Assistance with Sea Turtle Drawing

[Jfile]

Hi Everyone,

I'm interested in getting this JPEG converted to SVG or either re-drawn from scratch. I've tried both and just can't get decent results. I assume the conversion doesn't work well because of the shadow around the outline of the drawing. I tried just tracing it from scratch but can't get nice clean curves and there are quite a few of them.

I have no problem paying someone for their time and effort. I just need a good, clean DWG or SVG to work with. Preferably SVG. I'll be cutting it with plasma. I need to be able to cut at about 18" tall. Proportioned as it is now, I think that would put it at about 15" wide.

Thanks in advance for any help. I know it's not that complicated of a drawing but I have tried and just can't get it like it should be. Feel free to PM me with a price if you're willing to tackle it.

Thanks again.

Jeff

Sea Turtle Image.JPG

[djreiswig]

Did you try the search? I think this is the same drawing.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25441&p=155919

[acourtjester]

Hi Jeff the above post shows using the search function here works great, but if you cannot find one drawn already here is a short tutorial on how to do it yourself, using Inkscape. Do a trace in Inkscape and click on "live preview" in "brightness cutoff" as you make changes in the number you can see the effect on the trace. This helps with shadows or other items when tracing (not all). After you have what you want (or close to it) click on OK. This puts the trace on top on the original, click on it and slide it off the original then remove the original. Then in fill and stroke remove the fill (click on X for fill) the image will disappear, normal. Now click on stroke and give it a stroke color and reduce the stroke to a low width. You may need to do some node work to clean up the trace, enlarge sections and remove or reshape to give you the finished look you want. You can also do the break apart under the path menu to remove things like the Border or other things, you can see the separate parts in one image.

turtle 2.JPG

turtle3.JPG

turtle4.JPG

turtle5.JPG

[ben de lappe]

Hi Jeff!
There's another way to do this, matter of fact my method of choice. I start with the outer profile and use my handy 'Node Edit Tool' to plot nodes with the mouse following the contours. I start at one point and continue all the way around until I make it back to where I started. Next step I draw the interior portions.

Screenshot (85).png

Screenshot (86).png

The great thing about doing it this way is I can undercut the shadow where I wish to accentuate the detail and have complete control over the arcs ensuring a nice clean cut without having to go through the torture of unscrambling a trace and trying to make it look good. This is my result of what I just described, scaled out to 15"x18". Just takes a little practice.

Sea Turtle_Tribal.png

[acourtjester]

Inkscape has a similar manual draw function I'm to lazy to do that.

[Jfile]

Thank you all very much for the info. I can't believe that I did not think to do a search to see if someone else had uploaded this particular file. Also, the tips on how to trace and manually draw are great. I haven't necessarily been trying to do it the wrong way but let's just say, I haven't been doing it the easiest and most effective way.

Again, Thanks to all!!

[ben de lappe]

Nothing to be sad about jester and nothing wrong with your method. Your work is top notch. Everything I know about Inkscape I've learned from your posts so keep up the good work. I'm not saying my way is the best way it's just how my brain adapted to the cnc plasma process as scan/trace features left a lot to be desired. Took some practice but I found that often I could save time and tons of aggravation unscrambling a trace.

[acourtjester]

Thanks Ben, it is good to show more than one way to do things, gives a choice and shows how different software. We all are no cookie cutter people and that what make life great.