Layout #143: Alethiometer

Layout #143: Alethiometer. Click here to return the layout listing.

Name : Alethiometer of Truth
Index : No
Made : Shaza — November 01, 2007
Site : Ambition
Brushes : Yes; look on links out page.
Shapes : Yes; Circles, Lines, Squares
Effects : Yes; Multiply
Fonts : Perpetua Titling MT, Tw Cen MT Condensed, Ruritania, Sell your Soul, Arial for CSS
Navigation : Yes; Overlaps on the Side.
Artist/Comic : Alethiometer. Vector by me
Original Picture from : From hisdarkmaterials

Process :
This layout entirely revolved around that Alethiometer vector. I first vectored it nicely in Illustrator, and then I worked with in it layout format. The layout itself was put together really simply. I wanted something more antique looking with very solid colors and little blends. So, I came up with this. I added the top header first, and then decided I wanted something more than the usual repeat. Hence, I thought it would be interesting to put some of the links up there and navigate sublinks in the header, since I didn’t see it done very often. I used a brush for the swirly thing around the box, and then the rest I just did it by myself.

After that was done, I added the bottom, and the footer I actually got that idea from Suzumi and her Yoh layout. I really liked how she did that with boxes and tried that similar thing here. I wanted the search box to go down there, so had no problem keeping it that way, making sure to repeat it of course :). Overall, I really loved the outcome. It was simple, nice, and great to put into textpattern.

Description :
A vectored layout featuring the Alethiometer, an item found in the His Dark Materials Saga by Philip Pullman. Alethiometer is on the top, and on the side of it is navigation, and with mouseover, you see a cap being put on the alethiometer with the words on it.