Gertrudis and Dogwaffle - a nice combination

Brain Power

Combining tools from Gertrudis and Project Dogwaffle

Gertrudis by Enrique Nieloud (http://www.gertrud.com.ar/) is a fascinating tool which lets you start from an image and turn it into something different, possibly an artistic rendition which looks like hand-sketched. It's interesting to use it as a starting point, and then take it into Project Dogwaffle to further refine it, add special effects or simply paint on it.

+++ Starting with Project Dogwaffle

Let's start with Project Dogwaffle. Open an image from the File menu.

If you don't have an image available, use this one: berries.jpg

Free Download:
the Demo/Trial versions!
click here to choose the
standalone or plugin version

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The Full Version:

Gertrudis
for Project Dogwaffle
Plugin version, for
Project Dogwaffle v2 or
PD Pro v3 and even
for the freeware v1.2
only $34 !
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Gertrudis Pro 2
Standalone Edition
Standalone version, can be used with any imaging software that saves to the many supported popular image formats.
only $67 !
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Be sure to indicate the type of files you're looking for. Dogwaffle's default format is Targa (*.tga), but it's able to read over 60 other formats.

If the image appears under- or over-exposed or otherwise lacks good use of the dynamic range of colors, you can quickly fix that with the option from the Buffer menu:

Buffer > Expand dynamic range

Use Control-S or File>Save... to save the image when ready.

We will now switch to Gertrudis to open that image file.

+++ Into Gertrudis

Launch Gertrudis, and select

File > Open

to open the image file.

Gertrudis displays the loaded image in the left window half. The ruight side will be used when processing and generating the modified image.

<click image to enlarge

Gertrudis already has done the analysis of the image and is ready for action.

You can go to the View menu and select to display the 'Borders' which Gertrudis found in the image, as well as the 'Directions' vectors.

<click image to enlarge

Let's start with the Auto-Sketch method. Click the Auto-Sketch button to the bottom-left. Then move your mouse somewhere onto the picture and click and drag to start placing the white circle in it.

<click image to enlarge

With the left mouse button still pressed down, move to past the other eye, and let go.

<click image to enlarge

Gertrudis will soon reveal the effect in the right half of the window. Be sure to save it to file, perhaps after 'painting' a few more times over it.

Here's a different mode, called 'Sketch Contours'

<click image to enlarge

Ok, here's another method, the Freehand method, and using a different pattern.

<click image to enlarge

And yet another interesting effect.

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ok, that's enough for now. Let's save them and move on.

Here are four examples of images created in this manner.

We're now going back to Dogwaffle for further effects processing.

+++ Back to Project Dogwaffle

Let's open the first image in Dogwaffle.

Then select a filter for color embossing:

Filter > Convolve > Color emboss...

<click image to enlarge

interesting...

what's next?

How about a Wet paint effect, dripping down?

<click image to enlarge

Let's start from scratch again, this time we load image number 2.

Project Dogwaffle is a powerful paint program. One ofits main strengths lies in the brushes and its tools.

This starts with how you can simply pick up a portion of the image buffer to make it your custom brush image.

Click the custom brush selector tool. It's in the 3rd row of mini icons, next to the Linear tool and below the lasso alpha selection tool.

<click image to enlarge

You will see a rubberband crosshair. Click and drag the mouse from the upper-left corner of the image you want to pixk up to the lower-right corner and release the mouse.

The selected area in the rubberband rectangle will become the custom brush's image.

<click image to enlarge

Erase the buffer (clear to white).

Then click on the icon which is in the upper-left corner of the Tools panel and shows your current brush image. This will show the brush settings dialog.

Select the PostFX tab (not available in the 1.2 free version).

Check the box to enable the brush FX and leave it on Emboss mode.

This means now that the Brush can do its own embossing right after it is applied by painting or clicking on the buffer.

<click image to enlarge

We can again pick up this image as a custom brush. Then, switch from the Emboss post FX to a Shadow FX.

Clear the buffer to white again.

Click once in the clean buffer to see the image painted in, and a shadow added.

There are over 100 filters and effects available in the latest version, PD Pro 3.

<click image to enlarge

Here's something created with a variety of filters:

- apply current paper
- value noise
- brush strokes
- make grey
- mystic vision
- light diffusion
- Nova
- lightning

<click image to enlarge

I call this image 'brain power'
or Dogwaffle unleashed ;-)