After being reacquainted with my long-lost scanner, I’ve been perfecting ways to digitally colors scanned images. I think I’ve got it down. Below are to recent examples. (For the budding artists in the audience, I’ve also uploaded scans showing my progress from mere concept to final inked drawing.) All in all, even with the sketching, the inking, the scanning, then all the touching up and coloring, I still find this quicker than with vectors… I’ve never been too proficient with them… or maybe I just don’t know how to use my software.
Example 1
These are my arms with the ornaments of a Catholic priest. With my ordination now four months away, I figured I might very soon have some uses for an ecclesiastical version of my arms.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/Resine/Heraldry/Raster Artwork/frgillarms_english_colored_small_zps4bbbc548.png
Example 2
This was just an all around fun project. I consulted on the design and am really pleased just how nice it turn out. Quite honestly, I surprised myself on the artwork. It’s definitely one of my favorites.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/Resine/Heraldry/Completed DARs/steltzer_final_alt_small_zps50218d5c.png
Both line art and coloring look great!
Very impressive and most instructive to see the sequence of stages you went through to produce your final image. Two questions, if I may? First, did you draw the inked version on tracing paper or did you draw directly onto the pencil version? Secondly, what kind of pen did you use to produce the inked version?
May I also wish you the very best for these few months leading up to your ordination!
These are great! I too have been working with ink and my computer lately. What size are your drawings? Are they filling up 8.5x11 inch pages?
To answer your questions, each sketch was produced on a separate sheet of 8.5x11 in. paper (the actual art is smaller, say 5x7-ish). I sometimes ink the final sketch if the paper is not so damaged by erasures so as to prevent the scanner from reading it as white. Otherwise, I have to transfer it and make of point of using light, thin pencil lines which then get inked over.
The ink for both of these was a thin Sharpie because that’s what I had on hand. I have other pens in a box somewhere, but since I don’t yet have a permanent work space I frequently lose track of these sorts of things after every take down.
Dcgb7f;101282 wrote:
To answer your questions, each sketch was produced on a separate sheet of 8.5x11 in. paper (the actual art is smaller, say 5x7-ish). I sometimes ink the final sketch if the paper is not so damaged by erasures so as to prevent the scanner from reading it as white. Otherwise, I have to transfer it and make of point of using light, thin pencil lines which then get inked over.
Thank you for this interesting information. For my taste, your method produces a more attractive line than the vector graphics which I sometimes dabble in. The difference being that the latter method produces a line of universal thickness for a given object, which looks a bit lifeless - to my eye and if one can say that of an inanimate object - compared to the varying widths of your hand drawn lines.
Dcgb7f;101269 wrote:
These are my arms with the ornaments of a Catholic priest. With my ordination now four months away, I figured I might very soon have some uses for an ecclesiastical version of my arms.
An early congratulations, Father!!!
:cheers:
Daniel,
Don’t bother learning to draw with vectors. You have the ability to draw with your hand. Very nice work indeed and your only concern would be making sure your images are scanned at the proper resolution for any print need that might arise.
Ditto all above, especially Ken’s comments. Not that I dislike computer-generated artwork, but there are already several here & elsewhere who have mastered that approach; trading your talent with hand-drawn art for yet another vector amateur would IMO be a poor trade.
Kenneth Mansfield;101289 wrote:
Don’t bother learning to draw with vectors. You have the ability to draw with your hand. Very nice work indeed and your only concern would be making sure your images are scanned at the proper resolution for any print need that might arise.
Yes, I agree. Having done both, I find it much more difficult to breath life into the vector stuff.
Regarding the resolution, this is something I don’t have much experience with. My arms—-since they take up a smaller area—-were at 1200. The other was at 600. I read that 300 is was the bare minimum, so I guess I’m safe. Though, I don’t know how big one can print with 600 and 1200.
I run into this all the time at work, Daniel. People will ask for a 300 dpi copy of some image or photo. Invariably I respond with the question, "what size do you need?" What people don’t seem to understand is that 300 dpi is relative. If you have an image that in its original state is 4 inches high and you scan it at 600 dpi you can print it at 300 dpi at 8 inches tall, or at 1200 dpi and 2 inches tall, with zero loss of quality. Want to blow it up to 12 inches tall? Well, it depends on the medium. Some papers you could get by with and it would look fine at what is now, blown up, 200 dpi. On other papers it would start to appear blurry. Bigger than that and you’re getting into a situation where the image starts to appear pixelated.
Very nice! I’d like to echo the thanks for including the steps of your artistic process. I found it very instructive. It makes me want to buy a scanner.
Will you include the emblazonment on your ordination cards? Have it etched onto the bottom of your chalice, maybe? Embroidered onto a chasuble! (But let’s not get carried away.)
Yes, to the first, in an uncolored version. No, to the second, because it would have been very expensive, and since the chalice is already an antique, I didn’t want to do violence to it. No, the last… the design wouldn’t have allowed for it but even if it had I think this would have been a bit much for a new priest. It will also go on the first mass programme.
I do most of my work on 8.5 x 11 and then scan at 800dpi. The is the largest my scanner does before it starts to add tear or lines I guess you could call them. As to medium, I use acrylic or watercolor, recently. For blacking I use a fine brush or a very fine quill or sharpie for tiny details that I can not steady enough for the brush.
Both your designs look great, by the way.
Very nicely done! Vectors have their place, but there is something appealing about the supposed "imperfections" of hand drawn art.