Make vector art that looks like a tattoo.
Vector art is an image created with image editing software that has an animated appearance. Because of the way vector art is created, vector images do not lose quality when they increase or decrease in size as other images do. Because vector art has that bright color animated effect, you can easily make a vector image that has similar qualities to an ink tattoo.
Instructions
1. Locate a tattoo image you like. Visit websites like My Tattoo Ink, Vector Graphics or Clip Art Guide (see Resources.) Right click on the image you like and select the "Save Image As" option. Choose to save the image as a JPG. You can also find images in coloring books or any clip art book. Scan the image and save it to the computer.
2. Open the digital image editing software on your computer and open the picture you saved or scanned. Click "File" and "Open" to open the image in most programs of this type.
3. Locate the layers window in the software program. This is located under the "Layers" or "Windows" tab, depending on the program you are using. But in most programs the layers window appears automatically to the right of the screen. Click on the "Opacity" slider in the layers window and move it down to 50 percent. This will lighten the lines of the image you chose.
4. Create a new layer by clicking on the layers icon in the bottom of the layers window. This is the icon that looks like stacked sheets of paper. Click on the "Layers" tab in the top toolbar and select "New Layer" if you can't find the icon.
5. Select the brush tool from the left toolbar and change the brush diameter to 2 or 3 pixels. This option is next to the brush icon or in the top toolbar. A smaller diameter will give you a thin brush line.
6. Click on the image and begin to trace the outline of the image by clicking the left mouse button at different intervals along the outline. Locate and click the eye icon on the background layer to make the original image invisible, allowing you to clearly see your traced drawing. Click on the traced layer again to make sure any changes you make apply to this layer.
7. Select the lasso tool and draw a lasso around the traced image. Left click an area outside of the drawing and drag the lasso around the image without releasing the click until you completely encircle the traced image.
8. Locate the feather tool in the digital image editing software you use. In Photoshop this is under "Select" and "Modify," while in Gimp it is located on the left side. Paint.net requires a plug-in for the tool. Choose 1 or 2 as the number of pixels to feather. This will give the traced image a soft outline instead of an uneven one.
9. Add another layer to the layers window. Click the color swatch icon and choose the color you want for a particular section of the vector piece. Select the paint brush and start to paint the area on the new blank layer. Don't worry too much if you go outside the outline.
10. Drag the colored layer under the traced image layer. This will eliminate any color strokes you made outside the outline. Follow the same process for other sections of the drawing, always placing a new color on a new layer and dragging the layer under the traced image when you finish colorizing it.
11. Save your finished tattoo design as a ".VPF" which is the vector file.
