| rdfs:comment | - A simple procedure for producing professional quality composite images;-
* Goodsearch...image...search
* Get the GIMP. Like MSPaint, it's free. Unlike MSPaint, it doesn't suck.
* Get a graphics tablet. 6"x9" tablets go for $100 and up. You wouldn't write a novel with a mouse, why would you draw a picture with one? A hundred bucks will save you hours of fighting poor ergonomics (mouse bad, pen good). Your wrist and fingers will thank you.
* Use the highest-res source images that you can find. A 1000x1000 image eats RAM, but the end result will be superior to the same 'chop with 200x200 pixel source images.
* Increase the size of your picture to 400% while working on it (if high-res source images aren't available).
* Save often. Or, to put it another way, save often.
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| abstract | - A simple procedure for producing professional quality composite images;-
* Goodsearch...image...search
* Get the GIMP. Like MSPaint, it's free. Unlike MSPaint, it doesn't suck.
* Get a graphics tablet. 6"x9" tablets go for $100 and up. You wouldn't write a novel with a mouse, why would you draw a picture with one? A hundred bucks will save you hours of fighting poor ergonomics (mouse bad, pen good). Your wrist and fingers will thank you.
* Use the highest-res source images that you can find. A 1000x1000 image eats RAM, but the end result will be superior to the same 'chop with 200x200 pixel source images.
* Increase the size of your picture to 400% while working on it (if high-res source images aren't available).
* Save often. Or, to put it another way, save often.
* Always paste into an empty layer so you can tint and fade that layer to match the original.
* Lowering the contrast can help blend the two layers.
* Use an eraser set to low opacity to fade out the hard edges of anything you paste (dont over do it).
* When you're happy with how it looks, collapse the layers, and add your new pic as a new layer over the original one, then use an eraser (set to low opacity) to rub out the top layer to reveal your modifications (This helps to blend the two pics).
* Simple colors modifications can be done this way too (B&W etc).
* When you're happy with how it looks, collapse the layers for the "final" version (be sure to save both a one layer image, for uploading to Uncyc, and a layered image, so that you don't have to start all over if you need to tweak it).
* Use a despeckle/salt and pepper filter to pick out any hot pixels.
* Sometimes a very small amount of blur works well at this point.
* Reduce your pic to 400-600px (large enough, but not stupidly big). Don't save as GIF unless you really have to. GIFs sucks. JPG is better, but can suffer from bleeding/pixelation on high contrast areas. PNG is best. This is why no one ever uses that format.
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