FEB from Judi - squaring off - APR to Judi

 

This is a fun one from fairly new exchanger,  Judi. I keep reminding myself to stay focused on the original intent of the blog - which was to share ideas and inspire people to use what they have learned in classes to make things. Most of us are making things as a hobby, rather than a business. Also, some of us have not taken any classes. There are self taught people who are very interested in letterforms. Other people who do not have a background in art enjoy experimenting with colors and decorations....doodads. 

As someone who has relied on *just dots* to create a fun envelope, I am supportive of all skill levels. I am also hesitant to offer suggestions where I see how one more little detail would add to the overall design. I am very sensitive to how a kind suggestion can come across as critical rather than critique.

So -- I rarely offer suggestions. I think I've done it with some people I actually know. But, I've hesitated to do it with the majority of the exchangers who I do not know.

Judi and I corresponded about a couple things and I'm going to ask her if it's OK to use her envelope to add a *fun tip* to the blog. We'll see how it goes. 

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Judi said it was fine for me to offer tips on her envelope. The tip is on the rays. I'm not sure how she decided to alternate the two sizes. If she did the bold ones and then didn't like the spacing and added the fine ones - I can see how that's a logical solution. I don't have a problem with the two sizes - I just wonder why. By the time you get to the end of these comments - you'll see that I end up liking the two sizes.

My tip of the day is squaring off the stokes - and on Judi's - it's such a minor detail - because it looks like she used a broad edge nib - so the only thing that bothers me is the way some of the strokes angle.

On my example - I made the rays with a chisel tip marker to make them more square and consistent in straightness. I like to look at the details and Keith's rays look like they are a little less square on the outer end. So on the envelope - I only squared the end next to the circle.

Then I scrutinized the space between the circle and the rays and that needed fixing. 

Above - I made this after the envelope - and you can see how I have a pencil line to make the space between the red and black more even. 

Below - you can see how inconsistent the spacing is - between the rays. That really bothers me. I should have slowed down. 

The lettering bothered me. Changing the J to lower case helped.

I let this project go until the last minute - so - in the end - I like Judi's rays better than mine.

And the only thing I would fix about Judi's is to have them all radiating from the same point and avoid those angles on the tips.

I haven't even mailed this yet - since I'm writing this on April 6.

If I have time, Judi will get a bonus envelope.

I like the border Judi put on the stamp.