Cheat sheets

Linster
Open your original pic in Photoshop, then look at the two color blocks at
the
bottom of the Tool bar and make sure the black one is on top. Then click on
Filter (in the top menu bar), then click on Sketch, then Photocopy. This
brings up a Photocopy dialog box with two sliders for Detail and Darkness.
Start with the Detail on 10 and the Darkness on 8. Look at the preview
window and move the pattern around in it to see how you like the result.
Move the sliders around to different levels until you are satisfied with
what is showing in the preview window and then click OK. Then just start
using your brush or pencil tool to start editing and connecting the white.
In most patterns, the white in the pattern represents the wood and the black
represents the part you cut out. So, if the white is not connected
throughout the pattern, then you will have what is called "floaters", areas
of white that are completed surrounded by black, which if you cut out all
the black, that white area will fall out of the wood because it is not
connected anywhere. Experiment with a lot of different pics and you'll soon
see that some pics are very easy to get patterns from and others are really
difficult....it all just depends on a good resolution pic. On lower res
pics, you'll have a lot more work to do in cleaning up and drawing in areas
that don't show up. If you have a low res pic to work with, try this.
Load the original pic and go through the Filter-Sketch-Photocopy process and
make note of the areas that don't show up well no matter where you put the
sliders. Then click Edit/Step Backward to your orig pic again and select
the Burn tool from the Tool bar. This tool darkens areas of the pic that
are not showing
up well. Adjust the size of your tool to match the area that you want to
darken and just go over the areas with the Burn Tool. Also use the Dodge
tool to go over areas that need to be lightened (for example, the light
colors or white in eyes and teeth, or highlights in hair, you may want to go
over with the Dodge tool just to clarify those areas better). After you do
this in the areas that you think need it, do the Filter-Sketch-Photocopy
again and see if the result is better. I use the Burn tool a lot in ears,
mouth and around the eyes to bring the detail out better before doing the
photocopy. Again, it's just experimentation on your part to get the result
you want.
Hope this helps get you started and if you have questions, don't hesitate to
ask. I'm still new at this as well and there are many people who
know much more about pattern-making than I, but these are the steps that
have worked well for me, and I have tried every method that anybody has
posted because I'm always looking for a better way. Practice, practice,
practice is the key. When someone posts a pic on the site that they need
converted to a pattern, give it a shot yourself and see how it compares to
the final pattern that someone else posts. You'll learn a lot just by
comparing to other patterns and seeing what they added or took away.
Carolyn Tulsa Scroller
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First get your picture and save it [edit-duplicate-image]or[layer-duplicate
layer].
Go to [image-adjustments-threshold]; be sure the check is in the preview
box;
now your slider is at 128 normally;
Move it back and forth observing every element of the picture, eyes,
eyebrows, nose, mouth, hair and small important details like eye lashes and
wrinkles etc.;
Take note of the element or portion of element that needs change; Now click
[cancel].
Go to the MARQUEE TOOL; select ether elliptical or rectangular with the
right mouse button;
Enclose a component like the nose then go back to
[image-adjustments-threshold] and adjust the nose to your liking; when done,
click O.K.
Repeat this process for each feature individually.
Now click once on a bare part of the picture to close the marquee tool and
for the last time go to [image-adjustments-threshold] make final adjustments
to all the rest of the picture.
Now print and use a pencil and a white out pen to add or eliminate lines or
shadows.
This method is very fast.
Another 2nd method is [filter-sketch-photo copy] or a combination of the
two.
I hope this is not to confusing but I tried and remember I am not a pro and
I know there are many ways of doing things but I wanted to contribute
someway.
ALEX [BOBO]
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As I promised I well explain my method of patternmaking,but first let me say
that Gary Browning was my inspiration from the beginning,his website and
later his club along with his books have molded my ability,so I want to
thank Gary and the wonderful members who are so generous with their gift of
artistic scrolling.I must apologize for my grammar in advance,thank God you
need not know how to spell to work a scroll saw.
I use ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS but most other art or photo programs well
work.A note I classify pictures in two groups,one is for holding or close
display like putting on the cover of a picture album the second is to see
from distance[pictures with a lot of shadows].Thes two methods work for
each.
First get your picture and save it [edit-duplicate-image]or[layer-duplicate
layer].Now go to [image-adjustments-threshold],be sure the check is in the
preview box, now your slider is at 128 normally,move it back and forth
observing every element of the picture,eyes eye brows,nose,mouth,hair and
small important details like eye lashes and wrinkles etc.take note of the
element or portion of element that needs change,now click [cancel].Now go to
the LASSO tool ,now inclose a component like the nose then go back to
[image-adjustments-threshold] and adjust the nose to your liking then click
O.K.repeat this process for each feature individually.Now click once on a
bear part of the picture to close the LASSO tool and for the last time go to
[image-adjustments-threshold] make final adjustments to all the rest of the
picture.Now print and use a pencil and a wite out pen to add or eliminate
lines or shadows.This method is very fast.Another 2nd method is
[filter-sketch-photo copy] or a combination of the two.I hope this is not to
confusing but I tried and reamber I am not a pro and I know their are many
ways of doing things but I wanted to contribute someway.I have add Tom Cruz
and a lady pattern from this method to my album,any advice,comments,or
questions are welcome,YOURS ALEX[cutman]
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Dodge and Burn tools
The toning tools consist of the dodge tool and the burn tool. Used to
lighten or darken areas of the image, the dodge and burn tools are based on
a traditional photographer's technique for regulating exposure on specific
areas of a print. Photographers hold back light to lighten an area on the
print (dodging) or increase the exposure to darken areas on a print
(burning).
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Load picture into Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.
Select "Image" then "Adjustments" then "Brightness/Contrast" and adjust
until you are happy with the detail clarity.
Select "Filter" "other" "High Pass" and set the value around 4.5.
Select "New Adjustment Layer" - "Levels" and adjust outer sliders to edge
of bell curve.
Select "New Adjustment Layer" "Threshold". You will normally have to
reduce the numerical value down by moving the slider until you get a
likeness that you can work with. Now it should be a matter of cleaning it
up with paintbrush and fill tools.
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Photoshop Elements, or Photoshop portrait procedures simplified.
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There are only three steps after loading your picture into Photoshop
Elements.
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Select "Enhance" then "Auto Contrast"
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Select "Filter" then "Other" then "High Pass"
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Once the High Pass window opens select a radius of about 4.5. Click "OK".
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Lastly, select "Filter" then "Sketch" then "Photocopy"
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Once the Photocopy window opens up move the slider for maximum detail, and
move the darkness slider up to a value of about 33. Click "OK".
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This should provide you a good foundation for a pattern. Clean it up using
paint tools and make sure you don¹t have any floaters and you should have a
scrollable pattern in less than one hour. Hope you try it. Good Luck.
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1)Open an image in Photoshop and open the layers palette(go Window-Show
Layers)
2)Double click the name of the Background in the layers palette
3)Click OK in the dialog box which will appear,this makes the layer a
layer with the capacity for transparency
4)Double click the marquee tool(first left in the top of the toolbox) in
the toolbox to open the Marquee Options palette.Select the Rectangular
or Eliptical tool and set a Feather amount(say 15)
5)Select the part of the image you want(when we prepare a picture for
the web we measure it in pixels,go in the Options palette of the Marquee
tool and in Style-Fixed Size. Put in Width and Height the pixels you
want your selection to be,then when you click the picture automaticaly
it will give you a selection of these measures.).
6)Click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of layers palette(it's the
first one) to turn the selection into a layer mask.
7)To get more unusual effects go Filter-Distort-Ocean Ripple or
Wave or in Filter-Brush Strokes or in Filter-Artistic and experiment
there.
9)Adding a white layer below the image layer will give you a better look
of the effect.(We replace it with the background color of the page for
use in the web or the one we want all the thing to be for print use)
Go in the bottom of the layers palette and click the Create new layer
icon(it's the second one),
Click the small black and white boxes in the bottom of the tool box and
then command(control)-delete to fill it with white color.Drag this new
layer under the one with the effect.
8)When you finish go Layer-Flaten Image or Layer- Merge Layer.
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1 Open the photo you wish to convert to a charcoal drawing :)
NOTE for PSP6 Users: You can easily convert your image into a charcoal
drawing by using PSP6's built-in "charcoal" filter (Image>Effects>Charcoal).