Q:Makeing something look as if it was sketched in pencil?

**marcus_u** · 21 June 2006, 05:35 AM

Hello,

How could I make something look like it was sketched in pencil instead of such perfect pretty computer pen lines?

Thanks,
~Marcus

**Availor** · 21 June 2006, 06:31 AM

Use the Line properties, and choose a brush.

1. You can edit a spacing of your brush to be a jagged one, or a blurry, smuggy one.
2. Choose your line pressure. If you have a Pen Tablet its best.
3. Choose the Transperancy level.

**masque** · 21 June 2006, 07:29 AM

Hi
My 'top tip' for making something look like pencil would be - use a pencil - rather than the £1000 box of tricks everyone seems to be tied too. However as we aren't going to do that then you have to fiddle the resulting line as in the tip above.
However after doing that the problem I have is making the line look free hand drawn which is done as you know by adjusting the smoothing but the line rarely looks like a free drawn pencil because its a single line and invariably a pencil sketch consists of several lines that feel their way around a shape with the line your most confident about being emphasised slightly and I find all that a lot of work compared to just drawing on a piece of paper.
The segment of a still life attached is my attempt at a water colour and pencil drawing still underway, the outline flower at the top has emulated pencil lines which are barely, if at all visable as being anything other than plain vector lines.
Derek

**Kman** · 21 June 2006, 11:45 AM

Marcus, you maight try some kind of "cross-hatching" using various
line shapes and sizes.

I think Derek gave good advice, for it's difficult to get a very realsitic
pencil effect. (By the way, Derek, nice work underway. I, too, am exploring
how to get a watercolor look -- whew!)

That being said, look at the link below for a technique shared by
Alexander a while back that I like.

http://new.talkgraphics.com/showthre...colored+pencil

HTH,

Ken

**marcus_u** · 22 June 2006, 02:28 PM

Hi nice art btw,

I agree about pencil and paper, could NOT agree more in fact.

However thats why this came up. I have a project I am making and I intentionally want to use mostly scans of my own pencil drawings. I draw alot of things good but some I don't.

My plan was to use google sketchup and quickly whip up monstrous 3d spaceships and cityscapes etc, then try to give those exported images a pencil look that matches my hand.

I may end up just physically printing them out (after dimming them) and hand sketching over the top of them, then rescanning.

Thanks,
Though,
Marcus

Originally Posted by masque

Hi
My 'top tip' for making something look like pencil would be - use a pencil - rather than the £1000 box of tricks everyone seems to be tied too. However as we aren't going to do that then you have to fiddle the resulting line as in the tip above.
However after doing that the problem I have is making the line look free hand drawn which is done as you know by adjusting the smoothing but the line rarely looks like a free drawn pencil because its a single line and invariably a pencil sketch consists of several lines that feel their way around a shape with the line your most confident about being emphasised slightly and I find all that a lot of work compared to just drawing on a piece of paper.
The segment of a still life attached is my attempt at a water colour and pencil drawing still underway, the outline flower at the top has emulated pencil lines which are barely, if at all visable as being anything other than plain vector lines.
Derek

**jclements** · 22 June 2006, 04:11 PM

Marcus:

At the SketchUp conference last October there was a session on using SU to produce handrawn/enchanced artwork. Ross M and I both attended.

It is an easy to use procedure, but very effective.

Use SU (or any computer program) to block out your basic forms (and text) and overall design (great for getting perspectives done quickly). Plot/print the results.

Method A: Depending upon the paper you plot or print to, the output can accept marker, even water color quite well. So take your output and your markers or paint and adding color or pencil in in new objects. Then scan that. Import the scan back into Xara or into a paint program and do digital tweeking.

Method B: Similar to the first step described in "A" above, but rather than drawing or coloring the output, put tracing paper over the top of the printed output, then sketch over the line work in pencil, Conte Crayon, ink or whatever. Now scan the tracing paper version (or color first before scanning) and import the scan.

You could repete the cycle over and over utilizing the benefits of both hand and digital rendering.

Regards, John