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itsbilly
itsbilly
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general advice needed

Sep 18, 2009 11:17 PM

Hi,

 

I'm pretty new to photoshop still (using CS4) and am undertaking a project which involves many small images (20x20 - 60x60). These will be pictures that I'll have to draw myself, things like gears, pulleys, other small mechanical type items. I'm finding it very difficult and counter-intuitive to a certain degree. You can't just draw lines and expect things to look right. Any general advice on how to approach this? I tried creating bigger objects and paths and then scaling them down but that didn't seem to work too well. I think next I was planning on drawing some things and then scanning them in. I'm just looking for general ideas. Thanks,

 

~billy

1572 Views   13 Replies   Latest reply: itsbilly, Sep 19, 2009 10:38 PM
 
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  • John Joslin
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    1. John Joslin,
    Sep 19, 2009 12:13 AM   in reply to itsbilly
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    Drawing is not easy in Photoshop – it is really an image editor.


    You really need a program like Illustrator or FreeHand for this.

     
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  • itsbilly
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    2. itsbilly,
    Sep 19, 2009 5:14 AM   in reply to John Joslin
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    Which of those 2 are better for this in your opinion? Thanks.

     

    ~billy

     
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  • Laurentiu L Todie
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    3. Laurentiu L Todie,
    Sep 19, 2009 5:24 AM   in reply to itsbilly
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    drawing for a final size image of 20x20 pixels takes skill and experience

    regardless of application

    when you scale down, pixels are lost, especially those which are not horizontal or vertical

     

    can you post an example of the most complex image you're trying to create?

    [and explain the reason for it]

    somebody (maybe even I, if I find my way back here : ) may help

     

    http://retouching.com/LT/drawSmart.jpg

    (this is 60x60, I wouldn't dare to reduce it to 20, but I might others : )

     
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  • John Joslin
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    4. John Joslin,
    Sep 19, 2009 5:29 AM   in reply to itsbilly
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    itsbilly wrote:

     

    Which of those 2 are better for this in your opinion? Thanks.

     

    ~billy

     

    As a FreeHand user I'm biassed,  but either will do it.

     
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  • Laurentiu L Todie
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    5. Laurentiu L Todie,
    Sep 19, 2009 5:34 AM   in reply to John Joslin
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    jj is funny and wants to be helpful

    but he doesn't know much : )

    in the end you'll have pixels to display in a browser

    the application you use to create them is not important; your style is

     
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    6. Buko.,
    Sep 19, 2009 10:42 AM   in reply to itsbilly
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    Illustrator is pretty much your only choice as Freehand has been discontinued by Adobe when they bought Macromedia.

     

    Also it would be good to know what exact type or look you are going for.

     
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  • John Joslin
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    7. John Joslin,
    Sep 19, 2009 10:55 AM   in reply to Buko.
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    Buko. wrote:

    Freehand has been discontinued by Adobe when they bought Macromedia.

     

    Stevie and I are sticking with it!

     
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  • Laurentiu L Todie
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    8. Laurentiu L Todie,
    Sep 19, 2009 12:02 PM   in reply to John Joslin
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    what is this?

    a genius convention? : )

     
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  • John Joslin
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    9. John Joslin,
    Sep 19, 2009 12:31 PM   in reply to Laurentiu L Todie
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    Been to the Krcma?  

     

     

    [Been dying to use that word since I saw it!]

     
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  • Wade_Zimmerman
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    10. Wade_Zimmerman,
    Sep 19, 2009 1:49 PM   in reply to John Joslin
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    I would say for what he wants to do Illustrator would be better anyway regardless of what others are sticking too.

     

    And you can do more with Illustrator than you can with Freehand even if it has some features that the FH users prefer,

     

    The OP will find for what they want to do Illustrator is ideal an it ha a very responsive user forum if they get in areas where they need guidance.

     

    It is admitted ly not the most intuitive of the Adobe Applications but till very powerful especially for this type of work.

     
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  • itsbilly
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    11. itsbilly,
    Sep 19, 2009 3:30 PM   in reply to Laurentiu L Todie
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    Saying someone else doesn't know much while in the next breath saying the application isn't important is pretty ironic.  The application is very important - it influences said style (either positively or negatively) and without it there would be no pixels to display.

     

    I've currently got access to Illustrator so I'm going to give that a shot. I'll try freehand poissibly too - thanks.

     

    ~billy

     
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  • Laurentiu L Todie
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    12. Laurentiu L Todie,
    Sep 19, 2009 4:55 PM   in reply to itsbilly
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    what you have failed to do in Photoshop

    (because you have no idea how it works)

    I can do in Photoshop, Illustrator, Painter, Strata, Mac Paint, or with a brush on paper and a scanner : )

    the application is not important, only what you can get out of it

     

    good luck but

    beggars shouldn't be cocky : )

    (you can prefer answers from people who don't know much; be my guest)

     
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  • itsbilly
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    13. itsbilly,
    Sep 19, 2009 10:38 PM   in reply to Laurentiu L Todie
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    > good luck

     

    Why.. Thank you

     

    ~billy

     
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