New and Having some trouble re-creating a hand drawn image

[planet_vegeta]

hi everyone, new,veteran and everyone in between forum users

well i recently found this forum,therefore new, but am loving the tutorials here, they are great, especially the simple tutorial with the hearts using paths here done by Veteran Welles

http://www.photoshopgurus.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4597&highlight=keyboard+shortcuts

airight i got a little situation, that i hope i can get some help on this picture i hand drew in class one day when i was bored .

i have been using PS for school projects and personal use for awhile now and am able to understand some complex stuff, so i guess i'd be an intermediate user....i think, but yea i can understand most tutorials

im not too sure how i can start this in photoshop, i wanna be able to re-create it from scratch. i've tried using paths, but they don't seem to be working, maybe im using them completely wrong or something [confused]

i hope someone here can help me out on how i can get started and what sort've tools i should be using to make the lines for the image

thanks ppl, in advance

 

[Dodo]

PV,

Difficult to see what the depth of things are supposed to be from your sketch - not your fault of course - it is pencil after all. The following was done simply using the "fill path" and "stroke path" commands when using the freeform pen tool (tracing your image) - creating a path for each level of the image, allowing you to re-work it in case you're not pleased with the colouring or texturing of a certain layer. Then just a little displacement to attempt some kind of wall texturing - as for graffiti.

I've found paths increasingly useful since they allow shapes to be defined sharp and precise - due to being formed mathematically rather than from pixel level. They also allow you to smooth out any irregular movements you'd find from drawing by hand/mouse. So, if this looks like the direction you would want to go, use the pen tool (making use of the Ctrl + Alt/ Command & Option keys to manipulate the anchor points).

 

[John1]

Re: New and Having some trouble re-creating a hand drawn ima

i've tried using paths, but they don't seem to be working, maybe im using them completely wrong or something

The pen tools are the best tools to trace this image. If you didn't have any success, then it must be because you're not experienced enough with vectors. I disagree with dodo that the freeform pen tool is the right tool, because it's close to impossible to get straight or smooth curved lines with this particular pen tool.

Of course I can explain to you how to use the pen tools, but that would cost me a lot of time.

It's better to check any of the following tutorials;

http://www.iland.net/~england/pen1.html
http://www.arraich.com/ps6_tips_ppen1.htm
http://www.gfxlab.com/tutorials/tuts/pentool/pentut.htm
http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorial/pen/
http://www.sketchpad.net/drawing9.htm
http://www.sketchpad.net/drawing8.htm
http://www.elated.com/tutorials/graphics/photoshop/paths_pen_tool/

Good luck

 

[Dodo]

Thanks John1 - I'll have a look at those links myself as I never really learned abouts paths in a "formal way". Very often you overlook some of the basics that make things easier later on as it gets more complex.

 

[planet_vegeta]

thanks guys this is great work, i'll be using those tutorials to better myself at it and hopefully be able to create it sometime soon

 

[Welles]

Hi planet-vegeta,

You've got great tutorials about how to use the pen tool so I won't belabor the issue other than to say one hand on the mouse/pen and one finger on the Control and Alt Keys (Command and Option for Macs) gives you immediate access to the most necessary tools for drawing with the pen tool in a fluid manner. Your doodle is an ideal subject for learning. When you use the pen tool you can draw shapes, paths, or filled areas. Consider your strategy in drawing. Open your image as the background layer and start on a new layer above. Use the pen tool to draw paths. You could draw shapes just as well but paths don't fill as you go so you can see the outline of your original most easily.

So what I did was to trace around one of the major shapes with the pen tool. Create a new layer. From the bottom of the Paths Palette fill path. Then I double clicked on the layer in the layer's palette and used simple styles. I used Stroke and Pattern Overlay, choosing a pattern which roughly approximated the pencil strokes. I repeated that around each of the major items and for the curve at the bottom and that lined part (about 10:00) I made simple paths and stroked them.

Here's the result.

 

[theKeeper]

Here's another tute to add to that list: http://www.photoshopgurus.info/beginners/learning_fundamentals/selection-tools5.shtml

:B

 

[planet_vegeta]

Use the pen tool to draw paths. You could draw shapes just as well but paths don't fill as you go so you can see the outline of your original most easily.

you actually meant, "but shapes don't fill as you go" instead of "paths don't fill as you go" because u said to use paths instead of shapes, correct? but...

WOW, that is AMAZING Welles!!!!

how come mine doesn't look like that? lol

ok im having a little trouble starting off with"tracing" the image, on a new layer, you said. could you just give me a little start on what should be done? like just a little sample tutorial about how you started it, just the first like 3 steps or something? if you can thanks

and i am going through the turtorials, slowly, some of the features in the tutorials aren't in PS:CS version no more, or have moved so some of them i haven't continued using, only the ones that i can figuire out where the new stuff is

 

[Welles]

you actually meant, "but shapes don't fill as you go" instead of "paths don't fill as you go" because u said to use paths instead of shapes, correct? but...

Nope. When you set up the pen tool to draw shapes any space enclosed by the anchor points you draw are automatically filled with the selected color. (See the first attached picture.) The little arrow points to the tool bar button which makes my pen tool draw shapes. You can see the problem when you have inside angles or curves. I've drawn three points around the shape I've numbered 6 and can't see my next point! To avoid this problem I'll use the pen tool to draw paths by selecting the button next to the one the little arrow is pointing at.

The number picture indicates how I broke down your picture to recreate it. I figured that if I drew individual components on different layers, I could just have the layers stacked to recreate the look you had started with. So I broke your picture up into 8 segments but you might want to use 9 and split the #1 into two, that's why the nine with the question mark.

Numbers 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 were created as paths which were then filled. So one at a time, in the Paths Palette I made a new work path, then they were drawn, a new layer was created in the layers palette, and they were filled with the foreground color by clicking on the left most button at the bottom of paths palette. Once I had each path filled with color on separate layers, I double clicked on a layer to bring up the Styles palette and added a Stroke to imitate the darker edges of the drawing, and Pattern Overlay to imitate the interior shading. I think I used the pattern overlay set to Multiply on a medium grey fill.

The item I've identified as #4 was made simply with the brush tool, selecting the size of brush (two sizes were used) and click, move, hold down the shift key to draw between the two points, click. Item number 8 was a path drawn with the pen tool and then the Stroke Path With Brush button was used (next to the fill button at the bottom of the Paths Palette.) In my original copy of your work I drew the item #1 as a single shape and then went back and stroked a path in the interior to more match your original drawing. Then I wondered if I shouldn't have made two individual items out of it but it was too late.

In the next post I'll run around one of the elements of your drawing to give you an idea of using the pen tool.

 

[Welles]

I'll try to give you some idea of how to draw #6. In the attached picture, I've numbered the six points you need to use to draw a path around that shape. Zoom in on your picture to make it easier to see. Choose draw path with the Pen tool. Guess where anchor point #1 should be. Click to create an anchor point and drag toward #2 but downward a bit. Now go to point two. Click and drag outward a bit. Now you have to change the handle you just dragged out to a 'combination' point. Before you move your mouse, hold down the Option (Alt) key and your pen tool cursor will change into something which looks like a caret. Drag the handle toward #3. Now you have to adjust the curve between #1 and 2. Hold down the Command (Control) Key and your cursor turns into a little 'white arrow'. With it you can move anchor points and grab and adjust handles, changing angles and lengths. Points two and three are similar to one and two. Between 3 and 4 is an outside curve. I was able to create it by making the control handle of anchor point 3 a combination point and then just clicking on point 4. Between 4 and 5 as well as between 5 and 6 you just need to click without dragging because straight lines will do. Between 6 and one a straight line will do so click on point #1 to close the path (a little ? appears next to the pen tool)... but there are control handles to create the curve between 1 and 2. So Option/Alt and drag the handle which sticks out toward the point #6 and there you have it. Fill the path, use Styles etc.

Hey, I'm out of time.

Good Luck!