Project 2 : Drawing and Editing Pixel Graphics

with Paint Brush and Paint Shop/Pro

[As will most projects in this course, you can change, alter, or enhance what is required. The project is quite basic, and you may want to do a much better job - like draw a beautiful picture of a dinosaur. There are options, and it is best to discuss what you plan to do with the instructor.]

Graphics [Paint Brush and Paint Shop]

INTRODUCTION


The world of beautiful graphics [art] is now within the reach of most people. This project is to demonstrate how to use computer software can greatly enhance your graphical skills.

PROJECT GOALS

In this program the student will do the following:

• Learn to annotate [label] a diagram using Paint or other software
• Draw a picture of something useful in your discipline.
• Practice editing [enhancing] a picture with Paint Shop.
• Take a picture with a digital camera in the computer lab.
• Scan a picture and save the digital image.
• Edit your picture. This should be extensive editing not just a color correction or added text.
• Write a report with examples of goals 1 to 5 above including the graphics [before and after] for part 4,5 and text, notes, things learned, etc.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

1. A picture with 5 labels.
2. A picture you drew from scratch.
3. A picture from the web which you edited, with before and after images.
4. A picture you took with the digital camera.
5. A photo you scanned and saved.
6. Either picture #4 or #5 which you edited a lot, with before and after images.
7. Every graphic in your report must be labeled.
   (Ex. "This is the picture I took with a digital camera")
8. Describe what you did in your own words.
9. Be creative, show me and tell me what you learned.
   (Really lame edits will not earn many points.)

Using the Paint Program for Graphics

• Run the program Paint.exe [could be called PBrush.exe]; it should be found when you click the Start button, and then click on Programs, now look for the pallet icon and click on it.

• For an easy start label a drawing like Computer, Scope1, Scope2 or Fat_Cowb.bmp.
  

  -These and other drawings should be found on your disk or the K:\ drive.
  -To open and select the graphics files, Click on File and Open.
  -You will see the following dialogue box.
  -You often need to click on the folder arrow button to see other folders and files [ to go up one level in the folder tree structure]. You will also need to click on the down arrow to get to 3 ½ Floppy (A:) or the K:\ drive - your special disk for this course. Click on the Floppy (A:) or K:\.
  -Paint likes Bit mapped files [.BMP], so to see other files click on the down arrow by the file type box and choose .PCX files.
  -Now double click on a graphic file that you want to label.

• Click on the [A] text button so you can type on the drawing. This only works in the Normal Viewing mode. Now a special cursor appears. Select a text area:

  Place the cursor on the upper left corner of the place where you want the text - a clear space. Hold left mouse button down and drag the cursor to the bottom right corner of the text area. Now you are ready to type. You can change the font, the size, etc. in the magic window that now appears - as long as you have not clicked on another tool or place on the screen. You can only change the text now and with the backspace key. Once you have clicked elsewhere the text can not be corrected.

• You can move any part of the text later with the cutout tools [rectangular and any shaped]. Click on the dotted square. Not select the area to move just as you selected a text area above. Put the cursor inside this area [the cursor changes to a four sided arrow] and click and hold - drag and drop the area to a new location.

• HINT: It is easy to copy a part of a sketch in Paint. Just put the cutout, dotted rectangle around the part you want to copy. Now if your mouse is inside the rectangle, the cursor changes to a four sided arrow. Click and drag to move the selected area, BUT if you hold down <Ctrl> you move a copy of the area and leave the original as is.

• Proceed to label at lease five items on the drawing or change the Fat_cowb.bmp Grin Graphic into a leaner meaner cowboy with shading on his clothes. [This cartoon comes from a "grin collection in share ware. I purchased a number of these clip art figures.]

• Save your drawing on your floppy disk or the K:\ drive.
  Click on File and Save or Save as [if you want to change file name or folder.] When you see the Save dialogue box, be careful that you choose 3 ½ Floppy (A:) or the K:\ drive as the folder into which you are saving. You need to type a file name into the File name box or else the computer will default to Untitled.bmp As far as I know, you can only save files in the .BMP [bit mapped] format. This format is not a problem because you can change the file format with PaintShop and .BMP files can be imported into any word processor. [But I find the .BMP files unnecessarily large.]

• Print out your labeled drawing. Under the word File on the top of the window there is the print line. Click on the word File; then go down and click on the word [Print... ] You will see a special Dialogue Box with a Button marked OK, click on this button to begin the printing.

1. Drawing With the Paint Program
   • Run the program Paint [Pbrush.exe];
     It should be found when you click the Start button, and then click on Programs Accessories.

   • Draw something that is interesting to you like a diagram for a lab course like the chemistry apparatus or a force table.

     Some other examples are given below.

     • Room or Building Plans
       Draw a plan for a room with the furniture in its proper location.
       Remember use the <Shift> key with the line tool to draw vertical, horizontal or a 45 degree angle line.
       Use colors to show items in the room. In the sample drawing he chair has been shaded with a gray tone.

     • Stationery - Make your own Letter Head:
       It is useful, helpful, and instructive to create your own stationery. Put some graphic [ a picture or other scanned into a .TIF file by Mr. Barrett] and your name and address in the upper corner of the paper. Print out the results. BE CREATIVE!!!

     • A change of pace - use the PEOPLE1.PCX or PEOPLE2.PCX files from the class disk and cut and paste to to create your own cartoon faces.

     • Draw an diagram a piece of scientific apparatus, or single celled animal , etc.

   • Hints
     • You may need to use PS, PaintShop, PSHOP, or Paint Shop Pro (all versions the same program) to remove unwanted areas from your graphics. Use the mouse and the Copy, New and Paste options to accomplish this task.

     • It is easy to copy a part of a sketch in Paint. Just put the cutout , dotted rectangle around the part you want to copy. Now if your mouse is inside the rectangle, the cursor changes to a four sided arrow. Click and drag to move the selected area, BUT if you hold down <Ctrl> you move a copy of the area and leave the original as is.

   • To print a graphic, use the cutout tool [dotted rectangle] on the top right of the tools, surround your picture, and click on Edit and Copy.
     Now run Paint Shop and Edit...Paste in your picture. With Paint Shop you can save the picture in many formats and print it out. We recommend the .wpg format for WordPerfect documents.

   Practice editing [enhancing] a picture with Paint Shop

   

    

   • Find a picture to modify form the web.
   • Save it to your disk
   • Now edit, fix, crop, clean up, make better and save the picture [figure] to your disk.
   • Save both of these graphics in a format (.wpg) to import to your report.
   • In your report explain the changes that you have made.
   • Here is an example with the Tarzan figure. I have edited the graphic to make Jane more modest, clean up the background, and erase the fold of the comic.

    

    

   Take a picture with a digital camera

• Save it in a .wpg format to put into your report.

Scan a photograph and save the digital image.

• Save it in a .wpg format to put into your report.

Edit one of your pictures extensively and print it out with labels.