Storyboard Tute!

Whew. Finally.

I use a free program to do my storyboard (Paint.Net) which is located here:
http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

It's very easy to use, and has a few neat little tricks that make it quite a step up from your regular old Paint program on most Microsoft pc's. (There's no Mac version, Nina! Sorry :( But...if you don't mind a bit more of a learning curve, try The Gimp, which is also free.)

First, I copy & paste the line drawings from the pattern websites (or PR!) into a new window in Paint.net:


I cut out any part I don't want (back views, etc.) using the dotted square in the Tools (left side of your screen). This selects a rectangle of space.


So I just select all the stuff I don't want outside of the garment view and hit delete.


After deleting you will probably have a square/rectangle of grey/dk grey checkered area. That's transparent. I'm such a brain child I took a screenshot of the TRANSPARENT CHECKERED spot and actually thought you'd be able to see them. Hee. (Note the line pointing to the transparent checkered area.) :D


The fill bucket can be used to cover those checkers up with white. It can also be used to add color to your line drawings!! For a lime green jacket, I choose lime green in the Color box, then click the fill bucket & click again in the area I want to fill. Just like coloring with Crayola!


To add a fabric instead of color, we're going to use a layer. I go to LAYERS (top toolbar) and choose IMPORT FROM FILE.


I browse my hard drive for the picture of my fabric (you can also do LAYER, ADD NEW LAYER. Then copy/paste off the web if you don't have it saved on your drive.) Resize this picture as needed so that it's approximately in scale to your line drawing. (To resize you might have to choose the dk grey arrow with a plus sign under it in the Tools. )

You're now working in a different layer than the background (which is the initial line drawing). (Your layers are over on the bottom right of your screen.) You might have to select it first (or again) with the dotted square "select" button, then click the arrow and you'll see the "move" handles appear on your pic and you can then drag it to a new size or move it around. Drag the fabric over your line drawing to completely cover it.

(Above: and yet another obvious screenshot by yours truly of the fabric completely covering the line drawing. Hee again.)

Now look at the Layers box on the bottom right side of the Paint.net screen. Click on your line drawing Background layer so that it's blue (the one you're working on is blue). Then move that layer to the top by clicking the arrow button down at the bottom of the Layers box.


Your line drawing should now be on top of the fabric (you won't even be able to see the fabric pic at this point but don't worry!)


Now over in the Tools again, choose the "magic wand" which is a red tipped microphone-looking thing. That selects only a specific area (like within an enclosed area.) Think of this as being the opposite of the fill bucket. It's the best! Click inside your line drawings (anywhere you want the fabric to be). Clicking will hi-lite everthing within a border.


Now click delete. Voila!! Like magic your fabric appears!


The fabric shows now because you just deleted the "white" fill of the line drawing, and the fabric is showing through from behind this layer!

That's pretty much it! Pretty snazzy, huh?

You can add words to your storyboard by clicking the A button in the tools.

Tip: When you save your storyboard, save in .jpg or .jpeg as file type. The default is .pdn (which is a Paint.net type and internet browsers won't recognize it.) You just drop down the file type arrow in the Save box when saving and choose .jpeg or .jpg. Paint.net will also give you a message when saving to .jpg that you are going to "flatten" the layers. That's fine! We're turning it into a solid picture at that point. You won't be able to switch back & forth between layers anymore from a .jpg image tho.

You CAN, however, add different garmetns/images you've created to a new paint.net project by going back to your Layers button (top toolbar) and choosing Import From File (just like you added the fabric). Then just use the grey arrow (top right button in tools) to drag that picture around the page until you like the placement.

Hope you enjoyed the tute! It's not Friday...at least not in this part of the world, but I'm thinking its Friday somewhere!! TGIF!!!

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