need help making a pattern of a artists sketch

[brewmeister35]

I have a friend that brought me a copy of a sketch a well known comic artist drew for his daughter and wants to know if I can carve it into a sign or plaque. I'm thinking the way this would look best is to carve it with the v-bit and no carve region. Do I need to trace the whole drawing with the spline tool or something?

Thanks,

David

[Kenm810]

Hi David,

I've done several carvings of drawing I've traced just as you mentioned,
as long as it's not to overly complex, it shouldn't take to much time.
If you have Conforming Vector Software you can carve with a V-Groove Bit in a carve region.

[brewmeister35]

Thanks Ken,

Will the V-bit then follow the black lines as they are on the drawing? I'll be buying centerline as soon as I figure out whether I can change things to my name from my dad's. I don't want to have to buy it twice.

David

[brewmeister35]

Wow, I should wake up before I post! So is tracing it the only way? I don't know if I can get all of the drawing traced.

David

[mtylerfl]

Wow, I should wake up before I post! So is tracing it the only way? I don't know if I can get all of the drawing traced.

David

David,

Are you permitted to upload a photo of the drawing to the forum so everyone can see what you're having to deal with?

[brewmeister35]

I was asked not to because of who drew it. I think it may be a sketch of his daughter made by this artist. Here's a portion of it though. I don't think that would hurt anyone's feelings.

49527

[dcalvin4]

make good litho maybe
denny

[jaustin]

From someone who is still learning.
why can't you just scan it and invert it and carve it ?
49528

There is probably a reason and someone will educate me why it wont work.:mrgreen:

[Kenm810]

I gave it a shot, roughly traced over it with Spline tool to make it a Vector carving
1.25 deep 60Degree V-Broove Bit, not exact - just a sample to show what it might look like

[bjbethke]

I have a friend that brought me a copy of a sketch a well known comic artist drew for his daughter and wants to know if I can carve it into a sign or plaque. I'm thinking the way this would look best is to carve it with the v-bit and no carve region. Do I need to trace the whole drawing with the spline tool or something?

Thanks,

David

This image is not very clean, JPEGS are hard to work with.

[brdad]

I have actually traced items like this by making a wood pattern file using the desired image. This image replaces the wood grain and provides an image you can easily trace over using vector lines which can later be carved with a V bit.

I am not sure if there are any tutorials on this process, but I vaguely posted how I did this in this thread:

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?17080-How-to-export-vector-line-design-(MPC)-files&p=144207#post144207

I (http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?17080-How-to-export-vector-line-design-(MPC)-files&p=144207#post144207) used that process to create the image on this plaque:

49536

[brewmeister35]

Thanks for all your replies!

Jaustin, I'm just guessing that there's a better way to smooth the lines by some of the crazy cool stuff I'm seeing made by people here and hoping to learn.:mrgreen:

Ken, do I need centerline and conforming vectors to do this? It's kind of what I had in my head to start with and it looks good this way. I still don't quite understand what conforming vectors does. Still new at this and only have a few projects under my belt.

BJB, that is awesome! Is this done by adding shades or colors or something?

brdad, I'm thinking I'll have to study a tad to do that but it looks like an interesting way to make the lines smoother if that's what it's doing.

[brdad]

brdad, I'm thinking I'll have to study a tad to do that but it looks like an interesting way to make the lines smoother if that's what it's doing.

Yes, it's pretty much like using tracing paper - You see the image underneath, and then 'draw' vector lines over the top. Only it's better because you don't need an eraser when you mess up, you just tweak the vector line!

It takes longer to set up, but carves much faster since it'll be a vector carve as opposed to raster, and gives a different, sometimes classier, look.


49549

[lawrence]

these are cases where I LOVE the dxf importer- here's what I would do

1. Import the picture into coreldraw
2. Turn into bitmap and centerline trace. Export as DXF
3. Import into carvewright software, assign depth and bits
4. Carve

No tracing needed- the other methods work too, this is just one more way to defur a feline and is the way I often do it now that I have the DXF importer
Lawrence

[Kenm810]

brewmeister35,

Centerline and Conforming Vectors are not needed to do these types of caverings,
But are well worth having in your tool box for future projects.

[bjbethke]

I was asked not to because of who drew it. I think it may be a sketch of his daughter made by this artist. Here's a portion of it though. I don't think that would hurt anyone's feelings.

49527

Kenm cleaned up the drawing, it works as a dingbat image that carves as Centerline, and we were able to load this even if you don't have centerline back in 2007. It may work for you. You will need to load the font on your computer. It is in the Zipped file. I use ShaderMap and PhotoShop to to rework most of the images to make my patterns, it's fast and easy to work with, I also have a program called Light Wave 8 and 10, but that is a program this old man still needs to know and remember all the controls, I can work it if I watch the Videos first. I kind of like the fast and easy.

[Ton80]

I haven't tried the DXF import ( don't have it ) but I have used Centerline pretty extensively for line art like this and find it to be a very accurate way to generate the line in a way that is very true to the original artwork. If I understand the other two ways of accomplishing this ( either DXF import or tracing using Designers drawing tools ) you only have the ability to be as accurate as the bit profile assignments will let you. This means that as certain lines may have flourishes to them in the original artwork, you may not be able to duplicate those using these two methods. Centerline will duplicate it. The only problem is you need a way to get those images into a FONT file and that will cost about as much as the DXF importer does.

You still need to also clean up the images a little in photoshop or Gimp or whatever you are comfortable with. The other option which I don't think was mentioned is a free utility ( if you run windows OS ) called ai2mpc. I run Mac so I don't have any experience with it but I believe it will import vector art the same way Centerline will with all intended flourishes and details very accurate to the original artwork.. after you transfer the artwork to a vector file that is...

[brewmeister35]

Man, I can't get over how helpful you all are :)

Lawrence, I've been curious how all that worked! Is this "centerline trace" a function of corel? If that's how the whole vector thing is done, gotta have it!

BJB, Not sure what all that means with the dingbat image. How do I use it and how is it created?

Ton80, Another direction to look and study.... Thanks!

FYI... I now have centerline :mrgreen: Still unsure what I can do with it besides text, but I have it!

I have to say guys, all your information is just incredible. I think this machine would be sitting in my basement as it did at my dad's if it weren't for all the knowledge and help you all send on!!!

David