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lex227
02-01-2007, 01:47 AM
I understand that in preparing a photograph for carving that you should convert it into greyscale or B&W. and then tweak it.

However what should you be "tweaking" for the best output?

Debbie Spencer
02-01-2007, 07:41 AM
Hi!
I do a lot of my own designs, and tried to convert pics to greyscale, but unfortunately when put into the machine "as is" they all looked chewed up.
Finally I decided to work with one of my patterns to see what would happened if I "tweaked" it a bit. After many tries, I finally saw the light of day!
Just remember this. The darker, the better. If there is white on the pattern, it will cut to the maximum depth. Black will "stand out" . So I took my trusty pencil and darkened everything on the pattern.....couldn't believe how dark everything had to be before it finally worked!
Hope this helps!
Deb Spencer

Jeff_Birt
02-01-2007, 08:29 AM
You can also invert the dark/light relationship when importing am image for use in Designer by pressing the 'Invert' button. This makes dark areas carve deeper and pure white be on top.

HandTurnedMaple
02-01-2007, 10:22 AM
Here's a working example I've been adjusting. Everything in the .jpeg is shaded to be pleasing to the eye (as far as I'm concerned). But when you look at the carving, the eyes are too far sunken as is the area below the beak. So I either have to lighten those areas or darken everything else (I will probably lighten, since the dark is almost flat against the wood and I want some definition).

Debbie Spencer
02-01-2007, 11:00 AM
Was he inverted when you carved him? On my chickens, I wanted the darker areas to stand out, so I kept making it darker and darker.I didn't really like it if I inverted it. Does anyone else use patterns from pencil drawings?

IM2HAPPI
02-02-2007, 01:54 AM
Hi Deb and welcome :D I havent tried yet but will try it asap. Might help in a few of my problem areas trying to work in dated software.
Barb

BoardSilly
02-03-2007, 01:49 AM
I utilize a high end graphic package for the really nice stuff. You can use other packages to scan in your hand drawings and manipulate them, or you can use the graphics packages to create your drawing in from the 'git go.
It all depends on what you are doing with your CW and how much detail you want/need. Some 3D packages that can help are 3DS, Google SketchUp Pro, Rhino3D, and Artcam. They are all at differing price levels, some low, some medium and some you sell your kidneys to buy. Here is a sample of a higher end 3D object created for carving. You can see the difference between it and a simple flat JPG import.

rgant05
02-03-2007, 12:24 PM
Hi Deb,
I kinda tried to start the topic of pencil drawn patterns and didn't get any response. On the link below I posted a couple of drawing that I dug out of the file that I had drawn some time back.

http://carvewright.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1023&highlight=drawings

I haven't had a chance to try them yet (had to send my machine back before I even got started) but the look like they might work as I looked at them in designer. I'm sure that they might look better with a little bit of software tweaking but haven't had time to try working on them yet (and not really competent in Corel Draw just yet)

Let me know if you have any ideas

Greybeard
02-03-2007, 02:56 PM
Hi rgant05 and Deb.
I've used both corel draw and paint for a number of years as my favorite software for designing fan leaves, and in my experience trying to convert pencil drawings directly into low relief carvings is going to require a lot more than "tweaking".

I think you must first consider how different the media are, and the way you see the detail in them.
The pencil drawing is reliant on your eye pulling out detail from the finest of lines and cross hatchings, whereas the carving is working by throwing shadows, and creating the modelling from the changing depth and softness of the shadow. Any fine detail is going to be masked to a great extent by the grain of the wood.

If your aim is to do little more than engrave the surface, and rub in a pigment to show up the lines, this is a different matter, but I assume this is not what your after.

A fine pencil line will never be anything other than a line. You will need "areas" to convert to a relief, and the "tweaking" often mentioned is more a case of cleaning up the edges of those areas to avoid a ragged effect, or changing a uniform density to a variable one in order to add some curvature to a flat surface.

I hope this helps in some way. :)

Regards
John