does anyone know how to use the paths properly and actually get them to curve and stuff? cos i think teh keys are all different n i cant get teh anchor points n things to do what i want =/

[ 26-03-2005: Message edited by: Si13Nt ]

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Ezekiel 25:17

For shortcuts and tutorials, Adobe products in the CS line all pretty much come with extremely comprehensive tutorials and encylopedias in the Help menu, and you can find all of the shortcuts and even make your own through under Edit/Keyboard Shortcuts. This kind of stuff is a bit too complicated to explain in a post without some serious eyesore.

Anyhow, Illustrator is PS's cousin (Image Ready would be PS's little brother, metaphorically) and is a vector program instead of a raster... so basically, it boils down to connect the dots as opposed to paint the pixels. Illustrator's main gun is its pen tool and the vector paths that it utilizes. In essence, you can create any curve that you want perfectly, but first you have to master the "Mighty Python" and get a feel for how the pen tool works and curves. The pen tool is a lot simpler than it originally appears to be. You can always draw freehand with a wacom and get pretty good results with the right settings, but unless you understand how the paths work and curve, it'll be difficult to make modifications. I could tell you that it's all about knowning where to split the points when drawing the curves (At least one point for every 90 degrees radial change in angle) or how to adjust the handles, but..., teaching a person how to use the pen tool is like teaching an infant how to walk. It's simple to say "Put one leg in front of the other" but in actual execution, it is much more difficult to learn.

In regards to anime artists, very few rely on Illustrator exclusively... usually, they use it for lineart, arrangment and making mattes, turning to PS for coloring. That being said, the best way to learn how to master the pen tool, the biggest step in mastering Illustrator, is to practice by tracing drawings. Very few humans on this planet have a perfectly trained hand (Capable of drawing perfect strokes with perfect pressure in perfect context) so Illustrator, with it's computer generated lines and shapes is perfect for cleaning up line art. As such, the best way to get the feel for the pen tool is to scan in your own rough lineart and try to clean it up in Illustrator, then taking them to PS to finish off. There are so many other little details to learn about Illustrator, but they should come naturally as you use the program, but if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

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www.xynthica.com

I managed to find this site with all the tools laballed n the shortcuts n stuff like that cos all the different little icons were confusing me lol

Ive managed to work out how to use its pen tool now, slightly different from PS in the way of getting the damn thing to draw curves but i got there in the end. Im still not sure how to stroke path though and get the nice curvy lines like in PS when inking, maybe i just haven't played with it enough to find out...?

thanks for the help maybe if i just fiddle more it will all come clear

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Ezekiel 25:17

PS: I asked this question a long time ago on the board with no answer, but there IS a work around method for line stroke in Illustrator, but it's painful for very complicated pieces:

To get artificial line stroke in Illustrator, there are three methods:

1. Double the line and offset the curve of one line slighly, this will give the illustion of line stroke. The draw back is the time it takes to do so and limited effect.

2. Use fills instead of lines. There is a command to "Covert Lines To Outline" or something of that nature that will do it automatically, but you must make the curve mods manually. The disadvantage is that it takes even more time, but it gives you more control.

3. Put your own pointed cap fills at the end of lines. One Japanaese artist I know does this and highly recommends it. I personally think it takes too much time, but the alternatives aren't looking much better.

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www.xynthica.com

but i cant find the site again >.<

if i get it ill post the link here

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Ezekiel 25:17

Inking /w Illustrator 10

and...haha newbie bomu

and...what the hell is a tablet? << newb question, really i have no idea i heard about em loads but wtf?

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Ezekiel 25:17

Well it replaces your mouse with a pen and a area to draw on just like paper!

So you draw with the pen and there it is drawing on the screen great investment if you fancy getting one i would recommend Wacom as a great manufactur and you can buy direct from there shop for a display model at knock down prices

Link to the Wacom Website

Wacom online shop

I have a Graphire 3 couldnt be happier with it would say that if you can strech the extra cash then getting the larger (XL) one is worth it as you get more control (tablet area = screen area, so bigger tablet means more control)

Well there you have it i went a bit off topic and you only asked what it was and i went on about buying one but i've typed it so you can read it

As for Wacoms, I've used my original Graphire for oh... five years now? Really useful utility! It should be noted with Wacoms though, that it takes a bit of time to get used to before your pen accuracy matches your real life counterpart, since the Graphire series has a friction minimal service (Ever drew with a marker on glass?), and you're looking at the screen all the time instead of at the tablet, so you have to get the feel established. One trick I used to do when I was a beginner was put a piece of paper on top of the Wacom to provide friction. Some of the later models have different feels, like the Intuos that feels a little springy when you draw. The two corner stone progs for tablets are Alias Sketchbook and Corel Painter, although it still works excellent with the good old PS

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www.xynthica.com