PDN for Digital Scrapbooking
PDN is short for Paint Dot Net, a FREE photo editing & image creating software.
This sample QP was created entirely with Paint.Net
This cookie image was created entirely using Paint.Net, 99% Paint.Net and using an outside image in the "Fill" effect, buried under a lot of the Paint.Net created grain of the cookie.
This Christmas tree cookie image was created entirely using Paint.Net, with no outside image filling. Totally organic PDN use. The outline shape was easy because PDN had a ton of shapes to use within PDN. The PDN community is always adding to them. It's not too hard to draw out a simple outline image of a Christmas tree, either. This darker cookie was made quickly using features like bevel, TR's Kaboom (to blend multiple matching colors to give a scattered grain look.) Sharpening effect, blur, and the use of the TEXTURIZE filter that allows a texture or pattern, not an image, but a texture showing on an image, to be put into the image or solid color layer you created.
I also used the Trail effect slightly. I just played around with each feature until I achieved a look I wanted or close enough with my knowledge of the software and effects. I'm sure Paint.Net experts can do an even better job at making it look like a real cookie. I'm no expert or pro. I'm just an average person figuring out how to use Paint.Net and by going to the Paint.Net forum to learn from others and their tutorials, when I find the time. This software is so awesome and far less clicks or technical issues than using Gimp and Gimp is powerful but why would I spend 3 hours trying to figure out how to do something in 87 clicks of the mouse or keyboard use, when I can do it in far less time and maybe 10 mouse clicks, using a far more user friendly software? Paint.Net is also a much smaller application. I think the basic software is 8 MBs, compared to nearly 200 MBs Gimp is. You can pick the plugins to install. There are 100s of plugins. I have 100 MBs of just plugins and I bet I only use less than half of them. I can delete some of them but I have the space on my computer to keep them. If I didn't, I would delete many of them onto a flash stick so I could use them if needed without having to have an internet connection to access them.
This cookie image was created entirely using Paint.Net. I used a huge plaster or stucco image as with the "Fill" effect on the above polar bear. I then blended a top layer to give some coloring. The polar bear below used ONLY features in Paint.Net. No outside image filling. I could have made it look closer to the above darker blue bear, too, but I made a quick 100% organic pure PDN cookie bear. I also wanted it to look more realistic with dried frosting and a painted on frosting for the red stripes on the scarf below.
This cookie image was created entirely using Paint.Net, with no outside image filling. Totally organic PDN use. The outline shape was easy because PDN had a ton of shapes to use within PDN. The PDN community is always adding to them. The official Paint.Net forum has many tutorials and regular image competitions contests with strict rules. These rules are to make the user more knowledgeable in the use and functions of Paint.Net, giving a person a purpose to learn functions rather than having no purpose and just clicking on stuff.
These flamingo gingerbread cookies are the last of my Paint.Net cookie examples, made entirely with Paint.Net. No outside software or image was used. It was all from scratch. All from the features of Paint.Net. Remember, I'm not even any kind of expert with Paint.Net, or any other graphic software. Gimp has just recently become slightly more user friendly but Paint.Net is far more user friendly and it's just faster to do things. Once Paint.Net gets brushes fully working, if they do, it will be a full blown game changer. It uses brushes, but by a plugin that has problems and isn't made for any high resolution work. I noticed recently that Gimp has become slightly more user friendly...slightly more.
By the way, Paint.Net has an easy seamless tile maker that can make beautiful digital paper patterns, with ease. Paint.Net loads in the blink of an eye. Paint.Net is a fantastic software for anyone who has trouble figuring out how to use Gimp or Photoshop.
I hope some of my examples, will give you an idea of what Paint.Net can do, and remember, I'm not any kind of expert. In fact, I've seen what some expert users can do with Paint.Net and it blows me away. It makes what I've created look like something a 3rd grader created but at least you get a decent idea.
Here is my final gingerbread cookie example for a Paint.Net user who isn't even that great or knowledgeable at using Paint.Net. If I can figure out how to do this much with my very limited skills, imagine what you can do. I wanted this cookie to look like smeared dried frosting. I didn't want to do several examples of gingerbread men cookies because who wants to see a ton of nearly the same gingerbread men over and over? We have evolved with gingerbread dough and now make it into more cookie designs. On another note, I've never liked the taste of gingerbread. It's kind of gross. I did find a chocolate gingerbread recipe that tasted a little better. Still, I don't eat them but decorating them and making a gingerbread house is fun.