My daughter, who is ten, requested that I post her image of a girl. As I don’t post without some explanatory text, I decided this would be a nice opportunity to teach you how to do a portrait yourself using Paint. This method was taught to me by my daughter.
This is how she created this portrait:
- Find an image via Google Images that you like. It isn’t going to be exactly what you will produce – it is just a template for new image.
- Open the image in Paint.
- Color over each part of the face, and create your new image. Use the brush tool or bucket tool for large sections and the pencil tool for details such as the eyes.
Easy? Hard? Depends on how much experience you have drawing, both on and offline. If you don’t try, you won’t have much experience, will you?
I follow a similar process for creating images, except I usually use Photoshop or Illustrator. I explained to my daughter that when you use those programs, you can put your work in layers, so you can see what you have done and what you still need to do. Here is the process I used recently to create a puzzle piece using Illustrator:
- Find a similar image to what you want. Open it in Illustrator.
- Save the image in a layer of its own. Make the layer a template, so it looks dimmed.
- Make a rectangle over the rectangular area – use the Rotate tool to get it to look angled.
- Use the ellipse/circle tool to make circles over the areas where the puzzle is cut.
- Use the Pathfinder tool to cut or add the semi-circles on the puzzle piece. Minus front gets rid of the front; Unite combines the circle and the rectangle.
- Save as png, gif or jpg file for the web.
Drawing a puzzle piece is easier than drawing a portrait.
Thank you for posting it. PS. Photo Shop isn’t better then Micro Soft!
Yes, my dear.
Love it! ๐
Thank you for the tutorial and congratulations to your daughter!
I wonder if anyone will try it or learn from it. If so, I would rewrite it and insert real step-by-step images.
Thanks for the information. Your daughter did a great job with this.
Glad you enjoyed it, Carver.
That is interesting..I love that you share what your children are doing… Regarding Nature Notes photo collage..
Leora..the pictures are in order according to the posts in the link. Starting with number 1 and going across the rows from left to right. The song sparrow was number 1 and that was Karenโs. I donโt know how to add a number to each photo. It takes a long time to put together the entire post. I will see if it can be done.
I hardly want to give you more to do! So forget about the numbering system. It would be too much work for you. I know how to do it in Photoshop (you just do the numbers as a separate layer), but you have your own system, and it’s fine. I admire all your work on Nature Notes.
whoops..I had last week’s collage up too. Sorry.. the closer the surgery gets the more scattered and stressed I feel..sorry about that.. I don’t know how to use PS..I keep meaning to learn how
Hugs, Michelle. No worries. Especially not about Nature Notes!
I love your daughters creation. As you know, I use vector tools/program to draw. I had never thought about importing an image to trace or copy. What a great suggestion. I generally create all my images free hand. When I’m using a photo as a model having it somewhere close in one of the layers would certainly make it easier. :)))
I would love to see what you produce when using layers. I know you can use layers in iDraw – I’ve used them. I made some drawings of my daughter as a dancer with her photo underneath.
I love your daughter’s work! She is so talented, in more ways than one!
Thank you for the steps! Nice information.
This is some nice and practical writing, Leora. First timer here, on your blog – but i gotta tell you, i already learnt something… well, illustrator isn’t for me but your daughter’s approach just matches my skills ๐ Thanks for sharing!
Diana
No wonder I call my daughter my associate – she gives the reader an option when mine is too techy.
Glad to have you here, Diana.
Thank you, Leora! And thank you to your daughter too!