Smooth strokes

#1

I think that I already know the answer to this, but I think I could get some insight from the community.

I’m more of the painter type, but lately I’ve been commissioned to do comic/cartoon style. I have come to find that I have avoided drawing the clean line for most of my life, you know, smooth strokes.

So I sat down and started drawing clean lines in PS, and it has been really nice, sort of trance like. But I notice that the tablet to app translation still leaves little squiggles in my stroke. Unless my hand is moving in a couple directions, I get really sketchy results.

Z-brush had lazy mouse, which is nice.
I’ve experimented with different zoom levels to find that the stoke’s quality varies.
I know that Painter has the option of canvas rotation which is nice.

Is there anyway to approximate the stroke in a way that averages the inconsistencies into a smooth line?

#2

CS4 has Canvas rotation. Hold “R” and drag the mouse. Shft+R snaps it back into place.

Saw a lazymouse plug-in once. You can search the forum for it and give it a whirl, I’m not sure if it works well or not.

#3

lazy nezumi! if you’re a windows user - try it! it works magic inside photoshop!

http://people.happycoders.org/kamih/wordpress/?page_id=46

robert

(maybe the same lazymouse plugin jettatore was thinking of…)

#4

just tried it. COOL! :thumbsup:

#5

Thanks for the suggestions.

Note; if you’re using Windows XP 64 (like me) then Photoshop CS4 doesn’t support OpenGL features which are necessary to rotate the canvas, unless you hack the registry, or run the script provided by Adobe.

Note: If you enable the Open GL features, then your open to all sorts of risks. My result was that Photoshop couldn’t keep up with my drawing.

I’ll look into this lazy nezumi!

#6

I have experience with this. Use the registry mod from Adobe. At least giving you the option of turning on OpenGL functionality and then try some of these advices to see if you can’t fix the brush lag.

http://www.google.com/search?q=brush+lag+cs4&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

The CS4 brush lag can happen on any OS version, including Mac, with or without the “allow old GPU” registry mod.

#7

If you are fine trying something else, you could try PaintTool SAI
Just look at these two videos and you will find something that can increase your productivity considering cartoon specific needs:

-the first video (7’35") shows you line creation process using vector line just like raster line (you can use vector for the most complicated curve and merge to raster at any moment)


-the second video (10’00") shows color filling process which is more effective than what is inside Photoshop at the moment (it is explained in the video). The video shows also an amazing way to control gradient especially good for cartoon work (technical demo here and there).

Now, I assume your Photoshop version will not be offended because I suggest you to try something else :stuck_out_tongue:

#8

SAI is way better with all kind of lines. both vector and pixel. i use it a lot because of this

#9

thanks for the link to SAI! …and i thought, i would have to upgrade to cs4 or buy painter to get a rotatable canvas… SAI is really great! wow!

robert

#10

i did my tutorial quickly because i didn’t see any tuts when i was searching myself some time ago

Hecartha, nice work

#11

For cartoon lines, use Flash for drawing. It is excellent for that shit. :thumbsup:

#12

You want Sketchbook Pro 2010.

#13

From what I’ve found, in the past few weeks, Illustrator’s paint brush tool gives me the results I need; I paint a stroke, it averages is out, and leaves bezier controls on the stroke. That’s the quickest most integrated system I’ve found yet.

#14

there a big difference between what you need and what the technology offers
you can get far by using photoshop pen tool too

#15

Yeah, that’s been really helpful too! It makes shapes, not strokes though. Right?

#16

hell NO! you missed something there :slight_smile:

the pen tool is not the same as shape tool

when you’re done making strokes you can choose one of the many ways to fill it. look below
Alt + click the “stroke path with brush” and you’ll see a menu pop up. don’t forget to test “simulate pressure”. really useful

here’s ss:

#17

It’s too bad Systemax is dead, would be amazing if they would continued SAI. Eitherway yeah Photoshop always had big issues with line work, it doesn’t have damp or a pressure curve for you to adjust so it’s really not optimal.

#18

Do you have any info about that or is it just supposition based on the “old” latest release? Maybe their development cycle is more 36 months than the 18 months Photoshop standard.
I have seen also their site has been updated few times months ago adding english faq and editing the number of employee (from 1 to an unknown number). And their japanese forum has new posts everyday so I hope they are financially all right.

#19

@workbench
Ok, I received a reply to the mail I sent when I read your post about Systemax and Koji Komatsu, the developer said he is still working on a new update (minor!) but with many improvements. That’s weird, it is just like he don’t want our money since minor updates are free

#20

@Hecartha - weird?! ever heard know pixologic? 'till now, every update, upgrade, plugin… snippit’o’code has been free of charge for zbrush! i absolutely fell in love with SAI and i’m counting my trial days… happy to hear an update (minor) is coming to SAI. thanks for that information.

robert