DIGITAL IMAGE MANIPULATION
ACTIVITY - Using Digital Image manipulation
software, scan in hand-drawn artwork and digitally add color and
shadows.
Supplies you'll need to do this activity: |
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Before you begin: Digital
Image Editing software is VERY sophisticated, with many capabilities.
This activity will only focus on using the software to digitally
alter a piece of hand-drawn artwork - in this case adding color
and shading to a pencil drawing.
We will use the high-end image editing software
Adobe Photoshop™ throughout this activity - this is
by no means the only software that can be used to do this activity.
Here are some links to similar products:
http://www.gimp.org/ (this one
is free!)
http://www.macromedia.com/software/fireworks
(you can download a free 30 day trial version)
http://www.jasc.com/products/paintshoppro
Adobe also makes a low-cost version of Photoshop,
Photosop
Elements. It has fewer tools than the full version, but is
still quite powerful.
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Step 1:
Draw and scan your artwork. The artwork shown here was done
by a Studio 3D participant, MsShatia.
You can download the file used in this tutorial below.
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Step 2: Open
your file in Photoshop, by clicking on the word "file"
on the top menu bar, then choose "open" from drop-down
menu.
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Step 3: Each
portion we add to our artwork is going to be seperate from every
other - so we need to put each part on its own layer. Make sure
that the layer panel is open, if it's not click on the Window
button on the top menu bar and select "Layers" from
the drop-down menu. The layers panel will then pop up on the right.
Notice it already has one layer, the background layer.
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Step 4: In
the Layers Panel, click on the add a layer icon at the bottom
of the panel, to the left of the trash can. "Layer1"
will appear above the background layer. Make sure that Layer1
is selected by clicking on it.
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Step 5: Let's
start by coloring the skin on the face. First we need to select
the area to fill with color - there are many ways to make a selection
in Photoshop, we're going to use one of the simplest - the polygonal
lasso tool. Click on the lasso tool icon and hold until the drop-down
menu appears, select the Polygonal Lasso Tool.
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Step 6: Click and release on the
edge of the area you want to select for coloring. Move the mouse
along the edge a bit and click again. Continue moving and clicking
until you reach the starting point - a little circle will pop
up indicating that you have completed the path. TIP: The shorter
the segments you make, the smoother your selection will appear.
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Step 7: When the selection path
is complete, it will change from solid lines to moving dashed
lines (marching ants). Now it's time to choose a fill color.
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Step 8: Click on the foreground
color icon in the toolbox.
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Step 9: The Color Picker Dialog
Box will pop up. Slide the handles on either side of the spectrum
bar until you see the color you want in the large box on the left.
Now click inside that box to select the shade you want. Notice
the thumbnail in the upper right hand corner of the dialog box
will change. Click "ok" to change the foreground color.
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Step 10: Now
it's time to fill your selection with the color you selected.
Click "Edit" from the top menu bar and select "Fill"
from the drop-down menu.
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Step 11: A dialog box will pop
up, make sure that "foreground color" is selected and
click "ok". "Whoa! It covered
up the drawing!" - don't worry we'll fix that!
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Step 12:
Let's change the layer styles so that you can see your pencil
lines. Go to the layers panel and click on the expandable menu
that says Normal, select "Multiply" from the drop-down
menu. Try some of the other options to see
what you get - you might like it!
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Step 13: Your image should now
look like this.
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Step 14:
Now let's add some highlights to the face. Again, there are many
ways to do this, we're going to use the paintbrush and the smudge
tools. First, select a new color by double clicking on the foreground
color icon in the toolbar. The color picker dialog box will appear.
Select a color lighter than that of the face, click "ok".
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Step 15:
Select the paintbrush tool from the toolbar, and select a brush
size from the options menu at the top of you screen. We chose
a size of 10 pixels. But it's up to you, play around with it!
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Step 16:
Now it's time to paint. Choose a place to add some highlights
and click and drag the mouse to paint. If you don't like what
you've drawn, you can always undo it by clicking on "Edit"
on the top menu bar, and choosing "Undo" from the drop-down
menu.
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Step 17:
Let's clean it up a little bit with the smudge tool. Click and
hold the blur icon on the the toolbar and select the smudge tool
from the drop-down menu.
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Step 18: Click and drag on the
area you want to "smudge". A quick and easy technique
is moving the mouse back and forth, like you were using your
finger and finger-paints.
Could you use this same technique to add
shadows to your drawing?
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Step 19:
Now let's color the rest of our picture. Go back up to step 3,
repeat the instructions for each area that you want to color,
and voila! you have a finished color drawing!
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→Try playing around with
the filters (click on "Filters" on the top menu bar), see if you
can add cool textures or patterns to your drawing!
→Scan in a photograph and try to manipulate it!
→Start with a blank page and use the drawing tools and filters
to make a piece of art!
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