)...because it is pretty?
Well, anyway, I felt a connection with this piece. The colors, shapes, style, composition all struck a chord and reverberated. I completed my portrait before reading Ever’s manifesto, or really researching his greater body of work at all. That felt reckless and irresponsible, but when I actually read his philosophy it was a sparkling reminder to trust my instincts. Patricia said I looked like Santa Jackie and I think Ever would agree. So maybe I’m just hanging out and reading or whatever. I’m worthy of a mural wall. Why not?

The Manifesto of Ever