Pen Tut for Jack

[Steve Newport]

Jack, I know you asked not to, but this is how I best express my techniques! Here's a tut for you on the basics of making shapes, it really shouldn't be hard if you keep trying at it! This is something that I've done a lot so it's all habit, point being, if I've left a whole bunch of stuff out that you're still in the dark about, or need to know anything else, just ask!

Another great person to ask about shapes is Risto, his entire collection revolves around precise and accurate shapes. Not being him I wouldn't know if it's a technique or a set of mind, but either way that's one thing I've noticed about his works since the first I saw of him. Any xara cartoonist would work too.

Again, anything you'd like to know, just ask, I'll do my best to explain. I don't believe shapes are my forte, I'm more knowledgeable in shading, lighting, etc., but I believe the more you copy (Pictures, objects, etc.) the better you'll understand both shapes and shading

Hope this help

Steve Newport

[Steve Newport]

Jack, I know you asked not to, but this is how I best express my techniques! Here's a tut for you on the basics of making shapes, it really shouldn't be hard if you keep trying at it! This is something that I've done a lot so it's all habit, point being, if I've left a whole bunch of stuff out that you're still in the dark about, or need to know anything else, just ask!

Another great person to ask about shapes is Risto, his entire collection revolves around precise and accurate shapes. Not being him I wouldn't know if it's a technique or a set of mind, but either way that's one thing I've noticed about his works since the first I saw of him. Any xara cartoonist would work too.

Again, anything you'd like to know, just ask, I'll do my best to explain. I don't believe shapes are my forte, I'm more knowledgeable in shading, lighting, etc., but I believe the more you copy (Pictures, objects, etc.) the better you'll understand both shapes and shading

Hope this help

Steve Newport

[Old Dog]

thanks a million. Your tut helps a whole lot. Sometimes, what's easy for one is so difficult for another, until someone shows you how it's done. I can see, it just takes a lot of practice, which is what I plan to give it.

I know you are a master of light, shadow and shading, it's what truly transforms your images into such believable works.

Thanks again for all your unselfish help. You've at least pointed me in the right direction. I've got to get to work now!

Jack

[Steve Newport]

It's funny how one little bit of ignorance in your mind can take so much away from your drawings.
A little while back while working on a logo for a Vocal Jazz Ensemble 'The Drifters' I got one little tip from Volv about highlighting some edges in this pile of liquid and it made ALL the difference. I now have a much better understanding of liquid and other shiny stuff, a much better logo, and it was all because of one person.
In every piece of art YOU create, the radiantness of a thousand others beam throug

Steve Newport

[RAMWolff44]

Hi Steve,

Great tutorial.

One question that I have that has not worked for me in the past is adding a node onto the line. For some reason I am not getting this to work. Is there an area that needs to be zoomed into in order to see it better and then choose the 'shape editor tool' to add it??

Seems like it would be easy but I find what ended up working for me (working on the Mom's Angel project, which I am procrastinating at finishing because I haven't a clue how to create feathers) is that when I exported her from PhotoPaint, even though she was a transparent GIF there is still an invisible box around the entire object and for me to make alterations and clean up lines and what not I had to get that box from around her. So I ended up using the 'freehand tool' and would zoom into each area and re-define the line using the Wacom Tablet and stylus. There were a few areas that I wish I could have added a node to in order to get exactly the line around her but instead just made due. I tried the 'shape editor tool' to achieve this but it didn't work for me.

One other thing I wanted to bring up in using the 'Freehand tool' is sometimes in re-defining certain areas I would draw the line when I saw that I had the ~ and would release the line when a reconnector ~ would appear but then the entire image would disappear except for that one area that I re-defined. Very irratating and I'm not sure why that happens and how to work around it in the future. Any help here???

In summary: Loved the turorial [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
Need help in understanding how to add a node [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]
Need help in creating a feather [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]
Need some help in understanding why sometimes my image will dissapear when re-defining a line using the "Freehand tool" and how to avoid this from happening in the future [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

WHEW!!!!

Thanks so much......

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Old Dog]

I am very familiar with your "Drifter" piece. It's one of the works that I found that impressed me so much. From the day I joined I've been going back through old posts, and that's where I found the drifter piece. The realism you achieved is what is amazing to me. It is so photo realistic it's scary!

Anyway, thanks again. Sometimes one little tip is all that's needed to unlock a world of mysteries.

Jack

[Old Dog]

now you've made me think of another similar problem I have. When tracing a large image on the tablet I sometimes find I have to lift my hand in order to continue, which stops the line itself and I then have trouble re-connecting to continue the shape and get all as one object. Am I not doing something right, or should I try and break an object into smaller pieces and then join them in Arrange/add shapes?

I keep trying to read through the Webxealot's, and although they are very helpful, sometimes I just need another person to show me what I'm not figuring out on my own by reading.

Jack

[Steve Newport]

I'll explain later, but here's a quick tut to show how these things work

I'll c-ya

Steve Newport

[RAMWolff44]

Steve's Drifter piece?? I wanna see (whiney voice [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] ) Can you 'link' us up??

Thanks Steve, that is a bit of a help. Take your time, have all the time in the world [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Old Dog]

Steve's Drifter piece is in the Xara Gallery on page 4. Posted Jan. 14, 2002 and titled "Drifters - Final (I think?)"

The (I think?) is part of the title, not an inference from me that I wasn't sure! Ha Ha!

Anyway, go check it out..... You will be impressed!

Jack