• attached pychess.svg

Original comment 1. posted by miklevin 2007-03-25

Karol, I like the Knight graphic at http://lobais.blogspot.com/ Would you be able to
make an elephant logo for www.hittail.com ? We make our basic service free.

Original comment 2. posted by lobais 2007-03-26

Karol: I really like the logo! It has so much more energy than the old one :)
Only problem about is, than it requires us to move faster in implementing crazy house ;)

I seems that it gets quite blurred when you scale it down, which will be necessary if
we want the logo in stuff like the title bar.
Even though om not an artist my self, I've read some blogs about this being
necessary. http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2007/02/21/icon\_design/

But again: Very good work!
I also wonder how this could influence the debate of a new name for PyChess :)

miklevin: Perhaps you should send Karol a personal mail about your project :)

Original comment 3. posted by mimoohowy 2007-03-28

miklevin: just created the elephant (public domain):
http://www.inf.sgsp.edu.pl/pub/MALUNKI/2007/

You will find svg there, so you can play with the colours to fit your site

lobais: if you like the logo, I can tweak it (into comics), because I am not
satisfied with it (even though it took me a few hours). I will also try to see about
scaled-down version, though I am not strong at icons :( I just find pychess looking
awesome and that motivates me

Karol (mimooh at inf sgsp edu pl)

Original comment 4. posted by lobais 2007-03-29

What a nice elephant also! I think you are extremely good doing facial expression.

I'm also very happy that you like the way PyChess looks, and I think it can get even
better with nice graphics like this logo.
I thinking that this large version could be shown in the beginning, where we now have
this smoke/stone background. Then the knight could be put in the down right corner,
with same gradient of course.

Now I'm not sure if I should be the right one to tweak the colors, as you are
probably the far most graphical of us :) But I think a little contrast color and
perhaps a gradient on the body would look great! In all tango style.

But if you care tweaking it, and into icon size, that would be very interesting.

I look forward to PyChess supporting piece themes, stuff like this would be great :)

Original comment 5. posted by mimoohowy 2007-03-29

Sounds like you really like my graphics. I will tweak the knight for sure (somehow
not happy with this image). For the time being feel free to play with the
colors/gradients. Since pychess doesn't launch on my computer (the cairo problem -
it's my report) I can't see the smoke/stone background ;)

Luckily I can launch pychess at work, so I will check there. I use pychess svn, so if
you play with the gradients via svn I will see it there and perhaps can commit
updates if you please created an account for me (mimooh at inf.sgsp.edu.pl). Can it
be kept in svg/png? I guess I looked for chess pieces svg files in pychess and found
a file that looked like a bunch of bezier paths describing all pieces.

If you like the tango style, then we've got the same taste and will both tweak the
knight. As to piece themes I would like to help, but don't feel strong when it comes
to low resolutions. But I could see about them too.

regards,
Karol

Original comment 6. posted by mimoohowy 2007-04-22

Here comes the new alt logo as I promised. I am pretty happy with the new one,
although it needs tweaks to become an icon. Feel free to play with the color/shape.

regards,
Karol

• attached knight_pychess.svg

Original comment 7. posted by lobais 2007-05-05

I'm sorry for being so slow replying, but I've been thinking a lot about this. First
of all I think the new logo is really great art! I really like the back of the knight!
But then I'm not sure about the look of the face. Atm. we're called pychess, but I
feel that the comic expression of the knight's face suggests a more imaginative name.
Those were my thoughts. I then tried to combine the new and the old one - as the old
one looks more serious - but the new one has so many more details so it didn't really
work.

Then yesterday I saw the new logo of pidgin: http://pidgin.im/pidgin/home/ which is
purple just like the knight. I think the pidgin guys have done a really good looking
job, and the pigeon looks really good there.

So what I think we should do is:

• We should fine a more imaginative name.
  • There is already a report for this, but it's not that easy.
• The Knight should have a little more different colors.
  • Perhaps gradients and a contrast. Not sure where to put the contrast though..
• We need to think of a way to scale the knight to 24x24.

I hope you are still interested in the issue. Your art is really great!

Original comment 8. posted by mimoohowy 2007-05-06

Yes, pidgin looks great. I like both the face and the back of the knight and the old
one, the serious one just sucks in my opinion. Feel free to play with it or with the
colors. Here comes my icon proposal, but as I said I am not that strong when it comes
to low resolution :(

I may try to further tweak the knight, the gradients/contrast, but don't promise any
quick new submission.

• attached knight_pychess_ico.svg
• attached icon_preview.png

Original comment 9. posted by mimoohowy 2007-05-07

This one sticks more to the grid and has some more tweaks

• attached knight_pychess_ico2.svg

Original comment 10. posted by lobais 2007-05-07

I don't know if the pidgin pidgeon looks "great" - it's not much tango - but I like
the way it is integrated.

I think your icon approach is good! Maybe the dark orange should be darker in the
small versions..

I've tried to add some more colors to the main knight. I couldn't find a way to add a
contrast though.
Perhaps, as the horse is somehow higher than wide, we could add another smaller piece
in front of the knight, in a contrast color. Just like on the current pychess logo?

• attached knight_pychess.svg

Original comment 11. posted by mimoohowy 2007-05-07

Yes, if the knight should be the taller then peon is the option, with the comics
face. I could also create a bishop instead of the peon (the clerical version) but
bishop should be taller. We are talking about going to up to 200x200px logo with
bishop and knight though.

Original comment 12. posted by lobais 2007-05-07

I tried to do some graphics using the purple logo, and I actually think it works very
well!

I don't think it should be combined with a bishop of equal hight, as it would look
strange, but a pawn or a king might work.
This largest version would probably be for the desktop icon, while the headpart one
would be for the menuitem and titleimage.

• attached download_pychess.svg

Original comment 13. posted by mimoohowy 2007-05-07

My wife and me agreed that blue doesn't go with the rest of the image. Here is our
tweaked version. But you decide.

• attached download_pychess_2.svg

Original comment 14. posted by lobais 2007-05-07

Well, the color of the background will of course always have to be considered
together with the webpage the image is put on.
I thing however that we should try to not make the image too purple.

I came to think that you probably didn't have the Abaddon font used, so I thought I
better attach it.

Original comment 15. posted by lobais 2007-05-07

Btw, it is a TrueType even though firefox calls it a binary.

Original comment 16. posted by mimoohowy 2007-05-07

Yes, I don't have the font, but it's getting late so forgive me for not playing with
it. Here comes the peon - you name the colors.

btw, if philidor is the proposal for the game, not just the release - it sounds
perfect to me.

How about a chess game one of these days? ;)

• attached pychess_knight_and_peon.svg

Original comment 17. posted by lobais 2007-05-08

Uh nice one again!

I tried to play a little with the knight/pawn composition for the desktop icon. A
process which mostly stood in undoing parts of your great work :)

The reason for this is mostly that I think the hand editions shouldn't be in the
icon. I could however easily imagine them being on a news section of the webpage or
other where one would like to have some variates.

• attached PyChess.svg

Original comment 18. posted by lobais 2007-05-08

Uh nice one again!

I tried to play a little with the knight/pawn composition for the desktop icon. A
process which mostly stood in undoing parts of your great work :)

The reason for this is mostly that I think the hand editions shouldn't be in the
icon. I could however easily imagine them being on a news section of the webpage or
other where one would like to have some variates.

For the name Philidor, it is merely meant as the version name. A guy called celobox
(or something) posted a list of former fics grandmasters to the mailinglist. Philidor
is number four, so I imagine to use it for 0.8.

• attached PyChess.svg

Original comment 19. posted by lobais 2007-08-29

We need to integrate the icon into subversion.
Rest of the art can be used when Phillidor is to be announced.

• changed status to: Accepted
• removed label: Defect
• added label: Task

Original comment 20. posted by lobais 2007-09-02

Ok, I was a little unsure that people would be able to guess the "head icon"
symbolized a chess client, so I created some new icons, based on the silhouette of
the knight and pawn, with the colors from the glchess icon.
The smaller ones gave some slight problems. As they will be used in the gnome-panel
and in the titlebar - which are often very light - they can't really be white like
the big one.
For the 24x24 I made both black and white edition, but I wasn't sure which to take.
Black is sure easier to see, but it doesn't look at much like the big one..

• attached 24_w.png
• attached 24.png
• attached other.svg
• attached all.svg
• attached 16.png
• removed label: Medium
• added label: High
• added label: Release0.8

Original comment 21. posted by mimoohowy 2007-09-02

Good work - I like the images.

Original comment 22. posted by lobais 2007-09-02

Thanks. I'll try to incorporate them into the game.
Which one do you think works the best of the 24px images?

Original comment 23. posted by lobais 2007-09-02

Hm I tried to implement the icons in the game.
I must say that the only two I'm really satisfied with, are the desktop icon and the
about image.
The black 24x24 in the menu might also work, but it does look a little alien..
Any ideas?
Oh, and the 16x16 black knight in the title bar looks even more alien, but any other
picture looks incredible blurred there. The old icon was blurred too, but it had
those contrast colors, so you were still able to distinguish stuff a bit.

• attached Screenshot.png

Original comment 24. posted by mimoohowy 2007-09-02

As to 24 px, I like 24.png.
As to small blurred images... I am not good at low resolutions. I am afraid I can't
be of any help :(
Geez, 16x16 canvas... horror!

Original comment 25. posted by lobais 2007-09-03

Haha, I actually think it is an interesting task reducing those images :)
I also read this very interesting article:
http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2007/07/11/icon\_design/

I designed some new 24 and 16 pixel images. I think they are better than the old
ones, even though they only have a single line border. They also make the look more
general. All white icons.

• attached all.svg
• attached 24.png
• attached newscreenshot.png
• attached 16.png

Original comment 26. posted by mimoohowy 2007-09-03

The article is in fact interesting.
It looks like you are getting better with low res, congrats!

Original comment 27. posted by lobais 2007-12-21

The logo is now widely integrated in PyChess.
Very nice it is.

• changed status to: Fixed

Original comment 28. posted by mimoohowy 2007-12-21

The logo is now widely integrated in PyChess.
I saw it on pychess site and an mini icon on some screenshot. Thanks for
choosing my art for you project.

Very nice it is.
Seems to me Yoda fan you are :)

Original comment 29. posted by lobais 2009-06-10

Hi Karlo, if you are still listening to this thread and do still have a little time
to contribute to the project, I wondered if you had an idea for the PyChess fontwork?

I'm trying to design a tshirt for the project, but the Abaddon font is given me
problem due to sharp s'es that are not easily printable. I also guess that it is not
a good idea to use a commercial font as logo, when you can't even remember how you
got it :P

I imagine a balance between too cartoony and too commercial. Perhaps with a slight
ancient look, but without many sharp edges that are uneasy to print.
I hope you have a bit of time left for this project :)

Cheers, Thomas

Original comment 30. posted by lobais 2009-06-10

• changed status to: Reopened
• removed label: High
• removed label: Release0.8

Original comment 31. posted by jkrenska 2009-06-11

Hi Thomas,

to contribute to the project, I wondered if you had an idea for the PyChess
fontwork?
As to fontworks, I could prepare a single handmade cartoony inscription, such
as here:
http://www.sgsp.edu.pl/intranet/email/img/banner.png
http://gpzoliborza.inf.sgsp.edu.pl/banner.png
http://www.inf.sgsp.edu.pl/pub/MALUNKI/STRAZ/ZAKLAD/zil\_logo.png
http://www.inf.sgsp.edu.pl/pub/MALUNKI/2008/jesien2008.png

No problem for such.

Regards,
Karol

Original comment 32. posted by lobais 2009-06-11

Yes, these all look really great.
Do you think it can have a little ancient look or in some way refere to chess?
Perhaps by black and white squares..

Original comment 33. posted by mimoohowy 2009-06-14

Thomas,

I suggest you propose some ancient look (I found some on google, but it's better you
choose one) and I will do the inscrption in that style. I understand it should read

PyChess

Regards,
Karol

Original comment 34. posted by lobais 2009-06-14

Is jkrenska and mimoohowy both your accounts?

Well, I like the old font of course, it is just too sharp in some of the letters.
I also like the rybka logo:
http://www.rybkachess.com/RYBKA-worlds-strongest-chess-engine-UCI-best-chess-UCI-software-greatest-chess-engine-software-UCI-top-chess-software-engine-UCI/logo.gif
It is has a good balance of cartoon and seriousness I think :P

I don't want to restrict you though. If you've found something good on the web, then
maybe that can be inspirational as well.

PyChess it should read :)

Best Regards, Thomas

Original comment 35. posted by mimoohowy 2009-07-04

Hi again,

Yes, I am both jkrenska and mimoohowy. Here comes the work. The gray inscription is
for you to play and modify - you just change the curves > duplicate > union the paths

outset the new path and change the colour.

Regards,
Karol

• attached pychess.svg

Original comment 36. posted by lobais 2009-08-21

Hi Karol,
I hope you had a nice summer holiday.
I quite like the energy and the tweeking of the logo.
I think however, we need the logo to be a bit more "oldschool" looking, not so much
in the style, the red border is very nice, but more in the font.
Did you make this one all by hand, or is it based on some font you have?

/Thomas

Original comment 37. posted by mimoohowy 2009-08-21

Thomas,

The font is done by hand. It's been done pretty fast, so if you give me images or the
hints for what you refer to as "oldschool" I can do similar probably. Mine looks
cartoony, becasue this is the style I like. Holiday was fine, hope yours too.

Regards,
Karol

Original comment 38. posted by lobais 2009-08-21

I know my specifications are a bit flussy, but I'm also quite open (I think) :)
I think this logo is very styly:
http://www.thanetchess.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/thanetchess\_logo.gif
But perhaps you can also get inspiration from these fonts:
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=402&nb\_ppp=50 witch give a feel of, perhaps
"classic" is the best word.

I hope that was any help :)
Cheers, Thomas

Original comment 39. posted by mimoohowy 2009-09-02

Thomas,

I looked at the links given and this is definately not my style + there are so many
variations that I suggest I am not the one to make the logo. I am more into cartoons.
You could try yourself by hand or by installing the preferred font.

Karol

Original comment 40. posted by lobais 2009-09-16

Hi Karol,
I've tried working with a lot of fonts and I've come down to something promising, I
think.
I feel however that the way the logo interacts with the text (see the attachment)
provides to little dynamics, and is thus irrelevant. If you look at the Thannet chess
logo, the wave under the icon somehow makes the two poles merge better.

If you have time, I hope you will try to experiment how the knight and pawn drawings
can best supply the rest of the logo.

Thanks,
/Thomas

• attached log.svg