How do you warp a straight line in ArtRage6

[Hey Ottist]

It's a pretty basic thing that you can do in both Word and Photoshop, but I can't figure out how to do it in art rage. Basically I have a straight line that I want to warp into a curve. I tried using the french curve stencils and they're pretty crap for me tbh. What I'm wanting is to draw a curving road into the distance, so draw a couple of straight lines and then warp them. How does one achieve that?

In fact, come to think of it, can you curve the perspective grids?

[markw]

As AR has no Mesh Warp or Vector capabilities you could use the Perspective Grid or possibly the Transform tool to give the two strait lines their basic perspective first, ie running in the right general direction and plane, and then use the Warp filter to put the bends and kinks in and basically adjust to taste.
The Warp filter can be found in the Menubar here: Edit > Filters > Warp…

[Somerset]

I think, it isn't the best way to warp a straight line for this job, because you will get an unsteady blurred curve. Think of the pixels! For such things I use to build stencils by using a Vector-Graphics-Program like Inkscape (Open Source), Illustrator or CorelDraw - if I can't draw it by hand satisfying. That is verry easy and accurate.

Maybe another solution could be drawing the curve with the Ink Pen by setting the Taper Bias to 100% and the Taper Length to 100%. You will need a bigger Tool Size, I think. For a cleaner curve you can play with the smoothing. And than you paint your curve, beginning on the horizon, swinging to the front.

[markw]

I think, it isn't the best way to warp a straight line for this job...
Hi Somerset,
Oh, I totally agree! Totally!
Although the resultant road done this way could be used as a foundation or guide for painting the final road over it.
But I suggested it because as posited, the question was how to warp a couple of lines into a windy road going off into the distance in AR.
Personally I would just sketch out and paint a winding road going into the distance rather than trying to warp anything. And maybe have the Perspective Grid showing on screen so as to help stay true to the paintings overall perspective.

[Somerset]

Absolutely! Cause painting by hand - that's what ArtRage ist made for. To warp lines, to make curves outoff it, is a classic thing to make with vector graphics.

Sorry markw, I didn't want to criticise what you wrote. Just wanted to show Hey Ottist, that he intended an awkward workflow for his project.

[sueellen]

This might not apply here, but if I need two lines to curve together I first use the ink pen to draw a wide single line (with whatever tapering and smoothing I need) in the shape of the curve I want. I create a stencil of that line, and using the "guide" mode of my stencil, I trace it with a smaller tool. Since I'm using "guide" rather than "ruler" or "stencil", I have the option of using a tapering line (ink pen) to make the trace. I use this as a locked layer to create a reference or tracing template for layers above it that create my painting.

98997

[markw]

Hi sueellen,
That’s quite clever:cool:
You and Somerset have both shown more inventiveness than me with this!:(
Stay safe the pair of you:)

[Hey Ottist]

Thank you kindly for your replies, much appreciated. I tried the warp option and sorry, it wasn't very good (though I'm new to this software so...) . What I did was what Somerset suggested, used the ink pen and taper bias.

This thread has also answered another question - whether the text was image or vector, clearly not. Unfortunate. I'll look into some vector graphics programmes. I'm working on a short story with illustrations and a graphic artist friend told me to save text as vector rather than image to keep it crisp for printing. I don't know much about graphics programmes, this is my first voyage into digital art. Learning all the time. It makes my brain hurt. :confused:;)

[Hey Ottist]

Clever! :D

[Hey Ottist]

This might not apply here, but if I need two lines to curve together I first use the ink pen to draw a wide single line (with whatever tapering and smoothing I need) in the shape of the curve I want. I create a stencil of that line, and using the "guide" mode of my stencil, I trace it with a smaller tool. Since I'm using "guide" rather than "ruler" or "stencil", I have the option of using a tapering line (ink pen) to make the trace. I use this as a locked layer to create a reference or tracing template for layers above it that create my painting.

98997

I meant this, this is clever. :D

[Somerset]

Hallo Hey Ottist!

Pixelbased Programs aren't the best choice for working with text, because text will never have the sharp edges it could have as vectors - except for bigger sized text, that shall have a special effect on it, that you can only produce with pixelbased programs. Professional Graphic Designers mostly work with three different types of programs: Pixelbased Image Editing Software (like Adobe Photoshop, Corel's Paintshop Pro, Affinity Photo or GIMP), Vectorgraphics-Software (like Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Affinity Designer or Inkscape) and DTP-Software (like Adobe Indesign, Quark XPress, Affinity Publisher or Scribus). For Painting Artists there are some special Programs too (like ArtRage, Autodesk, Corel Painter, Krita, MyPaint...). Painting and Image Editing Software export Bitmaps (pixelbased: JPEG, TIFF, PNG...), Vectorgraphic Software exports Vectorgraphics (that are based on Vector, that means data from points in a coordinate system, the angles between them and so on: SVG, EPS...). DTP-Software is made to combine pixelimages, vectorimages and text in one document (PDF) for high quality printing. Anyway it is also possible to use a Vectorgraphic-Software as a DTP-, cause you can load an pixelimage into it and combine it with text. It is not as convenient as a DTP-Software for this, but it works, and you can also export your document as a PDF. But the most professional way to do it is to do this with a DTP Software.

Hope that helps a little for orientation.

[Hey Ottist]

Yeah I think I get it. So am I right in saying I could do my art in ArtRage, then add text in a DTP software? What would you recommend in DTP, i.e. intuitive, not too expensive etc.

[Somerset]

I use to work with Scribus, wich is Open Source and free, and Adobes InDesign, wich is part of the Creative Suite. Some years ago I also had a cheap version of CorelDraw, wich is a combination of Vectorgraphics- and DTP-Software. It is also nice. I'm affraid, DTP is generally a little bit abstract and affords some learning. But if you want quality-printing, it's worth it.

[Hey Ottist]

Thanks Somerset :)