Deymio’s rings

More round things!

I always knew I’d have to do the rings one day, and the Destiny cover was it. Thank goodness for graphics programs!

I actually simplified them…no way I was doing a gazzilion whizzing concentric rings! Basically, I just started with a ring, the same as I’d made the others, then I began creating concentric ovals of varying perspectives inside by selecting an oval within the previous one, filling it, then contracting the selection by 15 pixels, or something like, then cutting out the inside of the “donut.” Now, this isn’t exact by any means. Theoretically, the width in the back should appear smaller than in the front, but, y’know…this is going to be itty bitty, so who really cares?

Each ring, BTW, was given its own layer.

Then, to create dimensionality, I did a hard-edged, black drop shadow on a separate layer, then flood filled that black shadow with a less opaque metalic silver at a perpendicular orientation, so the shine is “meeting” on the edge of the ring at about a 45 degree angle. This, with the “shadow” created by the lesser opacity fill-over-black enhanced the “edge” look.

Then I merged each ring with its shadow, still keeping each ring on a separate layer. That way I could rotate each ring individually to make them spinning on different axes of rotation. Then comes the fun part…sorting out which section of ring is in front of another.  Each ring would be in front of the rings within it on the near side and behind on the far side.

So…I made copies of each layer and inverted the order, then went in on the upper set and erased the sections of rings that would be behind other rings. I didn’t have to be too terribly careful, because I had a copy sitting below that was already behind the front runners.

Now…isn’t that just as clear a mud?

Anyway, here’s today’s show.

Back to work!

Ja ne!