Wouldnt it be good if there was a 1 click pattern maker ....

[ColeyS1]

Hi all,
I've been playing around on my scroll saw a bit and would now like to have a go at cutting out a portrait.
'Wouldnt it be good' if there was a piece of software that could transform a picture to pattern, in a few simple clicks. I'm battleing :-k with photoshop (following online tutorials etc ) and have also tried 'Gimp' without success. Its so ruddy difficult ! Im giving up trying to create a pattern from a picture for now- will stick with a predone jobby. Wouldnt it be good though...................

Simon

 

[big soft moose]

Simon - i'm quite good with photoshop - if you email me the picture to bigsoftmoose at googlemail.com i'll see what i can do if you want

 

[ColeyS1]

Thats a very kind offer big soft moose, thankyou. :wink: The pic i had in mind is probably a bit big for someone else to do, but i sincerly appreciate your offer. I've got to learn it but its so frustrating when things dont turn out as expected. Im very tempted to send it, but think i might become lazy if i dont keep trying to learn it myself.

Simon

 

[big soft moose]

Thats a very kind offer big soft moose, thankyou. :wink: The pic i had in mind is probably a bit big for someone else to do, but i sincerly appreciate your offer. I've got to learn it but its so frustrating when things dont turn out as expected. Im very tempted to send it, but think i might become lazy if i dont keep trying to learn it myself.

Simon

cool - no probs , if you get stuck with photoshop feel free to drop me a pm and i'lll help out if i can

in general terms my advice would be to start with something simple (the first one i did was some zebras , which required verylittle just levels and contrast)

 

[ColeyS1]

if you get stuck with photoshop feel free to drop me a pm

Thanks big soft moose, i may take you up on that ! I'll give the zebra idea a go too,it'll be good practice. I've found a picture of a b&w jonny cash- That'll keep me busy for the mean time.
It all seems very complicated transforming an image. You'd think someone would have came up with something for the less computer savvy like me.

Simon

 

[big soft moose]

this is the zebra image in question , feel free if you want to use it

all it needs to transform into a patern is to go to layers - new adjustment layers, levels - and drag the sliders in to towards the middle to brighten the whites and darken the blacks

then if necessary go to contrast and increase the contrast further

you will burn out the texture in the whites but for pattern making that matters not, and is probably actually a good thing

:

 

[hawkinob]

Hi,
There is a computer programme, Coyote Stencil Shop, which is sold for this purpose but I'm not sure that it is "1 step". Heard conflicting reports about it.

Bob H.

 

[ColeyS1]

Um, interesting Bob.Thanks for the info. Its certainly alot less complicated than a fully functional photoshop. Here's my attempt using Coyote stencil shop

#-o Im starting to suspect that alot of my problem might be the picture im trying to use. The lighting isn't too great and i dont think it helps he's wearing a chequered shirt. I was going to try cutting out a pic of my dad using a photo i've already got. Its his birthday in August so theres still plenty of time for practicing :lol:

Simon

 

[WoodAddict]

Hi, I've been playing with making my own patterns this last week. I followed a tutorial on scrollsaw village using gimp. This is my first ever attempt. It's still work in progress but it's going well so far. There a tutorials for a few other programmes on there too.

 

[hawkinob]

Hi,
Because I'd rather cut than mess around on this irritating computer (my fault, attention span problems I think!), I post my picture on the 'Pattern Request' bits on one of a couple of scrollsaw forums- Scroll Saw Village, Scroll Saw Woodworking, Creative Woodworking and Crafts (the last two are magazine sites) asking for a pattern to suit and have found the responses generally very good.
Yes I know that I ought to master the pattern making myself and if I did that then the end result - the cut - would truely be all my own work but I can live with that.
Bob H.
p.s. It's not from lack of trying as I've bought the book, got the Coyote CD and printed out nearly all the pattern making tutorials I've found. Still go back to asking!!