I use Gwibber to keep up with the various micro-blogging (Twitter, Facebook updates, identi.ca etc) services and having just installed Ubuntu 11.04 ‘Natty Narwhal’ (which includes Gwibber by default) I thought now is a good time to work on some themes. The supplied themes – ‘ubuntu’ and ‘default’ plus those available in the gwibber-themes package – are good but I found they didn’t contain exactly what I needed so have now been creating some of my own that also integrate with the UI settings.
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I was working with some images in GIMP and from the original photos (which represented ‘real life’ quite accurately) I wanted some slightly more dramatic “filmic” looking images perhaps for walls etc.
As always, if the image is to be printed etc then work with the highest resolution image you have (within reason!). [For these examples I've used a relatively small 640px JPG for the sake of the server Here’s some steps… → view the rest of the post: In this previous post I installed a kernel module for the Wacom Bamboo tablet under Ubuntu 10.10. With my laptop this was all working fine, but I now also have a separate monitor (a Samsung Syncmaster F2380 for anyone keeping track), it’s a widescreen monitor that allows landscape or portrait orientation by physically rotating the monitor screen. A graphics tablet works by “mapping” the screen (or window) area to the tablet surface, so how does it work when the tablet and screen have a different aspect ratio? I set out to get this working, with a semi-elegant solution… In a previous post I looked at the drivers for the Wacom Bamboo ‘Pen & Touch’ graphics tablet and installation on Ubuntu 9.10 which was quite a long-winded procedure to download and compile the drivers. Now I’ve updated to Maverick Meerkat 10.10 I’ve needed to go through the process again to get it working on my new installation! It’s better now though… (Updated 30/04/2011: I’ve now installed 11.04 ‘Natty Narwhal’, more in a separate post, and it is working with the Bamboo with the same method as detailed below.) Here’s some images in a “pencil scribble” style created using generative graphics. Creative Commons attribution licence, 1024 * 768 PNG.
Strange isn’t it, we’re all after the latest iphone/ipad/other gadgets and yet ‘nostalgic’ or ‘retro’ photos somehow seem better than the ones created by state of the art digital cameras! I’ve given the steps below to create a nostalgic (say 70s style) photo from a normal one, using the picture ‘Michelle’ from GirlReporter used from Flickr via the Creative Commons license. (Smaller images open out to a full size version)
→ view the rest of the post: In this post and a couple of subsequent ones I’m looking at how to create frames using Inkscape and GIMP in order to produce vintage / retro and other effects on photos. Below: creating a frame in Inkscape. This deals with deciding on dimensions, creating the frame and saving it in a suitable format for transparency. → view the rest of the post: Updated 27/12/10: I’ve made another post about installing this tablet, this time under Maverick Meerkat 10.10 (which should also apply to 10.04 – I didn’t have 10.04 installed for very long!). The updated method is much easier as it no longer needs to be compiled by hand from the drivers as a developer has very kindly packaged up the required drivers. So if you are using 10.04 or later then have a look at that instead/as well. (Original text:) I’ve been after a graphics tablet for a while and chose the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch based on good reviews, previous good experience with a Wacom tablet (Volito 2) and assurance from the interwebs that this tablet can be used successfully under Ubuntu! As a Linux user it is often the case that supplied driver CDs that come with hardware only support Windows and sometimes Mac, resulting in a little more ‘fiddling’ to get the device to work under Linux. I’ve now got the Pen and Touch working so it is possible – as some of the guides on the internet contradict each other and contain different steps I had some difficulty initially but following this method allowed me to install and use it successfully including pressure sensitivity with the pen, and the touch navigation. If you have found this page through a search then you could try following the steps below and if there are any further problems check sources such as the Ubuntu forums. I took some photos down at the South Kent coast (Dover) recently, on one of the few sunny days we’ve had so far this year. I’m not a great photographer and at the moment only have the camera on my phone (I’m after a new digital camera but can’t decide which one!) so am aware that the photos are nothing particularly special, but with the aid of Picasa and the GIMP managed to turn them into some vintage looking photos that I like the look of much better. If you want to do something similar you can follow the steps below as a ‘tutorial’ – I haven’t gone into too much detail, just outlined the general sequence of steps. → view the rest of the post: First set of general purpose vector background images with a 2-colour squares theme. Simple in appearance but useful to build on for other work. These are generated in Inkscape and are free under a Creative Commons license. 
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but for work to be printed, I use a much higher resolution than this.] NOTE: if you are displaying/distributing an image, then check you have the appropriate licensing.
