Where to start

[michw13]

Hello all

I'm a bit new to Xara. It's an awesome package judging from some of the work I've seen posted up on XaraXone and the Xara Gallery.

What I would like to know is how do you guys start off your drawings? Do you use graphics tablets, or do you just mess about with shapes and colours etc until it all comes together?

You see, I have LOADS of ideas in my head for artwork, but I just don't know where and how to begin. Any info to this newbie will be most appreciated. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Many thanks

Michelle

[michw13]

Hello all

I'm a bit new to Xara. It's an awesome package judging from some of the work I've seen posted up on XaraXone and the Xara Gallery.

What I would like to know is how do you guys start off your drawings? Do you use graphics tablets, or do you just mess about with shapes and colours etc until it all comes together?

You see, I have LOADS of ideas in my head for artwork, but I just don't know where and how to begin. Any info to this newbie will be most appreciated. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Many thanks

Michelle

[Squeaky]

personally I do a rough pencil type drawing in Painter using my Wacom tablet - real paper being so last century [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
I then import it into Xara, make it transparent and put it into the background layer (and lock it!). I then start a new layer and trace the image using the line profiles and then put the colour in on different layers.

Home sweet home:
Http://www.squeakypics.co.uk
http://www.xaraxone.com/FeaturedArt/dc3/index.htm

[gwpriester]

is the Xara Xone where you will find tons of step-by-step tutorials, and a bunch of other stuff.

The WebXealots #16-32 are a kind of on-line manual and covers all the tool and functions in some detail.

The new monthly Workbooks (1-6 now posted) are a series of one page mini-tutorials that will get you up to speed quickly.

To answer your first question, I just start using the mouse and create some shapes, then modify the shapes and add color to them to create my images. But then I was never much of an artist and cannot draw to save my life.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>


The Xara Xone

[RAMWolff44]

Welcome to the forums. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I use my Graphics tablet for about 1/3rd of my work, and use the mouse for the rest.

For me, I do a sketch of what I am going to do, scan it into the computer and then import it into PhotoPaint (or a similar painting program) and clean it up and structure it a bit more. Then I save that as a .bmp (or something like that) and import it into XaraX as a NEW project file and go from there.

Sometimes I will use photos as referance if I am 'stuck' or I come here and ask questions. There are SO many talented people in here that someone is bound to know the answer or, at the very least, point you in the right direction to a solution.

Sometimes, if it's a CHALLENGE that someones has posted then it's all freehand (no sketch) because the challenge is usually outlined pretty well that I can go from that and my imagination.

There are tons of tutorials that Gary Priester has put together and lots of "mini tuts" that are throughout the XaraX and Xara Gallery forums. Lots of wonderful examples to give you ideas, but be wary of copyright stuff, doing your "own thing" is the best way to not run into such issues.

Have fun and don't hesitate to ask questions! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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

---Wolff On The Prowl---

[Steve Newport]

The idea usually goes form my head to the screen. In Xara I start out by composing the scene. This involves making all the shapes and objects and putting them in their appropriate spots. These are only the shapes w/ no detail yet. Then, if I havn't already, I'll make up my layers. Once all the shapes are on their appropraite layers, I start the detailing. I usually make my own color pallette too to match my scene. Good Luck

Steve Newport

-My Gallery-

-Featured Artist 2002-