Vector Workshop 2025 - PaintShop Pro

[Cassel]

20 minutes ago, Harmony Birch said:

Unfortunately no it is the same even with a new image As seen here just one layer in layer pallette.

Check your emails. We might need to troubleshoot something.

[Gerry Landreth]

Day 5. Learning from previous exercises, I can affirm that following directions makes things easier. My high school chemistry teacher is nodding in the "I told you so" way she had.

[Cassel]

1 hour ago, Harmony Birch said:

Unfortunately no it is the same even with a new image As seen here just one layer in layer pallette.

One thing I notice is that the greyed out tool is NOT the Pen tool but it is an Art Media tool.

[Susan Ewart]

6 hours ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

Susan they are great but I like the middle one the best!

Me too Corrie.

 

[Susan Ewart]

6 hours ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

Oh my what did you do with your foot? It seems I missed something here. Your teapot and cup are very well done and how fitting because of your love for teacups on the weekly challenge of last year. All the best and "enjoy" your extra computer time.

 

 

I was clumsy.  Actually at the end of a very good workout I decided to work on some balance stuff (I do it at the end normally).  But, Wednesday when i worked out I decided to up the ante for balance and what i used to make it more unstable wasnt solid enough and it sheared sideways and over I went twisting my foot laterally.  I'm just able to walk today, with a wrap on the foot.  Missed 3 days of work but got lots of rest, ice, compression and elevation for 48 hours and now heating it.  the top of my foot (I think it's a mid foot sprain or one or more tendons is very unhappy) swelled up and looked like a big potato.  But all the ice-ing I did helped to not get a horrific bruise, it's very light.  I am doing much better than the last two days.   I'm a dummy and should know better, clearly I don't.

[Susan Ewart]

5 hours ago, Cindy Sheets said:

I am currently working on lesson 1 but wanted to drop in and leave a comment especially for all the first timers.

I have used vectors plenty of times but always seem to have a gotcha point. I think this is the 3rd time I am taking this workshop (definitely the second), and today the explanations for the different node types really seemed to click. As in, I think the knowledge actually stuck this time. I have been doing things one way just because that was how I learned it but didn't really understand the why.

I've done the workshop 3 times and just like you I had a pretty big ah-ha moment about the cutout.  These workshops are so worth doing over and over.

[Susan Ewart]

2 hours ago, Gerry Landreth said:

Day 5. Learning from previous exercises, I can affirm that following directions makes things easier. My high school chemistry teacher is nodding in the "I told you so" way she had.

These are beautiful Gerry.  I love the quotes.

[Susan Ewart]

Lesson 5

I had fun with this one.  I like this technique a lot.  I turned the middle logo into a preset shape from what I learned at the last Q & A.  it is a mix to two different fonts, a logo I made for the Magazine workshop.

Edited May 24 by Susan Ewart

[Susan Ewart]

Lesson 5 

Weirdness has prevailed.  I am enclosing two images.  the first one is a screen shot of the pspimage file which has an 'S' on the end of the last word.  When I resized to 600 it takes out the 's'.  I did not make a large JPG and reduce from there, I resized the original file too 600 and then chose jpg.  Anyway, the pspimage looks fine, it was probably too much compression for the jpg.  Or.....I used up my allotment of font characters for the day 😱. 

the font is Elaina Script.  the photo is mine and first one I came across that I could use.  

Edited May 24 by Susan Ewart

[Cassel]

@Susan EwartThis is a proof that there is always something new to discover in PSP! I was not aware that drawing in "reverse" would do the same as reversing the path. Thanks to Jacques, it is one more thing that I learned. I wonder if left-handed people tend to draw in a different direction than right-handed people. Your teapot shape is great!! I am really surprised by that text missing the final "s" when you resize it. Out of curiosity, have you tried editing the text and changing the text size by 1 less to see if it changes something?  It is very odd. I have never seen that before.

@Jannette Nieuwboer If you have shapes that are made of more than one shape, they have to be grouped, and the name of the group will become the name of the shape. Otherwise, individual objects will be saved, and it won't look like the shape you want at all. And worse, it MIGHT overwrite shapes of the same name. Just review the instructions in exporting the shapes.

@Jeni SimpsonIt is great that figured out the little detail that was missing. Hopefully, you won't forget from now on!

@Carolyn RyeYou should have time to catch up despite your busy schedule since the lessons will stay available for another week.

@JacquesThat is a fun project with that bridge. 

@Sue Thomas As you said, vectors allow for very nice curves. I also use vectors whenever I need some crisp edges on shapes.

@Donna SilliaIt is fun to add text along a path especially when it can perfectly match the image. It is so versatile! With the handouts, you will be able to refer back to the step whenever you need them.

@Gerry LandrethI am glad that the "directions" were useful when followed. Your cup is LOVELY! Great work. Were you trying to do the work without following the directions??

@Harmony BirchAs I sent you an email to troubleshoot, I am not sure why that tool is greyed out but it is not the Pen tool. It is the Marker tool from the Art Media tools. I wonder if your Pen tool disappeared or was moved somewhere else.

@Hank SobahGreat lesson with the text on a path. Are you able to do the "text in both directions" easily now ?

@Cindy SheetsAny ah-ah moment is a new skill that you won't forget anymore. Keep going. There might be more in this workshop.

@Peggy DorganIf you click and automatically get a new node, you are likely not in the Edit mode (I make that mistake often!). Can you check that?

As some of you have mentioned, some participants are repeat registrants. Although I have been asked, a few times, if I could make more advanced lessons (which I MIGHT), there are still benefits in redoing the exact same lessons, even though the assignments might change a little. With each run of the workshop, you get more creative and ambitious and that repetition ends up "sticking" more and more.

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

3 hours ago, Cassel said:

If you have shapes that are made of more than one shape, they have to be grouped, and the name of the group will become the name of the shape. Otherwise, individual objects will be saved, and it won't look like the shape you want at all. And worse, it MIGHT overwrite shapes of the same name. Just review the instructions in exporting the shapes.

@Cassel You are full 100% right. That was what i forgot, And what happend. After this workshop I will correct those. Now I Have to concentrate on lesson 3 . I'm practicing already but its a nasty one. 

[Jeni Simpson]

6 hours ago, Susan Ewart said:

Lesson 5 

Weirdness has prevailed.  I am enclosing two images.  the first one is a screen shot of the pspimage file which has an 'S' on the end of the last word.  When I resized to 600 it takes out the 's'.  I did not make a large JPG and reduce from there, I resized the original file too 600 and then chose jpg.  Anyway, the pspimage looks fine, it was probably too much compression for the jpg.  Or.....I used up my allotment of font characters for the day 😱. 

the font is Elaina Script.  the photo is mine and first one I came across that I could use.  

Your photography is exquisite, Susan, the word wrap is amazing! 

[Jeni Simpson]

Day 4
I am well behind. I had difficulty with the mug, I think my eyes are causing me trouble,  so I added a tube to my image.

[Cristina]

On 5/22/2025 at 11:07 PM, Jacques said:

@Cassel I just figured out something about the hole exercise (lesson 4).

If I trace a hole in the same direction as the main object (e.g. both clockwise), I have to do the "R" (from the acronym C-R-A-C)

but if I create a hole in the opposite direction, I don't have to do the "R" (Main clockwise, hole counterclockwise).

Is that right?

Why do I have to rotate in the opposite direction for this to work?

That's why I always say doing the Workshops in a group is much better.   We learn so much from each other's experiences.

 

[Cristina]

Seeing all the great work posted made me wish to participate and practice more Vectors in PSP, but I would not have the time. 

Great job, Everyone!

 

 

 

[Cristina]

On 5/22/2025 at 4:27 AM, Mary Solaas said:

I've had a few health issues this week and am due at the doctor's tomorrow.

Mary, I hope you are feeling better by now. Sending you my best wishes. ❣️

[Cristina]

10 hours ago, Susan Ewart said:

I was clumsy.  Actually at the end of a very good workout I decided to work on some balance stuff (I do it at the end normally).  But, Wednesday when i worked out I decided to up the ante for balance and what i used to make it more unstable wasnt solid enough and it sheared sideways and over I went twisting my foot laterally.  I'm just able to walk today, with a wrap on the foot.  Missed 3 days of work but got lots of rest, ice, compression and elevation for 48 hours and now heating it.  the top of my foot (I think it's a mid foot sprain or one or more tendons is very unhappy) swelled up and looked like a big potato.  But all the ice-ing I did helped to not get a horrific bruise, it's very light.  I am doing much better than the last two days.   I'm a dummy and should know better, clearly I don't.

You are clumsy, Susan, and accidents can happen to anyone. I hope you will be "up and running" (kind of  🙂 ) very soon. 

Sending my best wishes too. ❣️

 

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

Hallo fellow warriors, Here is my contribution to lesson 3. I have a confession to make. I cheated a bit. I went crazy with all those nodes, sometimes my cursor slid away and I pressed the wrong one. To my great annoyance. But here are some leaves anyway. I had practiced for hours and hours. But after this workshop I will continue with it. perhaps some easier shapes. I did something I have never done before and that is traced with the color brushes in PSP. Like back in kindergarten, remember? I used all kinds of different ones but the result was always the same. Perhaps a tip for Carole to add something different to her entire oeuve. 

Edited May 24 by Jannette Nieuwboer

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

This is the original one 

[Harmony Birch]

Having finally sorted problem (corrupted workspace) I am now up and running. I have worked with vectors before and I really want to use this workshop to fine tune my vector skills with psp before going on to work with vectors in Affinity design and Inkscape.

So here is my heart and arrows. I duplicated the heart and moved one version and tweaked the nodes a bit to try and make it look 3d. To finish I duplicated layers and converted the duplicates to raster to add shadows

 

[Sue Thomas]

Day 6  For the flower image I used the technique used in the masterclass, as I used a vector circle and not the pen tool, to cut it out.  For those that may not know for the word AUTUMN I changed the word  to character shapes. That way I am able to edit each letter individually, whilst still  retaining  it as a vector, even  applying the vector tube script to create the  various colours. Instead of  writing each letter on its own layer.  

 

Edited May 24 by Sue Thomas

[Jeni Simpson]

Finally, on to Day 5, and it is after 2 am, but when playing with text on a path, one cannot stop and go to bed!
I had created a denim background earlier in the day, so I thought I might use it as a background here.
The quote I used looked dreadful on a curvy path, so after trying many fonts and sizes,
I created an ellipse and made it more of a logotype, changing the colour of the flower to match her jeans.

Edited May 24 by Jeni Simpson

[Jacques]

A pot of lessons from Cassel: My 3rd grandson (already 5 months old):

 

Edited May 24 by Jacques

[Sue Thomas]

45 minutes ago, Jeni Simpson said:

Finally, on to Day 5, and it is after 2 am, but when playing with text on a path, one cannot stop and go to bed!
I had created a denim background earlier in the day, so I thought I might use it as a background here.
The quote I used looked dreadful on a curvy path, so after trying many fonts and sizes,
I created an ellipse and made it more of a logotype, changing the colour of the flower to match her jeans.

I would say that serif and san serif tend to work well on  circles or ovals. It depends on the script font, but generally I feel they  don't  give the impact of the serif fonts.  Of course it depends on the topic of your  page, as  there are script fonts which work.  Personally I tend to go with  the serif, as legibility is paramount. You are the creator, and it's what you are happy with.

Edited May 24 by Sue Thomas

[Susan Ewart]

10 hours ago, Cassel said:

Out of curiosity, have you tried editing the text and changing the text size by 1 less to see if it changes something?  It is very odd. I have never seen that before.

I will give that a try.  I have another thing I'll try, first saving the full sized pspimage as a jpg then reduce the jpg.  I lose a bit of resolution that way.  Lately I have being saving the original pspimage, then merging the layers and saving and naming with with MERG on the end.  then I use that to do the full-sized jpg and to do the resize for 600 copy(from the MERG pspimage file).  I know, sounds like more work, but I compared the various ways and resizing from the jpg loses resolution more than resizing from the bigger file of a merged psp file.  I get that everyone goes on about less clicks and working faster.  That's great if you are a production output company selling your work.  In fact for years I was a production artist where time was money where I'd be getting up a 2 or 3 or 4am just to take stuff out of my kiln to put more stuff back in.  I got too burnt out, now I like to take my time and make one-off pieces and enjoy the process.  I dont have to hurry anymore, it's so much more relaxing and enjoyable.