I'm in the process of updating minde, I'd like to put it up for comments afterwards, but I'm really interested in seeing how other people handle theirs.
Who wants in?
MagicToaster on
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BroloBroseidonLord of the BroceanRegistered Userregular
RankenphilePassersby were amazedby the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderatormod
edited August 2010
I don't actually own InDesign, just the Adobe Cs4 Creativity Suite, which omits InDesign, DreamWeaver and Acrobat.
Goddamn it.
I ended up firing it off to #pipe to just do the links in Acrobat, since it would take ten seconds to do what it was taking me all day to not accomplish.
Rankenphile on
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Muse Among MenSuburban Bunny Princess?Its time for a new shtick Registered Userregular
edited August 2010
Wakkawa had made mention of trying to get live reference and I guess I'm pretty much the only way to go. Good thing I mostly draw girlies Anyone here have a specific method for taking reference photos, using themselves as a model?
I'd originally thought of getting a Polaroid camera and tripod, does this seem fine? I really, really do not want to spend too much money on this.
Muse Among Men on
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BroloBroseidonLord of the BroceanRegistered Userregular
Wakkawa had made mention of trying to get live reference and I guess I'm pretty much the only way to go. Good thing I mostly draw girlies Anyone here have a specific method for taking reference photos, using themselves as a model?
I'd originally thought of getting a Polaroid camera and tripod, does this seem fine? I really, really do not want to spend too much money on this.
Or you can use a digital camera and save yourself money on polaroid film. Drawing from the screen has some disadvantages, but really Polaroids are pretty crappy quality anyway.
Really though you'll get much better results using someone else as a model with you taking the photos. If you have any siblings, put them to use!
I know I've seen this question asked here but I can't find the page. How do I make my lines in Photoshop less wibbly? Particularly when I'm trying to make any sort of outlines. I usually zoom in to 150% or more, but I'm still left with some crappy lineage. I'm also kind of ignorant to what kind of sharpness/spacing I should be using. ):
I do the same thing with tangible inks too. Maybe I should try holding my brush/pen differently?
I always draw at 100% preview size, usually at 300 or 600 dpi. Is your system fast enough? When I upgraded to a new computer, my pen strokes kept up with my motions much quicker. I only had a GB of ram before, but now I have twice that. Although I would recommend 4 - 8 GB of ram if you have the resources. My pen is 100% hardness when I'm tracing line art. I also have the large size Wacom tablet, I think that makes it easier to make flowing lines because you can use your arm more instead of your wrist. Not sure if any of that info helps...
If your computer can handle it, try making fast strokes (if they're curved). I usually have to try a couple of times, undo-ing, before I get the line I want. Every time I've ever tried to ink something slowly and meticulously, I've gotten wobbly lines.
And, of course, if you're doing straight lines, you can always make a dot at the beginning of the line, hold shift, and make another dot at the end of the line, and Photoshop will draw the straight line for you. Sometimes I've actually used this to do curves, if 100% smooth deliciousness up-close isn't necessary.
OK, this is a really dumb InDesign CS2 question. When using the text tool, how do I escape an active text box using the keyboard. In Illustrator, I can just press ESC and that will do it, but it's not the same for InDesign. It drives me crazy clicking on another tool just to deactivate a text box.
OK, this is a really dumb InDesign CS2 question. When using the text tool, how do I escape an active text box using the keyboard. In Illustrator, I can just press ESC and that will do it, but it's not the same for InDesign. It drives me crazy clicking on another tool just to deactivate a text box.
I don't suppose there's any way to completely remove/disable the "File Browser" button In Photoshop CS, is there? Because every time I accidently click on it, Photoshop goes "OHSHI-" and crashes. I'm usually pretty good with aiming the cursor, so it doesn't happen that often...but it would be awesome if I could prevent it from ever happening.
NightDragon on
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Muse Among MenSuburban Bunny Princess?Its time for a new shtick Registered Userregular
I know I've seen this question asked here but I can't find the page. How do I make my lines in Photoshop less wibbly? Particularly when I'm trying to make any sort of outlines. I usually zoom in to 150% or more, but I'm still left with some crappy lineage. I'm also kind of ignorant to what kind of sharpness/spacing I should be using. ):
I do the same thing with tangible inks too. Maybe I should try holding my brush/pen differently?
OK, this is a really dumb InDesign CS2 question. When using the text tool, how do I escape an active text box using the keyboard. In Illustrator, I can just press ESC and that will do it, but it's not the same for InDesign. It drives me crazy clicking on another tool just to deactivate a text box.
I know I've seen this question asked here but I can't find the page. How do I make my lines in Photoshop less wibbly? Particularly when I'm trying to make any sort of outlines. I usually zoom in to 150% or more, but I'm still left with some crappy lineage. I'm also kind of ignorant to what kind of sharpness/spacing I should be using. ):
I do the same thing with tangible inks too. Maybe I should try holding my brush/pen differently?
pen tool perhaps?
Yeah, for longer lines/straight lines you can make a new path with the pen tool and stroke the selection.
MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
I love and hate the pen tool......it's something that seems so easy, but it takes so much care to make it look like a robot child didn't draw your picture.
I know it might be a bit of a hassle to use both programs, but the brush tool in Illustrator does a lot of auto correcting of wobbly lines. It works with tablets and is pressure senitive, just make sure you open brush preferences and deselect all of the boxes under options.
It is a great way to make straight up vector work without the pen tool. After you get done with the linework you can just save it as an EPS and drop it into photoshop and rock and roll.
Wakkawa had made mention of trying to get live reference and I guess I'm pretty much the only way to go. Good thing I mostly draw girlies Anyone here have a specific method for taking reference photos, using themselves as a model?
I'd originally thought of getting a Polaroid camera and tripod, does this seem fine? I really, really do not want to spend too much money on this.
Or you can use a digital camera and save yourself money on polaroid film. Drawing from the screen has some disadvantages, but really Polaroids are pretty crappy quality anyway.
Really though you'll get much better results using someone else as a model with you taking the photos. If you have any siblings, put them to use!
Drawing from the computer screen/pictures is bad? I figured they'd be a good resource or something.
Mim on
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MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
People crap on a bit too much how a live reference is the only way you'll learn and blah blah blah.
You can learn plenty using photographs as reference, obviously it's not as advantageous as using a live model but it's still a good option when compared with not using a reference at all.
People crap on a bit too much how a live reference is the only way you'll learn and blah blah blah.
You can learn plenty using photographs as reference, obviously it's not as advantageous as using a live model but it's still a good option when compared with not using a reference at all.
Why is working with a live model more advantageous?
It's better to work on things from real life, because you can interpret it with no other filters on it.
People like to think that photos reproduce things exactly, but that isn't true. It's better to draw an actual object that is right in front of you rather than a two-dimensional representation of it, whether that is a photo or a drawing. I would definitely strive to draw things from real life, even if they aren't a professional model or whatever. But working from reference photos and even studying the work of master artists can significantly increase your skill when a live model isn't available.
NibCrom on
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MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
People crap on a bit too much how a live reference is the only way you'll learn and blah blah blah.
You can learn plenty using photographs as reference, obviously it's not as advantageous as using a live model but it's still a good option when compared with not using a reference at all.
Why is working with a live model more advantageous?
Because nature is perfect, while photographs are not. Also, if your Don Draper impression is up to scratch, you can have sex with them after.
Mustang on
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BroloBroseidonLord of the BroceanRegistered Userregular
Wakkawa had made mention of trying to get live reference and I guess I'm pretty much the only way to go. Good thing I mostly draw girlies Anyone here have a specific method for taking reference photos, using themselves as a model?
I'd originally thought of getting a Polaroid camera and tripod, does this seem fine? I really, really do not want to spend too much money on this.
Or you can use a digital camera and save yourself money on polaroid film. Drawing from the screen has some disadvantages, but really Polaroids are pretty crappy quality anyway.
Really though you'll get much better results using someone else as a model with you taking the photos. If you have any siblings, put them to use!
Drawing from the computer screen/pictures is bad? I figured they'd be a good resource or something.
If you're going to draw from photos, it's best to take them from a high-DPI source so you can see fine details. If you can get high-quality 300 DPI magazine prints the likes of which you'd find in Vanity Fair or National Geographic, you'll get better results than from tiny 72 DPI 4x6 pictures that you printed off at home.
Trying to study lighting from an illuminated screen can be difficult, since the screen is using additive color while you're drawing with subtractive color. The white of your screen gives off light, the white of your paper does not. Trying to match up tonal values between the two can be messy.
Drawing from photos should only be done when theres no other alternative. If you do illustration its pretty much par for course, but extensive life study is a must in order to manipulate photo reference. Photos pretty much eliminate just about every subtle nuance the eye can see, from color,edges,values,etc. this is most apparent in shadows, and also has a lot to do with the fact the cymk printing just sucks, assuming you're working from prints. Even a good monitor isn't as good as from life. The problems most people encounter working from photos however is that they follow them too much to a 'T' instead of using them as 'reference' for big shapes,placement,et al. Shadows and edges in particular should be manipulated heavily, which really can only be done in confidence after drawing a lot from life.
I know it might be a bit of a hassle to use both programs, but the brush tool in Illustrator does a lot of auto correcting of wobbly lines. It works with tablets and is pressure senitive, just make sure you open brush preferences and deselect all of the boxes under options.
It is a great way to make straight up vector work without the pen tool. After you get done with the linework you can just save it as an EPS and drop it into photoshop and rock and roll.
NakedZerglingA more apocalyptic post apocalypse Portland OregonRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
Hey guys.
so i'm wondering....how do i save a brush in photoshop?
i did the "define brush preset" and changed the settings and all that.
i named it.
Then if i change to another brush set, i can't seem to find where the brush i made is. Anyone know what i'm doing wrong?
NakedZergling on
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MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
The problems most people encounter working from photos however is that they follow them too much to a 'T' instead of using them as 'reference' for big shapes,placement,et al. Shadows and edges in particular should be manipulated heavily, which really can only be done in confidence after drawing a lot from life.
Quoted for truth, this is something I've run into a few times using photo references. Photos suck when your dealing with values and colour...but beggars can't be choosers sometimes.
Mustang on
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The_Glad_HatterOne Sly FoxUnderneath a Groovy HatRegistered Userregular
People crap on a bit too much how a live reference is the only way you'll learn and blah blah blah.
You can learn plenty using photographs as reference, obviously it's not as advantageous as using a live model but it's still a good option when compared with not using a reference at all.
Why is working with a live model more advantageous?
A lot of people already made some good comments on this, but i'd also like to add that it's quite a different skill to "translate" a 3d situation to a 2D drawing than it is to translate a 2d pic to a 2d drawing. Everything's already flattened and there's less room for your own input/ skill.
Hey guys.
so i'm wondering....how do i save a brush in photoshop?
i did the "define brush preset" and changed the settings and all that.
i named it.
Then if i change to another brush set, i can't seem to find where the brush i made is. Anyone know what i'm doing wrong?
It's kept in the current brush set you're using, until you switch to another set. In order to save the brush, you need to save the entire brush set your new brush is in (your new brushes will be at the bottom of the brush set you're using). Saving a brush preset just saves the brush under the current brush set.
You can create a new brush set, or "save as" a current brush set, and make an entirely new set for your custom brushes, if you like.
Posts
InDesign woudl be my suggestion too.
We should do a Portfolio Thread.
Who wants in?
maybe a critique resume/portfolio thread
Goddamn it.
I ended up firing it off to #pipe to just do the links in Acrobat, since it would take ten seconds to do what it was taking me all day to not accomplish.
I'd originally thought of getting a Polaroid camera and tripod, does this seem fine? I really, really do not want to spend too much money on this.
Or you can use a digital camera and save yourself money on polaroid film. Drawing from the screen has some disadvantages, but really Polaroids are pretty crappy quality anyway.
Really though you'll get much better results using someone else as a model with you taking the photos. If you have any siblings, put them to use!
A couple of tools most artists need, especially digital, is a good printer and a good camera.
The closer your photo references are to the final image just means its less work that you have to do.
I do the same thing with tangible inks too. Maybe I should try holding my brush/pen differently?
And, of course, if you're doing straight lines, you can always make a dot at the beginning of the line, hold shift, and make another dot at the end of the line, and Photoshop will draw the straight line for you. Sometimes I've actually used this to do curves, if 100% smooth deliciousness up-close isn't necessary.
Or what file to edit to change the layout/design of the site. I can't figure this out!
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Adobe-InDesign-1839/InDesign-shortcuts.htm
This is the closest I could find. Esc works in CS4.
pen tool perhaps?
Ah, thats not as cool as Esc. But, its better than clicking on another tool... especially after pressing tab and my toolbox dissapears...
Yeah, for longer lines/straight lines you can make a new path with the pen tool and stroke the selection.
It is a great way to make straight up vector work without the pen tool. After you get done with the linework you can just save it as an EPS and drop it into photoshop and rock and roll.
Drawing from the computer screen/pictures is bad? I figured they'd be a good resource or something.
You can learn plenty using photographs as reference, obviously it's not as advantageous as using a live model but it's still a good option when compared with not using a reference at all.
Why is working with a live model more advantageous?
People like to think that photos reproduce things exactly, but that isn't true. It's better to draw an actual object that is right in front of you rather than a two-dimensional representation of it, whether that is a photo or a drawing. I would definitely strive to draw things from real life, even if they aren't a professional model or whatever. But working from reference photos and even studying the work of master artists can significantly increase your skill when a live model isn't available.
Because nature is perfect, while photographs are not. Also, if your Don Draper impression is up to scratch, you can have sex with them after.
If you're going to draw from photos, it's best to take them from a high-DPI source so you can see fine details. If you can get high-quality 300 DPI magazine prints the likes of which you'd find in Vanity Fair or National Geographic, you'll get better results than from tiny 72 DPI 4x6 pictures that you printed off at home.
Trying to study lighting from an illuminated screen can be difficult, since the screen is using additive color while you're drawing with subtractive color. The white of your screen gives off light, the white of your paper does not. Trying to match up tonal values between the two can be messy.
Someday I will buy Illustrator. Some day... (:
so i'm wondering....how do i save a brush in photoshop?
i did the "define brush preset" and changed the settings and all that.
i named it.
Then if i change to another brush set, i can't seem to find where the brush i made is. Anyone know what i'm doing wrong?
Quoted for truth, this is something I've run into a few times using photo references. Photos suck when your dealing with values and colour...but beggars can't be choosers sometimes.
A lot of people already made some good comments on this, but i'd also like to add that it's quite a different skill to "translate" a 3d situation to a 2D drawing than it is to translate a 2d pic to a 2d drawing. Everything's already flattened and there's less room for your own input/ skill.
It's kept in the current brush set you're using, until you switch to another set. In order to save the brush, you need to save the entire brush set your new brush is in (your new brushes will be at the bottom of the brush set you're using). Saving a brush preset just saves the brush under the current brush set.
You can create a new brush set, or "save as" a current brush set, and make an entirely new set for your custom brushes, if you like.