Maybe Xara xtreme is the wrong thing for me.

[Lukey120292]

As i am looking into hand drawing images, copying them into a digital art program, and editing them with colours, idont think Xara is the right thing for me, its based on making drawings from scratch in my opinion, based around shapes, i thinkto use this program effectivly, you need a great amount of time, i enjoy xara, but it limits the use of fast flowing brushes, and the draw stop- click draw again, realy does bug me, also theres no wand tool, making it hard to get around to colouring a shape hard, instead of this you have to mess around with nodes, and fillings, i love how xara is so fresh, and how it seems like such a state of the art program, its great! but limits been able to edit existing drawings by a great deal...the freehand tool needs sorting out, and xara needs a wand tool, i tihnk those two single things would make it a great deal better, instead of working completely from scratch on a computer, and i find that very frustrating. maybe it will be comparing it to much to photoshop, but the main reason photoshop is used, is for its amazing easy to use colouring and blending systems, and ability to us the wand to select segments without fear of spilling, and fiddly nodes...I tihnk photoshop seems better for me, but no doupt about it, i AM keeping xara..i just think it could of been more flexible on the freehand side of things.

[remi]

Perhaps you are right. Photoshop and Xara Xtreme are different tools. It seems, what you need, is a pure Digital image editor - a software to alter digital images. Xara Xtreme owns some of these functions, but Xtreme is a specialist in drawing new images. Photoshop is more the specialist in altering images.

Furthermore I think, it's a question which way of drawing you like. I prefer the way, a vector graphics editor offers, because I like it to retain the control about each line/shape. Therefore Xara Xtreme is the tool of my choice.

But I think, if you prefers the way, pixel graphic editors works, Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter are the right tools to create cutting edges bitmaps (take a look at these images for example).

Remi

[gbpatriot]

I agree with Remi - you should be using a good pixel manipulation program such as Painter or PhotoShop CS2 in conjuction with a drawing tablet. These days many artists are using the brilliant Autoscan and Live-Paint features in Adobe Illustrator CS2 to create scaleable vector images of their hand-drawn artwork, then import back into PhotoShop for final colouring.
Personally I use Xara X as another useful tool in my artist's toolbox.

Choose wisely - an innapropriate purchase could be a costly mistake.

Ray

[masque]

I don't know how long you have been using Xara, though it does sound at the moment as though its not what you were looking for, but if you do persevere I think you would (will) be amazed at how flexible it is at producing the sort of images you wish to produce; and I don't know what sort they are; whether they are bitmap based images to start with or vector onto a clean page. I must admit I don't undertand what you mean about its 'lack of flexibility on the free hand side' of things (?)
Combining vector with bitmap is just 'one' of Xara's strengths once you master how to proceed.
Don't give up on it yet.
Derek

[gwpriester]

I agree with Derek. There are a lot of Xara users who start with a scanned line drawing and then add color. It really depends on how you like to create art in a non-digital way.

If you are a good painter, and like to apply paint to paper or canvas then a photo editing application like PSP or Photoshop or Painter will be more like traditional media.

But if you look at Derek's work or many of the artists in the Xara Gallery Conference or on the Xara Xone Featured Artist Gallery you will see that for many, vector art is just as effective as pixel editing.

But regardless which direction you decide to go, these is going to be a learning curve.

Gary

[Lukey120292]

I won't give up on it, i just think because i like drawing in hand, (( but hate the colouring )) something like photoshop would be easyier and faster way of, colouring in my work effectivly, and neatly. i think if i use xara to much, i will through away my *hand sketched* talents away, i want to keep this, and combine it with a digital colouring program. to get the advantage of both.

[Bob Hahn]

Xara Xtreme firstly is a vector graphics editor, which can also do quick and simple effects with bitmap photos and images. The main reason PhotoShop is used over Xtreme is not for its ease of use over Xtreme but due to the fact more people work with bitmap images and not vector graphics (so I think). It may be quicker, drawing and painting in a paint program - more natural and maybe more enjoyable. But in the end, having a drawing created with vectors gives you greater flexibility over one solely created in pixels.

Personally, I have a greater satification having a good illustration done in vectors over pixels. Something might turn out better than expected and you might think, "humm, that'll look cool as a poster" - and being vector graphics, you can print a poster with no loss in resolution or quality.

All my computer illustrations, I've pretty much done in Xara and I rarely use paint programs and the times I did, I just use the basic tools - draw, colour, smudge/blend and that's it. For photos, the cloning tool. So for me, I'm not even sure what a "wand tool" does or how Xara needs something added to aid in creating graphics.

I guess there's two ways of looking at it. Having a program understand the user, or the user understand the program. Working with vectors is different than working with pixels and there will be a learning curve. But as you use it, over time you will discover, find, develope new techniques that will either improve the quality of your work and the speed it is done.

So maybe it's not the program for you, or you just need more time to develope your skills with the program. It may take some time, but it'll pay off in the end.

[Lukey120292]

As said, the programs great, its so much fresher than photoshop and looks more professional, and your asnwer to what the wand tool is, its basicly a tool that selects a segmant of your drawing, (( you can pick what segmants)) and you colour inside that area Freehand without any feear of painting outside of the area selected, effects colours, blurs anything can be used, so your illustration is very neat and clean.

Thats the problem with xara i CANT scan my images in, without spending 5hours tracing it, and building up different layers, confusing myself..I like Xara, im keeping it, ijust think it does not suit what i am into, and thats illustrating comics. with a nice freehand style, and easy to aplly colours...drawn from hand, and imported INTO a colouring program. etc.

[Doug]

As i am looking into hand drawing images, copying them into a digital art program, and editing them with colours, idont think Xara is the right thing for me, its based on making drawings from scratch in my opinion, based around shapes, i thinkto use this program effectivly, you need a great amount of time, i enjoy xara, but it limits the use of fast flowing brushes, and the draw stop- click draw again, realy does bug me, also theres no wand tool, making it hard to get around to colouring a shape hard, instead of this you have to mess around with nodes, and fillings, i love how xara is so fresh, and how it seems like such a state of the art program, its great! but limits been able to edit existing drawings by a great deal...the freehand tool needs sorting out, and xara needs a wand tool, i tihnk those two single things would make it a great deal better, instead of working completely from scratch on a computer, and i find that very frustrating. maybe it will be comparing it to much to photoshop, but the main reason photoshop is used, is for its amazing easy to use colouring and blending systems, and ability to us the wand to select segments without fear of spilling, and fiddly nodes...I tihnk photoshop seems better for me, but no doupt about it, i AM keeping xara..i just think it could of been more flexible on the freehand side of things.

From what you said above, you might want to check out ArtRage2, only $20 and there's a free version as well:

http://www.ambientdesign.com/

[ZEBtoonz]

Well, Lukey, you gotta find what works for you. As for me, I drew by hand for many years, still do for my initial roughs, but was never really satisfied with the final inking. I tried brush, crowquill, fountain pens, felt-tip pens, etc. The lines were always a bit "wobbly." Then I found Xtreme.

Xtreme to me is like a text editing program for a writer--every word, letter and paragraph is editable. Or, like a digital editor for music--every note, sound and effect can be easily edited, cloned, copied, deleted, etc. With Xtreme every line, color and shape can be independently manipulated and tweaked till you get it just right.

I do my original sketch by hand, then scan and import into Xtreme. Then I go over the lines with the stroke tool. I tried drawing in Photoshop and couldn't get the nice sharp crisp lines I was looking for. The lines looked fuzzy and, again, "wobbly."

For a description of how I work see http://www.zebtoonz.com/draw&color.htm.