Cc4FuzzyHuggles

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I like both most recent pictures. Nice work FotoFactory and Drydareelin.

I'm not sure if this plugin is what you want, but it draws lines. http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/30417-parallel-lines-and-patterns/

If you have trouble making a good selection using the lasso tool, a good work around is to actually add a layer and paint over the area you want to select with either the paintbrush tool or the line/curve tool. Then use the magic wand to select the painted area, and while the selection is active, turn off the paint layer. You should end up with a nice selection to work inside of.

There is a plugin called "Jumble", and it even works within selected areas, so you can just jumble some parts of an image. However, the plugin is part of a plugin pack that has some plugins that aren't fully compatible with paint.net 4.0. So I'm not sure if the jumble plugin itself also might not be fully compatible. I haven't had any crashes from using Jumble yet, but just to be safe, if you use the plugin, I suggest you save often. Here is a link to the plugin pack: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/8043-curtis-plugin-pack-update-for-354/

That's so cool! Thanks for enlightening me of that function (I apparently had an outdated version of the plugin). However, MJW's plugin still seems nicer for removing colors since it has options and adjustments specifically made for removing color, and it has the ability to work with paint.net's primary and secondary colors, which for example, when using GrimColor or CutColor, is a SUPER handy feature. I wouldn't mind seeing a primary/secondary color option in hue/sat+, as that would help make re-coloring images easier too, but even if it did gain that feature, it still is mainly a color changing plugin in my opinion. But, I will be adding both plugins to my personal list of "good ways to cut out images/remove backgrounds".

I haven't tested the plugin out yet, but out of curiosity, is this sort of like an advanced version of Grim Color Reaper and Cut Color? It sounds like a color removing plugin that's been mixed with BoltBait's Hue/Saturation+ plugin, which is a pretty cool idea. The adjustments remind me of Hue/Saturation+, but instead of re-coloring things, it removes(erases) colors.

I'm pretty sure you can only replace colors. So if there is a color you don't like, you will have to add some other color just for the sake of eliminating the color you don't want. "Add Color to Palette" and then "Save Palette". It's not too hard to move the color wheel around and make a random color that isn't annoyingly ugly and then just add that. The saving is only time consuming when/if you need to go through folders to save the palette in the right place. Once you go to the folder paint.net often remembers the path, and then re-saving and overwriting becomes easy. Edit: Here is the paint.net documentation about palettes. http://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/WorkingWithPalettes.html

I realize the comments about struggling with the checkerboard pattern are old, but I wanted to comment about it for future new users. There are already plenty of comments on how the checkerboard pattern represents transparency, and how transparency is what you want when removing backgrounds, or cutting out objects, and it's needed for using some plugins. However, some people seem to be confused, as they say they “copy” the checkers with their object. There was sort of an answer to this in an above comment, but here is a different way of explaining things. Hopefully others who experience a checkerboard issue will find this helpful. If you copy and paste your cut-out object, be sure you paste it onto it's own layer. If you don't paste it onto it's own layer, the transparent areas might “erase” or “delete” the image or new background that you paste onto, which can then give the impression that you are copying/pasting the checkerboard pattern. Cut out the object as seen in the tutorial. Copy the object. Add a new layer to paste your object onto. (How? Click Here to learn about layers.) It is recommended that you save your image as a pdn format, so that you can keep your picture in layers and have the ability to edit the object later. Then re-save the image as a normal format to use it with other applications, such as saving it as a png (best quality) or a jpeg (smaller file size).

The pen tool is a tool from photoshop. It is a tool which makes lines called "paths". In photoshop you can "stroke" a path with paint or you can convert the path into a selection. The line/curve tool is already paint, so there is no stroking in paint.net. And although paint.net can't convert lines into a selection, we have work-arounds, such as exampled in the "how to cut out object" tutorials. The pen tool is often used to outline objects, which is why I'm talking about the line/curve tool for tracing obejcts. However, the paths that the pen tool makes can be used for a lot of other things. So, if perhaps the OP has other intentions, then more details on what they are trying to do would be nice.

The line/curve tool is great for outlining objects. Just add a new layer Trace your object using the line/curve tool Then use the magic wand tool. I don't know if you are trying to apply effects, cut out objects, recolor things, etc, but using the line/curve tool does make a nice pen tool alternative. If you are wanting to cut out objects, these tutorials might interest you. http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/13796-cutting-out-images/ http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/28305-mini-tuts/?p=409110 When it comes to working on details with paint.net, cutting out objects can be a great way to add effects to specific things, re-color specific areas of a picture, or remove backgrounds.

Hello. You don't need to copy/paste or use MS paint. You just need to go up to the Menu Bar > File > Save As > and choose a format to save in. You will want multiple copies of your image saved (copies, as in different format versions). It is suggested you always have a pdn. version of your image, as that is a format that will keep your image's layers. For using your image with other programs, or uploading it to the internet, you will want to re-save your image with a normal format, such as jpeg or png. I often have a pdn version of my images, a png version (png is a good quality format), and a jpg version (this format saves things with a smaller file size). If you need more help, try this tutorial http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/12193-how-to-use-images-in-your-posts-signatures-and-avatars/ Explore the pages of the tutorial too, as people have added "How To" for other websites. About the wand tool, I suggest you explore the online documentation. It is outdated, but it still covers some basics. http://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/MainWindow.html

This was a unique theme. Thank you everyone who joined in. Thank you chimay for hosting! Congratulations Red ochre! Out of all the entries I think yours was the most unique.

Thank you for entering everyone (and yes, I mean everyone!). The entries were few, but they were all interesting. Thank you Pixey for hosting and continuing the comp. Congratulations to Red ochre and Pixey. I think Pixey's was pretty and colorful, while Red's was epicly deadly. lol.

Hello nitenurse79. I can understand what you are saying. I think people who are real artists have a big upper hand too. It takes skill and knowledge to use paint.net, and it takes skill and knowledge for more advanced ways of using paint.net, whether that be drawing masterpieces with only the paintbrush tool or whether that means knowing all of paint.net's plugins and using them to their fullest potential. It almost doesn't feel fair putting people who don't know how to code against people who do know how to code, but the same could be said for letting people with artistic talent enter in the same competition as someone who only knows how to draw stick people. Or pitting people who use plugins against people who don't/won't/can't use plugins, or people who have had real art lessons vs people who haven't. Smart cookies are difficult people to go up against. Another unfair scenario could be the devices people use, for example, I don't know if people can use paint.net with smart devices, but drawing on a tablet vs drawing with a mouse might seem unfair, or using a desktop mouse vs a laptop's touch pad mouse might seem unfair. However, we don't have enough participants nor competitions to divide everything up into fair contests based on skill, talent, photo manips, 100% pdn, tech geeks, devices, education level, etc. The only competitions we can do right now are free-for-alls. Big single competitions for anyone and everyone that want to try to have fun and try their best. Anyone can enter the current competitions, kids who are still learning, professional graphic editors, people afraid of downloading plugins, people who know artistic tricks like proper shading, people without education, people with computer education, or average paint.net hobbyists. But the free-for-all idea can change I guess, if people really want the comps to change. So, it really comes down to whether or not we want strict rules and less participants, or if we want to keep things open and inviting to as many participants as possible. I personally prefer more participants, rather than excluding people. If the paint.net coding labs/plugins don't count as out-side programs, then I personally would like to see more plugin developers enter the fun. I love it when they show-off their work in competitions, even if their entries totally out-shine my entries. Shiny goodness for the win!

Would using the gradient tool with paint.net's rulers enabled, help at all? For example, if I use a blue color as my primary color and green as my secondary color and then draw the gradient (while holding shift) according to the ruler (0 - 800 on default canvas), the center of the gradient (at 400, 300) would be the single new color, but since it's a gradient there would also be the transition colors. With the help of the rulers, as well as the coordinates of the mouse, which are displayed at the bottom of paint.net, perhaps some math like percentages can be figured out. (note: the arrow keys on a keyboard can move the mouse one pixel at a time for exact placement). Re-sizing the canvas could make some of the math easier too, since you can literally make the canvas 100 by 100 or even 12 by 1. I would think this idea could be useful in some cases. Unless the gradient's transitions or paint.net's rulers aren't accurate?

I'm terrible at math, but I would suggest you play with the colors window. If you are new, you can learn about the color window here : http://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/ColorsWindow.html If you just want to play around with mixing colors, you could also play with layer blending modes. Paint one color on one layer, paint another color on an above layer, and then change the above layer's blending mode. If you make a color you like, you can use the color picker tool. When you have the color picker tool active, observe the tool's options, which are just under the menu bar. You should see a place that says “Sampling: Layer” change it to “Image”. Then click on your new color. In the colors window you can “add” the color to your palette.

An alternative is you could just add a new layer under your object layer. Use the shapes tool with the ellipse shape and draw a black spot under the object. Blur the black spot with gaussian blur and lower that layer's opacity to your liking. Or you could duplicate your object. Turn the duplicate black (Menu bar > hue/saturation > lightness -100). Move the duplicate's layer under your object's layer. Draw a selection around the black shape with either the rectangle select or ellipse select tools and squish and move the black shape to be like a shadow. Blur the black shape and lower the layer's opacity to your liking. If you need more help or pictures just ask.

That looks cool too. And yeah, I think it is closer to the sample image I gave. It's blurrier than photoshop's, but it's still a good texture.

This looks really cool. Thanks for making it! I will try it out later.

According to the examples provided by the "here" link, my interpretation for this theme is a "Save the enviorment" type of idea. And so, based off of that, here is my entry. Stocks Used: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_map.svg http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1122276 Nice dooms day entries for those that opted for that interpretation. Your space pictures are cool.

I used the Dryad plugin, since it implied it is good for making trees, flowers, and fractals.

Maybe you could do some internet searches for an "illustrator" or some type of "artist". You could have them draw everything, or just have them draw the chracters and then you yourself can use paint.net to put the characters and the car together to make a single picture.

I still love the textures you made Maximilian. So thank you for the steps on how to do them.

Thanks Maximilian. Nice efforts and ideas. Nothing is quite like photoshop's results, but I guess that's to be expected. Click to enlarge photoshop sample > http://dab1nmslvvntp.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Picture-5.png Thank you for the steps on these paint.net-style fibers. I will play around with all of the suggestions.