Making smooth images for the internet age.

I have been struggling for some time with getting the images I create to look just right on my website, or blog. No matter how low I make the resolution, or how many filters I apply, the images often look very poor quality.

I have decided that this must be because everyone else makes their jpeg images with Vector Graphics or something very technicological like that. Not knowing anything about vector graphics, I have decided to produce all my work in vector images from now on. Fortunately I don't have any commissions at the moment (that was lucky!) so I'll have time to play around with the various settings and get this right, and then advise others on how to be an expert with vector graphics.

Keep watching this space. I'm downloading http://inkscape.org/ now and hope to learn how to use this very soon. Smooth graphics are on the way soon!

Cartooning by numbers...

The invitation by Leonard G to contribute to this blog on my specialist subject of Gillingham left me in rather a quandry.

Initially I considered throwing in the towel because I just couldn't see a common thread between Cartooning and Gillingham. They just don't go together in the same way as Morecambe and Wise, Cheech and Chong or Prawn and Dopiaza.

Suddenly though it all became clear. The common thread is numbers. More specifically 3 and 20. The most obvious link being that both words have three syllables and the two together have 20 letters.

That's the tip of the iceberg though. Gillingham station has 3 platforms, 3 town centre bus stops serve the Medway Maritime Hospital and the town offers 3 types of public transport, train, bus and taxi. On the football field, Gillingham have won 3 of their home league games by scoring 3 goals and getting 3 points on each occasion.

On to cartooning. In my book there are 3 types of newspaper cartoon; political, gag and strip. Cartoon characters occasionally come in threes...Huey, Dewey and Lewey being one example. And the most popular format for a newspaper strip cartoon uses three panels

It's with the figure 20 though that the most extraordinary similarity rears its head. Mr. Gubbins own brand of cartoonery is designed to relieve "punters" of a crisp £20 note. Gillingham Football Club are set up in a similar way. A ticket to watch the next home match against Huddersfield will set you back a modest...yes you've guessed it. How uncanny!