The July Tutorial Discussion-Retouching Images

[Soquili]

I used the contone feature on the two extra alligator squirt guns. One green and one blue.

[Gare]

Got it. It looked so natural, I'd forgotten which water pistols I'd put in the bucket!

Now, does anyone know ho to make a "candy cane" water pistol? Red and white stripes? Consider this a challenge.

Or do polka dots if you're not feeling Christmassy yet.

-g

[Seagull]

Good morning Gare

Good tutorial. I am glad you showed alternative ways instead of just relying on the latest version. Everything you did could be accomplished by anybody still running in XaraX or Xtreame, no problems there. The clone tool is basically just slice and dice, which you did with the alligator. I do love the trick of selecting the original image and selecting all the nodes and hitting the back key.........fantastic tip there. I used to do the same thing by slicing, cloning the slice, moving the clone, then selecting the original slice and image and adding them together. Did exactly the same thing but I like your method.

Like many people out there, I am running an older non pro version and am very happy where I am with no intentions of upgrading in the near future. Like Bill, I believe almost everything you can accomplish with version 8, I can accomplish with older versions by using work arounds, sometimes I just have to think harder.

[Gare]

I'm happy you got something out of this month's tute, Seagull.

Dear Members: I am trying very hard to produce something for everyone, every month, regardless of the version you own.

There's two truths I'd like you all to bear in mind:

1. I necessarily have to document new features in the latest version, as Xaraists upgrade. If I leave something out in preference to covering older features, I'm not serving a segment of the audience.

2. The Xara Group naturally wants you to buy the latest version of Xara at some point. I think this is called Capitalism and really hip, cool people subscribe to it. So the Xara Xone needs to support the latest features with a regular mention.

Rock.

Hard place.

Gary somewhere in between.

I'll try to be both current and mindful with the monthly tutes.

Deal?

Thanks!

Gary

[Soquili]

I'm into candy canes all year long, especially if they are the King Leo brand.

[Gare]

You are astounding and outstanding, Bill.

You win on time trial alone, man.

Now, consider this: the stripes are "2D" on the pistol. You need to bend the edges a little to conform to the relief of the water pistol.

It's mostly planar, but there are areas where it extrudes toward the camera, hopefully I'm making sense here.

Currently, I'm trying to get the guest tutorial up, but I will post an example of what I'm talking about in due course.

-g

[Soquili]

Hi Frank,

I have the latest version Xara Designer Pro X, old custom of upgrading with each new release. I also buy Photo & Graphic Designer of each new release, makes answering member's questions easier because there are differences.

Anyway what I wanted to mention is you can always use an alternate method if it is more comfortable to you. I find the Photo Color Erase more work. You select a color and if it removes too much from other objects similar or near enough to be erased you undo and retry and undo and retry. Next month Gary will explain how to use the tool without also erasing other areas of the photo.

[Soquili]

I think I know what you are saying Gary. The stripes need to follow the contour of the squirt gun. Using parallel lines to cut it to look like stripes doesn't "Cut It" visually.

[Gare]

Exactly and precisely.

Here's a mock-up. I projected stripes in a Planar fashio against what is clearly a 3D surface. Curves and irregularities, not straight diagonal lines.



Actual, this related to the Mould tool example last month. Surfaces are presented to us in a distorted fashion in the real world.

My Best,

Gary

P.S. EVERYBODY go over to the The Fonts and Typography Forum

There's a new, free Group-created font!