So fine users of Lascaux Sketch (and perhaps those of oekaki shi painter), I make an offer to you.

I'm contemplating doing a reworking of Lascaux Sketch (not from the ground up, but a bit of retooling) of which I am tentatively calling Lascaux Sketch Pro. I imagine some of the big new features would be a better brush system (smoother and supporting decimal size brushes such as 1.5px), an animation system, an auto-save feature, and potentially other features as seen fit.

Granted, being a busy graduate student, my time is quite limited, and although I enjoy spending time on this site, it's difficult to justify. I am first of all curious on the demand for an upgrade like this. My second concern is if people would want to pay for such. One possibility is to raise donation money for the project (for purpose of argument, let's say $1500) after/during which I will work on the project (probably roughly 2-6 months). Another alternative is to make it a premium account-only feature and set some minimum number of premium accounts before I start working on it (the number would depend on how much the accounts were, let's say 50 accounts). A third hybrid would be to bid on various features.

In any case, I'm opening it up to you guys, curious what you think. Something you're interested in? Would like to bargain?

I think it would be easiest to get 15 people to send in $100.

Might be fun having some new features...I wouldn't mind paying..

I don't use Lascaux, but I think it's a good idea so that Marcel can have some extra $$$ for all the work he's done. =)

I'd pay for it.

$CHING$ $CHING$ $CHING$

I do hope we'll have more support in the near future. 2Draw is now one of the few sites I can visit without having to put up with adverts.

check out the adblock plugin. it gets rid of ads pretty well

that sounds fun to try all that out.... what would it take to have a premium account?

You can count me in - whichever way it goes - donations or accounts. I don't care what you do to it as long as you don't mess it up. :)

I come here because of the community, and the wonderful pictures people draw. Being a student myself, I don't know if i could justify paying. Aren't there lots of drawing programs available from open source communities for download? So this LSP would be an upgraded version purely for posting on 2draw?

I do feel like you've given a lot of ppl a great opportunity with this website, so I do feel indebted.

frootcake: show me one open source drawing program that is half as good as lascaux is already and I will be shocked.
and there is a possibility of releasing lsp as a stand alone program as well (although it wouldn't necessarily be free since I would rather people post on 2draw).

I understand that not everyone is in a position that they can donate, that's part of the reason 2draw is free to start with (and ideally so would lsp on 2draw)

If only I wasnt a child, Id have the option of supporting stuff like this.

Count me in whatever plan you choose, in my opinion, this is the best place on the net to draw :)

+1 supporter

I have said before I would use Lascaux as a stand alone painting program for professional use. (although Im not sure you mean to put out a mac version) It is simply more user friendly for painting than photoshop in my opinion. In any case, I would donate or pay to use it... either one, count me in. I am all for improvements.

I would, as well...and I would pay more for it than Photoshop costs. The only reason I'm not continuing to do it professionally right now is because I really need something independent of 2draw... I tried Photoshop, I absolutely hate it, I don't want to learn it... I'm stubborn like that. Lascaux is the only program I know how to use even "half way" proficiently (and I don't even know everything about it). If I had Lascaux independently on my computer, I would use it professionally and still post just as much art here. I'm sure most people wouldn't duck out of 2draw if they had it... it's really about the people here for most of us, it's about being able to share your art, to learn from each other... there's just something special about this place and being able to do that.

absolutely dba, 2draw is about the place and the people. and lascaux is perfect for this place, it's user friendly, simple and harddrive free. Most stuff I see coming from illustrator and photoshop just has this professional look to it that lascaux can't quite match atm, it would be nice to see the upgrades, and if i felt it were getting close to the quality of ps then I too would consider paying for a stand alone package.

What does klox and other users of the professional software think?

this is interesting. I would like to hear more from people similar to the last few posts...

i agree 100% with deadlyblonde. i've been downloading trials of every standalone program i can find to try and find something i can use professionally and still manipulate even half as well as lascaux. i've been disappointed with every one. even if they have the same capabilities, it would take me forever to learn to use the complicated formats, and i can already get great results with lascaux, damnit. i would also be willing to pay for a standalone program even if it had a similar cost to one of the other type programs. and also, yes, that wouldn't replace my using 2draw because that would be for a different purpose entirely.

Glad someone brought that up. I'd pay whatever the cost is for Lascaux as a standalone program. Just like everyone has said, I've tried almost everything and each time I go away feeling frustrated because they're not like Lascaux. I have Photoshop and have had it for a long time. I had tried learning it so many times but I hated it. It was too complicated and I didn't like having to go to so many different locations just to get a certain tool. I forced myself to learn it over a year ago when I was hired to do a logo. If Lascaux was smoother brush-wise and a standalone program, I'd certainly have used it over PS.

See, I told you years ago you could sell it, easily. The only thing that concerns me about the change is the mention of animation. I am afraid it will cause unforseen problems with the program... seems like the ones with animation have more glitches. (I hope it will be an optional selection, at least)

Funny you should mention the 1.5 pixel brush... doesn't seem like a big deal, but every time I paint I wish there were a brush between the 1 and the 2. The 1 px brush can be too sharp sometimes (even on anti-alias, and the 2 px is too large and fuzzy for some things. The rest of the brush sizes are workable without .5

Also... if there were a way to preserve transparency of the layers it would be helpful.

I don't care. I only like candy and sparkly things!

dba: there already is a way to preserve transparency of layers. you click the preserve transparency button on the edit layer box.

See, I don't know Jack. Well, I did know a Jack once... his name was Jack Rackley.
(after you submit something, it goes back to being opaque, though, doesn't it?)

um. perhaps you don't know what preserve transparency means? or you have a different meaning for it?

haha, I think she just means make the layers stay transparent D:

See, it's like reservations....anyone can TAKE a reservation, but the main thing is to HOLD the reservation.

Yes, of course I do... preserves are made from strawberries and apricots and stuff. (I personally never gave a flying you know what at a rolling donut)... I just know I did something professionally once that couldn't be used because the graphics designer said the layers had to be transparent, and when he captured them from here, they weren't.

(yes, that's it, Maiko... thank you) Preserving something means to... make it STAY LIKE IT WAS... but not like petrified wood. That preserves it, but you can't chop it anymore, and you can't burn it.

ah. yes, well obviously 2draw takes out the transparency information. That would be a fun feature although it would create a lot of problems on 2draw since jpgs don't store transparency (images would have to be PNG which is large and slow). I will keep it in mind. Be sure to post it again when and if I do this officially.

Speaking of the transparency information.... Do you gals know anything about lap dances? I mean, what exactly is the "slap and tickle"?

Sure, every girl should know what the slap and tickle is.

First, turn your back to your audience and, with straight legs, bend forward slightly, look back at him coquettishly and stroke or lightly slap your bottom. I guarantee this will make him smile. Alternatively, still with your back to him, gently sway from your ankles, opening your legs gradually. Slowly, bend over so that your bottom is brazenly pointing at your man. Bend one knee to the side and straighten the other out to the other side. Glide your hand up the straight leg and raise your head over the corresponding shoulder to look back at him. Slap your bottom hard. Repeat on the other side.

wow...no shit!? What about the turn move?

The turn? That's simple. As I've said, lap dancing is about showing off all your assets, so remember to turn around occasionally. For the best effect, turn slowly — your lover should barely notice. When you practice, work out which direction is most natural for you to turn in. And don't be overly concerned with how you do it; just take small steps and aim to make the turn blend into and become part of your dance. Keep circling your hips, and remember your arm movements. As far as possible, try to keep your lover in your gaze as you turn.

huh...well I'll be damned. I always wondered. I think the slap and tickle kicks ass ovewr the turn move.

Well, it's just a matter of preference. Either way, as it progresses, things will become increasingly transparent.

So...it'd be good to know what your partners dominant sex sense is then.
What was the main the he said he noticed about you when you met?

your eyes, your voice or your hair?

Well, let's see... if it was my boobs, (simply because the transparency of my t-shirt was preserved, you see) I'd have to go with one of those as the second thing...?

hmm... eyes

Which of these three activities does he enjoy most?
Watching TV
Listening to music
Fixing something, e.g., his car

After or before sex?

hmmm fixing something... not anything I need him to fix, mind you... one of his boats

he gets boats....:( Allz I git is a dumb old Porsche.

So, what's his number-one prenooky turn-on?
Talk dirty
Give him a head-to-toe massage
Treat him to a striptease

You poor baby

stripping, for sure

I see...and are there any one legged rubber monkeys involved in the dance?

Only when requested, but that would cost him extra. :D

Oops, we're in trouble.... RUNNNNN!!!!! :)

So let's say you guys are gettin all hot. What would be the biggest reason he'd get turned off?
The TV or radio being on
When it's too cold or hot
Your wearing pj's


OH MY GOD!! EVERYONE COVER YOURSELVES IN MELTED BUTTER AND RUN!

Too cold

Don't forget the syrup.

When he needs to figure out something, he prefers to:
Start tinkering
Peruse a manual
Call someone and talk through it

Tinker, tinker... TINKER
Tinker

I deleted a bad word because I don't want to be a bad girl around here, I might lose points.
Naughty blondes have more fun. Nyaaaaaaa

Oh yeah? Well have ya ever did'n it?

Yeah? Ya..no...ummm... You tell first!!!!!

Oh yeah...I've did'n it plunny. it was a girl from up near canada...you wouldn't know her....but yeah...weve did'n it.

lol PLUNNY :)

Well, I never said I would TELL... I never said if I would or not, I didn't say...

So good to know these thing about random people's husbands.

Who said anything about a husband? haha....

I recently made a (small-ish) donation to 2draw because I feel it is wonderful that such an amazing program like Lascaux is out here for us to use. The no-nonsense user friendly feel it has works for me. No distracting options like filters and such. Plus my computer, however good looking/wrinkle free it still is, already is over 5 yrs old and like most oldies, memory and speed is an issue for it, poor thing.

What I'd love and also pay for is a desktop Lascaux with the features mentionned in Marcello's original post.

Edit: Meh, first read ALL the other peoples comments before repeating what have been said before. On the other hand, it is perhaps a good thing Marcello knows more professional and non-professional (like me) prefer using Lascaux over other programs.

Another edit: Personally I'd still be drawing here too if a desktop-Lascaux was available, the instant feedback you can get here, and tips or critique are priceless for the amateur I am.