Simplest way to turn the letter C into a tree?

[minni]

What's the simplest way to turn an upper-case C into a tree?

 

Sorta like the below idea, but not so fancy:

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/hydognik/hydognik1106/hydognik110600001/9677079-the-letter-c-in-the-form-of-a-tree.jpg

[RFX]

With a single C, it might be hard to do. With multiple C's, it's certainly possible. Hope this helps or gives ya some ideas.
 

[Pixey]

It could be done with Custom mini brushes quite easily, but I'm not sure if you know how to download brushes?
 
Here is a simpler way:

http://i.imgur.com/66UGmwC.png

http://i.imgur.com/c9hbzJE.png

http://i.imgur.com/g2vKEbM.png

 

I tried to find the Roses Plugin in the Plugin Index, but was not able to.  I'll search a bit more and edit if I find it!

 

Edit:   Here it is here

Edited June 15, 2014 by Pixey

[Ego Eram Reputo]

How about trying this excellent plugin Dryad?

With a bit of work you might get a "C" shaped trunk.

@Pixey: It's called "Roseaces"

[minni]

Thanks so much to all of you for your input

 

As for Dryad (not that I quite visualize its abilities yet until I'd get to fool with it)...

....I forget how I installed that other plugin, way back when

 

Is there a stickie anywhere on the forum where there's permanent instructions, for people with memories like sieves?

 

So here's what I tried:

Once the Dryad zip file was installed to downloads folder,

 

I then copy/pasted dryad.DLL to ---> program files\paint.NET

 

(since that seemed to be where other DLL files were)

 

Was that incorrect, and if not, how do I now locate it via the Paint.net toolbar menu's

I can't find it under the Effects submenu's.

Edited June 16, 2014 by minni

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Move or copy the *.dll file to Paint.NET/Effects/ folder

 

Full instructions here: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/forum/36-how-to-install-pluginsgeneral-plugin-troubleshooting/

[minni]

Oh, now I remember. The reasons I was confused was:

 

(1) I actually had clicked Effects but saw nothing listed. But now I realize my previous DLL install was on my other thinkpad

 

(2) Last time, I must have referenced the main forum. But this time, I'd keyword searched, as well as sought for stickies on this discussion forum.

 

Bottom line, I'm finally seeing "Iterative Lines" under Effects, so now it's time to fool around.

Thanks so much Ego Eram, and hope to report back next chance I get.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Glad you got it sorted Minni!  Have fun with those plugins - they are addictive

[minni]

Update:

I just now fooled for quite awhile with Dryad, but finding that I cannot curve it into a letter C.

The most I could do was "Random" which curved various parts in every which way except the letter C.

 

So at first I was considering using the Letter-C in my below attachment and somehow filling it in (masking??) with the brownish bark of the following trunk (which would probably take me all day to figure out if at all):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Newton%27s_tree,_Botanic_Gardens,_Cambridge.JPG/580px-Newton%27s_tree,_Botanic_Gardens,_Cambridge.JPG

 

But then I came across this choco-chip-cookie in shape of C:

http://ourcraftsnthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/letterc51.jpg

 

And I think for my purposes it would be preferable to have the cookie as tree trunk

then romaine (or herbals) as leaves

and bartlett pears (made to look like musical notes) descending from the leaves

 

So if anyone can figure out an easy way to go about my objective, I'm game.

 

FYI, my objective, or more accurately pipedream,  is a logo called CPR (Creative Patients Revolution)

• wherein the C is a tree with musical-note fruits
• and the P is a crutch looking like a trellis with blue flowers shaped like blue-cross centered within it, and a blue-outlined cloud-puff to finish off the rounded part
• and the R is sorta a sliding pond, with the steps being an aqua paintbrush, and the slide/chute shaped like the right-part of the R, with an overturned paint-can causing aqua-blue "culture-medium" to rush down chute and turn into a stream wherein blue veins & red arteries (and eyes) are growing as if they're hydroponic flowers.

[Pixey]

Hi Minnie - OK I'll offer one option for the trunk to become a cookie.

1. Import the letter C resize it larger and center with Align Object.

2. Import the cookie picture and Flip it Vertically, lower the opacity to see what you are doing.

3. Manoeuvre the cookie image and size it over the letter C, as best you can. There will be a space left at the bottom, which

can be fixed later.

http://i.imgur.com/5eewj4S.png

4. Change back the opacity on the cookie to 255 and uncheck the layer.

5. Go to the letter C layer and use the Magic Wand on the C and then Invert (Ctrl I)

6. Then go to the Cookie layer, uncheck it, then hit delete on your computer.

7. You now have a C with the cookie inside, but there is a little space at the bottom.

8. Go to the letter C and magic wand inside of it .... do not invert this time.

9. Go back to the cookie layer and with Effects - Tools - Liquify push and shove the cookie up to the edges of the C.

Finally I'd use Gaussian Blur at default on the letter C and then you can flatten the image.

http://i.imgur.com/TvDNOk7.png

For the rest of the things you want, leaves etc., you could play with @Red's Dryad Plugin to get leaves.

Hope this helps. It's all about playing around with the plugins to see what happens. Good luck.

[minni]

Thanks again Pixey for your helpful instructions

So far I've been experimenting, but wasn't familiar with the "Aligning" part.

 

So after a long time searching for info, I noticed that View offers a Ruler, but I didn't quite grasp how the ruler works, or for that matter why it's necessary to center align.

 

While I've not yet reached the Gaussian part of your instructions,

am I correct in assuming you meant to BLUR the sharp-outline for a more realism look?

 

Thus far, after resizing to approx. 800, then flipping vertically, here's what I got.

Is that OK so far? (see attachment,

...but I'm thinking the bottom part of the "C" ought to be less wide than its upper part, in order to make a more realistic tree trunk.

Also, it may be nice for the logo to look somewhere between 3D photo-realism, and 2D painting-drawing, but that's a tall order I guess.

 

BTW, as stated above, I'd been considering rather putting romaine leaves or herbals, rather than dryad, as more compatible with cookies.

Then green-pears in shape of musical-notes descending from "romaine leaves"

 

Any wonder I marvel at the complex designs everyone here pulls off...

Edited June 19, 2014 by minni

[Pixey]

Hi Minni - sounds like you are getting the hang of it.  Yes, it takes time to learn all this stuff.  Practice and doing the other tutorials help you to learn how the programe is used.

 

I realized, after I'd posted the last steps that, instead of using the image of the curved cookies, get an image of a 'round' cookie.  This way you then will not need to do the Liquify stage, as the cookie will fill the whole 'C'. 

 

Yes, using GB on the outline of the 'C' will make it blend better with the cookie before you flatten.

 

I'd make the Cookie trunk first, then save it as a .png.  Then begin all over to make the notes and the broccoli in the same way.

 

Find a musical note, like this and a broccoli outline, like this and then begin the whole process again, like you did with the trunk. Also find suitable images that you want to fill the note and broccoli with.

 

i.e.  1. import outline

       2. import image

       3. magic wand outline, invert, go to image layer and hit delete on your computer.

 

After you save the results to .png, then at the end you 'compile' your image by starting a new project again.

 

i.e.  1. import your end result trunk.

       2. import end result music and broccoli images on their own layers.

 

Then you can resize the music and broccoli images to fit over the 'C' tree trunk.

 

To resize a large image, just use the Move Selected pixels tool and - whilst holding down 'shift' on your computer (this keeps the size regular) move the corner little nubs to make the images smaller to fit the Trunk.

 

Good Luck

[minni]

Uh magic wand - as in my below screenshot?

 

I.E.

Did the wand need to be inside or outside the C?

At what percentage-selection? (in screenshot its 32) By the way, are patients often given choco-chip cookies? I bypassed walnuts for tree-trunk due to the "nut" factor.

 

Update:

Meantime, I'm now going to try instruction #10 above.

 

OK, now see my 2nd attachment below

...which is outcome of instructions 1-8 (of post #10.

Am I on the right or wrong track?

Like a babe-in-woods didn't know what the heck I was doing!

BTW, each time I experimented (above) I just Exited without Saving anything.

I mean, no use saving PNGs unless I comprehend what I'm doing.

Edited June 22, 2014 by minni

[Pixey]

See how I have the layers in this example.  The 'C' is on a layer by itself and the cookie on its own layer.

 

1. Magic wand 'inside' of the 'C' at 50% tolerance and then you have to "invert the selection" once it's active before you move to the cookie layer.  

    Do this by hitting Ctrl and I ((I for 'invert') on your computer. 

 

2. Then move and click on the cookie layer with your cursor, and hit 'delete' on your computer - you will now have only the cookie inside of the C.

 

3.  After this, you can uncheck the white first layer ...... you will still have white around the 'C', so magic wand the white surrounding the C and hit delete. Then flatten your image in .png format.  Also you might want to Gaussian Blur your letter C. before you flatten.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by Pixey

[minni]

Pixey, thanks yet again! Maybe I'm catching on a bit

Did not understand the part about "PNG" format.

I just did CTL-SHIFT-F

Here's the latest screenshot, though I've a feeling that somewhere along the way I forgot to switch the Opacity back up to 255.

On 2nd thought I F4'd just now, so mine is a bit darker than the screenshot.

The next step needs to be shaping the bottom of the "C" so it's more like a tree trunk

...while still being able to discern that it's the letter "C".

Edited June 25, 2014 by minni

[Pixey]

Yay - you are getting there .  Yes, it wasn't until I posted my previous 'step' that I realized that I too forgot to switch the cookie layer back to full opacity.

 

Ctrl - shift - F flattens the image.  Once you have finished your 'C' Tree, you will have to 'Save It As' a .png (go to File - Save As and pick .png from the drop down).  Save it to a folder for later use in the compilation of the musical notes, broccoli, etc. 

 

Also, make sure your white background is unchecked before you flatten, as you want a transparent BG for when you use it again.

 

I think using the Liquify Tool will be helpful in shaping the trunk.  I tried and came up with this.  I hope the instrictions are OK on the following image.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by Pixey

[minni]

Uh, whats the diff. saving as PNG or JPG?

I just now magic-wanded the white-area of the JPG Letter_C.

Then hit delete to delete the outer white area.

 

So does it really matter - saving as PNG or JPG?

 

Re: the Liquify stint, I was attempting to get the hang of it, but a poor attempt!

Please see screenshot.

Note, too, that when I tried fooling around beyond the bottom edge (of transparent checkerboard) I obviously couldn't go beyond it.

 

Increasing canvas size only created a white boarder surrounding checkerboard.

 

Is that cuz I'd saved it as JPG instead of PNG?

 

Off-topic - is it OK to take a break for now? Because I got busy with bugs on my system bringing me to turtle speed, and outdated Win-XP, and trying to figure out if I should try Linux or shop for Win-7 (and I'm limited due to eSensitivity requiring Low Ghz and matte-displays yada yada. Long story, i'm going out of my mind!

Edited June 30, 2014 by minni

[Pixey]

PNG is better quality.  Here is a little info on this

 

Liquify is a Plugin and can be downloaded here.

 

Info on how to install Plugins here

 

Tools should be in the dropdown in Effects .............. but it may appear when you download Liquify   

[minni]

oops, have you seen my above Edit? (originally I couldn't find liquify, but then googled & found it.

Also gotta take a break as per above.

 

Does it matter if I resume sometime in future, with a link referring back to this.

And the new subject line could be something like:

 

Letter C tree roots

(and maybe 3rd part of series - Letter C tree leaves.

Thanks a million

Edited June 30, 2014 by minni

[Pixey]

You're very welcome and we can resume whenever you are ready