Request for Information.... :+}

[Danny]

I have a real strong urge to start learning how to design Portraits and other Scrolling projects.  Being on the low end of learning from reading can some of you designers or others lead me on to a program that wouldn't be to awfully hard to learn. 

Thanks to Everyone in Advance....  Danny  :+}

[Al W]

Morning Danny,   I do the occasional pattern, usually a name plate or some other fairly easy item and I have started using the Corel program.  Takes some time in learning, but I found the ideas presented by Steve's video to be a nice start and asset.

Let me know when you want a challenge, and I will forward the photo to you   .

[Billy in Va]

Danny

I am working in the same direction. I design and cut a lot of my own pieces. Nothing elaborate. I use Corel also and find it easy to learn for scroll saw pattern design but there is a lot to that software that I do not use or understand. The three pieces I posted yesterday were done with Core. The fire ornament was a modification of a full fire plaque. Best way is to just jump in and start designing. Watch all of Steve's videos and you will be well up on the learning curve. I will be glad to help anytime but I do believe if you post a question here, the answers will be many.

[Stravides]

If I am starting from a photo, I tend to use photoshop. 

Additional to the resources on this forum and the blogspot, I managed to locate a number of tutorials out there.

I'm by no means a "scroller expert", but have used photoshop for a good number of years.

Basic principle is get the image to a nice DPI (dots per inch, say 300).  Convert to Grayscale.  This will show you the basics of how the light and dark will progress into your final image.

Increase the brightness and contrast to further enhance the image.

2 filters can then be used (in photoshop) Photocopy and Stamp.  using various differing settings within these filters give you a starting point.  This then needs to have time spent adding bridges and removing islands where practical.

One specific tutorial for photos I found recently is http://www.80artdesigns.com/photoshop1.htm

[bzeyher]

Danny
 I am using a very good open source paint program called GIMP (www.gimp.org). It is free and gives all the functionality that the other programs give.
The procedure that Steve gives is the same for this program.

- make it gray-scale by making the color saturation 0.
- Use brightness, contrast, and Threshold to get the best starting point.

After that it becomes an art that I have not yet mastered :-)

Billy

[The WoodArtist]

I also use gimp as well as I know a lot of others do as well. I have Photoshop Elements and if I had known that gimp was just as good if not easier I wouldn't have payed for Photoshop. I rarely use it for patterns anymore mainly now just to enhance photos of finished pieces and to fix photos before using gimp to create the pattern and you can find great tutors on the web for this program just google it. I also use Inkscape but mostly for pasting things into patterns and to add words to patterns. Good Luck on making patterns, I would suggest if you haven't already purchased a program try these free ones first both of these are and see what you think.

[Tomsunnu]

Hi Danny
Beleive me,until last year this month I had no clue as to what is Scroll saw 
But now I am able to make pattern( posted a couple of them ) all thanks to Steves video tutorials  in Corel draw. Making simple patterns in word art to start with and now I am trying to make a portrait pattern
As a newbie all I can say is just go for it Danny! It is no rocket science as a very expereinced scroller I am sure you will succeed  :)and ofcourse the seniors are there to help in our community.
As for the software program there are two open source ones Inkscape and Gimp,please download and start playing around plus watch Steves tutorials you will learn a lot,I know I did
Mahendra