How to: Art

HakunaMatata

I have a question! I don't know much about creating apps or games so I guess im concidered a noob. Anyways, when I draw something on regular paper, I take a picture of it on my ipod touch and I just send it to my email, then on my computer I open and save the picture onto my files so I can use that for my app. But lets say I draw like a ball and take a picture of it. When I use that picture it comes out with the white blank part in the back (which is the paper) but what can I do to the picture so only the ball comes out and not the blank paper in the back?
And sorry if you don't understand what i'm saying, its kind of hard to explain. But you know how in the gamesalad shop, you can buy like just pictures of trees or just anything else? Well i'm basically wondering how I can make my drawings like that... except... they're hand drawn. Thanks ^_^

BazookaTime

If I am understanding you correctly, you are trying to get a transparent background? If you don't have something like Photo Shop, I recommend Gimp as it is a free down load and can help you with what you need. What are you using to draw, just paper or are you using a program?

pandathebear

Yeah actually I might drop in here too, I use Adobe Illustrator CS6 and anything I scan in comes out with a white square background (the minimum size that would cover the character). I have trawled heaps and heaps of Adobe forums/tutorials but all of them seem to lead to something more complex than what I'm after (like removing a person from a photo or something). All I need to do is get rid of the white.

@BazookaTime can you assist me also?

BoyGeniusStudios

First download gimp, its free and they have it for mac and windows.

Second import the photo of your character into gimp, go to file-import and select the picture.

Next crop the image around what you want, ex: the ball.

Then hit file-new then make sure it is transparent.

Go to your first image and hit select-all then copy it and then go to the new transparent image and paste it.

Then in the next image erase all the white borders.

Done!

Goodnight Games

Ok if you have illustrator you need to use live trace then expand which will give you a nice vectored outline of what you were drawing.

If not then consider downloading gimp and retracing it using the shape tools on a new layer.

MotherHoose

Gimp: the magicWand is instant Alpha … apply and cut
or use select by color … if no white in ball… and cut

easy to see in your Preview.app
… Select Area icon … click the ▼
click the Instant Alpha … use on white area …
when all the white turns orangish … [option]+[X] … or Edit … Cut

MH

HakunaMatata

OHHH ok cool thanks alot! And another question, most Hand-Drawings should be scanned right, or like what I do does that work too (Taking a picture of it on a phone/ipod, sending it to email)?

HakunaMatata

Oh and BazookaTime i'm just using regular blank sheets of paper to hand draw on

MotherHoose

@HakunaMatata … taking a pix or scan is just fine …
both require delete of the background by removing its Alpha channel
… often use a pix for guide/starting point in my imageEditor

also, think putting a drawing program on your iPhone/iPod/iPad
might also be fun to do! … and give you nice images!
lots of nice free apps … search "draw free" … in iTunes … see all
IMO … drawing on the mobileDevices seems so much easier than drawing on desktop!

MH

LumpApps

The difference between scanners and cameras is that cameras use a lense.
This gives some distortion on the edges of the photo. Specially when you use your phone which uses cheapish lenses. Draw some straight lines. Take a picture and you will see that the lines are bended on the edges.
When you take a picture of your drawing have it in the middle of the picture and not too big so it ls less distorted.