Red ochre

I like the 3D cats. The lowest one looks like it has real personality!

Thank you very much Seerose and Disgruntled - much appreciated!

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/31387-indirect-ui-double-slider-up-arrow-issue/

Is that the object or selection version?... Just a hunch, probably wrong, ( I'm not experienced with either), but if the effect is expecting an object and the whole layer is opaque? ... just thoughts... ignore me!

bobsully - welcome to the forum! Note that Smudge can be found under Effects/Tools, not the Pdn 'Tools' window. Sorry if you knew that already and yes it works with windows 10.

My 'Squirkle' plugin does that (not using GDI+ ellipse, just the equation of a circle). http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/23194-squirkle/ I think the O.P. is really after a change in the behaviour of Pdn. And as you say, there is no perfect plugin solution to this.

Thank you Si Borg

... and the ice!

Yes please! It's so frustrating to click on the greyed out Edit/copy or the icon, then have to go to Edit/Select all then Edit/copy. Ideally (for me), it would be possible to have nothing selected and just click the copy icon to get the whole layer on the clipboard. If this would create problems perhaps a 'Select all' icon could be added next to the cut, copy and paste icons? Nothing selected = all selected (as for plugins), would be my preference though.

Thanks Maximilian, Lynxster4 and Pixey! @ Maximilian - That plugin is nearly ready to publish. However, MJW, who has helped loads, has suggested some improvements but I just haven't had time to implement them yet. @ Pixey - yes, I just took photos of the painting as it progressed - every few hours or so. As you know, that style of oil painting is like Pdn in that it uses layers. Basic areas of tone first then gradually add detail and adjust colours. Unlike Pdn, you can't seperate the layers afterwards... unless you get the 'fat over lean' rule wrong, then the paint surface cracks and flakes off with time!

'Dipstick' asked if I would upload the time-lapse animation I recently mentioned. So here it is. The title of the painting 'Broke Painter' refers both to the rope in the water and my bank balance! Relevance to Pdn? I used Pdn both to play around with ideas for the composition before starting and to edit the stills of work in progress. These were taken from different angles (and differing light conditions and reflections from the paint) and I used TR's 'Distort this' to correct the images back to a square. I also used Midora's 'Zip Archive' plugin to export the Pdn file layers before importing them to Windows Movie maker. (Animated .Gifs compress the colours too much for this use).

Actually deselecting at step 4, is not really required as the whole canvas is selected at that point, (providing you haven't resized the selection). Sorry for being misleading. These things become second nature when you have used the program for a while and it can be difficult to see things with 'fresh eyes'. I'm not the greatest fan of how many newer 'apps' and programs are designed but personally I found Pdn easy to learn in comparison with Gimp, Inkscape or Abode elements. Pdn4 is a bit less intuitive than pdn3.5 (IMO) but has more functionality. Do give it a decent try... most things are very straight forward to do!.... if you get stuck, please ask again!... hopefully you'll be answered by someone that explains in a clearer way!

Did you click the 'Finish' icon after drawing the rectangle? (It's new in Pdn4 and catches me out sometimes!) Try this: 1. Press the 'Prtsc' button on your keyboard (eg. on a web page) to put the image on the clipboard. 2. Open Pdn, File/ New image. (opens at the same size as the clipboard image) 3. Edit/Paste. 4. You will have to Deselect now. (It opens selected because most users would probably want to resize the pasted image). Either Edit/Deselect or the icon. 5. You can now use the shapes tool, for rectangles etc.(But I still recommend doing this on a new layer ) 6. When finished save first as a .Pdn file to keep any layers, then as a .Png or .Jpeg, if you need to post the image online. If the image has layers and you are saving in a file-type without, it will ask you if it's ok to flatten the image. Honestly it sounds far more complex than it really is!

I've been using this a lot recently. (Making a time-lapse animation of an oil painting I've been doing (yet another ), with many photos of work in progress taken from slightly different angles. This was ideal for correcting the images back to a rectangle. Love the keyboard arrow input, for accurate placing of the corners.) So useful. - Many thanks.

But that is the way it currently works? Could you be confusing the rectangle select icon with the draw shape/rectangle one ? It is better to draw lines, shapes, text etc. on a new layer because they are easier to move around if not a part of the original image. Still possible to do it on one layer though! Try pressing the F1 key, when Pdn is open and it will take you to the documentation which explains many things. ... and welcome to the forum too. I don't think you will find another free graphics editor that is both as powerful and as easy to use as Pdn. I'm sure you'll get the basics very quickly.

I recommend TR's 'Distort this' plugin. I used to use quadrilateral reshape but find 'Distort this' much better for accurate distortions. Do watch the video on how to use the select work area bit though. Distort this

Thanks Maximilian!

Imaginative and very polished work... looking forward to seeing more!

Don't worry Eli, I think they call it a 'senior moment'

Not really sure what you are asking for?... but welcome to the forum! Any use? http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/24769-gradients-galore-another-update-2242016/ http://i.imgur.com/cY1ghtb.png http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/26280-object-bevel-update-142016-previously-bevel-object/ http://i.imgur.com/qIPEQTq.png

Yes, Uninstall everything downloaded from that site and do a full virus scan. Boring, I know but it's the only safe thing to do! Then you can download the genuine, up-to-date originals from this forum.

Congratulations to all and thanks Drew for hosting. Very high standard and a good number of entries for this comp.

I'm afraid I disagree with Ishi about 'drawing' totally within Pdn. Personally, I only do minimal 'drawing' in Pdn (or other software) despite having a Wacom graphics tablet. My method: 1. Draw on paper*, 2. scan in, 3. modify in Pdn, 4. print out, 5. modify by hand, 6. repeat 2 to 5 Keep different drawn objects on different layers. *I make use of: graphite pencils, eraser, waterproof fine marker pens, process white ink and coloured pencils. When printing out, I try to print larger than the intended screen size, rarely print out in colour and often increase the brightness - to use less (expensive) ink. The brightness can be re-adjusted after scanning back in. Avoid using ball-point (Biro) pens on tracing paper as the ink dries slowly and can mark the scanner's glass. These images have parts that use this technique: http://i.imgur.com/xecRPwQ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/3gSPqC2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dvQQXFv.png http://i.imgur.com/YXYouAj.png http://i.imgur.com/79Lm3vH.jpg

Your latest image is fascinating Disgruntled - good work, well done! Ok, so your drawing skills are not perfect. That doesn't matter to the viewer. (In all honesty, drawing skills are learnt when you are very young. I suspect there is a genetic component too. They can become a distraction from the impact of the image though.) You have produced an image I want to look at and think about... that's the important bit! When I look at a Vermeer or a Caravaggio, I'm seduced by the beauty and sheer skill. But when I look at De Chirico or the Surrealists etc., my curiosity is aroused. Now, what's going on here? Pentangle, eye, 7 way Menorah shape? (sorry for my ignorance), broken globe, broken light?, road branching only to the right. Dark silhouette tree & church shape in the middle distance with a river and lollipop trees in the far distance. ... I like unanswered questions! Good use of textures, perspective and metaphor. Humble advice: just keep making images and keep looking at the World and art.... there's a whole language of colour and symbolism out there... which no-one understands!

Hello Saint, It is well worth reading through this tutorial: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/17049-dpi-and-you-understanding-resolution-for-print-and-web/ As Dipstick says D.P.I. is relevant for printing, it is the number of pixels that is important for a sharp image. If you must reduce the pixel size, try to use 'round' fractions eg. by half, quarter etc. you are less likely to see blurring that way. If you use an 'odd' fraction (1/3, 1/5 etc.) the blurring can be reduced by using the sharpen effect afterwards.