Posterized, monochrome look for t-shirt?

[hamwizard]

Hello all,

 

Can these photoshop functions be done in Paint.Net?

http://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/36275/how-to-create-an-artistically-posterized-monotone-portrait

 

 

I'm ...basically completely clueless graphically, with  little art skills (sorry!)

I'm getting a little better as time goes on, but I'm having difficulty being able to achieve the look I'm going for in some of my images.

That guide I've linked at the top seems to show how to produce really great looking black / white (or at least sub 10 colour) images, which could be good for printing on a shirt.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or links to guides on artistic styles best for t-shirt production? 

 

I find I use Vector Magic quite a bit initially to try and smooth out and clean up my images, it's not perfect but it seems to be helpful, it's just I 'fiddle' rather than know what I'm doing

I've attached pics of what I'm working on at the moment, mostly to show you guys (and girls) just how bad I am at this.

I think I can finally 'cut out' an object fairly well  (that takes me over 15 minutes tho)  but messing with the colours, stenciling etc - nightmare  with my skills!

That pic took near an hour to get where it is.  I'm enjoying the fiddling but I'm pretty clueless

 

[hamwizard]

I've also installed a tool called inkscape but I'm not fluent with it.

[Cc4FuzzyHuggles]

I think paint.net can do what you are looking for, but I can't think of the process at the moment. Maybe the Two Tone threshold plugin can help? http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/29450-two-tone-threshold-new-30th-july-2014/

 

Since you mentioned inkscape, inkscape does have a tracing feature which might give you the look you want, see here: https://inkscape.org/en/doc/tracing/tutorial-tracing.html.
If inkscape doesn't produce what you are looking for, then you probably are better off with paint.net, as it's got a lot of effects and plugins to try and help you get something cool looking.

[Eli]

Once you have cleaned the background of your picture you can use the adjustment tools and convert it to Black and White. You may increase the intensity of blacks and whites by adjusting the Levels and finally there is also under adjustments a tool called Posterize+. If you are not happy with the results just undo Posterize and Levels. Change again the Black and white Levels and run again Posterize+.

For this one I did not adjust Levels. Instead, I added some blur with Gaussian blur to reduce details and then made it look lighter using the adjustment tool Hue/Saturation. Finally, I used Posterize+.

Edited November 21, 2015 by Eli

[AgentGoodspeed]

My preferred method to achieve this effect is to use Color Threshold.

To get this result (which may or may not be what you're looking for) I:

Cut out the background
invert colors
Color > Threshold, fiddling with the sliders
then I added a black background.
Duplicate layer
apply gaussian blur to top layer
reduce top layer opacity so it's not too blurry.
Flatten

 

Edited November 21, 2015 by AgentGoodspeed

[hamwizard]

Hello all,

 

I wanted to thank you for responding and aplogise for not getting back to you.

I'm slowly learning more and more how to do stuff with the tool.

 

I am still using other tools to assist me, Vector Magic, InkScape and even Gimp.

I am almost comfortable enough to do everything I want now in Paint.NET and loading Paint Shop Pro 5 (yes, seriously...) less and less.

(I'm very fluent with PSP5 for basic stuff)

I think the erode tool is still superior in PSP5 - but as for most things with Paint.NET there's probably a better way but I don't know how.

 

That being said, here's what I managed to whip up with the 3 tools I listed, I'm pretty happy with the result, so thank you  all so much in the community here.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8qz39hr954wg5x/Max01.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/umwq6rsixwzfsza/Hum01.png?dl=0

 

 

I admit MOST of the work for these are done out of Paint.NET but it's the final clean up, the resizing, the initial outlining of the image before vectorizing and what have you which it's great at, the 'every day work' with the images.

 

 

♥ Thanks all / Rick!

 

EDIT: I know I'm still running virtually 2 colour only, rather than the multi-layer look in the original link (of Bill Murray) but baby steps, getting there.

Edited January 9, 2016 by hamwizard