How Do You make frames?

 

Dear sisters perhaps you can help me. Sis Zaza was giving me tips about how to make frames in ArtWeaver and I was having a go at it but thus far my progress has been.... unimpressive.... 

My question is/are:

- how do I keep my hand steady enough to make straight or at least decent lines/designs?  

Here is an example of one frame I've attempted:



First, it's terribly uncreative  and second, it's not very kid friendly  

I'd like to learn to make frames like the one in the header here for example: http://amuslimchildgrowsup.blogspot.ca/

Tips? Pointers? Advice?

 

Making straight lines is easy. Click with the brush on the canvas, hold the shift key and click where you want the line to end.

I will look at the link you posted later tonight Insha Allah.

 

  ....also, if you want to wait until after Ramadan that is probably best since we are entering the last 10 days.

 

This is the pic from the link:


I think that it would be worth your while investing in a programme such as Photoshop dear sister munaqaba. We could then give you some tips on how to get similar results inshaAllah.  

 

also, if you want to wait until after Ramadan that is probably best since we are entering the last 10 days.

I was going to say the same thing, Insha Allah we will take this up again after Ramadan.  

I had a quick go in Photoshop of something similar. Is this something which you can use sister?:



This is just a shape with a drop shadow added and the white border added using the stroke effect.

Regarding adding 'stitching' I found that the line tool in the simple Paint programme we all have on our computers, to be the easiest way to draw the stitches.

 

Tayyib, I have started researching Photoshop to see which version I should consider buying insha'Allaah.

Sis Zaza, yes, this way we can all focus on our ibadah in these last 10 days insha'Allaah.

Sis Aisha, so for the one you posted..... ....did you insert a shape that already exists in Photoshop and then alter it? Or did you draw the shape from scratch? This is what I am really wondering about.....do people draw these beautiful frames from scratch in Photoshop? Do you use a mouse to do this or a pen? But I'll stop here and insha'Allaah, we'll pick this topic up again after Eid....maybe I'll have Photoshop by then insha'Allaah    

 

Did you try fonts like I suggested last time? If you see some of the Ramadan, Eid and other the Salam greetings I made for this year's quiz, I used fonts and you can easily use them in Artweaver. Artweaver is a very good free program, giving you some of the good features of both photoshop and artrage.

Insha Allah we will take this up again after Eid  

 

The frame was one I had in my Photo impact programme and changed in Photo Shop. JazakiAllahu khairan for reminding us about artWeaver dear sis Zaza, I have just downloaded it again.  Also I have found a nice frames font which has similar frames to the above here: http://www.dafont.com/kg-flavor-and-frames.font

 

  sis Aisha for the font link

This is what I am really wondering about.....do people draw these beautiful frames from scratch in Photoshop? Do you use a mouse to do this or a pen? But I'll stop here and insha'Allaah, we'll pick this topic up again after Eid...

Regarding this question, I also cannot draw even a straight line, nor can I trace over a drawing. I normally, almost all the time, use things that are available, as long as there are freebies with no clauses attached, like giving credit to the person. Even the flowers etc I use are freebies.  

Besides Artweaver there is another very good free program Gimp.  Sis Aisha mentioned the Paint program which comes Windows. It’s also a good program, if you only wish to do simple graphics. But like all programs whether its Photoshop, Paint or Artweaver, one needs to invest time and have patience to learn even the basics. Alhamdulillah Masha Allah there are millions of tutorials online to learn anything today.  

If you make a search for free borders/frame images, you will need a few hours to browse through just a few of the sites mentioned in the search. Then you can personalize the frames to your liking.  

http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?p=free+border+and+frame+images&type=2button&fr=ush-mailn

Regarding the stitches, the best result I got thus far is using illustrator. But one can make a brush for the stitches in Artweaver. I have not tried it yet but I think its possible, as I have made other brushes in Artweaver. What I really like about Artweaver is the Clone tool, it allows me to change the flowers or images from a photo to a painting and I can use those parts of the photo I need, but this procedure is time consuming.  


Insha Allah if you need help, let us know.

 

Jazakillaahu khayr sis Zaza. Some of what you said is very unknown to me so I am not sure about some of it. For the fonts, I do not understand why I need the fonts to make borders and frames. Can you please explain how the fonts are used when making borders and frames?  

Also this,

Regarding the stitches, the best result I got thus far is using illustrator. But one can make a brush for the stitches in Artweaver. I have not tried it yet but I think its possible, as I have made other brushes in Artweaver. What I really like about Artweaver is the Clone tool, it allows me to change the flowers or images from a photo to a painting and I can use those parts of the photo I need, but this procedure is time consuming.

hmmm...too techy  what are stitches? What is the Clone tool and what does it do? Do I need to learn how to use these tools to make borders/frames?

I want to learn to make borders and frames by myself b/c I've seen some of the free ones but they are not what I am looking for/needing. The ones that I have found that I like are not free to use.

Next, Google search for tutorials on how to make frames and borders  

 dear sis Zaza

 

Sorry to confuse you dear sis Umm An-Nu'man. I just got a bit carried away with graphics.    

For the fonts, I do not understand why I need the fonts to make borders and frames.

These are frames/borders which you type like you would abc. You take the letter A and you get a frame or border, it has to be installed in your font folder in the control panel.

Masha Allah sis Aisha posted a link to the some cool frames fonts Here's the link again in case you missed it.

http://www.dafont.com/kg-flavor-and-frames.font

hmmm...too techy hehe what are stitches? What is the Clone tool and what does it do? Do I need to learn how to use these tools to make borders/frames?

No you don't need the clone tool to do frames. The clone tool, Insha Allah I will make an example to show you. Regarding the stitches, those are the dashes which appear in your original example which sis Aisha posted there, I call them stitches.

Sorry about being techo .... anyway you learnt something new.  

The drawback using Artweaver for frames is that the font size only goes up to 200 points and we can't center align text, its only left orientated. Another disadvantage I found is that we can't align the different layers, to center all the different aspects/objects we are using.

For the frame, I used 200 points, rasterized the layer and then made it bigger. If you need more help let me know.

 

Jazakillaahu khayr sis Zaza! Now I understand about the fonts. Your example was helpful  ....barakallaahu feki. And alhamdulillaah, with your example, I also understand what the clone tool does.

You mentioned layers. I've tried to use those in Artweaver but have not got the hang of them yet. I also Googled to find some tutorials about how to make frames. When there is time insha'Allaah, I will have to watch these and practice biithnillaah.

Let me take some time to try out what you've suggested and also apply whatever I learn from the tutorials and insha'Allaah, I'll come back and post what a frame that I've made and you all can help me improve insha'Allaah.

  

 

  

The frame is three 3, the red layer, then go to Select-->Modify --> Contract - I used 10 pixels and that's the blue layer, and lastly contracted the blue layer by 10 to make the white one.

Have fun