Guest Author - Tammy Murks

Paint comes with Windows, so most folks have access to this program. This makes it a “Free” software to use to create your own art for your projects. You can create bitmap images, jpegs, png, and more. In Paint, you can draw, edit, color, add, erase and apply filters for effects and more. The nice thing about paint is that it has ready made shapes for you. You can also draw lines to create new ones. Basically, to me, art is about shape, color and shading. For now, you have to think of things in terms of shapes. A building, for example, consists of one larger rectangle, with a line coming out the top for an antenna. You can add a circle to top of the antenna to make it look a little more lifelike. For the windows, you add small rectangles or squares. At the bottom you put one bigger square for a door. You can add a small knob by making a small circle. Walla! Your first basic drawing. You see now what I mean about art being made up of Shapes, Colors, and Shading? Now, let’s add some color.

Using the Paint Bucket to color in images you have created isn’t that difficult. The bottom tip of the paint coming out of the can is what you want to place exactly where you wish the color to fill. If the area is small, and you are having a hard time placing it where it needs to be, or other items besides the ones you want to color or getting filled in, just resize the image display. To do this, Click on VIEW, ZOOM, CUSTOM and select 400%. Now, the task is easy. When you are done coloring, Click on VIEW, ZOOM, CUSTOM and NORMAL. You are back where you started with all your beautiful colors added. Click on the Paint bucket and fill in any other images. Maybe you want yellow for the windows to create an effect of light. You may want to place several different buildings together to create a city affect. Click on the Paint Bucket and give each building a different color. I often like the effect of clicking paint bucket and filling in the background with a light blue, or gray to create different settings and not have the old fashioned white backdrop.

Tips:
•Start your picture in Black and White and then add color. It is easier then starting in color and having to change things around.
•Save several different times during creation. You can always go back and yet not have to start all over.
•Do your drawing by hand and then scan them into your computer.
•Beginning your images in Paint (or Bitmap Format) actually preserves your original integrity of a picture, as opposed to Vector. Start in Paint, and then Edit as Vector.
•You can Skew, Strength, or Resize your image by clicking on the square icon made out of a dotted line. Click and hold your mouse directly outside your image. Drag your mouse across the image until it is all in the dotted square.

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