Loading and starting the process
Select the picture you wish to create a pattern of by selecting <File>, <Open>.
Using the image below (Fig. 3.1), right click on the picture and save to a location where you can find it on your hard drive. It is a self portrait and yes, you have permission to use it for personal use. If nothing else, we will have a few rodent deterrents by the time we are finished. You can certainly use any image you may already have but for the purpose of this exercise, it may be easier if you to use this image to compare with what you have on your screen vs. the images posted for this tutorial. If you cut the pattern you create, feel free to send it to my wife, mother or kids. Contact me privately for address information.
Fig. 3.1
Here is a screen shot of what it should look like to this point (Fig. 3.2), with the mug shot open in PSP9. If you are using a 2 button mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out on the image. Where your mouse is located will be the center of the zoom process. Play with it, have fun, count the whiskers if you desire.
Fig. 3.2
Now the easy stuff.
Resize the image if necessary. In this case, resize to 10 inches high and 13.335 wide. (Note: one dimension entered will automatically change the other when the aspect ratio is locked.) The most important thing to change at this time is the resolution. Make sure it is set to 300 dots per inch (dpi). 300 dpi is the standard requirement if you ever submit your patterns for publication. To get to the resize options select <Image>, <Resize> or <Shift + S>. Enter the above dimensions and dpi manually. Click OK and it is a done deal.
Crop the image to the size you want the final project to be. In this case, I cropped to 8 x 10 and selected only the part of the picture I wanted for the example. Many times the sizing and cropping is left open for interpretation. Is the background vital to the finished piece? Does the customer want the background included? Is there too much confusion in the background? These are all parts of pre-planning or may be determined by the client you are doing the work for. Here is how to crop. Select the crop tool (3rd button down on the toolbar, it looks like a box with a diagonal line through it). At the top of the screen, enter the width as 8 and the height as 10. A highlighted box will appear on the image and you simply drag it on the picture to select the part of the image you want to keep. (See Fig. 3.3)
Fig. 3.3
Double click in the box with your mouse and it will apply the settings you entered. Your screen should now look similar to this. (Fig. 3.4) Small variations are acceptable as your selection box may not have been located exactly the same as in the figure below. It will not affect the final outcome of the pattern at all. Cropping and composition again is an art form and you will develop your own signature to your art in this area as well.
Fig. 3.4
If you want to dig deeper into cropping, one of the keys at this point is to have the image composed in a manner that is easy on the eyes. Images that are dead center in the middle are not appealing. There are many guides available on portrait composition and general artistic layout. We do not have the time or research to cover this in depth so you will just have to trust me on this or take some courses for yourself. You can see the face is ever so slightly off center to the right and top. I am still not at all pleased with the composition and did the following steps to adjust for this and the result can be seen in the picture at the end of this paragraph of explanation. When the image was initially cropped, the values of 8 x 10 were used. Make sure the maintain aspect ratio was checked and then change the width to 7 and the height automatically will change to 8.75. Now, manipulate the selection box, double click to apply and then resize again to achieve the 8 x 10 and 300 dpi size desired. It is much more appealing and follows the rules of portrait photography much more closely. Although its not much different, a portion of the blank area around the subject has been removed and the face is a little more off center looking in the direction the subject is facing in the picture. (See Fig. 3.5)
Fig. 3.5
Now the image needs to be saved. Select <File>, <Save As> or <F12>, and give it a new filename. Generally just adding a 2 or "cropped" to the end of the existing file name will suffice. THIS IS IMPORTANT!! You never want to change the original file. Should you experience technical difficulties with your computer, you do not want to lose the original picture. It will happen! Trust me!!
Now, close ALL open documents and open the new file you just saved to continue with the pattern making process.
Continue to Page4 - Conversion to Pattern