G'day I create locomotive graphics.

**pauland** · 29 January 2013, 11:22 AM

Would try Xara if I could get it

http://www.xara.com/us/products/designer/

There's a free trial. It's made for what you do.

**TrainGraphix75** · 29 January 2013, 05:18 PM

Thanks Pauland, I think it will take me a while to learn Xara. I have installed the trial version and loaded one of my graphics into it. Don't know why but it looked kind of blurry for some reason.

I think I will stick with PSP for now, stick with what I know.

**pauland** · 29 January 2013, 06:12 PM

Well, if you get some time, it will be good.

It's huge advantage is that you would be able to produce your graphics at any size you choose without them becoming blurry. I bet you could make them quicker too once you'd got the hang of it.

Paul

**steve.ledger** · 29 January 2013, 08:16 PM

Remember there is no application called 'Xara'. That's the name of the company who publish several applications

Designer Pro X or Photo & Graphic Designer 2013 would, as Paul suggests, be perfect for your train art in many ways.
Of course, you are correct that it would take time to learn, but doesn't anything?
Biggest thing to get your head around is that neither application is like PSP, they are instead 'vector illustration applications', not pixel pushing or painting raster apps.
The accuracy, level of detail, the clean crisp lines and the resolution independent freedom you get with vector art is superior to bitmap (raster) applications like PSP.
Once mastered (and it doesn't take long) you'll wonder why you didn't discover Xara's software years ago

**TrainGraphix75** · 30 January 2013, 07:12 AM

The latest addition to the DBs is this one, a livery they never actually received but quite easily could have in my opinion. Something I do with most of my locos is do them in a livery they never actually had.

**jon404** · 30 January 2013, 09:57 AM

You CAN get it... try the trial download of Xara Photo & Graphic Designer, that's the least expensive one, but it has EVERYTHING you need. Use it with PSP 7 and you're in heaven.

Looking at your engines made me think of my San Francisco cable cars... might try drawing one. Or one of our old streetcars. So many trains, so little time!

**TrainGraphix75** · 30 January 2013, 03:19 PM

This livery was actually phased out by the time the DBs were introduced in 1982/83, it wouldn't look out of place on a DB though.

This will be the last DB for a while although I will do up the collection later on.

**Tabian** · 30 January 2013, 03:46 PM

Hi Mr. Train,
if you have been banging out these locos over the cause of this thread then I would say that PSP is fast enough for you LOL. Laughter aside though you must have spent some time drawing these with a great passion for trains.
Great job. Tabian

**TrainGraphix75** · 30 January 2013, 09:47 PM

G'day Tabian, I am a mad train nut. I will continue to pump out locomotive graphics, I am considering other ways to construct them ie 3/4 angle. Problem with 3/4 angles is that when it comes time to put text and lines on, because 3/4 angles have a lot of funny angles. It's easy to do when they are all side on as I only have one angle to work with and keep everything straight.

**wizard509** · 30 January 2013, 11:34 PM

Hi "mad train nut" going to 3/4 view will require you to learn perspective if you don't know it already. Xara has a mould tool with which you could do all your lines and text straight and group them and then apply that group to the side of your train 3/4 view in the correct perspective. It might take a little practice to get the hang of but it's not difficult. We did something like that awhile back but I cannot remember or find the thread. Have a look at XaraXone both on the forum here and online at http://www.xaraxone.com/. There is a wealth of information there.