Paint Shop Pro
Photo - Architectural Illustration
A tutorial by Donald B. Cheke © 2008 - All Rights Reserved
www.textualcreations.ca
Not all photographs need to be taken by professionals to elicit
professional results. I take photographs for my work related projects and
because I am not a very good photographer they often require enhancements.
Thank goodness that Paint Shop Pro Photo is close at hand, for the task is
generally attainable without too much effort.
Architectural illustrations are beautiful works of art that
appear to be created by very skilled artists. Although this is probably true in
many cases I believe that nice results can be attained with a minimum of work
with Paint Shop Pro Photo. This tutorial will lead the reader through the steps
that I have followed on occasion to attain such results. For your first attempt
try to work through this tutorial with the image I have supplied. It is simply
a snapshot that I took last summer while wandering around the downtown area of
the city I live in.
This tutorial is illustrated with PSPP X2 but I believe it
does not use any tools that PSPP X or PSPP X1 do not have. These are the only
versions I have, so I do not know if the results can be achieved in V9 or
earlier.
Open the supplied image (right mouse click and select Save
Target As): Don_Cheke_IMG_1505.jpg.
Screen 1
Because it is good practice to keep photos in their
original state and to edit in the program's native format the current image
will now be saved.
From the File menu select Save As. Determine where you wish
to save the file, change the file name to Arch_Illustration_IMG_1505 and select
PSPIMAGE as the file format. I like to keep the original photo number with the
new file name so I can easily identify which photo was edited. Click Save.
Screen 2
As the reader can see the perspective of this photograph is
not very well presented. It has a pyramid shape that does nothing to make the
photograph appealing. As this is the case our first step will be to correct the
perspective.
Select the Perspective Correction tool.
Screen 3
The correction process is going to be done in two steps, although
it could be done in one, should a reader want to try this at another time. We
would like the left edge of the building to be parallel
to the left side of the photo. This can be accomplished by lining up the
left edge of the selectable rectangle that the tool has placed squarely on the
image. Place the cursor over the lower left node of the
correction rectangle and when the four directional arrow cursor appears left
mouse click and hold the mouse button down. Drag the node straight to the left
and when the left edge is in a location similar to that in the image below
release the mouse button. Note that the left edge of the perspective rectangle
and the edge of the building are now almost parallel. If the reader does not like what is
occurring with their current placement the Cancel button can be selected at any
time to reset the perspective rectangle, whereupon, the reader can retry.
Screen 4
Click Apply.
The left edge of the building should now parallel to the
left side of the photo.
Screen 5
In the same manner, only to a much lesser degree, the
leading edge of the building must be parallel to both left and right edges of
the photo. Place the cursor over the lower right node and when the four
directional arrow cursor appears left mouse click and hold the mouse button
down. Drag the node straight to the right for a very short distance and then
release the mouse button.
Screen 6
Click Apply. Note that should a reader not like the look
after the process has been applied, the Undo button can be selected and new
parameters can be established.
Although the perspective now looks good, the building
itself is sitting a bit too high in the image to produce great results. To
remedy this, the photo will be cropped before proceeding with the illustration
component of the tutorial.
Screen 7
Select the Crop Tool.
With Free Form selected, drag out a rectangle 10 inches
wide by 7 inches high. The reader can drag the rectangle out and then adjust
the Height and Width fields at the top of the desktop.
Screen 8
Align the crop rectangle as illustrated – be sure that the
top of the flagpole is within the rectangle.
Screen 9
Click Apply.
The result should be something close to the illustration
below.
Screen10
Select the Pick Tool.
The overall brightness of the image could be somewhat
heightened. From the Adjust menu at the top of the desktop, select Brightness
and Contrast and then select Curves.
Screen 11
Select Reset to remove any channel nodes. Left mouse click
on the line and place a new node as indicated in the picture below.
Screen 12
Click OK.
The Architectural Illustration component can now be
addressed. Right mouse click on the Background layer on the Layers palette and
select Duplicate.
Screen 13
With the duplicate layer active select Art Media Effect and
then Pencil from the Effects menu at the top of the
desktop.
Screen 14 Screen
15
Adjust the settings to reflect those in the image below and
then click OK.
Screen 16
With the duplicate layer still active lower opacity to
about 73.
Screen 17
The illustration now requires a couple of decorative
components to help it come alive. The first is a frame, and in this case, one
of the default frames works great.
From the Image menu at the top of the desktop, select
Picture Frame
Screen 18
Select Edge Brush from the picture frame dropdown menu and
ensure the setting reflects those in the image below. Click OK.
Screen 19
Like so.
Screen 20
Some text will complete the illustration.
Select the Text Tool.
Select Arial from the Font dropdown menu, select 18 from
the Font Size dropdown menu and select Left justification.
Screen 21
Ensure that the Background and Fill Properties Color is set
to black.
Screen 22
Left mouse click in the upper left corner of the image to
begin the text. A new vector layer is automatically created.
Type:
________________________
Building Originally Constructed to
House Eaton's Department Store
Photograph by Donald B. Cheke
Screen 23
The text in the edit dialogue can be edited as separate
components – select only the text to be changed at any one time. To get a
tighter looking text block change the underline and the blank line below it to
have a font size of eight and add enough underline keystrokes to match the top
line of text. Change the last line of text to a size of sixteen. Watch the
changes occur in the image as they are made. Click Apply
Screen 24
Select
the Pick Tool.
To
place the text I almost always set up guidelines to help place it, if there is
more than one text block. For single text blocks I like to place the text at
the corner of the image and then use the arrow keys to move equidistant amounts
vertically and horizontally.
Drag
the text to the upper left corner of the image and use the arrow keys on the
keyboard to move one pixel at a time until the boundary is lined up as indicated in the picture below.
Screen 25
Press and
hold the Shift key down. Press the right arrow key once and the down arrow key
once. Release the Shift key.
Press
and hold the Ctrl key down. Press the right arrow key twice and the down arrow
key twice. Release the Ctrl key.
Select
the Pan Tool.
Select
Save.
The
final image.
Screen
26