Byron's ArtRage Explorations

[sandyg]

Thank you Byron, I was wondering what the problem was, but I went to the tech thread and one of the Rage boys told me the smooth setting could be the trouble, I turned it off and both the ink pen and pencil perform as they should.
Thank you so much for taking the time to help it's much appreciated, I used the pencil a lot in rage 2 the new ink pen is good too, mind you there's so many new points and we'll discover new along the way.
Thanks again Byron, I couldn't reply to your private email I didn't see an option there.
Sandyg.

[byroncallas]

Great Sandy,
Both the new ink pen and the pencil tool are world's apart different from AR2.5. In AR3 they are truly superior tools. The ink pen seems near my favorite tool now - I seem to use it in everything everywhere all the time.

EDIT: btw, there is a little tiny reply button down in the far right hand corner of the open message for responding to an open PM message.

[sandyg]

Oh I didn't see one, is it very small I might not see it, I have poor eyesight I have to zoom everything, I'll have to look carefully next time.
Thanks Byron.
Sandyg.

[screenpainter]

great testing Byron,

my favorite pencil lines are the squiggle ellipses that run diagonal to the samples pallet. it turns from one gray to lighter gray. ..which preset is that please?

[byroncallas]

great testing Byron,

my favorite pencil lines are the squiggle ellipses that run diagonal to the samples pallet. it turns from one gray to lighter gray. ..which preset is that please?

Hi Albert. That's the first preset "Auto Smooth Me" (pressure 50%, Softness 50%, Smoothing 30%, Precise On). The dark to light come from the pressure sensitive tablet stylus. Adjusting the settings with subtle variations on this one produces nice alternative too.

The output variations for the pencil are pretty remarkable and easy to achieve. Being able to make our our presets for them is fantastic.

[screenpainter]

oh thanks Byron. I suppose I would know that if I had played with the pencil preset settings at all. Thanks again.

[byroncallas]

A few questions going around about the new AR3 pencil. I was experimenting, and decided to make a swatch sheet of many of the various settings. These might give you a quick idea that the pencil has a lot of range; and this is just a small sampling of settings and strokes. I really like the pencil possibilities and will experiment more with it.

EDIT: Dec. 21, 2009: Juz pointed out to me today that these will look more like led pencil by toning the black back or changing the pressure settings to get closer to the gray color of most standard graphite pencils. She is correct and that look is easily achieved. My efforts here are closer to a charcoal look which is obtained by dialing up the pressure settings and selecting pure black from the color picker. Lower pressure settings or selecting a gray color will produce more dead-on pencil appearances and are easy to achieve in AR3. If I can get around to it I would like to make some new swatches illustrating the different line outputs from this perspective; and even better if someone else beats me to it. (Thanks Juz for a solid observation.)


Blow up the image and you can see the pencil grains better.

[Alexandra]

I was using the pencil last night Byron. I was amazed. I also used the pen for a cartoon and almost jumped for joy. This is a dynamic program! It is so appealing to me because of the easy accessible and displayed tools. Very unique and fantastically designed. Thanks for the examples there.

[byroncallas]

Alex, thanks much. I think I'm going to venture out and actually try a new pencil drawing. I'm thinking; I'm thinking.

[Lee]

Dear Byron, these pencil drawings are wonderful!!! a great sampler!!! especially like the one in the top upper right, looks like a beach scene impresson, alltogether terrific!!!

ps, if you get a chance, a clue to how you did the multicolor straight lines? did see somewhere here how it's done but lost track,, hold something down while doing something else?? huh wha??? Thank You!