Checking Drawing Accuracy in Photoshop

[Vianna Szabo]

Just wanted to say a big "Thank you", Garth and Beth, for the information in this post. I tried reading instructions from a book to no avail and the "help" in my photo shop was most unhelpful. Thank you for breaking down the process so I can check my accuracy.

Vianna Szabo

[Leslie Bohoss]

I know that one can change the scale of the overlay layer in EDIT/TRANSFORM/SCALE, but I have not seen how it is possible to constrain proportions in the process. If there is a way, then show me.

Garth,
hold down the "Shift" button while you "scaling" your picture layer. (PC)

bye

[Richard Budig]

Am I over simplifying, here? If I'm concerned that the head in my painting may be off from the original reference, I do the following:

Measure the height of the head on my canvas, trying to choose from top of hair to bottom of chin, but any measurement would work -- top of hair to bottom of nose. Then, in Photoshop Elements (I use Elements), I open my photo reference and twiddle with it until I get the "key" measurment the same as it is on my canvas. You can use the rulers at the top and side of the photo on your monitor to duplicate your canvas measurements. Then, print it out. Black and white will do. Then, take a piece of tracing paper, trace the key elements, and superimpose on the head on your painting.

The method Gart outlines at the beginning of this thread will be dead on, of course. But my very shortened version gets me to a place where I can check essentials. It's a quicky, but it can highlight the really out of whack places in your work.

[Garth Herrick]

Hi Richard,

Your approach is fine! I have an even simpler approach.

I sometimes simplify even further by tracing directly off the monitor. If the monitor is a flatscreen, it certainly helps toward this shortcut.

The following works for me: I'm using 1280 x 1024 resolution on a Mac.
1. Adjust the DPI (dots per inch) in IMAGE SIZE in Photoshop to 96 and.........
2. Scale your reference image to the same size as your painting, in inches or metric according to your preference (I have been going metric lately).
3. Press OK to accept these changes.

Now the reference on the monitor should be exactly to scale to your painting (and ready to trace if you wish).

Happy painting,

Garth

[Kimberly Dow]

Oh man. This is all greek. This stuff and the photography tips. I seriously need a class or something. I think I have just the limited edition as well. I am forever lost it seems with the more technical stuff. I appreciate all the time you take in explaining this stuff Garth. Now, if you would just come and take my kids for a couple weeks so I can concentrate, I'd be all set.

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Garth Herrick

Hi Richard,

Your approach is fine! I have an even simpler approach.

I sometimes simplify even further by tracing directly off the monitor. If the monitor is a flatscreen, it certainly helps toward this shortcut.

Garth

When I do that I place a thin, 1 mm transparent acrylic plate on the monitor. Don

[Brenda Ellis]

Hey, I do this too!
But I use the inexact, impatient person's method. (No reflection on you, of course, Richard.)
I take a photo of my painting with my digital camera, download it to my computer, take it into photoshop along with the reference photo, make the lengths of the heads the same (since this is one measurement I always measure right and keep) and then drag the photo over to the painting or vice versa and then change the opacity of the top layer so I can see where the discrepancies are. Oh, this also requires using the same size file . Doesn't matter if they are not exactly in the same place because you can drag the top layer around til you are right over where you want to be.
I use this method when I am at a total loss and can't figure out where I've gone wrong. Usually if I give myself some time, I can figure it out on my own.
I think the thing I like about my method is that I still get to challenge myself to make the corrections with my own eye.