Draw a symmetric alien head

3,299

Solution 1

In simple cases like this you could just use a pic and mirror it.

\documentclass[tikz,border=3.14mm]{standalone}
\definecolor{maincolorMedium}{HTML}{a757b2}%
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[pics/lhead/.style={code={
\draw[fill=maincolorMedium,even odd rule] (0,0) -- (-3,-4) -- (-3,-1) arc(270:0:3) (-3,0) rectangle (-1,2);}}]
\draw[dashed] (-6.5,-4.5) grid (6.5,5.5);
\path[fill opacity=0.4] (0,0) pic{lhead} pic[xscale=-1]{lhead};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

Solution 2

As a mathematical figure, it's a poor match.

But as an alien head in the style of Cthulhu, I think it gives the OP's a run for the money.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx,xcolor,stackengine}
\begin{document}
\bgroup
\savestack\halfhead{\Huge\stackinset{c}{3pt}{c}{23pt}{%
  \color{red!15}\rule{7pt}{7pt}}{\scalebox{10}{,}}\kern-19pt}
\halfhead\reflectbox{\halfhead}
\egroup
\end{document}

enter image description here

Solution 3

A pstricks code:

\documentclass[border = 5pt, svgnames]{standalone}
\usepackage{pstricks}
\usepackage{auto-pst-pdf}% to compile with pdflatex --enable-write18 (MiKTeX) or pdflatex --shell-escape (TeXLive, MacTeX)

 \begin{document}

\begin{pspicture}[showgrid](-6.5, -6.5)(6.5, 3.5)
\psset{linewidth=0.6pt, linecolor=Plum, fillstyle=solid, fillcolor=white}
\pscustom[fillstyle=solid, fillcolor=Plum, opacity=0.4]{%
\psarc(-3,0){3}{0}{270}\psline(-3,-6)(0,-2)(3,-6)
\psarc(3,0){3}{-90}{180} }%
\psframe[](-3,-2)(-1,0)\psframe[](1,-2)(3,0)
\end{pspicture}

\end{document} 

enter image description here

Solution 4

\documentclass[pstricks,border=4mm]{standalone}
\begin{document}

\def\Path{\psline(0,0)(-3,-4)(-3,-1)\psarcn(-3,2){3}{270}{0}\psframe(-3,0)(-1,2)}
\begin{pspicture}[showgrid](-6,-4)(6,5)
\pscustom[fillstyle=eofill,fillcolor={[HTML]{a757b2}},opacity=0.4]{%
  \Path\moveto(0,0)\code{-1 1 scale}\Path}
\end{pspicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

Solution 5

Just another customizable template with PSTricks. It will be useful for others who look for non-alien head.

enter image description here

\documentclass[pstricks,border=12pt,12pt]{standalone}

\def\obj{%
    \psline(0,0)(-1,0)(-2,1)(-3,0)(-3,-2)(0,-2)
    \moveto(0,-3)
    \psline(-4,-3)(-4,1)(-3,4)(-2,2)(0,2)
    \psframe(2.5,1.5)(3.25,2.5)
    \pscircle(3,1){.2}}

\begin{document}
\begin{pspicture}[showgrid=b](-5,-5)(5,5)   
\pscustom[fillstyle=eofill,fillcolor=red]{\obj\reversepath\scale{-1 1}\obj}
\end{pspicture}
\end{document}
Share:
3,299

Related videos on Youtube

N3buchadnezzar
Author by

N3buchadnezzar

Updated on August 01, 2022

Comments

  • N3buchadnezzar
    N3buchadnezzar over 1 year

    I am trying to draw the following "symmetrical alien head":

    enter image description here

    Using the mirror code from Can we mirror a part in tikz? I was able to produce the following result

    enter image description here

    While the result looks good I am not particularly happy with the code, as I had to juggle a lot of coordinates and a lot of manual adjustments had to be made. In particular

    • Is there an easier way to remove the white squares from the figure while still keeping the transparent background?
    • Can one make one half of the face and then mirror or across x=6? I tried this, but it was only possible with the coordinates not the fill functions.

    Other solutions using TikZ, Asymptote, MetaPost, PSTricks are also welcome.

    \documentclass[border=2mm]{standalone}
    \usepackage{tkz-euclide}
    \usetkzobj{all} % on charge tous les objets
    
    \definecolor{maincolorMedium}{HTML}{a757b2}%
    
    \makeatletter
    \tikzset{
      mirror/.code={\pgfutil@in@{--}{#1}\ifpgfutil@in@\tikz@trans@mirror#1\@nil
        \else\tikz@scan@one@point\pgftransformmirror#1\relax\fi},
      ymirror/.code={\pgfutil@ifnextchar(\tikz@trans@ymirror@coordinate\tikz@trans@ymirror@simple#1\@nil},
      xmirror/.code={\pgfutil@ifnextchar(\tikz@trans@xmirror@coordinate\tikz@trans@xmirror@simple#1\@nil}}
    \def\tikz@trans@mirror#1--#2\@nil{%
      \pgfextract@process\pgf@trans@mirror@A{\tikz@scan@one@point\pgfutil@firstofone#1}%
      \pgfextract@process\pgf@trans@mirror@B{\tikz@scan@one@point\pgfutil@firstofone#2}%
      \pgftransformMirror{\pgf@trans@mirror@A}{\pgf@trans@mirror@B}}
    \def\pgftransformxmirror#1{\pgfmathparse{2*(#1)}\pgftransformcm{-1}{0}{0}{1}{\pgfqpoint{+\pgfmathresult pt}{+0pt}}}
    \def\pgftransformymirror#1{\pgfmathparse{2*(#1)}\pgftransformcm{1}{0}{0}{-1}{\pgfqpoint{+0pt}{+\pgfmathresult pt}}}
    \def\tikz@trans@ymirror@simple#1\@nil{
      \pgfmathparse{#1}\let\tikz@temp\pgfmathresult
      \ifpgfmathunitsdeclared
        \pgftransformymirror{\tikz@temp pt}%
      \else
        \pgf@process{\pgfpointxy{0}{\tikz@temp}}%
        \pgftransformymirror{+\the\pgf@y}%
      \fi}
    \def\tikz@trans@xmirror@simple#1\@nil{
      \pgfmathparse{#1}\let\tikz@temp\pgfmathresult
      \ifpgfmathunitsdeclared
        \pgftransformxmirror{\tikz@temp pt}%
      \else
        \pgf@process{\pgfpointxy{\tikz@temp}{0}}%
        \pgftransformxmirror{+\the\pgf@x}%
      \fi}
    \def\tikz@trans@xmirror@coordinate#1\@nil{\tikz@scan@one@point\pgfutil@firstofone#1\pgftransformxmirror{+\the\pgf@x}}
    \def\tikz@trans@ymirror@coordinate#1\@nil{\tikz@scan@one@point\pgfutil@firstofone#1\pgftransformymirror{+\the\pgf@y}}
    \def\pgftransformmirror#1{%
      \pgfpointnormalised{#1}%
      \pgf@xa=\pgf@sys@tonumber\pgf@y\pgf@x
      \pgf@xb=\pgf@sys@tonumber\pgf@x\pgf@x
      \pgf@yb=\pgf@sys@tonumber\pgf@y\pgf@y
      \multiply\pgf@xa2\relax
      \pgf@xc=-\pgf@yb\advance\pgf@xc\pgf@xb
      \pgf@yc=-\pgf@xb\advance\pgf@yc\pgf@yb
      \edef\pgf@temp{{\the\pgf@xc}{+\the\pgf@xa}{+\the\pgf@xa}{+\the\pgf@yc}}%
      \expandafter\pgf@transformcm\pgf@temp{\pgfpointorigin}}
    \def\pgftransformMirror#1#2{%
      \pgfextract@process\pgf@trans@mirror@A{#1}%
      \pgfextract@process\pgf@trans@mirror@B{#2}%
      \pgfextract@process\pgf@trans@mirror@g{\pgfpointdiff{\pgf@trans@mirror@A}{\pgf@trans@mirror@B}}%
      \pgftransformshift{\pgf@trans@mirror@A}%
      \pgftransformmirror{\pgf@trans@mirror@g}%
      \pgftransformshift{\pgfpointscale{-1}{\pgf@trans@mirror@A}}}
    \makeatother
    
    
    \begin{document}
    
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \def\opa{0.4}
        \tkzInit[xmin=-0.5,xmax=12.5, ymin=-0.5,ymax=9.5]
    
        % Draw dashed grid
        \begin{scope}[dashed]
            \tkzGrid
        \end{scope}
    
        % Def points
        \tkzDefPoint(3,0){A}
        \tkzDefPoint(3,3){B}
        \tkzDefPoint(6,4){C}
        \tkzDefPoint(6,6){D}
    
        % Define the white squares
        \tkzDefPoint(5,4){e1}\tkzDefPoint(5,6){e2}\tkzDefSquare(e1,e2) \tkzGetPoints{e3}{e4}
    
        \begin{scope}[xmirror=6]
            \tkzDefPoint(3,0){A1}
            \tkzDefPoint(3,3){B1}
            \tkzDefPoint(5,4){f1}\tkzDefPoint(5,6){f2}
        \end{scope}
    
        \tkzDefSquare(f2,f1) \tkzGetPoints{f3}{f4}
    
        % Fill the figure
        \tkzFillPolygon[color=maincolorMedium,opacity=\opa](A,e4,C) 
        \tkzFillPolygon[color=maincolorMedium,opacity=\opa](A1,f3,C)
        \tkzFillPolygon[color=maincolorMedium,opacity=\opa](e1,f1,f2,e2)
        \tkzFillSector[color=maincolorMedium,opacity=\opa](e3,D)(B) 
        \tkzFillSector[color=maincolorMedium,opacity=\opa](f4,B1)(D)
    
        % Perform the outline
        \tkzDrawArc[color=black,thick](e3,D)(B) 
        \tkzDrawArc[color=black,thick](f4,B1)(D)
        \tkzDrawSquare[thick](e1,e2)\tkzDrawSquare(f2,f1)
        \tkzDrawSegments[thick](B,A A,C C,A1 A1,B1)
    \end{tikzpicture}
    
    \end{document}
    
  • Admin
    Admin over 4 years
    fillcolor={[HTML]{a757b2}} Where can we find? (I think it is a new feature)
  • user187802
    user187802 over 4 years
    Documentation of xcolor
  • Erlkoenig
    Erlkoenig over 4 years
    It's worth mentioning that the "even odd rule" produces the squares by making a path with a hole, i.e. the squares are truly transparent.
  • Admin
    Admin over 4 years
    @Erlkoenig Yes, this is the intention behind this. Otherwise the grid will be covered, as in Bernhard's answer below.
  • Erlkoenig
    Erlkoenig over 4 years
    Right, just wanted to make it clear in case anyone wonders how it works.
  • Admin
    Admin over 4 years
    @Erlkoenig Thanks!