How to draw engraving

How to draw an engraving.

In this article, I would like to introduce you to the program Strokes Maker, designed to create bar vector prints, show some possibilities and draw a portrait, for example - Bill Gates (vector - because the result is exported to a vector format as a set of closed lines).

What can the program Strokes Maker, in general

1. Create vector hatching of different shapes.


Some basic hatching with a given thickening
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2. Manage strokes depending on the source bitmap, namely:


An example of hatch control (bas-relief, combination, deformation of forms)

2.1 Manage the thickness of individual strokes
2.2 Make the strokes look like a bas-relief
2.3 Manage breaks in strokes
2.4 Create dotted shading areas
2.5 Manage dotted parameters


Hatching parameters: thickening, dotted line, rupture, combination of 2 parallel lines, bas-relief, combination with cross hatching

3. Create, in addition to standard hatching, various cool vector fills


Using vector halftone (halftone)

3.1 Halftone (May consist of different forming elements)
3.2 Peano curves
3.3 Trace areas
3.x Other interesting vector fills


Some useful vector fills (tracing area, sunflower, Peano curve)

4. Manage the shape of the fill (like Free Mesh)

5. Work with masks

5.1 Set masks for fills
5.2 Combine different fill masks
5.3 Manage mask transparency

6. Export to AI \ EPS format (with grouping hatching by planes).

So let's get started

First, it is necessary to find a suitable photograph of the test object (MOT) in the network, in this case, Bill Gates. The photo must meet the following requirements (optional, but desirable):

1. THAT must be wrinkled enough

2. To facilitate the task, TO should not have bristles or bald spots. It is very difficult to realistically shade both the smooth surface of the child’s cheeks or the shiny bald spot of a respected citizen, as well as the stubs of weekly unshaven sticking out in different directions
(for this very reason I didn’t take the image of Steve Jobs as TO)

3. MOT head should be turned slightly to the side, i.e. should not be strictly in profile or full face

4. Photo resolution should not exceed 300 dpi and the photo should be Grayscale

Having rummaged in a network a little - without effort we find the suitable photo of Bill Gates.


Original photo

For uniform shading of the surface of the face, the photo needs to be slightly processed - in this case, remove the glasses and individual hairs from the face. Shading should be uniform and conform to the hatching material. Otherwise, the stroke from the face will “run over”, for example, on glasses, which will not look realistic.


Edited version

Glasses and individual hairs are best drawn later in the illustrator, although it is also possible in SM.

The photo is ready, now you need to decide on the hatching.
The basic idea is that each material should be hatched with “its” hatching. Those. If we began to hatch the face with shading with certain parameters, these parameters should be observed for all of the hatched image fragments containing this material. It is possible and necessary to change the direction of the hatching, to make up a single surface of the hatching, but the parameters of these hatching cannot be changed.

There are 7 different types of surface (material) on the existing image: face, hair, eyes, teeth, lips, clothes, background.

Let's start with the face. What should be the hatching? Refer to the available materials, such as stamps or dollar bills. It can be seen that the hatching of the face consists of 3 types of strokes - long strokes, turning into a dotted line, passing across the entire surface of the face. Transverse strokes (approximately 45 degrees relative to the main stroke), which add contrast to the image, and points in the intersections of the main and transverse strokes, which add even more contrast and realism to the image. It is desirable that the stroke trajectory smoothly “flowed around” the TO cheek and passing into the wall of the nose (resembled a wave).

To solve such problems, SM provides wave-like shading, which is essentially a sinusoid with the appropriate parameters.

We carry out shading from large objects to small ones.

Open the program SM. Download the edited photograph of Bill Gates (MOT). Select the “hatching” tool in the tool palette and roughly select a rectangular area over the right side of the TO face. We obtain a rectangular element filled with hatching with the current set parameters, usually it is hatching with straight lines of 45 degrees. To change the parameters of the current hatching in the selected element, use the “Hatching” panel. It should be noted that each element (the same rectangular area) may contain several hatchings, which depend on the shape of this element and the superimposed mask. Those. this “sandwich” is obtained from the hatching, the shape of which can be changed and the scope is limited to a mask.

The required shading with a “dot” can be obtained by combining white and black groups of hatchings with certain angles (say, 0 degrees, 35 degrees). The first layer of strokes is black; we impose a group of white strokes on top, as if “cutting” the bottom layer. At the same time, white strokes should have a modified “thicker on light” option. This option will expand the white strokes on the light areas of TO, thereby discharging the lower dark background. A dark background can be any set of hatches, including special fills, such as a vector traced area, etc.

Step by step the procedure for creating hatchings is shown below:


Hatch example with a dot

For clarity, the white hatching highlighted in yellow. When forming the first hatching, it is necessary to take into account all the parameters, including the “bas-relief” and the dotted line, as well as the area of ​​rupture of the strokes. This is important because In the future, this initial hatching will be used when shading other elements of the face with possible slight changes, and when changing the basic hatching parameters, it will be necessary to track possible changes to other elements.
After obtaining a satisfactory result, it is desirable to save the hatching in the file of hatchings (* .ets) and then use it to fill in other elements.


The location of the hatch “in shape”

Now it is necessary to position the element on TO in such a way that the strokes go “in shape”. Further, it is necessary to limit the shaded area to the mask (“mask”), i.e. right side of the face. For these purposes, the tool is a "free mask". Select it in the tool palette and circle the hatching area we need. In this case, the element containing the hatching should be selected, otherwise a new element with a mask will be automatically created. For a full recalculation of hatches, click the button on the “Hatching” panel - “Edit selected group of hatches” or “ctrl-space”. As a result, all the “modified” hatchings will be recalculated.


Mask restriction

We create other hatches by simple copying of suitable elements with the subsequent arrangement “in shape” and masking. Do not forget to turn off the "transparency" of the element. In this case, the areas masked in the current hatching will be excluded from all hatchings under the current hatching. You can also set the value of “blurring” the edge of the mask, and the transparency of the mask. In the “translucent” mode, the underlying hatchings will shine through in accordance with the specified “transparency” parameter of the upper hatching.


Face elements

When creating hatches, it makes sense to combine elements into semantic sections - “CLOTHES”, “FACE”, “EYES”, etc. To do this, in the “Objects” panel there are corresponding buttons.


Eyes and teeth

When shading eyes, it makes sense to use a pair of shading “spiral” + “radial”.

Hair is a separate topic. With the apparent simplicity of the task, to achieve the desired result, you need to suffer. In the case of our maintenance hairstyle, a simple linear shading with the “shake” parameter enabled (the “Hatching” - “Bas-Relief” panel). Create one small piece of “curl” and copy it over the entire surface of the hairstyle, trying, if possible, to follow the directions of the curls of the original hairstyle THEN.


Hairstyle

To form the background, we use a strongly blurred image of the original TO.
SM allows you to use an arbitrary number of source bitmaps in one project.


Raster for background

The result of SM can be saved in 2 internal formats:

• The full format, which includes the structure of the project (forms, masks, etc.) and the result of rendering (hatching).
• Easy option, which includes only the structure of the project, which can be redone.

For further use, export to AI format is provided. The export result contains a breakdown of the strokes into layers, as defined in SM. If necessary, you can easily and without the use of SM, turn off unnecessary layers (elements) of vector engraving in the illustrator or another vector editor.


Engraving assembly

Some fragments of engraving

Ear - must be allocated to a separate object,
otherwise merge with the form



Teeth - made simple vertically with hatching.


The eye is made of spiral shading and
clearly requires manual refinement



Chin - based on circular hatching,
the center is “pulled” down, beyond the limits of the form. You can also see the background strokes made by radial shading with extrusion along the background gradient



Hairstyle with a given “tremmore” stroke

A screenshot of the Strokes Maker program, with element borders included, is shown below:


Shapes containing hatching are highlighted in blue.

The main panels of the program are located in the right part of the working field:

• Objects - contains all forms, if necessary, combined into thematic groups
• Hatching - contains all hatching for the current element and parameters for the currently selected hatching

About the program

• Iron - not lower than Pentium 4, not lower than 512 MB of RAM
• OS - XP / Vista / W7
• Localization - En \ Ru \ Cn. There is a special Chinese version called Smilodon (many thanks to a comrade from China, who helped me with the design of the European version and, at the same time, made the Chinese version of the interface for my compatriots)
• Demo versions can be downloaded from the Vectools.com website .

Articles

• Version Description: Strokes Maker v1.22 , Strokes Maker v1.23 , Strokes Maker v1.24
• PC MAGAZINE: Review , Lesson

Afterword

Currently, Strokes Maker is purchased and works in many countries of the world - in almost all EU countries, the USA, Chile, Peru, Australia, Taiwan, China, etc. At the enterprises and at private individuals. It remains only to say “thank you” to users of the program, for their patience and fanaticism (in the best sense of the word). Because the program, to put it mildly, does not differ in friendliness and thoughtfulness of the UI.