File :-(, x, )
How do I traced awesome pic!? Anonymous
;_;

This could take awhile, first attempt at tracing something, figuring out the proggy as I go.

Expect the finished product in a few months O_O
>> Anonymous
Create another layer for the outline unless you want to delete the picture every time you want to see the lines.
Use the curves/line tool. I use that for almost everything, I posted a crazy holic vector I did a few weeks ago. When you finish a line, if you're trying to make it thicker, or fill something in, a menu will pop up and it'll have "fill and stroke" or something along those lines on it. Select that and you can fill your shape, change the color of your lines and everything. If you plan to fill stuff in make sure you make a complete shape, otherwise it won't work quite the way you want it to.
>> Anonymous
illustrator is easier to use globally, but harder to use locally...

as in illus layermanagement is easier than inkspaces, but adjusting lines/notes is easier in inkspace...
>> Anonymous
also, if this is your first time tracing, maybe even your first time using teh prog, you should start with something basic like
a cabbage or
some sd figures

which are easy to trace... that way youll learn how to use teh prog
>> SunNoodle ? ? ? !!qV5zd2wHvvw
Meh, post the original, I'll do it for you.

I use Photoshop :/ I still haven't figured shit out of inkscape and don't plan to
>> Anonymous
>>131772
Well, the first thing i see that you're doing wrong is that you're not using Illustrator. You're also not using illustrator. Lastly, you should be using Illustrator.

srsly.
>> Anonymous
>>131839
photoshop is great for coloring
stupid for traces

and generally not your ideal tool to create vectors...
>> Anonymous
while we are on the topic, what are the best steps to start with in tracing the picture ? for myself, i trace the entire outline first before doing any of the details on new layers ... am i wrong for doing it this way ?
>> Anonymous
>>131876
nope
the only real advice ive found to be usefull concerning order of tracing was :
save the eyes for last, as they are almost always the most difficult part of a trace ...
>> Anonymous
Here is a guide I started working on for inkscape a bit ago...

http://www.slhess.com/wiki/index.php?title=Inkscape_tracing_tutorial
That might help you get started, it's not finished, but it has everything about basic lines, coloring, and a bit on eyes.

To give you an idea,
http://573chan.org/svg/thread/18

Those are most of my vector traces in no particular order.
>> Anonymous
>>131878
Forgot to mention, I find doing the eyes first is better, but almost everyone else says the opposite.
>> Anonymous
I always start my traces by first doing the outlines (which usually are black), which is perhaps the most involving part of the job. After outlines are finished I start piling color layers beneath the outline to fill in the regions. Eyes are the last detail because yes, they usually tend to be the hardest part. MY weapons of choice is Photoshop (CS) and its pen tool. Learning to do curves is essential; if you manage to accurately trace an S-shaped curve with just 2 control points (start and end) you should be ready to do some picture tracing.
>> Anonymous
You all would die if you saw how I vector. I just do whatever part I feel like and work out from there. >>;
>> Anonymous
>>131884
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention a few pointers.

When you start tracing, either have a xbox-hueg bitmap source or blow up the image; at least 4000 pixels wide if not more. When your trace is finished you will downscale this to whatever desktop width desired - this will have the effect of naturally smoothing the jagginess.

Do NOT, under ANY circumstance, use edit > stroke along lines. That is the sign of an utter tracing newbie. Go ahead, use that pen tool to create shape layers instead.

I've been imitating that guy who did those jawsome Negima catch traces (negativeZero?) to good effect. I ctrl-click the outline layer, expand by several pixels and fill into a new layer, then adjust opacity to around 5% and perhaps gaussian blur just a tiny bit. This blurs the outline further and adds a barely perceptible dark "halo" around it. I also do a copy-merged of the entire image, paste to a new layer on top, adjust opacity to 10-25% depending on image and experiment with gaussian blur to add a barely perceptible smoothening. I believe -0 does something akin to that, but that's just my assumptions based on studying his/her traces (though outline smoothing step is clearly perceptible in some of the works).
>> Anonymous
>>131903
>>When your trace is finished you will downscale this to whatever desktop width desired - this will have the effect of naturally smoothing the jagginess.

Downsize to smooth ?
Thats only if you use fucking photoshop for traces...

In illustrator / Inkspace Dimensions dont matter!
So your lines/shapes will look the same in 4k*4k, 100k*100k, or simply 100*100 ...
>> Anonymous
trace bitmap do you use it?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>131894

Sounds a bit like how I do mine. I use the layers for perceived depth, so there would be one for legs and another for clothing above that. Occasionally I use sub layers to separate the outline from colouring. Here's my layout, layers is always present as I use them heavily.

For those that suggest illustrator, I'd like to ask why they recommend it.
>> Anonymous
>>131903
NegativeZero uses Illustrator, uses shape layers for colours and I'm almost sure he doesn't use gaussian blur in his traces. You can't study a vector in Photoshop. Download an ai file from his site, open it with Illustrator and study it properly.
>> Anonymous
>>131772
What anime is this?
>> Anonymous
>>131906
because its the best out there!

ps does not create vectors to begin with...
Making a trace in PS is like redrawing the picture pixel by pixel.
Making a trace in Illus is creating lines and shapes that are mathematically.

Or just simpler : Try enlarging your done trace in photoshop to pillow-size, like : 20k*xxk
>> Anonymous
>>131907
He uses gradients... like everyone would.

If anybody were so freaky to use gradient meshes, we would see artwork like Masamune Shirrows as a vector...
>> Anonymous
>>131912
hes using inkscape (not photoshop) though judging from his pic
>> Anonymous
>>131839
PHOTOSHOP IS NOT FOR VECTORING!!!!!!!
>> Anonymous
>>131910
tengen toppa
>> Anonymous
>>131905
QUALITY - do you know it?
>> Anonymous
>>131912
*cough*blusshit*cough* While I agree that PS should not be used for vectors when there is Illustrator, PS vector are still vectors and scale like vectors.
>> Anonymous
>>131914
wayne?
i just answered his question
>> For those that suggest illustrator, I'd like to ask why they recommend it.
>> Anonymous
can someone just give me the picture?
>> Anonymous
>>131918
then save you "vector" as svg or something the like in PS...

tell me where...
Exporting paths is the only option i see for doing this, but this will mess up your colors I bet!
>> advices for vector newbies Anonymous
if you still havent figured out how to use illustrator and inkscape, there is a 100-times easier tool you can use to vector: you don't need to use pivots to correct curves and to fill it you only need to use the fill tool: that program is:

ADOBE FLASH
(don't be scared of it...oh shi- forgot there was fireworks too)
>> Anonymous
>>131913
I have seen a few (very few, actually) vectors done with gradient meshes, and they were totally awesome. Almost real looking.
>> Anonymous
>>131922
Well, your comments make it very clear that you have never traced with Photoshop. I can open a trace, then blow up the image to say double size, and vectors stay just as smooth as ever. because PS vectors are not bitmaps, they are curves that get generated from control points' settings.

A for
>>When your trace is finished you will downscale this to whatever desktop width desired - this will have the effect of naturally smoothing the jagginess
this is done after you have flattened the vector to bitmap image.
>> Anonymous
>>131928
then save it as vector smartass!

even if they are vectors inside the program, as soon as youre saving them theyll lose their vector abilities!
>> Anonymous
>>131930
or short
just show me a way to save a lets say 10k*10k vector image in photoshop to a <200kb file...
>> Anonymous
>>131919

Not exactly, the answer was basicly comparing it to photoshop. That answer could've been given for any dedicated vector application. Why would someone pay for illustrator, what does it give that other vector drawing programs lack and would be useful?
>> Anonymous
>>131928
well, you are right about the PS with vectors...normaly I make my vectors with flash and I raster them at any size and they come out even better than before and no jagginess...always smooth. but, there is not much control with making vectors in PS; IMO (by control I mean, correction of curves and deletion of points etc etc etc...there is the fill thing too) there is illustrator for that...

>>vectors are not bitmaps
like people dying when they are killed, there are no bitmap vectors; I mean, your vector editing program should maintain vector state always (like PS?) if not, it is not a real vectoring program.
>> Anonymous
>>131933
to explain it better: vectors are math parameters, not bitmaps (captain obvious, etc)
>> Anonymous
Yes, that is very true;. There's the export to .AI option but; I don't have Illustrator to experiment with. I assume that it can open .PSD files?
>> Anonymous
>>131935
Photoshop's export to ai option sucks.
It saves every shape layer onto the same layer, which is pretty useless for most vectors.
>> Anonymous
the only mathematical part of ps vectors are the pathes i think

as soo as youll fill color its technically a bitmap...
I think the difference is enormous when gradients are involved... (how do you make gradients with ps anyways as "vector" lol ? )

Ill test ai export brb
>> Anonymous
>>131938
ah ok that was fast...
so in short theres no way for your ps vector to live as a vector after the save button :|
>> Anonymous
>>131939
Actually, you can gradient your vectors in PS. The Gradient Overlay layer effect smoothly integrates to shape layers. I'm unsure why, but Adobe has done some work to blur the division between PS and Illustrator when it comes to vectors.
>> Anonymous
>>131940
No ;_;

The only reason I vector in photoshop is because my computer can't handle exporting any decent sized vector into a format other than .ai
Once I get rid of this piece of crap in a few months I'll be using illustrator for vectoring.
>> Anonymous
>>131939
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

Vector graphics (also called geometric modeling or object-oriented graphics) is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and polygons, which are all based upon MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS to represent images in computer graphics.

SHOROU, WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY DIE AGAIN?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>131941
PS Vector hater here again...
I made a quick test in PSCS2 and ISCS2 ... Am Im doing sth wrong or is this the way ps fills paths with color ?!
>> Anonymous
>>131945
the colorfill in ps is not mathematically...
or im doing sth wrong...
>> Anonymous
>>131945
You mean, what happens to people when they are killed. Also, the guy is right about PS vectors, since they don't scale at all, only the paths do. So you can't fill the paths and then upscale it without some serious quality loss. You have to have it at the size you want, before filling the paths.

>>131947
You're sadly doing it right.
>> Anonymous
>>131948
i'm not defending PS
PS IS NOT FOR VECTORING
>> Anonymous
>>131949
thx ... so this and
>>131947
is the reason ps sucks for vectoring...

Now for the advantages of Illustrator :
I think the main advantage to Inkspace is its photoshoplike user friendly layer management. In Inkspace this layer concept seems rly difficult for me... Kinda confusing
Next would be some better filters and huger amount of export settings.
And of course the awesome gradient meshes... (normal animetraces dont need them though... )
>> Anonymous
>>131947
Yeah, because Photoshop's work area is bitmap based, so the vectors need to be displayed as bitmaps at 1x1 pixel level. Double the size of the vector and you'll see the accuracy of the vector double, because it is handled in true vector state.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Woohoo! my thread grew! Too many posts to read now, I'll get to it after eating something.

>>131839
<---

there are a lot of mis-matched things around here because a tried to pick parts of images so that a few lines as possible were covered by the shells.
>> Anonymous
>>131969

Wow ignore the MASSIVE amount of typos in there -_-
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I'll commemorate my first post on 4chan with a little gift.
Although it's a raster and it's not perfect, here's a high res line art of the pic in this thread.
Have fun coloring it.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>132017

M I DOIN IT RITE?
>> zero
i'll post mine after sleep
>> Anonymous
bump!
>> Anonymous
Guys, I'm tracing that screenshot as well (but thanks to OP who posted a bigger version of it), although I'll most likely make a wallpaper out of it, if anyone's interested. ;D
>> Anonymous
>>132156
Highly interested!
>> Anonymous
somebody needs to repair her right boots ;<
>> ~Caine!
>>131923
This was the first bit of truth in this entire thread...
Well, asshole truth anyway. And I like that lol.
Only an idiot would argue that one is better than the other, photoshop vs illustrator. Why? Because they do the same job DIFFERENTLY, as well as doing DIFFERENT jobs altogether more so than the first point.

Photoshop isn't a vector program, true. But vector files can be used from it and imported to it. However, it is built upon the raster concept and a vector file is mapped according to the raster image.
Illustrator is a vector program. Its vectors are created upon a set of dimensions which are infinitely scalable. However, these vectors aren't color manageable as they are on photoshop and should be utilized as vector components of a file.
>> ~Caine!
The truth with the two programs is that they are to be used in conjunction with each other, not independently as many novices assume. Illustrator, especially on newer and more robust computers, performs many finite vectors & gradient meshes to a degree that they are indistinguishable from raster image quality. Raster quality can be compressed to fig larger manipulateable files on less powerful machines. Its largest benefit is its brush mechanics which cannot be duplicated in illustrator; rather it uses a stroke along the path.
The differences in techniques create different outputs, both of which can be utilized to create a final output that is of a higher quality than using either alone.

In truth, professional outputs do not line in illustrator. They pull the original image’s line work from the artwork itself into a separate layer and allow it to be the line work rather than create new in illustrator. It saves time and allows colorists to duplicate the artists work making final production quality pieces with less time. Even though illustrator could be used to do this its application to the classical arts of brush strokes is so alien, it has no real world application compared to photoshops brush strokes. Its absolute reproduction is a nifty feature, but photoshop has implemented its features blurring the line more so than illustrator alone.
>> Anonymous
>>132190

It's not really necessary, unless you have a foot fetish :D
>> Anonymous
>>132205
shoe fetish...

well its not that... but a "full body" picture like that, with some parts missing looks ... well ... incomplete ;<
>> Anonymous
bemp
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
damn, no spoiler images here... ;<
joke doesnt work here...
well have a rodent !
>> Anonymous
how about don't do it and wait for someone who actually knows how to create vectors to do it.
>> Anonymous
>>132382
we already wait , dont we?
>> Anonymous
whos still tracing?
>> Anonymous
>>132431

OP here, now that I've learned a few things tracing the boot, I'm about to give it another go.
>> Anonymous
>>132197

You don't CMS individual vectors, you CMS the entire file and its palette.

Vectors in Illustrator still have colour properties written to them, depending on whether the vectors define a closed or open path.

Amusingly enough, Illustrator has some superior Pantone entries versus Photoshop (rather, some Pantone entries are incorrectly translated to 4-colour in Photoshop).

There's no point in mentioning that brush mechanics are different between the two programs because it's already established that one is pixel/raster/bitmap based and the other is vector based. As far as brush styles, Illustrator can manipulate stroking styles in a similar manner to how Photoshop can simulate brush stroke types.

Good points you've brought up, Caine.

To the OP, good luck tracing, take your time and pay attention to details and you'll learn a lot more than trying to rush through and spit out a product for the hordes of raging Anonymii. ;D
>> Anonymous
A lame question, for total newbies, which is better inkscape or illustrator (CS3 here)
>> Anonymous
>>132597
illustrator way to modify nodes and path is a bit more complicated than inkspace (read:its easier to draw in inkspace)
but illus layer option is easier than inkspaces

both automatic modes suck
>> MDG
     File :-(, x)
>>132017
thx

so for those vectoring it, you can use this svg as a basis (only minor error in) to do the coloring
it should speed things up!

http://rapidshare.com/files/24800974/yoko1.svg.html
>> Anonymous
>>132637

Thanks.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7I76OHEZ <- Just because I hate rapidshit
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I was gonna ask you guys to judge how I'm coming along (pic) but since MDG posted that megahuge svg, I guess my efforts were in vain if besides the learning experience ;)

So anyway, that's the 2nd of her boots that I did and learning from the 1st one, I used a lot of layers: I layed down the base color, layered on the flame pattern and heel, layered on the shadows and finally layered on the outline and creases. I think it's not bad for someone who started using the proggy last night ;)
>> Anonymous
>>132725
[continued]

MDG, how do you vary the line thickness like that?, and do you have a trick to color yours? because with all those open gaps, it's not gonna take well to color filling... ;_;
>> Anonymous
>>132727
Bah yelling at it til it obeys mah orders.
>> Anonymous
Also, I'm pretty nicely done up both legs now, but even my 3700+ with 1GB of DDR in dual channel is chugging, is there a way to lighten the image a bit while I'm working?, kind of like those 3D CG programs where you work on wireframe/flatshaded stuff to speed it up?
>> Anonymous
>>132727

a. Trace the outlines as shapes, not as stroked paths

b. Use a tablet and activate pressure-sensitivity in brush stroke options for diameter, etc. (never tried this in Illustrator, so can't comment on how... accomodating it is).
>> Anonymous
>>132772
How's that about vectoring with a tablet?
I have a wacom favo still unused
>> MDG
>>132772
1. correct
2. can comment on that end of mai (will get a dina6 tablet by then ^^)

coloring... well let me test sth
basically you close the paths, correct some mistakes, duplicate the lineart and delete parts you dont need
thats how i would do it in illustrator
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Bah, dont have a tablet...

I locked and hid the layers for the parts I had finished, it sped thing up a bit.

I'm currently up to the belt, things are moving along smoothly now that I got the hang of it, the first part I did (her right boot) took me as long as the left boot, both legs and half of her shorts!
>> Anonymous
>>132778
[continued]

I got muself a nice little methodology going: I draw the outline and line detail of a given section, then I layer the base color under it, then layer the shadows and highlights over that. seems to be working fine so far. I do have to trace over some parts more than once, but it's saving me a bundle in guesswork.
>> MDG
     File :-(, x)
>>132781
yo

i tried coloring the svg by converting it to a live paint group...
some areas work fine, others not so rly... ^^
shadows are missing, more layers needed, the gun will be a pain in the ass (have fun you guys)

but since the outline is almost done, it shouldnt be that difficult... i guess
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
a real preview of where I'm at.

I may be mistaken, but it's probably easier to color it while doing the tracing, than tracing it for some B&W lineart and then coloring it...
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>132807
varies from user to user
depends on pic to pic

btw. theres awesome material in the next ep, too...
+ gainax or other fanartists seem working hard on it, too...
>> Anonymous
>>132809

That's an almost exact recycling of the pose that's being traced here lol
>> Anonymous
>>132814
yeah we fail =(
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>132875

Fail

Also, back to work for me! Continuing with the learning experience, as I did the shorts and belt last night with a beer in my belly, I realised that I had messed up, or rather that there was something I failed to realise: My layer approach wasn't wrong (Or rather, I dont think it is) just tracing parts as I saw fit caused depth problems, or rather, the outline of the shorts covering the outline of the leg, which SHOULD have been the other way around.

So starting this morning I'm working from foreground to background, so here I am starting with the hair hornament.
>> Anonymous
>>131932
basically Illustarator is the graphic industry *standard*... sure, there are other vector drawing apps and some have a
special little feature or two that Illustrator may not have but as someone who's been working in the graphic arts
industry for 13+ years... Illustrator is the real deal drawing app that all the "professionals" use...

so I guess if yer just tacing these pics just for fun/hobby then use any cheap vector app you can get a hold of, but the real graphic artists use Illustrator...


>>131947
yeah, PS is NOT the ideal app for creating vector drawings... it *can* do it, but not to the level of Illustrator...
it's great for adding additional effects to the vector drawing after it's been saved out at the desired size (resolution) to a raster format... but if it's all you got then it's all you got, so work with it... otherwise try to get yer lil hands on a copy of illustrator (or some other app specific for drawing real vector drawings)...