Its Friday and I want to make a fun post! Last night while working on a project with Christopher, I mentioned that we should add more dirt to some of our designz. He asked me how, so I made a quick HOWTO make dirt using our beloved Inkscape drawing software and then uploading the results, as scalable vector files to our project, Open Clip Art Library.

Check it out! If you like this post, please try to make your own dirt and upload to the Open Clip Art Library:

1. Download image of dirt from a source like Google Image Search or Flickr.


2. Download and use Inkscape, the free drawing tool!


3. Import image in inkscape (I usually embed the image for now)


4. Select Path > Trace Bitmap...


5. Play with options (prefer simple black and white)


6. Convert image to paths by clicking "OK"


7. NOTE: At this point you will have some dirt. You may want to delete the image source material you imported now, or later.


8. To create dirty type or make some shape dirrrty, then...


9. Overlay shape or type on the dirt path.


10. Then, play with path operations in the Inkscape Path menu like intersection, exclusion until you get a desirable result


11. Have fun! Undo and Redo menu operations are your friend


12. Upload your saved SVG (without the image in the file) to the Open Clip Art Library.
    

Check out my growing collection in my Dirt Gallery (some of you who have known me for some time will get that KC comment ;).

Greetings, friendz,

Thank you for all the great art and thumbs up to everyone contributing to the Open Clip Art Library! The community is blossoming.

We're very happy to report that over the last few weeks we've had a massive jump in users who give us a Facebook like, surpassing the 3,000 mark. We'd also really appreciate a follow on Twitter @openclipart or Google+.

Regardless of what platform you choose you'll be able to follow current news and uploads to the ever-expanding database of YOUR art how YOU want it. We can always use your help growing our library, and thank you again in advance for telling your peers! Let's all keep the practice of sharing in the forefront of our minds.

Abstract Landscape by Viscious-Speed (/user-detail/Viscious-Speed)

What's particularly great about this Open Clip Art Library 3.1 release:

• Our new favoriting system


• A better landing page including more main page features and the most popular clipart.
  Collections have been improved


• Our server has been moved to a big linode box, thanks to gandi.net for supporting our development


• We added imagebot image editing to each clipart page simpy click the "Edit Image" button on a Clip Art detail page.


• Now you can set the resolution of the raster art you desire to download by entering a number into the white box on a Clip Art detail page and by pressing the orange [PNG] button. You can copy the link in that box and use it as HTML anywhere on the web.

As we look to the future, Open Clip Art Library is absolutely commited make it easier to upload, download, and share. Please participate in the development of the project today.

Please enjoy the Open Clip Art Library 3.1, and keep on sharing. Also, please consider donating to support the infrastructure which keeps our community running! We need your help to make the Open Clip Art Library the best public collection of Clip Art that "anyone may use for any purpose" in the world!

Montreal, May 12, 2011 - At the 6th Libre Graphics Meeting 2011 in Montreal, the Open Font Library, the Open Font Library community and Fabricatorz launch an online library of fonts that all type designers and font enthusiasts may participate in. The goal of the Open Font Library is to offer great fonts, help designers share their work, accelerate the usage of the @font-face tag available in modern web browsers, and to help educate everyone about how to design and use fonts.

The Font Library website is under active development, with the mission to bring online a veritable library of fonts to be made available under free licenses, including the SIL Open Font License, Creative Commons Zero license, and the GPLv3 with font exception license.

Fabricatorz developer Christopher Adams led the development of the site on the company's Aiki Framework. "Today marks a crucial milestone in the lifetime of the Open Font Library, from its initial conception in 2006 to its finalized public release in 2011," said Adams. "Our goal for the Font Library is not only to assemble a large collection of fonts, but to highlight quality free fonts and help others get involved in making this the best public library of fonts."

The Open Font Library received sponsorship and direction from Dave Crossland. Other major contributors to the project include Alexandre Prokoudine, Ben Weiner, Ed Trager, Eric Schrijver, James Weiner, Jon Phillips, Nicolas Spalinger, and Robert Martinez, who developed the Open Font Library logo. Initial patrons to the project include Mozilla Foundation, River Valley Technologies, TeX Users Group and Yes Logic. The Font Library has also benefited tremendously from input by participants at the Libre Graphics Meeting 2011.

The Open Font Librarians and the Fabricatorz, the global open production company, are actively seeking sponsorship and contracts to support the development of the Open Font Library towards a 1.0 release by the end of 2011. With sponsorship, there are active plans to integrate version control support for fonts on the site, allow for direct editing of fonts on the site, identify incomplete font designs and actively provide solutions, and integrate social web features into the project. More advanced features like API support for uploading and downloading fonts become possible for each additional patron who offers their support.

"The Fabricatorz stand ready to help build the world's largest collection of fonts," said Fabricatorz and Open Clip Art Library founder, Jon Phillips. With your support, use of the Library's fonts, and spreading the news of the project, the Open Font LIbrary is certain to reach this goal."

About Open Font Library

The mission of the Open Font Library (http://openfontlibrary.org) is to promote your freedom as it relates to fonts. All of the typefaces contained in the library are available under a free license, which gives you the freedom to use, study, remix and share each and every font. The site is powered by the Aiki Framework (http://aikiframework.org), a powerful web framework for building network services using the AGPL license.

About Fabricatorz

The Fabricatorz (http://fabricatorz.com) is a "open" production company that makes successful projects from start to finish, including development and community management. We specialize in Free and Open Source Software, Creative Commons technology, growing on-line and off-line communities in San Francisco, China and the Arab World. Our core focus is in developing software using Aiki Framework, hardware using Qi Hardware, and community-building around the philosophies of Sharism.

For More Information

• http://openfontlibrary.org


• http://aikiframework.org


• http://fabricatorz.com

Press Contact

Christopher Adams
press@fabricatorz.com
+1.415.830.3884
San Francisco + China

Attachments

• PDF


• ODT

Montreal, May 12, 2011 – Today at the 6th Libre Graphics Meeting 2011 in Montreal, the Open Clip Art Library along with its commercial stewards, the Fabricatorz, have launched the biggest, most featureful version of everyone's favorite public domain library of clip art, a collection that is free to use for any reason.

Lead developer of Open Clip Art Library and Fabricatorz Developer, Brad Phillips said, "This is our biggest release ever! We have fixed loads of bugs, and Fabricatorz have been leading an effort to create a traditional favorites system so all clip art may be rated by any artist. We have been actively working to close bugs and implement feature requests."

Additional features include a new sorting category, displaying on the main page, that takes advantage of the new favorites system by listing clip art according to most popular. There is now enhanced profile management capabilities and also an ability to list links to a user's different profiles. There are 50+ bug fixes on this 3.0 release that make the entire project work smoothly. And, now its easy to generate bitmap images on-demand, thanks to the contribution from user boobaloo from the project.

A major feature added in this release is the batch management action bar. This tool allows for librarians to add or delete clip art searches and tags. For normal artists (users) it allows for the ability to add to and remove clip art from collections. Collections is a feature from the last release so that themed sets of clip art are combined by someone.

As has come to be expected in recent Releases, a brand new Package of themed clip art is out. Open Clip Art Library 3.0's theme is 'Famous People', and the package contains dozens of newly created graphics for all uses, many of which have been contributed by attendees of workshops at LGM 2011.

For all users and services using the Open Clip Art Library, Fabricatorz is a commercial production company that actively adds features to the Open Clip Art Library. Fabricatorz founder, Jon Phillips states, “The Fabricatorz stand ready to add desired features like a Request System, an Artist Donation System, and a Showcase section on the site. For any businesses, services or benefactors that are interested in these features, we want to work with you to realize new features on the project.”

3.0 Highlights

* Favorites system sprinkled throughout the site
* Most popular category on the main page
* Users can add multiple links to their profiles
* Batch management (collections and clipart management)
* 2 active events, famous people, doudou linux logo
* 50+ bug fixes
* Simpler personal information management
* Embed controls for clip art

Downloads

We now provide monthly customized packages related to monthly themes. Please follow the url below to download the latest packages.

http://openclipart.org/packages

About Open Clip Art Library

Since 2004, the Open Clip Art Library (http://www.openclipart.org/) aims to create an archive of user contributed clip art that may be freely used. All graphics submitted to the project are placed into the Public Domain according to the Creative Commons Public Domain Declaration. The site is powered by the Aiki Framework (http://aikiframework.org), a new web framework using the AGPL license. The Open Clip Art Library. Drawing Together.

About Fabricatorz

The Fabricatorz (http://fabricatorz.com) is a “open” production company that makes successful projects from start to finish, including development and community management. We specialize in Free and Open Source Software, Creative Commons technology, growing on-line and off-line communities in San Francisco, China and the Arab World. Our core focus is in developing software using Aiki Framework, hardware using Qi Hardware, and community-building around the philosophies of Sharism.

For More Information

* http://openclipart.org
* http://aikiframework.org
* http://fabricatorz.com

Press Contact
Jon Phillips press@fabricatorz.com
+1.415.830.3884 San Francisco + China

Over at Open Clip Art Library, there is a steady march of development by Fabricatorz Brad and Jon, Boobaloo is helping move things forward, and the chat channel is springing forward. Also, looking at the numbers there now 83,113 artists on Open Clip Art Library, and 1,186 added this month so far! Please join us upload clip art and let's grow this number!

Developers

We need you! Helping with the project is a great way to learn about open source software development. At the upcoming Libre Graphics Meeting 2011 in Montreal May 10-13, 2011, we will be launching Open Clip Art Library 3.0. Join us and be part of the announcement!

Doudou Linux Logo Competition

Head librarian Boobaloo worked with the Doudou Linux project to launch a logo competition to come up with the project's new identity. There are already several submissions. Its a great way to be discovered.

Boobaloo states:

DoudouLinux (DDL) is a Linux distro for kids from 2 to 12 yrs old. It is specially designed to make computing easy for children (and their parents too!). Could run without installation from USB or LiveCD. So, if you have kidz - DoudouLinux made specially for them!

The competition goal is to attract more designers to the project and up the style. Its a good way to get your feet wet with libre graphics and to gain some reputation :)

Speaking of which, I noticed that the Freedombox project's logo came completely from remixing artwork on the Open Clip Art Library. I like the Freedombox logo, but we think this GNU dressed as Che might be more interesting.

Famous People Collection

Brad has been adding features and fixing bugs left and right. The collection functionality he added is getting a good work out now. Its getting more attention with this month's main activity. Please submit your images and help collect images of Famous People.